http://www.votetidmore.com/ en Copyright 2010 Wed, 07 Apr 2010 15:23:34 -0600 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Call in your comments or email me at ctidmore@louisianaweekly.com http://www.votetidmore.com/2010/04/christopher_tidmore_is_on_the.html http://www.votetidmore.com/2010/04/christopher_tidmore_is_on_the.html Wed, 07 Apr 2010 15:23:34 -0600 http://www.votetidmore.com/2009/10/to_read_christopher_tidmores_l.html http://www.votetidmore.com/2009/10/to_read_christopher_tidmores_l.html Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:04:21 -0600 By Christopher Tidmore This is the fourth in a series of columns on what India can teach Louisiana. The Louisiana Weekly reporter Christopher Tidmore went to the subcontinent to learn more in honor of the inauguration of the Pelican State's and the Nation’s first Indian American Governor. On Monday, flanked by clear blue skies, Bobby Jindal promised in his inaugural address “a new economy” in Louisiana. While newspaper columns—including this one—have focused on recent days on the new Governor’s India connections, the subcontinent’s record of economic reform since 1991 could prove a possible template for economic expansion in the Pelican State. Gutandran Das in his book India Unbound speculates that his homeland went directly from the agricultural age to the information age, skipping the industrial age altogether. He sites two reasons for this leap. Primarily, Das blames the so-called “License Raj” that required government permits for any private sector expansion, penalized companies for producing than their allotted quota of products, and was generally used as a method for the then-rabidly socialist Congress Party to limit the private sector in favor of its own “Five Year Plans” and general command economy outlook throughout most of the post-independence period. Of course, the 97% top income tax rate did not help, yet when at the turn of the last decade, the Congress Government of Narasimha Rao removed most the License Raj in less than a fortnight, India saw its economy explode--not in old style industry, but in software and service sector companies. Newspapers like the Hindustan Times have endless classified ads for IT jobs and call center positions. Some argue there are more software designers in Bangalore than in Silicon Valley. It is supposed to be impossible for a developing economy to jump directly from subsistence agriculture to the knowledge industries of the First World, but India did it without much of a costly industrial period in between. From a personal perspective traveling in India, one sees the leap clearly. Riding on an elephant one afternoon up a mountain to visit the Amber Palace in Jaipur, a strange ringing came from the direction of the elephant driver. The man, perched on the pachyderm’s neck, reached into his Rajasthani cloak and pulled out a cell phone. As my wife and I ascended in the 17th century surroundings, he chatted all the way to a friend in Hindi. Small villages without electricity often will have a self powered phone and internet kiosk to communicate with the outside world. One day, having tea with a family in the small village of Ram Bagh, a town possessed of no indoor plumbing, gas, or electrical outlets, one of the young males still was able to get a text message on his cell phone. Despite the fact that the community still used ox-pulled ploughs instead of tractors, the young man was able to jump on one of the myriad of motorbikes laying about and run up to the nearby city of Agra 70 kilometers away. It often seems as if the First World and the Third World have collided, and that strange disconnect offers hope to Louisiana that our homeland can also leap into the 21st century despite having skipped the 20th. Das speculates that that Indians are not “tinkerers” but “thinkers”. The philosophical traditions of the Brahman priestly caste merged with the historic bias against merchants lead to an embrace of the highly theoretical nature of the IT economy. He points out that the majority software engineers come from the Brahman caste rather than the Bania merchant caste. The priestly discussion of religious and philosophical concepts created a mindset the lent itself to the speculative intellectual nature of the Information Age. Like India, Louisiana is essentially an Agrarian economy blessed with an overabundance of universities and an intelligentsia more concerned with the arts and the philosophical than the mercantile. While not constrained by quite the governmental limits on growth, the state does have a tax and investment system that discourages business activity relative to other states. In theory, though, applying the much undersold digital recording tax credits towards software could level the tax playing field, and Louisiana which has exported software engineers for so many years could provide opportunities locally. Like India--but unlike the rest of the United States-- Louisiana, South LA in particular, is a society of thinkers over tinkerers. Throughout our history, we have created ideas, concepts, music, and art. If America has an indigenous culture, much of its artistic, literary, and philosophical voice was born in New Orleans. Still, while we cannot match the competitive salaries that drove many American and European Firms to invest in Bangalore and other subcontinental IT centers, Louisiana has already proven it can match the creative arts that have also made India prosperous. As a previous column noted, the audience for India’s Bollywood movies are nearly a billion people more than the audiences that a Hollywood blockbuster can attract. Nearly as many jobs come from India’s movie and recorded music industries as its budding IT businesses. And, they are indigenously grown. So, if we can learn from India, perhaps, Governor Jindal might invest in one of our state Universities to make it compatible to the India Institute of Technology, whose alumni provide much of the intellectual backbone of the IT industry, or perhaps he can learn another lesson. If we are a society of thinkers—and artists—Jindal can follow the lead of local visionaries like Roger Wilson and seek to expand our performance art industries. The state could make a massive investment in the expansion of arts and theatre high schools and academies. Invest in repairing theatrical locations, making nexuses of studios for recording music, and building soundstages for filming, and take our entertainment economy from Hollywood South and Broadway South to Bollywood West. http://www.votetidmore.com/2008/03/bollywood_west.html http://www.votetidmore.com/2008/03/bollywood_west.html Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:53:30 -0600 By Christopher Tidmore... India is a confusing country. Perged on the precipice of world economic and cultural power, it is a nation where one never knows if he is in the fifth century or the twenty-first. Never was I confused more than when a shop keeper in the Udipur, an historic city in the Western Indian State of Rajasthan wooed me into his shop, over the top of an iterant cow that happened, as usually does in this country, decided to make a dinner of the trash pile on the street corner. Well versed in English, the shopkeeper began to explain that he could make me a hand tailored suit by morning (when my bus was scheduled to leave), and proved his worth by showing receipts from his customers in Lithuania, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Russia. "If you want," he said in a thick, but understandable Hindi accent, "I can ship to your country, no problem." For sixty dollars American, he had two pairs of pants, as good as one would find in Perlis' in New Orleans waiting at my hotel door ten hours later, with a promise that for less than a hundred, he could tailor suits to my precise specifications. Of course, as he delivered the clothes that morning, his scooter was blocked by livestock. Hence, the many contradictions of India. A country with more software designers than Silicon Valley could claim in four decades cannot manage to have regular trash pickup. It is a nation where expensive foreign cars must stop as herds of cows wander down the main streets of the Capitol of Delhi (and everywhere else). In the countryside, just add the possibility that an elephant might block one's way as well. In less than 20 years, India will shoot past China as the world's most populous nation, yet it also boasts of middle class as large as the population of the United States. However, the very poor live in front of the homes of the titans of the global economy. It is possessed of one of the world's most vigourous multiparty democracies, with two main coalitions alternating power, and competitive elections a fact of life for almost sixty years. However, a recent BBC poll showed that over 45% of Indians believe that government censorship of the press, for the "social good", is a positive trait--a level of public support for political oppression only matched in Singapore and China. It is a secular Democracy, where 17% of the population is Muslim (and outside of Kashmir peaceful) with 6% of the remainder is either Sikh or Christian, yet politically involved. The current Prime Minister is, in fact, not a Hindu, but a Sikh. Yet, public displays of the Hindu faith are everywhere, from street corner temples constructed on public ground, to the entrances of public buildings. No home is without a shrine to the Elephant-headed God, Ganesh. The official language is Hindi, but in most parts of the country, more people speak English than the national tongue. In fact, there are more Anglophones in India than in Great Britian and the United States combined. This is having a curious affect on the direction of the English language. In India, one often hears the word, "Prepone." It is the opposite of postpone. Just as Americanisms invaded the language, it is not hard, thanks to the growing influence of Bollywood, India's international movie industry, that prepone will enter the general vocabulary quite soon. After all, more people watch Bollywood films internationally than see Hollywood movies each year. Indians are surrounded each day by millennia of history, yet are focused on the future--and their own wealth in that future like no nation in the third world. A sure indicator is the vast number of residents of the Subcontinent who not only have a central knowledge of American politics, but are quick to express their personal pride that one of their own, Bobby Jindal, has become Governor of Louisiana. Bollywood West By Christopher Tidmore This is the fourth in a series of columns on what India can teach Louisiana. The Louisiana Weekly reporter Christopher Tidmore went to the subcontinent to learn more in honor of the inauguration of the Pelican State's and the Nation’s first Indian American Governor. On Monday, flanked by clear blue skies, Bobby Jindal promised in his inaugural address “a new economy” in Louisiana. While newspaper columns—including this one—have focused on recent days on the new Governor’s India connections, the subcontinent’s record of economic reform since 1991 could prove a possible template for economic expansion in the Pelican State. Gutandran Das in his book India Unbound speculates that his homeland went directly from the agricultural age to the information age, skipping the industrial age altogether. He sites two reasons for this leap. Primarily, Das blames the so-called “License Raj” that required government permits for any private sector expansion, penalized companies for producing than their allotted quota of products, and was generally used as a method for the then-rabidly socialist Congress Party to limit the private sector in favor of its own “Five Year Plans” and general command economy outlook throughout most of the post-independence period. Of course, the 97% top income tax rate did not help, yet when at the turn of the last decade, the Congress Government of Narasimha Rao removed most the License Raj in less than a fortnight, India saw its economy explode--not in old style industry, but in software and service sector companies. Newspapers like the Hindustan Times have endless classified ads for IT jobs and call center positions. Some argue there are more software designers in Bangalore than in Silicon Valley. It is supposed to be impossible for a developing economy to jump directly from subsistence agriculture to the knowledge industries of the First World, but India did it without much of a costly industrial period in between. From a personal perspective traveling in India, one sees the leap clearly. Riding on an elephant one afternoon up a mountain to visit the Amber Palace in Jaipur, a strange ringing came from the direction of the elephant driver. The man, perched on the pachyderm’s neck, reached into his Rajasthani cloak and pulled out a cell phone. As my wife and I ascended in the 17th century surroundings, he chatted all the way to a friend in Hindi. Small villages without electricity often will have a self powered phone and internet kiosk to communicate with the outside world. One day, having tea with a family in the small village of Ram Bagh, a town possessed of no indoor plumbing, gas, or electrical outlets, one of the young males still was able to get a text message on his cell phone. Despite the fact that the community still used ox-pulled ploughs instead of tractors, the young man was able to jump on one of the myriad of motorbikes laying about and run up to the nearby city of Agra 70 kilometers away. It often seems as if the First World and the Third World have collided, and that strange disconnect offers hope to Louisiana that our homeland can also leap into the 21st century despite having skipped the 20th. Das speculates that that Indians are not “tinkerers” but “thinkers”. The philosophical traditions of the Brahman priestly caste merged with the historic bias against merchants lead to an embrace of the highly theoretical nature of the IT economy. He points out that the majority software engineers come from the Brahman caste rather than the Bania merchant caste. The priestly discussion of religious and philosophical concepts created a mindset the lent itself to the speculative intellectual nature of the Information Age. Like India, Louisiana is essentially an Agrarian economy blessed with an overabundance of universities and an intelligentsia more concerned with the arts and the philosophical than the mercantile. While not constrained by quite the governmental limits on growth, the state does have a tax and investment system that discourages business activity relative to other states. In theory, though, applying the much undersold digital recording tax credits towards software could level the tax playing field, and Louisiana which has exported software engineers for so many years could provide opportunities locally. Like India--but unlike the rest of the United States-- Louisiana, South LA in particular, is a society of thinkers over tinkerers. Throughout our history, we have created ideas, concepts, music, and art. If America has an indigenous culture, much of its artistic, literary, and philosophical voice was born in New Orleans. Still, while we cannot match the competitive salaries that drove many American and European Firms to invest in Bangalore and other subcontinental IT centers, Louisiana has already proven it can match the creative arts that have also made India prosperous. As a previous column noted, the audience for India’s Bollywood movies are nearly a billion people more than the audiences that a Hollywood blockbuster can attract. Nearly as many jobs come from India’s movie and recorded music industries as its budding IT businesses. And, they are indigenously grown. So, if we can learn from India, perhaps, Governor Jindal might invest in one of our state Universities to make it compatible to the India Institute of Technology, whose alumni provide much of the intellectual backbone of the IT industry, or perhaps he can learn another lesson. If we are a society of thinkers—and artists—Jindal can follow the lead of local visionaries like Roger Wilson and seek to expand our performance art industries. The state could make a massive investment in the expansion of arts and theatre high schools and academies. Invest in repairing theatrical locations, making nexuses of studios for recording music, and building soundstages for filming, and take our entertainment economy from Hollywood South and Broadway South to Bollywood West. Pakistani Murder Threatens US-India Relations By Christopher Tidmore... Reporting for The Louisiana Weekly from Amitsar, on the Pakistani-India border. The shocking assignation of Pakistan's opposition leader Benazir Bhutto may leave the US's carefully crafted plan to bring Democracy to the Indo-Muslim country in tatters, but it, along with a series of policy mistakes, threatens a budding American alliance with the world's largest Democracy--India. Bhutto was shot dead on Thursday, December 27th, when gunmen opened fire as she stood in the sunroof of her campaign vehicle. The shooting occurred moments before a suicide bomber blew himself up at the rally where the opposition leader was due to make a speech--killing more than 20 people and injuring several others. The Bush Administration was in negotiations last month with the 54 year old leader of the Pakistan People's Party to form a coalition government with the military backed President General Perez Musharraf, after the January 8th elections. Bhutto, who returned to Pakistan after a decade of exile, was reportedly reconsidering the proposal after rejecting any sort of relationship with the dictator following a state of emergency declaration in late that saw her and several of her supporters jailed. The opposition leader served as Prime Minister in the late 1980's and early 1990's and was thought the only politician who could unify the political opposition. There has been a Bhutto periodically serving in Pakistan's government since her grandfather held the PM's post in the 1950's. So powerful is the Bhutto name that her 19 year old son was elected Chairman of the People's Party on two days after his mother's assignation, despite the fact that he cannot contest a parliamentary seat until his 25th birthday, and had little desire to leave his studies at Britain’s Oxford University. Riots stretched across the South Asian nation throughout the weekend as protestors declared that President Musharraf had tacitly participated in Bhutto's murder--and that the United States was responsible for the opposition leader's death due to its continued support of the military backed dictator. Bhutto, ironically, was the most pro-American politician in the country, and al Qaeda claimed that she died because of her US ties. Interestingly, reports in recent days confirm that Musharraf had not only denied anti-bomb “jammers” and presidential protection details to the opposition leader, despite warnings of terrorist threats, but seemingly his government claimed that there had been no gunshots until BBC video of the killing and doctors reports proved that position untenable. Bhutto had argued in Washington three months ago that the US's continued support for Musharraf was only aiding Islamist rebels. That the dictator had no desire to surrender his role has head of the military and serve in a civilian government. The wake of the assignation, Musharraf moved to delay elections until February 18, and Bush Administration refused to condemn the decision, calling it a "local matter". Pakistan borders on chaos in some cities as administrative structures have broken down, and Bhutto's murder and the confused situation are affecting previously pro-American voices in India. Bhutto was the most popular Pakistani politician with the general Indian populace. Her autobiography was in the windows of every bookstore that the author encountered. Indian television analysts often speculated that relations between the nations would improve when she returned to office, not a insignificant matter considering that the two countries nearly went to war in the last decade, and have fought three conflicts since the partition of the Indian Raj after independence from the British in 1947. Add to the natural hatred of Muslim versus Hindu that each nation has nuclear missiles pointed at the other, and an unstable Pakistan with a leader unpopular in India is a definite international—and American—worry. The United States’ reputation in India has experienced several damaging hits in the past couple of months. The two nations should be natural allies. Both are secular Democracies with virulent problem of Islamic terrorism. In the past month, al Qaeda has threatened to blow up the Taj Mahal, and Islamic extremists have detonated suicide bombs in prominent places throughout the country in the past few years. Moreover, Taliban allied terrorism in the disputed state of Kashmir gives India a direct interest in an NATO victory in Afghanistan And, thanks to Louisiana, Indian newspapers were quite pro-American earlier this fall. Headlines across the country touted the victory of Bobby Jindal in the Pelican State’s Gubernatorial election, and the implications seemed to herald a new understanding between to two largest Democracies on the planet. Then, Louisiana provided some bad news. For over two weeks, national Indian Newspapers like the Hindustan Times and the Times of India led their front pages with reports of the murder of two India students at LSU, and how the $5000 reward had done little to bring their killers to justice. Questions arose in the papers if America was safe enough to send India’s best and brightest to study there. The timing could not have been worse, from an American standpoint. The ruling Congress Party was in intensive discussions with their coalition partners, the Anti-American Communists, to ratify a new Treaty agreement with the United States that would provide India nuclear fuel without the nation having to give up nuclear weapons. This agreement would mark the first time that the United States pledged to provide processed uranium for civilian use without requiring a nation to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. That international concordat requires any nation besides the original nuclear powers to give up atomic weapons before fissionable material was sold—an unattractive option for India considering Pakistan had missiles pointed at Delhi. Communist MPs in the Lok Sabra (the powerful lower house of Parliament) hit upon the fact that the proposed US-India nuclear agreement would ban atomic tests, and threatened to leave the government if Congress proceeded with the deal. For Prime Minister Singh, this also came at a dangerous political time. The Congress Party lost the state of Gujarat elections to their political rivals, the Hindu nationalist BJB, harkening a electoral disaster for the Congress Party if an early general election was held. The US nuclear deal seemed in danger. At the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to provide India with fissionable material without any need to ban testing—or any strings at all. Opposition lawmakers and some in the Congress Party began to question whether further ties to America were even needed. Then, another unexpected development in Pakistan threatened the forging of any further immediate Indian ties to the United States. Local newspapers cited reports that the five billion in US military aide to Pakistan, that Musharraf had promised to use exclusively for the pursuit of the Taliban and Islamic extremists in his country, instead went to the strengthening of Pakistani military positions on the Indian border. It appeared that US negligence had endangered the direct security of the Indian people, at least according to popular opinion on the streets of several northern Indian cities. Anger was palatable. One person told The Louisiana Weekly, “It seems that every time we try to be America’s friend, we come to regret it.” Just days later came the assignation of Benazir Bhutto, and Bush Administration’s hesitance to criticize President Musharraf’s delay of the Pakistani elections has led many Indians from the Lok Sabra to the streets of Delhi, Varnassi, Jaipur, and elsewhere, to wonder if there is real US interest in democratic reform from their dangerous neighbor at all. http://www.votetidmore.com/2007/10/washington_magazine_interviews.html http://www.votetidmore.com/2007/10/washington_magazine_interviews.html Tue, 23 Oct 2007 22:34:01 -0600 Nightline July 16th, talking about David Vitter's continued claim that there were no New Orleans Prostitutes. The Times-Picayune says there were, and Tidmore had to defend himself. Interviews in the Washington Post, Hill Newspaper, and other national publications are also posted below. Times-Picayune Saturday, July 21, 2007 By Paul Purpura CAMPAIGN TACTICS: Christopher Tidmore, who has been campaigning for the 82nd District seat in the state House of Representatives, gained some national publicity this week by touting what he said was his role in uncovering U.S. Sen. David Vitter's connection with an escort service. "Five years ago, Christopher Tidmore exposed a pattern of lies that . . . David Vitter sought to conceal," the candidate said Wednesday in a news release. "In the media in recent days, and on ABC's 'Nightline' Monday evening, Christopher voiced to the nation that Senator David Vitter continues to lie about encounters in New Orleans spinning a series of falsehoods that promise to damage the national support for Louisiana's recovery." The announcement, on its face a bald campaign maneuver, was nevertheless necessary, Tidmore said Friday. Vitter's denial earlier this week of New Orleans stories linking him to prostitutes essentially called Tidmore a liar, Tidmore said. "I was all over the press, and that . . . led to the vindication press release," he said, counting more than 47 local and national interviews on the Vitter matter. Tidmore has taken credit for breaking the Vitter scandal while writing for the Louisiana Weekly in 2002. "I have no political ax to grind with Mr. Vitter," Tidmore said. Tidmore is seeking a House seat now held by Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, who is term-limited. http://www.nola.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/news-22/1185002217295770.xml&coll=1 Tidmore maintains the same in the Shreveport Times. John Hill, Times Political Columnist, wrote, "In addition, the New Orleans Times Picayune reported that Wendy Yow confirmed her relationship with Louisiana's junior senator, saying she broke it off when she learned he was married. Writer Christopher Tidmore, a Republican candidate for the Legislature who wrote the original Louisiana Weekly stories alleging Vitter had a continuing relationship with Wendy Cortez, was present outside the hotel conference room. "Only credential news media representatives were admitted, given pink and white checked wristbands. Few others were there, other than a couple of Vitter's staff members." "Tidmore stood by his stories." "Repeated interviews with Wendy Cortez, not only by Louisiana Weekly but also the Times-Picayune, have developed an open-and-shut case that the woman in question, also known as Wendy Yow, had a series of trysts with David Vitter," Tidmore said. "Her identity is not in question. For Sen. Vitter to proceed in denying this says he's not ready to come out with the absolute truth. I implore the senator do not continue to harm the Louisiana Republican Party," Tidmore said. 'Search your heart and consider resigning.'" "University of New Orleans College Republicans stood outside the news conference room, handing out statements also calling for Vitter to resign. President Ronald Kreiger said they were angry that Vitter's news conference interfered with the gubernatorial announcement tour of U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal. 'By deciding to hold a press conference at 5 p.m. Monday afternoon, just as Bobby Jindal's plane is taxing into Armstrong Airport, David Vitter has once more shown a blatant disregard for the political position of the Louisiana Republican Party,' the college GOP group said in a news statement. 'It is clear Sen. Vitter cares little for his fellow Republicans in Louisiana.'" http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070717/NEWS01/707170330/1002/NEWS The Times Picayune also stood by its story that Wendy Cortez was a real person on Tuesday: "Last week, a woman who said she worked as a prostitute under the name Wendy Cortez also said that Vitter was a regular customer of hers when he was a state representative in the 1990s. The woman's former fiance, Tait Cortez, corroborated her claim and said he had confronted the woman about the relationship after he found photos of her and Vitter. Tait Cortez said he split with the woman, whose maiden name was Wendy Yow, after he learned she was working as a prostitute." http://blog.nola.com/times-picayune/2007/07/vitter_reemerges_and_again_ask.html Capitol Hill Newspaper: Tidmore Has No "Political Ax To Grind" with Vitter, Washington Post Says: Tidmore Vindicated Vitter hides as the Senate GOP circles its wagons, Hill Newspaper By Elana Schor and Sam Youngman In Louisiana yesterday, at least two state Republicans -- one a columnist and statehouse candidate and the other a state party official and Vitter rival-- were claiming vindication after Vitter's admission. In 2002, state GOP official Vincent Bruno charged on talk radio that Vitter had engaged in an extramarital affair. Bruno told Christopher Tidmore, a political columnist for The Louisiana Weekly and a candidate for the state legislature, that Vitter had consorted for 11 months with a New Orleans prostitute who went by the name Wendy Cortez. Tidmore told The Hill that other Republicans were aware of the alleged affair, adding that former Gov. Mike Foster (R) had used the information to dissuade Vitter from running for governor in 2001. At the time, Vitter said marital issues kept him from running. After the allegations surfaced, Vitter attacked Tidmore and Bruno for engaging in "crass Louisiana politics," adding that the charges were "completely untrue" and "obviously politically motivated." Tidmore, who has reported on the story for almost five years, insisted he has no "political ax to grind" with Vitter. Bruno told The Hill yesterday that Vitter should follow Livingston's lead and resign for the good of the state party, adding that he thinks more details or more affairs could come to light. He noted that Republican candidates are poised to unseat Blanco this year and mount a strong challenge against Landrieu next year. "It's going to be devastating if it comes out," Bruno said. "He's got a real problem, and he needs to tend to it. And it doesn't need to be in the public eye when he does if he cares about his family." While talking to The Hill on the phone, Bruno took another call, which he said was from another state party official telling him not to talk to reporters about Vitter. The state party yesterday referred press calls to Vitter's Senate office. http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/vitter-hides-as-the-senate-gop-circles-its-wagons-2007-07-11.html Mary Ann Akers wrote in her daily column "Sleuth...Behind the Scenes in Washington" at Washingtonpost.com about the David Vitter affair: "Also worth noting, in an ironic twist of fate, a Louisiana reporter who wrote a few years back about allegations that Vitter had an extramarital affair with a prostitute is now running for the Louisiana state legislature and issued a press release today claiming he is 'vindicated' by the Vitter revelations," said Akers. "The candidate, Christopher Tidmore, reported in The Louisiana Weekly newspaper in the summer of 2002, after Vitter dropped out of the race for governor, that Vitter, a state representative at the time, had allegedly engaged in an 11-month affair with a prostitute. At the time, Vitter dismissed the allegations as a political smear campaign by rival Republicans." "Tidmore released a statement today saying, 'Mr. Vitter has used his considerable power to attempt to silence those who knew the truth. Those who attempted to expose hypocrisy and corruption early on were met with threats and disdain. ... Mr. Vitter's actions have harmed Louisiana at a time when we could not afford any further loss of influence in Washington.'" THE FULL STORY IS AT http://blog.washingtonpost.com/sleuth/2007/07/sen_vitters_madam_problem_1.html Nationally syndicated columnist Andrew Sullivan said, "Also worth noting, in an ironic twist of fate, a Louisiana reporter who wrote a few years back about allegations that Vitter had an extramarital affair with a prostitute is now running for the Louisiana state legislature and issued a press release today claiming he is 'vindicated' by the Vitter revelations." http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2007/07/10/senator-david-vitter-gob-smacked/ Conservative columnist Michelle Mankin penned this column, "It was Republicans in Vitter's home state who first exposed his alleged use of prostitutes five years ago (via The Daily Advertiser, which has much more on the potential political fallout), "Christopher Tidmore of Metairie, now a Republican candidate for the state Legislature, wrote the Louisiana Weekly article five years ago about Vitter's relationship with Canal Street brothel prostitute Wendy Cortez. Vitter continuously denied any relationship. Tidmore said Vitter has tried to sabotage his career since he wrote the article." "'For five years, David Vitter conducted a pattern of lies. Now, we know it was to conceal a pattern of behavior,' Tidmore said. 'He has to strongly consider his next action because his remaining in office will be very damaging to the people of Louisiana and to the State Republican Party.'" http://michellemalkin.com/2007/07/11/very-disappointed-in-vitter/ TP Confirms Cortez/Vitter Link In Wednesday's Times-Picayune, Kate Moran confirmed what Christopher Tidmore had written in The Louisiana Weekly over five years ago, "[Canal Street Madam Jeanette] Maier said he favored one prostitute named Wendy Cortez, though she was not sure whether that was the woman's real name. Many of the women use aliases with clients." "Maier confessed to working as a madam after agents raided her establishment, and a federal judge sentenced her in 2003 to six months in a halfway house and three years on probation. At the time, the judge chided prosecutors for pursuing the three women who ran the brothel -- Maier, her mother and her daughter, who also worked as a prostitute -- rather than the well-heeled men who frequented it. " The Madam did tell Moran that Cortez "worked independently" of her and not in the Brothel, facts that agree with the original Louisiana Weekly Story.http://www.nola.com/timespic/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-8/1184136325309860.xml&coll=1&thispage=2 John Hill of the Shreveport Times also wrote, "Bruno talked on radio in 2002 about Vitter's alleged use of Canal Street brothel prostitutes, an accusation that was written about in Louisiana Weekly by Christopher Tidmore, of Metairie, now a Republican candidate for the state Legislature." http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070711/NEWS01/707110353 The Nightline story can also be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WpN4SkN50g A text version of the Nightline story can be found at http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=3384206]]> http://www.votetidmore.com/2007/10/tidmore_appears_on_national_tv_1.html http://www.votetidmore.com/2007/10/tidmore_appears_on_national_tv_1.html Tue, 23 Oct 2007 22:30:42 -0600 Gambit Weekly wrote in their endorsement of Chris, "Journalist Christopher Tidmore may be best known as the man who first exposed U.S. Senator David Vitter's hypocrisy on "family values" issues, but he is even more impressive as an intelligent conservative who also understands the potential for government to make people's lives better. He is a co-founder of the "Broadway South" concept, which became law earlier this year." Christopher had this to say, "I am honored to have Gambit Weekly's endorsement. They have always stood up for independance, as I have. I also want to credit the many people who deserve true credit for the passage of Broadway South, from Roger Wilson to Bill Hines to the talented team of lobbyists and advocates that made those historic tax incentives law. Most importantly, Roger. He deserves real recognition as the 'founder' of Broadway South' I merely helped him at the beginning put the idea on paper and was his biggest cheerleader as he campaigned for the tax credits across Louisiana." http://www.votetidmore.com/2007/10/tidmore_endorsed_by_gambit_wee.html http://www.votetidmore.com/2007/10/tidmore_endorsed_by_gambit_wee.html Wed, 17 Oct 2007 12:12:35 -0600 The Louisiana Weekly had this to say, "Christopher Tidmore is one of the few Republicans who has worked across party and racial lines for the Recovery of New Orleans. He raised the spotlight on neighborhood recovery when the developers sought to rip down thriving areas like Broadmoor. He has consistently stood against ethical misconduct, highlighting time and time again, the sweatheart deals that so often corrupt our politics. As a journalist, he exposed corruption at the Orleans Levee Board pre-Katrina and in 2002 the hypocrisy of then-Congressman David Vitter's eleven month affair with a known prostitute named Wendy Cortez." "Tidmore comes to office with a wealth of ideas that could help the whole area Metro Area. One of the most compelling is his plan to use the 20,000 restorable houses, purchased by the Road Home to incentivize the hiring & retention of Police Officers. Any Cop who agrees to work here for 7 years gets a FREE house and low interest loan to repair it. The same commitment would be made to the region's underpaid Firemen, First Responders, teachers, and nurses. It is new ideas like these that we need to help kick-start our recovery." The Louisiana Weekly's endorsement joins Gambit Weekly, the Alliance for Good Government, the Jefferson Federation of Teachers, the Jefferson Parish Fire Fighters Association, three past Presidents of the Police Association of New Orleans (PANO), and CRIMEFIGHTERS--the state's largest victim's rights organization--in endorsing Christopher's candidacy for the legislature.]]> http://www.votetidmore.com/2007/10/tidmore_endorsed_by_louisiana.html http://www.votetidmore.com/2007/10/tidmore_endorsed_by_louisiana.html Wed, 17 Oct 2007 12:07:48 -0600 Mr. Tidmore said on Tuesday, " As I told the three former PANO Presidents and rank and file police officers that make up the Crimefighters organization, 'Put simply, we need to incentivize our cops to stay and join the municipal departments. There is a simple way that will not cost the state or city a dime." "Give Cops a FREE House." "The state will own over 20,000 repairable homes in the Metro Area thanks to the buyouts under the Road Home Program. Any Police Officer who agrees to work here for seven years gets one of these homes--and access to a low interest loan to help fix it up." "This idea is not the notion of some newcomer to criminal justice issues. For ten years, as a journalist I have covered the crime that you confront everyday. I see first hand the tremendous odds that police officers confront, under equipped and underpaid. The late, great Sandy Krasnoff recognized my writings and radio coverage of these issues and gave me one of the greatest honors I have ever received--the Victims and Citizens Against Crime Award for Excellence in Journalism. " "It is an understatement to say that I seriously began to worry when I saw the exodus of young police officers after Katrina. The tremendous attrition rates--and the growing difficulties in recruiting--stemmed from other cities and regions outside Louisiana drawing our trained officers away with higher promises of pay." "It's hard to blame those cops for leaving. A friend of mine, a Sergeant in First District, was offered $20,000 more per year to move to Oakland, CA. He stayed, but many of his peers left." "Thanks to the Constitutional Amendment, there will be some regular supplemental increases, but they are not enough to compete, unless we use an existing resource." "To keep cops here, give them a house. The state will, thanks to the Road Home, own over an estimated 20,000 houses. Rather than waste them through a myriad of parish political deals, any police officer, fireman, first responder, teacher, or medical professional, who opts to live and work in Louisiana for seven years gets one of the Road Home houses for FREE--and a low interest loan to fix it up." "Unlike the last time an attempt was made to give vacant homes to police officers, most of these houses are in places that police officers and their families would like to live, from Lakeview to Metairie." "In a study for the New Orleans Police Foundation, the think tank, the Rand Corporation estimated that this plan would boost recruitment substantially, and lower existing attrition rates." "It is legal and feasible to do. The current state statute governing the home purchases from the Federal Block Grants says that the homes must be transferred to either a 501c3 or to the Parish Governments. A simple amendment could mandate that police and first responders are gifted the homes in exchange for a seven year commitment." "Moreover, we can tier the equity. After three years, a cop could have a 40% ownership stake, 60% after five years, and complete ownership after seven. This way, there is no hesitation to use the low interest FHA loans that the Federal Government offers to police officers as a home equity loan to repair the properties." "In other words, for, perhaps, a $60,000 repair cost, officers would get a $300,000+ home in Lakeview--a good deal, even with rising insurance costs. Moreover, the concept and my candidacy were honored to have the endorsement of the Alliance for Good Government. The members of the Allaince thought the idea critical to retaining police in the Metro New Orleans area." "We have a small window of opportunity to get this legislation passed. There is just one regular legislative session in the spring before the homes are transferred to Parish Governments. I hesitate to think what will become of these properties under the malfunctioning Orleans Parish Government." "Therefore, I ask you. Please spread the word. If you live in the Riverbend Area of Uptown New Orleans, Elmwood, Old Jefferson, or Central Metairie Vote for Christopher Tidmore, #54, for State Representative." If you have any questions, call the campaign at 734-0954. http://www.votetidmore.com/2007/10/christopher_tidmore_and_his_pl.html http://www.votetidmore.com/2007/10/christopher_tidmore_and_his_pl.html Wed, 10 Oct 2007 18:47:12 -0600 http://bigheaddc.com/2007/07/11/tidmore/ ]]> http://www.votetidmore.com/2007/10/come_join_christopher_the.html http://www.votetidmore.com/2007/10/come_join_christopher_the.html Fri, 05 Oct 2007 16:59:12 -0600 here.) We must also match our clearest geophysical asset with our cultural economy to create real economic development. Much discussion has centered in recent years around making Louisiana "a retirement haven". National surveys place warm, year round weather, access to sporting diversions such as fishing and Golf, and entertainment resources as three of the top five justifications for finding a region in which to retire. Louisiana has all three in abundance, yet most retirees, even those who originally hailed from the Metro New Orleans area, tend to move to Florida. Why? Florida has no income tax. If the state rid itself of the personal income tax for those over the age of 57, with our lower cost of living, we could compete for these wealthy retirees, many of whom had to leave the state for job opportunities years before. The fiscal note if we passed this next year would be $800 million or less than a third of last year's surplus. But, realistically, the legislature will not likely pass such a large tax cut so quickly. So, eliminate income taxes for anyone over the age of 57 who moves into Louisiana and has not lived in the state for five years. That costs the Treasury nothing. Then remove the income tax for all citizens over the age of 67. At a cost of less than $150 million, it is affordable. Then phase out the remaining taxes for Louisiana residents between 67 and 57 over the next decade. Economically, we could compete with any existing retirement state, and the costs to the Treasury would not amount to more than $150 million per year. Increased purchases of homes and resources from the influx of retirees would cover that amount in sales taxes. In other words, we need new and innovative ideas at the governmental as well as corporate level to take our assets and expand them into industries. Yes, we need to remove the taxes on inventory and debt, machinery and equipment, but without new ideas we will not we able to even distinguish ourselves from our neighbors. Only innovative perspectives can bring real change. Where this can be seen most aptly is in the area of Crime. There will be no economic development without enough police on the streets to let the citizenry feel safe. Post-Katrina, police departments have, like other critical services, seen tremendous attrition rates--and have had extreme difficulty in recruiting. To keep cops here, give them a house. The state will, thanks to the Road Home, own over an estimated 20,000 houses. Rather than waste them through a myriad of parish political deals, any police officer, fireman, first responder, teacher, or medical professional, who opts to live and work in Louisiana for seven years gets one of the Road Home houses for FREE--and a low interest loan to fix it up. In a study for the New Orleans Police Foundation, The Rand Corporation estimated that this plan would boost recruitment substantially. Simply, we need new ideas or economic development in Jefferson Parish, and the recovery in Orleans, will be stillborn.]]> http://www.votetidmore.com/2007/10/how_to_build_real_economic_dev.html http://www.votetidmore.com/2007/10/how_to_build_real_economic_dev.html Fri, 05 Oct 2007 16:56:09 -0600 www.votetidmore.com. ]]> http://www.votetidmore.com/2007/09/alliance_for_good_government_e.html http://www.votetidmore.com/2007/09/alliance_for_good_government_e.html Pressroom Thu, 20 Sep 2007 10:28:03 -0600 The Louisiana Weekly. He's now running for public office. But, he's made himself available to the media to talk about this. And, he says that there is more to come. This is exactly what he printed back...in 2000 or even when Vitter was running for Senate as well. He denied all that stuff back then, the mainstream media kind of left him alone, and now all of a sudden, it is in our faces. And, it looks like everything Chris wrote back then was true." Mr. Tidmore had this to say Monday, "Many people ask me if I take pleasure from the vindication of the last few weeks. The answer is no. How can I take pleasure from Louisiana's reputation once more being dragged through the mud?" "As a journalist, I always sought to serve the truth and the public interest," Tidmore continued. "As a State Representative, I will do the same." As Mr. Tidmore wrote in July: People have asked me repeatedly over the last few days if I was happy that the double life of Senator Vitter's has been exposed. The answer is no. The damage done to Louisiana's reputation nationally cannot be calculated. My response would probably surprise some as it was my articles in The Louisiana Weekly that first alleged that Vitter had had an extramarital relationship with a known prostitute named Wendy Cortez while a member of the State Legislature. There is a sense of vindication, of course, but how can I be happy watching Louisiana's fragile reputation dragged through the mud once more? There is little doubt that the damage done from the pattern of lies spun by Senator Vitter has seriously endangered the recovery of Louisiana. What are members of Congress, whose goodwill and continued financial support we desperately need, to conclude? The state that produced Bill Jefferson has now brought forth David Vitter. The probable bribes taken by Congressman Jefferson matched with the likely lawbreaking of Vitter's sends the message that we are a state of hypocrites, tolerating any lies. Senator Vitter framed those who told the tale of his indiscretions as liars who were politically motivated to destroy him. (Louisiana Weekly, 2004) Interestingly, I share David Vitter ideological viewpoints generally. I'm a Republican who argues much the same conservative message as the Senator. Nor I am a member of a GOP faction bent upon the Senator's destruction. In fact, it is as a Republican that I worry that David Vitter's continued presence in the public spotlight may do irreparably harm not only to his family, but to the entire Louisiana Republican Party. In 48 hours, the revelations that Senator Vitter has for the better part of decade lied about committing what is in most states, including Louisiana, a criminal act, threatens to harm the candidacies of many Republicans. These are GOP legislative candidates who looked sure to crest into office on a reform platform in November--as recently as Monday afternoon. Now the public is poised to paint the entire Louisiana Republican Party with the same brush as Mr. Vitter. The Senator's pattern of lies are building the same cynicism about the GOP as the public now holds towards Governor Blanco and her Democratic Allies. I wrote the original series of articles on the Vitter/Cortez affair because I believed pursuit of the truth was more important than protecting policy allies. When conflict comes between the two, a journalist, himself a public servant, must be independent and serve the public good. How to serve the public good is the question that David Vitter, and for that matter Kathleen Blanco, each must ask himself--or herself--over the next few days. Does the Senator's remaining in office harm the people of Louisiana? Will Congress, frustrated with another scandal in the Pelican State turn the faucet of recovery money off, thanks to David Vitter? If the Senator concludes remaining in office will do just that, then will the Governor honor the people's will and appoint a Republican in Vitter's place? In the end, I regret that the pain this entire situation must have brought to the Senator's family, and extend my prayers to them in this difficult time. Christopher Tidmore seeks the District 82 seat vacated by the term limited Steve Scalise. It encompasses Old Jefferson, Elmwood, Central Metairie between David Dr. and Transcontinental and the Riverbend area of Uptown New Orleans from Lowerline on the riverside of St. Charles Ave to Oak Street on the riverside of Carrollton. Tidmore resigned his position as senior reporter for 99.5 FM and The Louisiana Weekly to run]]> http://www.votetidmore.com/2007/09/tidmore_commended_by_gambit_we_1.html http://www.votetidmore.com/2007/09/tidmore_commended_by_gambit_we_1.html Pressroom Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:02:55 -0600 The Solution: Use the 20,000 homes purchased under Road Home as an incentive to retain and hire more police officers. Give Cops a FREE House if they agree to work here for 7 years. And, legislatively fund more active police patrols that utilize walking patrols at the beginning and ending of a patrol schedule--as has been successfully tried in the Harahan Police Department. Mr. Tidmore had this to say on Monday, "I made the final decision to run for the legislature after my house was burglarized. I don't know if you have noticed, but police patrols are down drastically since Katrina." "It is no secret as to why," the District 82 State Rep. candidate continued, "We have lost police officers to other cities that pay more." "But, there is a simple solution to keep many of our police officers in Jefferson Parish, and help the JPSO recruit new ones--Give Cops a FREE House." "Right now, the plan is to dispense with the 20,000 homes purchased under the Road Home by old fashioned political patronage. Instead, any cops (and firemen, first responders, teachers, or nurses) who agree to commit to work here for seven years, will receive a free house--and a low interest loan to fix it up." "The cost to the state is minimal, and it will put more police on the streets." "What do you think of the idea? I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU. Call me 504-734-0954. Or email christopher@votetidmore.com "And, watch us talk about the plan on TV, on Cox 10, Wednesdays, at 5 pm." "And I hope you will consider voting for me, Christopher Tidmore for State Representative, on Saturday, October 20th--so I can enact this plan for more cops in our neighborhoods." Tidmore is seeking the District 82 seat vacated by the term limited Steve Scalise. It encompasses central Metairie, Elmwood, Old Jefferson, and Riverbend area of Uptown New Orleans. Christopher Tidmore resigned his positions as Senior Reporter for 99.5 FM and Political Columnist for The Louisiana Weekly Newspaper to run. ]]> http://www.votetidmore.com/2007/09/a_town_hall_meeting_on_rising.html http://www.votetidmore.com/2007/09/a_town_hall_meeting_on_rising.html Pressroom Mon, 10 Sep 2007 09:50:38 -0600 We can achieve this linkage in three ways. Rail People talk about building high speed rail lines. This is ridiculous and would be too expensive to be considered. However, there are rail lines between Baton Rouge and New Orleans and after Katrina, a test program proved that Amtrak trains could easily run from the downtowns of each with stops in Prairieville, Sorrento, LaPlace, on the East Bank and Plaquemines, Donaldsonville, and Avondale on the West Bank (before crossing the Huey P. Long Bridge). Along the length of my own legislative district, planners have drawn up stops, for non-express service, at Armstrong Airport , River Ridge, Elmwood, Oak Street, Riverbend, Lower Garden District, and Downtown New Orleans, creating a rapid rail system along the river. (Similar stops could occur in the Great Baton Rouge area across parish lines.) The tracks exist. We need not spend one penny to construct them. All the legislature must do is stand up to the railroad lobbyists and pass right of ways for these transport systems. The cost for a subsidy is less than $5 million according to some estimates, a fraction of what Baton Rouge and New Orleans spend on bus systems. People armed with an alternative to automobiles and a cheap and easy means to travel between the cities would have a reason to spur economic interconnection. Roads in the Ring Cities The bedroom communities along the river between Baton Rouge and New Orleans have seen explosive growth. But, the roads that link them to I-10 or the Mississippi River Bridges are two lanes and antiquated, keeping people "bottled up" during rush hour periods and less likely to want to make a car communte very far, particularly to New Orleans or Baton Rouge , whichever is more distant. There are many examples I can use, but the best is Highway 73 in the Prairieville area. Part of the same Jefferson Hwy that runs through District 82, it has become a transit link for the suburban subdivisions that link it to River Road and the Sunshine Bridge and I-10. It is crowded all of the time, and as a state road, is the responsibility of the legislature to widen. But, why should the constituents of metro New Orleans care about Prairieville? After Katrina, many local moved there to be close enough to Metairie to commute to work and repair their homes. Normally, it should be less than an hour drive, no worse than coming from Covington to Downtown NOLA. But, thanks to the backup along the road, driving times can easily exceed an hour. Many New Orleanians who were commuting until their lives were restored considered the extra fifteen to twenty minutes each way too much. They decided to either seek jobs in the closer Baton Rouge, or just leave Louisiana altogether. Most liked Prairieville, and might have even lived there if they could catch a train or make a simple drive to "home" in New Orleans . Without that easy access they left. Others could divide the task when one part of a couple took a job in Baton Rouge and the other in New Orleans . Easier access would mean both would work to enrich the area as a whole. Without it, sooner or later, one--or both--will give up. Better "Interstate" Connections Highway 73, like many roads just leads into a choke point at I-10. What we need is a major transport corridor, at interstate level, besides the I-10.One suggestion has come from former Donaldsonville Mayor Mayor Harold Capello. In the interest of future evacuations from New Orleans or transit between the Crescent City and Baton Rouge , upgrade Highway 3127 into a four lane, limited access, interstate level road. Running from I-310, just prior to the roadway's end, along the West Bank of Mississippi River, it intersects Highway 1 just South of West Baton Rouge and links into the I-10 system. Ironically, while the road is two lane right now, the right-of-ways and grade upgrades were built almost two decades ago to construct a second span parallel to the first. "If you just paved the road, people could drive on it tomorrow," Capello told me. His plan, which he has argued for before Congress and the Legislature for the past seven years would widen 3127 and build bypasses with exits on open land around the riverside communities of Donaldsonville, White Castle , and Plaquemine. "The road would take pressure off of I-10. It could cut evacuation times out of New Orleans in half." Capello's interest in constructing the roadway is also to aid his West Bank town. As he noted, the historic community of Donaldsonville, whose downtown bears a close resemblance to Covington, is only 30 minutes from downtown Baton Rouge and an hour from downtown New Orleans--right now. With a full freeway, the commute times would make this West Bank community ideal to become bedroom extensions of the metros. If Baton Rouge and New Orleans are to grow into the same the city, affordable middle class housing options within short driving time of both cities are a necessity--so Capello contends. At a million dollars per mile, Capello's vision for 3127 could be reached for less than $70 million. It could be the first step in an alternative freeway loop across South Louisiana . Currently, I-49 has less than 30 miles of extensions to make complete the interstate all the way to New Orleans West Bank expressway. The remaining distance requires roughly $2 million per mile to extend roadway over wetlands without causing environmental damage. The state has asked the federal government for the monies, but an addition $60 million could bridge the gap. Then, down the West Bank Expressway over the Crescent City Connection, I-10 at Airline comes within 300 yards of the freeway that, as one elected official put it "starts no where and goes to nowhere". The Earhart Expressway begins at Carrolton Ave. and goes to David Drive . Few cars use the completed roadway. A simple look over the first overpass shows the closeness of 1-10 at Airline Dr . An extension over the open ground bordering the 17th St. Canal could be built for less than five million dollars, according to one transportation engineer we consulted. Thus, building a road system is a direct benefit to the residents of District 82. An "interstate level highway" that runs through the center of the district could be accessable to the residents in case of Hurricane or easier transport between Downtown New Orleans and the Airport. For example, from David Drive to Armstrong Airport , the state owns the former railroad land and could construct an interstate level road without requiring any eminent domain issues or excessive costs. Cost, roughly, $20 million. At the Airport, a raised roadway could link I-10 over the airport access road or continue over Airline to link directly into I-310. In other words for less than $200 million, an alternative evacuation route, taking pressure off of I-10 could be built. Such a route would allow the metros of Baton Rouge and New Orleans to grow together, along with bedroom communities stretching to Lafayette within an hour's drive of either downtown area. There is the added benefit to legislators that road construction rarely proves unpopular with their constituents, and this plan would cover most of South Louisiana . Harry Hoyler, General Manager of KKAY 1590 AM White Castle/ Baton Rouge , a noted advocate of regional integration, has often said to me, "The different cities need each other to survive. Baton Rouge has business. New Orleans has soul. Together they create a 'quality of life' that attracts new residents for other states. The communities in between like Donaldsonville, Prairieville, and others have the land and resources to support affordably a new population...Only constructing a freeway system that supports major regional development can anchor this growth. Extending 3127 and linking it into I-49 and the Earhart creates something the Louisiana has never seen: a West Bank loop, outside the I-10. That could spawn growth the likes of which Louisiana has never seen." And provide hope for a better economic future for the whole region. With a comprehensive set of connections that kicks off regional economic growth, such a plan might enough hope to even keep a few residents of District 82 from moving. ]]> http://www.votetidmore.com/2007/09/hope_for_a_better_economy_link.html http://www.votetidmore.com/2007/09/hope_for_a_better_economy_link.html Pressroom Sun, 02 Sep 2007 12:29:12 -0600 ttp://www.nola.com/timespic/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1188626855165060.xml&coll=1 ]]> http://www.votetidmore.com/2007/09/timespicayune_radio_reporter_r.html http://www.votetidmore.com/2007/09/timespicayune_radio_reporter_r.html Pressroom Sat, 01 Sep 2007 09:40:27 -0600