re: If you were mayor of BR, how would you revitalize it ?

A ton of condos have gone up in the past year, many of which will open this fall. Hundreds upon hundreds of new units just in the next 6 months alone.

1. Fight for & win new legislation at the State level for TOPS recipients to HAVE to remain in-state after college for a period of at least 5 years or be forced to pay back the money. While this will help out the state on the whole, BR will naturally reap most of the benefit as graduates would stay in town as BR grows. With more of the "fixes" below, 5 years won't be a challenge after a while & it'll lead to people ataying for longer/lifetime.

INB4 "HOW DO YOU EXPECT LA/BR TO ENFORCE THAT?!?!?!"
Answer: The information is tied to the individual's SS#. When they go to file their state income taxes during school they complete portions that will be added in regarding their education & employment status. IF they graduate/leave early, they obviously will not file a LA state income tax form so the LA Tax Revenue office runs their program to track TOPs recipient SS#'s against tax returns submitted & prosecute accordingly. It's NOT rocket surgery AND with all of the stellar accountants that LSU produces, there will be plenty of qualified graduates to hire to execute said job.

2. CLEAN UP THE LITTER THROUGHOUT THE CITY. Just driving in yesterday for BCSF I was reminded just how DIRTY Baton Rouge really is.
Lord knows we have PLENTY of prisoners that need to fill the hours...Not just on the roads but on the water as well. Encourage a clean up & get more people out boating, skiing, lounging, etc.

3. Promote/Incentivize ride sharing for businesses, students, etc. There are entirely too many single occupants vehicles on BR roads.

4. Pass ordinances against abandoned/crumbling buildings. Give owners 6 months from implementation to bulldoze & either develop new buildings or green space the property. Execute fines that increase monthly for failure to comply. More jobs for recent TOPS grads to fill...

5. Push/Politic for community support to REQUIRE middle school & high school students be active members in good standing of at least 1 school sponsored LHSAA sports or recognized school club athletic team or 2 student organize clubs, complete 10 approved volunteer service hours per week, or be actively employed for up to 15 hours per week at a part-time job between the hours of 4pm - 8pm on school days & 12pm - 8pm on nonschool days & weekends.
The kids of BR need to get off of the streets & off of their asses. This will greatly encourage & improve student GPAs, school involvement/spirit, graduation rates, college acceptance rates, & create substantial income tax revenues for the city.

6. Decriminalization of marijuana. Frees up police & jail resources, creates jobs/public spending, increases tourism (until the entire state/country wises up), etc.

7. Dedicate the left lanes of I-10 E/W & I-12 E/W for 18-wheelers & only permit in city deliveries/pick-ups by truckers between 8pm - 4am. This will alleviate traffic issues & create an entire economy of 3rd shift employment opportunities. Thereby employing more of the recent TOPS grads into entry level management positions while employing a large collection of low-skill population to perform the work. This way they sleep all day & decrease crime/time on the streets because they'll be working. Along with potentially new income tax revenue opportunities.

8. Revitalize current city owned & build new sports venues to attract minor league sports. Ideally, placed all over the city inviting fans to go to areas they might not normally go. This would also be backed by incentives to build complimentary restaurants/bars & stores around those areas. BR could really benefit from a collection of a minor league baseball team, NBA D-League, arena football, minor league hockey, MLS soccer, etc. Also, work with the various owners/leagues to ensure the teams are very BR/LA mascot themed to galvanize the support for each team , rather than just each team hope for the best. Encourage all team fan support from the citizens & businesses. Similarly themed team names/colors could really go a long way. Plus, baseball fans wearing team colors would not look completely out of place at an alternate sport game in the se city...
There's an entire population, about 50%, of BR that could not care less about LSU sports & are (subconsciously or consciously) yearning for a local sports team to support & connect to. That said, lots of LSU athletic alums would be available to fill rosters due in part to the TOPS rule implentation & just natural proximity.
The venuea do not need to price out anyone either. Take a look at the new Atlanta stadium approach. They're going to make it affordable for people/families to attend events. Thus, ensuring higher attendance & thereby concessions for entire sports seasons & during all events hosted. It can be done on a smaller scale in BR.

9. Research & inspire more events like Bayou Country Superfest to come to BR. Say what you will against country music or any genre like it but the event fills the stadium with over 75,000 people 3 days in a row each & fills the hotels, bars, restaurants, & even some tailgate lots with purchasers or locally sold beer, booze, ice, & food. A well executed EDM, jam bands, or even classic rock type of event could regularly bring in big time doll hairs (intended).

10. Research & develop some cool events along the Mississippi River: boat shows, fireworks, bike event rides, running events, etc. Get some real use out of the levee spaces. Also, get some LED lights on the MS River Bridge so it's more attractive at night a la the Superdome/Tiger Stadium.

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Legalize marijuana and prostitution

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And what kind of place would BR be to live in then?

How many businesses want to bring their employee's children into a giant whore house?

Recent articles show there are now more vehicle accidents due to marijuana than alcohol in areas where it is legalized.

Effects of Marijuana Abuse

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Phoenix House provides individualized, holistic drug and alcohol addiction treatment, with a legacy spanning nearly 50 years.

marijuana use has disrupted their lives and families and affected their motivation, memory, schoolwork or careers. It can also damage the heart and lungs, increase the incidence of anxiety and depression, and trigger psychotic episodes.

Marijuana impairs learning, judgment, and memory, all vital attributes for adolescents.

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Other than short-term tax gains, what is the upside of your proposal?

Push for creation of St. George in an effort to keep the entire parish from declining. Then hope that productive citizens and voters in the parish but outside of the city can save BR from itself.

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Model it after Austin, Raleigh, Charleston, LA, San fran, boston and atlanta. boulder

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As a couple of other posters have already pointed out, the racial demographic of the population of Baton Rouge is unlike any of these cities, with the exception of Atlanta, which is a much larger city. The BR metro council needs to stop wasting time taking trips to cities like Austin, Portland, and Kansas City. They need to study cities that are similar in size and racial makeup to Baton Rouge. City leaders should focus on making BR the best it can be, rather than trying to be the next Austin, Boulder, or whatever. It just isn't going to happen.

For all his faults, Kip Holden has done the best job of any BR mayor in recent memory. He's tried to drag the city kicking and screaming into the 21st century, despite having to work with a largely uncooperative metro council. From what I've heard from family and friends who live in BR, so far the field of potential candidates to succeed Holden gives me concerns about the direction the city is headed in the future.

I worked on a project for this years ago. The only thing we got approved was some curbs and plantings. We had plans for lighting etc but DOTD would absolutely not let us do anything to the overpass pillars.

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CLEAN UP THE LITTER THROUGHOUT THE CITY. Just driving in yesterday for BCSF I was reminded just how DIRTY Baton Rouge really is.
Lord knows we have PLENTY of prisoners that need to fill the hours...Not just on the roads but on the water as well. Encourage a clean up & get more people out boating, skiing, lounging, etc.

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Before I moved away, I used to live in the mid-city area. I complained numerous times to the Department of Public Works about the litter. Nothing was ever done. I contacted Keep Baton Rouge Beautiful and received a reply from their director. She said they do all they can with the grant money they're allotted, but they work with a staff of strictly volunteers. It all comes down to the people who live in a city. If they don't give a shite and don't take pride in where they live, then there's not much that can be done because they just keep littering after the trash has been picked up.

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Legalize marijuana and prostitution


And what kind of place would BR be to live in then?

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It would be an awesome place to live!

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Phoenix House provides individualized, holistic drug and alcohol addiction treatment, with a legacy spanning nearly 50 years.

marijuana use has disrupted their lives and families and affected their motivation, memory, schoolwork or careers. It can also damage the heart and lungs, increase the incidence of anxiety and depression, and trigger psychotic episodes.

Marijuana impairs learning, judgment, and memory, all vital attributes for adolescents.

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