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richyb83

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BRAF drops request for Baton Rouge Health District zoning approval    

In the wake of last week’s heated Metro Council Zoning Committee meeting, the Planning Commission—at the request of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation—has asked the council to withdraw from its agenda the item formally creating the Baton Rouge Health District.

At its Feb. 17 meeting, the council voted 7-4 to defer the health district measure for 90 days after angry north Baton Rouge residents spoke against it. Though creation of the health district is simply a land-use designation applied to an existing medical corridor, opponents argued it was frivolous to create a health district in south Baton Rouge given the lack of health care options in north Baton Rouge.

Planning Director Frank Duke says the Planning Commission was technically the applicant for the Health District’s creation, and that he asked the council on Friday, at BRAF’s request, to pull the item.

The issue had simply become too divisive,” Duke says. “I made the call to pull the plug after talking to (BRAF Executive Vice President) John Spain.”

Metro Councilwoman Tara Wicker, who also chairs the Planning Commission, says she was notified of the withdrawal request late last week, and thinks it’s unfortunate.

“In light of all the divisiveness and conversation, they decided to withdraw,” Wicker says. “I think they are moving forward with hiring an executive director, the coordination of services and getting things to where they need to go … but we, as a council, won’t have an opportunity to give input on that.”

BRAF did not return several calls and emails seeking comment as of this afternoon’s deadline.

As a practical matter, Friday’s decision will not impact the creation of the health district, which is not a taxing district or governmental entity, Duke says.

“Its withdrawal has no effect on the ability of the hospitals to work together,” he says. “The organization the hospitals created to coordinate their efforts will continue and has the same ability to pursue grants as any other similar organization.”

In late 2015, after months of study and planning, BRAF unveiled plans to create a unified health district along the Essen Lane-Bluebonnet Boulevard corridor, where two major hospitals, the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, and dozens of clinics and providers are located. The idea was first outlined in the city’s FuturEBR master plan and was largely seen as an economic development concept that would benefit the entire Capital Region.

Portland, Oregon-based planner John Fregonese, who drafted FuturEBR, says while it’s true the council does not have to give the health district its blessing in order for the area to exist on maps or signs, having the district officially labeled would make it easier to brand and promote to the world.

“Not adopting this measure doesn’t stop the health district, but it doesn’t help it either,” Fregonese says. “This is something that puts Baton Rouge on the map nationally and internationally, and this is going to help the entire parish.”    https://www.businessreport.com/article/braf-drops-request-baton-rouge-health-district-zoning-approval

Edited by greg225
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On 2/24/2016 at 10:41 AM, greg225 said:

BRAF drops request for Baton Rouge Health District zoning approval    

In the wake of last week’s heated Metro Council Zoning Committee meeting, the Planning Commission—at the request of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation—has asked the council to withdraw from its agenda the item formally creating the Baton Rouge Health District.

At its Feb. 17 meeting, the council voted 7-4 to defer the health district measure for 90 days after angry north Baton Rouge residents spoke against it. Though creation of the health district is simply a land-use designation applied to an existing medical corridor, opponents argued it was frivolous to create a health district in south Baton Rouge given the lack of health care options in north Baton Rouge.

Planning Director Frank Duke says the Planning Commission was technically the applicant for the Health District’s creation, and that he asked the council on Friday, at BRAF’s request, to pull the item.

The issue had simply become too divisive,” Duke says. “I made the call to pull the plug after talking to (BRAF Executive Vice President) John Spain.”

Metro Councilwoman Tara Wicker, who also chairs the Planning Commission, says she was notified of the withdrawal request late last week, and thinks it’s unfortunate.

“In light of all the divisiveness and conversation, they decided to withdraw,” Wicker says. “I think they are moving forward with hiring an executive director, the coordination of services and getting things to where they need to go … but we, as a council, won’t have an opportunity to give input on that.”

BRAF did not return several calls and emails seeking comment as of this afternoon’s deadline.

As a practical matter, Friday’s decision will not impact the creation of the health district, which is not a taxing district or governmental entity, Duke says.

“Its withdrawal has no effect on the ability of the hospitals to work together,” he says. “The organization the hospitals created to coordinate their efforts will continue and has the same ability to pursue grants as any other similar organization.”

In late 2015, after months of study and planning, BRAF unveiled plans to create a unified health district along the Essen Lane-Bluebonnet Boulevard corridor, where two major hospitals, the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, and dozens of clinics and providers are located. The idea was first outlined in the city’s FuturEBR master plan and was largely seen as an economic development concept that would benefit the entire Capital Region.

Portland, Oregon-based planner John Fregonese, who drafted FuturEBR, says while it’s true the council does not have to give the health district its blessing in order for the area to exist on maps or signs, having the district officially labeled would make it easier to brand and promote to the world.

“Not adopting this measure doesn’t stop the health district, but it doesn’t help it either,” Fregonese says. “This is something that puts Baton Rouge on the map nationally and internationally, and this is going to help the entire parish.”    https://www.businessreport.com/article/braf-drops-request-baton-rouge-health-district-zoning-approval

This is why we can't have nice things. 

All this sour grapes while north Baton Rouge is finally starting to get the attention it deserves is ridiculous.   The projects proposed in the medical district have implications way beyond the boundaries of East Baton Rouge, and would improve both the opportunities and health outcomes for people all over south Louisiana and cancer alley.....but since it's in a primarily white area, it must be stopped. 

I bet Ascension Parish or Livingston would love having that infrastructure.   Maybe that's where it should be built.

Edited by cajun
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One step forward..two steps back seems to be the rule rather than the exception..There was an article about this a few days back in The Advocate..."Politics trumps Progress"

What this new Health District is mainly doing is getting a new land-use plan with special zoning for traffic purposes & connectivity....

http://theadvocate.com/news/opinion/14959949-79/lanny-keller-hijacking-health-district-issue-for-north-vs-south-baton-rouge-debate-doesnt-help-anyo#comments

 

 

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43 minutes ago, cajun said:

This is why we can't have nice things. 

All this sour grapes while north Baton Rouge is finally starting to get the attention it deserves is ridiculous.   The projects proposed in the medical district have implications way beyond the boundaries of East Baton Rouge, and would improve both the opportunities and health outcomes for people all over south Louisiana and cancer alley.....but since it's in a primarily white area, it must be stopped. 

I bet Ascension Parish or Livingston would love having that infrastructure.   Maybe that's where it should be built.

BRAF chose to pull the request which would have been approve the second time around, but this doesn't stop any development. NBR have to scream just to be heard because they been asking for help for years. If Livingston and Ascension was paying BRAF 500,000 a year like EBR do maybe.

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11 hours ago, cajun said:

This is why we can't have nice things. 

All this sour grapes while north Baton Rouge is finally starting to get the attention it deserves is ridiculous.   The projects proposed in the medical district have implications way beyond the boundaries of East Baton Rouge, and would improve both the opportunities and health outcomes for people all over south Louisiana and cancer alley.....but since it's in a primarily white area, it must be stopped. 

I bet Ascension Parish or Livingston would love having that infrastructure.   Maybe that's where it should be built.

This is what happens when you neglect half of the city for 50 years. 

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1 hour ago, Antrell Williams said:

This is what happens when you neglect half of the city for 50 years. 

This is what happens when politicians exploit their angry, bitter, and racist constituents whose idea of societal improvement is ensuring everyone is equally miserable.   I've seen it in public schools and every level of government.   Politicians like that win elections when they appear to be sticking it to white people....not by improving their districts.  

it's the exact kind of attitude that will hold Baton Rouge back and north Baton Rouge in particular.   Politicians create, exploit, and aggravate racial tensions to draw support during election cycles.  This "us vs them" mentality is a cancer to a governing body and it's next to impossible to get rid of once it takes hold.   

You may as well just give up on a city whose council contains elected officials that exploit racism like that to win elections.  People like that are no different from those Livingston Parish NIMBYs who are anti-everything with a regional focus.

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22 minutes ago, cajun said:

This is what happens when politicians exploit their angry, bitter, and racist constituents whose idea of societal improvement is ensuring everyone is equally miserable.   I've seen it in public schools and every level of government. 

it's the exact kind of attitude that will hold Baton Rouge back and north Baton Rouge in particular.  

If you lived in a area that pay taxes and you didn't see any investment in your area you would be mad to. Most schools in NBR need to be rebuild they are falling a part and we try to figure out why the school system is bad. What's holding back Baton Rouge is no investing in all of its city, but we want to be American's Next Great City.

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14 minutes ago, greg225 said:

If you lived in a area that pay taxes and you didn't see any investment in your area would be mad to. Most schools in NBR need to be rebuild they are falling a part and we try to figure out why the school system is bad. What's holding back Baton Rouge is no investing in all of its city, but we want to be American's Next Great City.

Most schools in East Baton Rouge parish need to be overhauled.  

This "us vs them" attitude only exacerbates funding problems when the region can't even present a united front in the state house.   North Baton Rouge spending political capital to screw over whites in St. George and now the entire region combined with Livingston Parish obstructing everything that even whiffs of progress just guarantees that New Orleans and other more politically organized regions continue to eat up a disproportionate mount of increasingly sparse state tax dollars despite East Baton Rouge being the largest parish in the state by far.   

There is absolutely no coincidence that this is occurring as the mayor's election approaches.  Ambitious politicians have to appear to be sticking it to whites to be in good standing with their constituents.  

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29 minutes ago, cajun said:

Most schools in East Baton Rouge parish need to be overhauled.  

This "us vs them" attitude only exacerbates funding problems when the region can't even present a united front in the state house.   North Baton Rouge spending political capital to screw over whites in St. George and now the entire region combined with Livingston Parish obstructing everything that even whiffs of progress just guarantees that New Orleans and other more politically organized regions continue to eat up a disproportionate mount of increasingly sparse state tax dollars despite East Baton Rouge being the largest parish in the state by far.   

There is absolutely no coincidence that this is occurring as the mayor's election approaches.  Ambitious politicians have to appear to be sticking it to whites to be in good standing with their constituents.  

St. George supports is the ones that have us vs them attitude as I remember .Second all NBR want is economic in their area so if the St. George supports feel like that I don't care this about Baton Rouge City Limits neglecting areas of the city. Its easy being on the outside looking in thinking you know, but what people got remember as taxpayers NBR have the right to be angry. People in NBR never said anything about race or sticking it to whites what they said "we want economic development in our area like they have on the south side of town".

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20 minutes ago, greg225 said:

St. George supports is the ones that have us vs them attitude as I remember .Second all NBR want is economic in their area so if the St. George supports feel like that I don't care this about Baton Rouge City Limits neglecting areas of the city. Its easy being on the outside looking in thinking you know, but what people got remember as taxpayers NBR have the right to be angry. People in NBR never said anything about race or sticking it to whites what they said "we want economic development in our area like they have on the south side of town".

And how is blocking something with a major regional impact working to improve "economic development in our area"?   It's abundantly clear that "all NBR wants" is to block regional progress to appease constituents who are bitter and angry at white people.  The same people criticizing St. George for trying to incorporate are blocking the medical district to posture for their very angry, bitter constituents.    At least St. George's incorporation effort was a direct attempt to improve the quality of life for the people who live there and not a bitter, petulant melt down over something good happening in north Baton Rouge during an election year.

I've seen the exploitation of angry, scared, and racist voters time and time again.    It's not different this time around.   Voters and political donors are human, and emotional appeals override logic almost every time.   Introduce an element of racism or fear, and voter turnout and loyalty increases.

Everyone in East Baton Rouge has the right to be angry.   Their tax dollars are misused constantly by their government and school board while state ignores the infrastructure needs of the entire region - and with a divided coalition in the state house, that will continue.    It should be disturbing to everyone that politicians in NBR posture for elections by doing what appears on the surface as "sticking it to white voters".    The notion that blocking something with a massive health and economic impact on cancer alley speaks volumes about the constituents and the people that fund the campaigns of some of those NBR politicians.    I liked to think Baton Rouge was above that kind of nonsense common in Jackson, Memphis, Baltimore, and St. Louis.....but it's not.     That philosophy of "my house is on fire so it's only fair that yours should be as well" is disgusting and a complete cancer on civil discourse and progress in any governing body.   

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13 minutes ago, cajun said:

And how is blocking something with a major regional impact working to improve "economic development in our area"?   The same people criticizing St. George for trying to incorporate are blocking the medical district to posture for their very angry, bitter constituents.   

Everyone in East Baton Rouge has the right to be angry.   Their tax dollars are misused constantly and the state ignores the infrastructure needs of the entire region - and with a divided coalition in the state house, that will continue.    

Most people NBR don't want to blocking the medical district they just want a hospital and economic development in their area. The person that said block it was from the NAACP which doesn't speak for everybody in NBR. What BRAF was asking to be approve was the rezone of the medical district like I said would have been approve the second time, but the BRAF pulled it. This don't stop any development in the area because the Children Hospital is been build now and Essen road work is this going on, so no development stopped.

Edited by greg225
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11 minutes ago, greg225 said:

Most people NBR don't want to blocking the medical district they just want a hospital and economic development in their area. The person that side block it was from the NAACP which doesn't speak for everybody in NBR. What BRAF was asking to be approve was the rezone of the medical district like I said would have been approve the second time, but the BRAF pulled it. This don't stop any development in the area because the Children Hospital is been build now and Essen road work is this going on, so no development stopped.

Blocking the medical district won't suddenly improve the state's oil and gas revenue.   It won't magically wipe away the budget problems that drove the closure of EKL.   It won't magically make East Baton Rouge Parish wealthy enough or willing enough to use taxpayer dollars to run an ER in NBR less than 10 minutes from OLOL.  

The disturbing part about this isn't that the measure was blocked because it will eventually pass.  It's that politicians think they can successfully use this "us vs them" nonsense to posture during an election cycle.    Perhaps those politicians should have focused their effort on partnering with other elected officials in obtaining funding for infrastructure projects in their district instead of expending political capital sabotaging and undermining the St. George events last year.  

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I'm afraid Cajun will never understand. This type of fight happens all over the country. LA, Miami, Houston, NYC, etc. 

People in north Baton Rouge have been angry about lack of investment for decades. The fact that it's making news now doesn't change that. Politicians very well may be using this for their advantage, I don't blame them. The people still feel the same and always have as massive amounts of investments have went to south Baton Rouge for years. 

They know it won't stop the district designation from passing but it brought attention to the problem on a much larger stage.

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22 minutes ago, cajun said:

Blocking the medical district won't suddenly improve the state's oil and gas revenue.   It won't magically wipe away the budget problems that drove the closure of EKL.   It won't magically make East Baton Rouge Parish wealthy enough or willing enough to use taxpayer dollars to run an ER in NBR less than 10 minutes from OLOL.  

The disturbing part about this isn't that the measure was blocked because it will eventually pass.  It's that politicians think they can successfully use this "us vs them" nonsense to posture during an election cycle.    Perhaps those politicians should have focused their effort on partnering with other elected officials in obtaining funding for infrastructure projects in their district instead of expending political capital sabotaging and undermining the St. George events last year.  

EKL was supposed to be rebuild at least that's what was told to NBR and when Jindal took office the state had a 1 billion dollar surplus the budgets wasn't a problem then. 

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1 hour ago, Antrell Williams said:

I'm afraid Cajun will never understand.

I'll never understand the philosophy of sabotaging people you should be partnering with because I'm not a scum bag politician.   As someone who advocates regularly for regional cooperation, petulant acts like this and open parochialism just doesn't make sense to me.   There's way more to be obtained through cooperation than being intentionally unhelpful and uncooperative. 

It also says a lot about the people of North Baton Rouge that politicians think that this kind of posturing will resonate with them. 

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News Alert: Suzy Sonnier named Baton Rouge Health District executive director     

Suzy Sonnier, who served as secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services during Gov. Bobby Jindal’s second term, has been chosen as the first executive director of the Baton Rouge Health District. In her role, Sonnier will lead the implementation of a strategic plan for the district, which is bounded by Bluebonnet Boulevard, Perkins Road, Essen Lane and Interstate 10, and includes several of the market’s major healthcare institutions.

Prior to her appointment as secretary of DCFS, Sonnier served as chief operating officer at the Louisiana Workforce Commission. She also served as DCFS deputy secretary from 2008-2010.

In her new role, Sonnier will report to a joint operating board made up of leaders from healthcare organizations throughout Baton Rouge. Her appointment comes three weeks after the health district concept came under fire from a group of community activists in north Baton Rouge, who said the city-parish should be focusing its attention on the lack of health care options in the northern part of the city. The Baton Rouge Health District is the brainchild of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, which commissioned the strategic plan for the district.

Read the full story in Daily Report PM.    https://www.businessreport.com/article/news-alert-baton-rouge-health-district-names-executive-director

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On 2/28/2016 at 5:03 PM, Antrell Williams said:

That's exactly what the people in north Baton Rouge feel, when it's been happening to them for decades.

One of the reason Atlanta is what it is today is because they put this kind of infighting aside and focused on economic development on a regional and national scale.   They built the rail lines, the highways, and the hospitals and progressed beyond other southern cities.  

Frankly, I thought Baton Rouge and south Louisiana was getting beyond this.    I expect this kind of self-sabotage and parochialism out of Livingston, but not Baton Rouge.  

Edited by cajun
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11 hours ago, cajun said:

One of the reason Atlanta is what it is today is because they put this kind of infighting aside and focused on economic development on a regional and national scale.   They built the rail lines, the highways, and the hospitals and progressed beyond other southern cities.  

Frankly, I thought Baton Rouge and south Louisiana was getting beyond this.    I expect this kind of self-sabotage and parochialism out of Livingston, but not Baton Rouge.  

Are you saying that there are no majority black neighborhoods in Atlanta with high crime (or low), low income, and lacking grocery stores, healthcare, and amenities?

Houston has a similar history and it's black neighborhoods often mirror north Baton Rouge.

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9 hours ago, Antrell Williams said:

Are you saying that there are no majority black neighborhoods in Atlanta with high crime (or low), low income, and lacking grocery stores, healthcare, and amenities?

Houston has a similar history and it's black neighborhoods often mirror north Baton Rouge.

Of course Atlanta has those neighborhoods, hell, their Olympic Stadium was built right outside of one, but the vast majority of the city put the infighting behind and began to work as a unit to expand and develop the whole city, which has, as a whole has seen crime and poverty decrease. 

Baton Rouge needs to do the same.

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11 hours ago, Antrell Williams said:

Are you saying that there are no majority black neighborhoods in Atlanta with high crime (or low), low income, and lacking grocery stores, healthcare, and amenities?

Houston has a similar history and it's black neighborhoods often mirror north Baton Rouge.

What I said was in plain text.   No need to misrepresent my posts because you don't like my message. 

Atlanta is a massive city with significant opportunity because they focused on economic development rather than "getting even".  They put this kind of race baiting and bickering aside and made meaningful choices at the right time.  

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56 minutes ago, cajun said:

 

Atlanta is a massive city with significant opportunity because they focused on economic development rather than "getting even".  They put this kind of race baiting and bickering aside and made meaningful choices at the right time.  

Getting Even? NBR haven't seen economic development in decades, so if that's getting even I don't see your point. Baton Rouge is 55 percent Black more than half of Baton Rouge black population live in NBR. Atlanta probably is 60 percent black plus they have had their issue like any other city, but they invest in their black neighborhoods Baton Rouge don't that's a fact. If you go through bullsh.t for so long  you going to come out of that situation angry. If "getting even" is asking for economic development in your community and a hospital then that show you who is really race baiting. 

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