Long wants restoration fund for Sparta By James Ronald Skains "I want to help level the playing field for the people in North Louisiana with restoration of their water levels such as in the Sparta aquifer, and other damage to their land as the result of exploration for minerals," Senator Gerald Long of the 31st State Senatorial District told the Piney Woods Journal. "This concept is similar to the Coastal Restoration Fund that now exists for restoration of coastal lands damaged by mineral exploration and by hurricanes," addeed Senator Long, a 1962 graduate of Winnfield High School. "Both funds are based on minerals revenues." "Although we are in a 'Gold Rush' environment with the Haynesville Shale natural gas play, each well takes from one to three million gallons of water that comes out of our aquifers," Senator Long explained. "That water must be replaced in some manner or our water levels in the aquifers will continue to drop." "Approximately 180 people work on the drilling of a natural gas well at one time or another during the process," said Senator Long, a Northwestern State University graduate. "However, we must set up a North Louisiana Inland Restoration Fund and use some of the revenue to restore our land." "The Senate bill will set up a Study Group to analyze the benefits and advantages of a North Louisiana Inland restoration Fund," Senator Long, a former school teacher and coach pointed out. "After the study Group makes its report, the Inland Restoration bill will go before the legislature as a Constitutional Amendment, and then utltimately to the people for a vote." Senator Gerald Long is either a second or third cousin to the Long Political Family of yester-years that included Huey P. Long and Earl Long, both former governors of Louisiana. Also, included in that Long family were Russell Long, former six term U.S. Senator and three former Congressmen including George Long, Speedy Long, and Gillis Long. Both Speedy and Gillis also ran for governor of Louisiana unsuccessfully. "I will always believe that Gillis worked himself to death at an early age," Senator Long remembered. "Gillis would call me up quite often at 5:30 in the morning. 'Hey Cuz', he would say, 'were you asleep?'" "And I would always answer, I was until the phone rang," Senator Long recalled. "Gillis would then tell me, Cuz, I never knew a Long that was worth a durn that was still asleep at 5:30 in the morning." However, Senator Long's immediate family was no stranger to politics. Two older brothers held elected office. Cotton Long served on the Winn Parish Police Jury, and Jimmy Long served for 32 years in the Louisiana House of Representatives. "Some of my fondest memories of Uncle Earl happened during his last term as Governor," Senator Long noted. "When Uncle Earl would come to the Pea Patch, he usually stopped by my Dad's house." "By that time, my twin brother and I were teenagers and my Dad would let us take a ride with him and Uncle Earl in his big black limousine," said Senator Long, who is entering his second regular session of the legislature since being elected in 2007. "Earl and my Dad never talked politics." "Earl wanted to know about the acorn crop, the watermelon crop, how the hogs were making out in the woods, cows, horses and who had the best hog dogs," Senator Long noted with a laugh. "It was some kind of a thrill for Carroll and me to ride around and listen in person to the Governor of the State of Louisiana." When the Piney Woods Journal asked Senator Long what the Long politicians of yester year would think of him being a Republican, Senator Long had this to say. "Times are different now than back in their days. Today we have two full fledged political parties instead of just one," Senator Long answered. "But to compare then and now, I would venture to say that Russell would probably be an independent as would Speedy. Huey was such a maverick that no-one could guess what he would be now." "Uncle Earl might have become an Independent as well, but I think Gillis would still be a Democrat." "One thing that I'm not is a partisan politician," Senator Long acknowledged. "I don't vote the party line or support any elected official just because he or she is a Republican." "I think that most current members of the Louisiana Senate are that way," Senator Long noted. "I don't think that partisan politics is a big thing in the Senate." "I think that most of the current members of the Senate have some faith-based principals," Senator Long explained. "I would venture to say that of the 39 current members of the Senate, that I would vote for probably eighty percent of them if I lived in their districts." "We have a good team of people in the Senate to face the challenges that we are facing with the budget deficits and cuts," Senator Long, who worked for many years as a volunteer with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes added. "One of the most important things that I have focused on the in the sixteen months that I have been in office is to be available to the people in my Senatorial District," said Senator Long. "In those sixteen months, I've attended over 500 organized meetings and met with numerous people one on one." Senator Nick Gautreaux of Vermillion parish has introduced a bill to put renewable energy made from Biomass on equal footing with solar and wind power for tax credits. "Senate Bill 26 will have a positive effect on the logging industry throughout the State especially in north Louisiana where so much of our economy is dependent upon the forest industry," Senator Long explained. "I can see that electricity and renewable fuels made from biomass will definitely improve the state of business in my District." "Every parish that I represent is heavily forested," Senator Long acknowledged. "Unfortunately with the current state of the markets for forest products, many loggers are having to go out of business and many others can't last much longer unless there is a new source found for their timber." "By placing biomass on the same level as solar and wind power as an alternative energy source should be a boon to the both loggers and timber land owners," Senator Long who has served as interim pastor at four different churches in Natchitoches parish added. "One of the big issues in this session is the Governor's request for more authority to cut the budget without legislative approval," Senator Long pointed out. "I have reservations about this issue. Not because the governor is Bobby Jindal," Senator Long elaborated, "but because once passed as a constitutional amendment, future Governor could easily abuse this power." "There are only two areas in which the budget can be cut and that is education and health care," Senator Long said. "If we cut education budgets this year or any year in the future, we are cutting our own throats." "The percentage that the governor is asking for is way too much in my opinion," Senator Long explained. "The Governor of Louisiana now has more power that almost any other Governor in the nation." Two other issues that are going to get a lot of attention in this session are the homestead exemption and the term limits for school board members," Senator Long noted. "Louisiana now has and has had the most generous homestead exemption law in the country. Raising the exemption will only shift more of the tax burden to small business people." Senator Long is married to Rose Landry Long and they three children. |