Louisiana: The State We're In; 402

Production assistance for the following program was provided, in part, through contributions to Friends of LPB. I like to believe that from a standpoint of personality and temperament, Education and training, I'm as well-fitted for the job of governor as anybody I know. This is not to say I'm the only one, but it's a peculiar type of job, which requires a particular kind of individual. I cannot be a brain surgeon. I don't have the patience to knit or to work crossword puzzles, but I believe that I have the personality and the temperament that fills the role as governor. Even if people don't like my policies or the way I handle things, I think. Louisiana:The State We're In with Beth George and Ron Blome.

Good evening. Welcome to this edition of Louisiana: The State We're In. This week, we'll have a fireside chat with Governor Edwin Edwards and we'll have a report on a committee hearing looking into charges of fraud in Louisiana's election system. Charges that one official said made Louisiana the laughing stock of the nation. But first, this week's capital highlights. Across Louisiana, the news came as a shock. LSU's new head football coach, 34-year-old Bo Reim, was killed in a bizarre airplane crash Thursday night. Reim was a passenger on board a private aircraft that was to fly him from Shreveport to Baton Rouge. Shortly after takeoff, ground controllers lost contact with the plane after it climbed above 20,000 feet and headed east. The plane then flew for a 1,000 miles before it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, apparently out of fuel. Union workers at Louisiana's refineries and port facilities were embroiled in labor disputes this week. Some 1,700 oil and chemical workers joined a nationwide walkout that is so far affected four Louisiana refineries. At the Tenneco refinery in Chalmette, there've already been some instances of violence as shots were fired at the front gate. Louisiana

longshoremen have responded to a call by their national union leaders to stop loading or unloading Soviet ships. The boycott is in reaction to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. A former supervisor at a nuclear power plant under construction in Louisiana charged this week that some sloppy workmanship is not being corrected. However, federal inspectors looking into the matter say they have found no irregularities, but will continue their investigation. Meanwhile, Gulf States Utilities, which is building the plant at St. Francisville, has been given permission to continue work on that project. Well, Governor-elect Dave Treen toured the state this week, thanking his supporters, meeting with state legislators, and laying the groundwork for his administration. Part of Treen's visit to Baton Rouge included a stop at the State Capitol to look at the Governor's office. Treen signed in on the guest registry, saying this was his first visit to the fourth floor. At an earlier news conference Treen told reporters he would begin announcing some of his key appointments later this month. But on the subject of presidential primaries in Louisiana, the governor-elect said his position was no secret.

The only reason that I would offer myself on the ballot as a so-called favorite son candidate would be to try to increase the number of uncommitted delegates to the national convention. I believe at this point and that could change depending upon events on the national level. I believe it's in our interest to go with the lowest level of commitment possible. Governor-elect Dave Treen may run into opposition from fellow Republican Henson Moore, who's already committed to supporting John Connally in the presidential primary. I think many people are going to want to go to the polls to cast their opinion on who should be president and not to arm the governor of the state with political powers at the convention to be able to negotiate for Louisiana's best interest. I just think that politically that probably isn't going to happen. In the old days, when you had conventions or you had caucuses you could probably arrange something like that. But under the new system of the presidential primary, I'm not sure how that's going to work. There may also be opposition to the Treen proposal from Ronald Reagan supporters, and the

governor-elect said he would consider both sides in his role as party leader. We may all get a first-hand look at those Republican presidential candidates as they attend a Southern Leadership Conference in New Orleans later this month. This year's race for governor in Louisiana was long, expensive, and controversial. It was highlighted not only by Republican Dave Treen's victory, but by charges of election fraud that followed the October primary. This week a legislative committee began an examination of the election process. And we have a report. Vote buying, vote fraud, harassment, intimidation, vote machine rigging are not frivolous matters. Quite frankly, I have been shocked and appalled by the absence of moral indignation from many public officials and leading citizens of this state. When Lieutenant Governor Jimmy Fitzmorris went to bed on October 27, he thought he had reached the

runoff election for governor and come another step closer to a lifelong goal. But it was not to be. When the official count was made, Louis Lambert was in second place and a disappointed Jimmy Fitzmorris, believing the election had been stolen, challenged the results in state court. It was a challenge the court rejected. Now with the election over Fitzmorris, along with Governor-elect Dave Treen, believes it's time for a major overhaul of the election system. A special joint legislative committee was formed to look into the matter. And this week the committee began public hearings. These allegations, and the associated publicity which has resulted, has caused a tremendous and disastrous loss of confidence by the voters and the public in our election process in Louisiana. This committee is designed, is certainly no witch hunt, nor is it a whitewash, but will be a dispassionate complete study of our entire election process. At center stage of this week's election review hearing was the testimony of Lieutenant Governor Jimmy Fitzmorris who complained the election process has

slipped out of control. The reform of Louisiana elections must await the reform of Louisiana campaigns. We have just endured the longest and most expensive non-presidential election in Louisiana's political history. It staggers one's imagination to explain how six gubernatorial candidates spent, according to unofficial reports, in excess of 15 million dollars to be elected to an office which pays only $50,000 a year. The high cost of campaigning wasn't the only item to draw fire from the lieutenant governor. He said that absentee voting was rife with irregularities, that voting machines were carelessly guarded and mishandled, and that voter registration and vote counting follows no uniform procedure. To solve some of the problems, Fitzmorris recommended the establishment of a fair elections commission to serve as

a watchdog over the election process. He called for spending and campaign time limits, for tighter absentee balloting rules, and for a speedier official ballot count. Fitzmorris told the lawmakers that he was not trying to keep his own election fight alive through the committee probe. But if he was no longer running for governor, it did sound as though Fitzmorris was still campaigning. Campaigning for personal vindication as well as election reform. More and more each day, I realize that election '79 was stolen. I realize with a heavy heart that an election was stolen from those who supported me and that a career was stolen from me personally. It is my plea to each of you that what happens to me never happens again to any candidate. The procedure to determine the outcome has been an extreme burden

to all of us and to those who had to bear that burden with me, I publicly offered to them my deep gratitude and grateful appreciation. I want to reiterate again that I have no personal ax to grind with any person, any political group, or any organization or any public official. The Easiest thing for me to do after the election of the 27th when I went to bed realizing that I had won and would be the second primary, after I found out that that was not the case, the easiest thing for me to do would have been a pick up my marbles and go home. That wasn't the right thing to do. The right thing to do is to try to have enough guts to stand up and say what's happened. And I have, as long as I have breath in my body, I'm going to stand up and say what I think happened. And for those who feel like they have been persecuted in some way at all, I say if

you've got a guilty conscience, you're bound to feel that way. You don't have a guilty conscience, it won't bother you at all. Although the lieutenant governor seemed convinced the election system has gone bad, at least three committee members wanted to see some specific proof. Fitzmorris says that it's difficult to find witnesses. But he said he would try. And he reminded the committee that he's still waiting for help from state election officials. Governor-elect Treen and Louis Lambert will be putting in an appearance before that committee later this month. Well, Ron, there's one politician in Louisiana these days, whose taking things in stride. After nearly eight years on center stage, Governor Edwin Edwards is no longer in the spotlight while Governor-elect Dave Treen is busy making decisions about his administration, Governor Edwards had time to sit back, relax, and reflect on his two terms as governor. Governor, this is an end of a decade and there have been an awful lot of retrospective looks. And lot of sort of soul searching at this time. Has this been a particularly poignant new year for you? Have you done a lot of looking back on your career?

Oh yes, naturally. We are spending our last holiday season in the mansion and my last holiday season as governor, and we're looking forward to the transition and the change will come upon us. My whole family, as a result, is leaving public life at least for a while. Is it sort of hard to do it, as you were saying in stages or piecemeal? Would it be better just to say one day I'm governor, the next day I'm not? Yes, unfortunaetly time and circumstances will not allow that. But it would be much better for everyone if instead we could all assume roles rather than going through the stage change we have to go through. When you were looking back, there were a lot of shows looking back at the major events of the '70s. Have you sat down and looked back and thought of some of the key times in your administration? Because, for most of us the '70s are synonymous with you being governor of the state. What are some of the high points when you look back?? points if you look back? Well, naturally the adoption of the new constitution

was the high point in government from a pure governmental concern. That in my mind stands out as the single governmental achievement of the ages for the state of Louisiana. But I think there are certain other things that need to be looked at also and that is the change in the taxing practices which we brought about during the '70s have substantially lowered the individual's income and sales taxes in Louisiana. While at the same time increasing state revenue from oil and gas without citizens in the state having to bear the burden and that has made it possible for us to provide the services of government that we've been able to provide without a heavy tax burden on people in the state One regret that I have as an American citizen and as a public figure is that the national government, going back to 1972 and '73 and '74,

Did not early and completely accept proposals which I was making about what we should do about the impending energy crisis. Much of it, as you know, after being rebuffed for years and now finally become law has become implemented is in the process of being done, but even that's very late and still must needs to be done. We have gone through that unfortunate period of increased dependence on foreign crude which I had suggested was going to happen if we didn't take some steps in the country. I really regret that this nation has gone through the inflation and the spiral of ,spiraling of cost and the unemployment which has been brought about by our own increased dependence on foreign crude. Are there any things, that when you look back you would say to yourself I wish I had done this one differently? Any instances say, when you intervened in the teacher strike in New Orleans? Are there a couple of things where you would you look back on and in hindsight say I wish I had done it a different way? Oh certainly. All of us were who are realistic and

reasonable would look back on our lives and find times, places, and, and events which we would have handled differently given the foresight that we now have in hindsight. But you know I don't know of any thing that I really feel that strongly about. I wish that I had never involved myself with some people. Because the consequences were unfortunate, regrettable, both for them and for me, and I wish sometimes that I had been a little more patient with some people, naturally on an individual basis on an individual basis, but in retrospect I really don't know of any major decisions that I would change. So it's personal things. Right. You wish you had not been involved with Clyde Vidrine. Had I realized the type of individual that he was, I would have been more careful in my dealings with him. But, you know, no one can go through life and, and deal with thousands of people as a governor does without running into some who would be less than he thinks

and to be ... fail to be disappointed in some people and I'm sure that many people who doubt me have been disappointed in me. I didn't turn out to be the person they thought I should be or actually was. It's just part of the price of living. Does that carry over to Tong Sun Park perhaps? Oh, no. My relationship with Tong Sun Park is, is something that I would not change one iota. I got involved with him for the purpose of stimulating rice sales, which was important to my district when I was in Congress, and important to this state. I continued it on that basis. I would not change a thing that I ever said to him or ever did with him. Let's look ahead a little bit and into the '80s. How long a grace period is Dave Treen going to get? Are you going to be sort of the loyal opposition, the government in exile? No, that is not my role. Why I'm going to be as supportive as he will allow me to be as supportive, as the public wishes me to be and, as supportive as circumstances require. Uh, no, no one knows at this

moment what kind of governor he will be. What programs he will implement, what direction his administration will take. And certainly we all owe it to him. At least a period of adjustment and fairness so that he can do his job. And I'm going to do everything I can do. Not only do that myself but to get other people to give him the support which I think an incoming governor deserves and needs in order to prove himself and do his job. Do you think he has a difficult time? He didn't exactly have an overwhelming mandate nor did you when you when you came into office. It was a very, it was a very slim margin but in his case you leave as a very popular governor. With some of the appointments to major boards made by you, carrying over into his administration. Is it going to be a key thing for him to see if he can exert him- self change the laws, perhaps? I don't know whether he will follow that procedure. My advice to him, if he were to ask for it, is to try to recognize that people that

have been left on board under the existing law, are all capable, conscientious people who do a job. He will find that they will be just as loyal to him as they were to me and that loyalty always has a dividing line and that is with the public interest and I think that if he decides to just leave them alone and meet with them and counsel with them he would benefit much from their experience and expertise. And I think you will also find that they will hold out a hand of friendship and loyalty which will be helpful in his administration. On the other hand, if he chooses to follow another course of action, I'm certain that he can get equally qualified people out of the Republican Party or out of the defected Democrats who supported him who would be willing to pick up the responsibility for those positions. What course of action he will follow, I do not know. I spent most of Sunday afternoon, Monday afternoon with him. He was, excuse me, Tuesday afternoon. He was my guest at the Sugar Bowl and we chatted casually and politically and on business matters.

But one thing I want to make it very clear, as I made clear to him in person, everything that I know about government, all the records, all the documents, all the facts are available to him. We're glad to make that available to him. I will answer any questions he wish, wishes give him any information he wants, but I will make no effort at all to try to impose upon him or to give him direction. He has to decide that for himself. Did you make it clear to him that you're still very serious about 1983? Oh, yes, and I don't think he has any reservations or delusions about that and he and I are both practical enough to know while I don't speak for him I'm sure he realizes as I must know, and as the public must know, that if his term as governor is successful and three years from now he is popular and has succeeded in handling the state's business on a businesslike and good basis and has achieved a large measure of public acceptance, I'm not going to run. He would have no problems with me.

On the other hand, if things go bad for him, I don't think I as an individual will be his problem. Circumstances over which you have no control would be a problem. And whether or not I run or not under those conditions, he probably wouldn't get elected anyhow. So we're all here just sitting, waiting to see what will happen. He's going to do everything he can to be a good governor. And I think has the tools and experience and the qualifications and certainly the dedication to be a good governor. But unfortunately, a lot of times in this business, we're not completely in control of our own destiny. So, Governor, you have four years now, so a lot of options open to you. One of the ones you were considering was being a favorite candidate, favorite son candidate, for the presidency. I have passed that consideration completely. I do not intend to involve myself in any capacity in the presidential election. You're not going to support any one or any other candidate, any Democratic candidate? It is not my intention at this time to get involved at all in the

presidential primaries or in the election. I suppose that I will be asked from time to time and, you know, depending upon the personalities and programs which emerge, I may change my position and have to say something later on, but at this moment I know no reason why I should or would benefit. It would be to me or to the public or to the media. Why have you changed your mind about becoming involved in the presidential race? I just viewed that as being an impossible dream. And I view the possibility of being elected governor three times as the first person in history to be elected three times as very real and very possible. And I just made a firm decision that I would channel my energies and programs in that direction. And whether you believe it or not, I am absolutely convinced that the two goals are absolutely at odds with each other. If I were to depart from a course of action which I feel is channeled in the direction of a

third term as governor ,to seek the presidency or the vice presidency, I think I would lose any hope or chance of running in 1983. And I don't want to give that up. I would think you gave the seconding speech for Jerry Brown, who does not run very high in Louisiana, I suppose, that would progress... I would say that every time that I went to Miami in 1972. When I got there, McGovern had the convention all locked up. I went in 1976. When I got there, Carter had the convention all locked up. I hate to say this, but party politics is controlled by people, by ideology, by programs which I'm not in Louisiana's best interest. The majority of the people in this state do not ascribe to the general national Democratic Party politics nor to the groups of people that actually run the hierarchy

on a national level. And so there's just nothing to be gained by fooling with them. You have to have some sort of forum, don't you though for four years, to keep yourself in the public eye because you can be very popular at one point and doesn't ,does the public have a short, a short, memory? Will it be difficult to stay in the public eye? The public certainly has a short memory, as all of us have short memories. But what to do about it is again one of those things that none of us can control. Dave Treen, more than anybody else will be in control of the public's consciousness for the next three years. He, more than any of us, will determine whether the public will forget or remember. And they will either forget by favorable comparison or by unfavorable comparison. Do you see yourself being asked, though, to be a spokesman for oil and gas, for energy, energy concerns because it is in this area that you've got an awful lot of national attention? Haven't you been sort of a spokesman? For any number of firms and people interested in that have already

talked to me about that as a possibility and I'm certain to some extent I would be involved in that because I feel and I think, whether I'm entitled to the accolades and not most people who are in government or in the business who knows something about it recognize that to the extent that it's possible to appreciate the problems of this country from a standpoint of legal, political, and actual engineering practices that I have as good a grasp of the overall problem as anyone. That isn't to say I know all the answers, that I'm the in response to all the problems, but nevertheless I feel that I have something to offer in that regard. They do too and I'm certain in one capacity or the other I would be much involved in that endeavor. Are you going to miss the perks of office? Certainly. [George] You like them, don't you? [Edwards] I'd like to believe that from a standpoint of personality and temperament, education, and training, I'm as well fitted for the job of Governor as anybody I know. That's not to say I'm the only

one, but it's, it's a peculiar type of job, which requires a particular kind of individual. I cannot be a brain surgeon. I don't have the patience to knit or to work crossword puzzles, but I believe that I have the personality and the temperament to fit the role as governor. Even if people don't like my policies or the way I handle things, I think the personality fits the office. Again not I'm not the only personality that fits the office. It's one of the things that I feel comfortable in and I have learned to accept the undeserved criticism and the undeserved praise that I've received as governor and I've had both. At the same time, I believe that I have enough of a feeling for the desires and needs of this state and the kind of government we have to use that knowledge to be a good governor. Have you found the people in Louisiana, like a politician, like like a governor with a sense quip? And that you can turn away criticism

with, talking about personality traits, that people like this in their politics? The reaction that I get is that they're like that in me, because it's a natural part of my personality. Whether they would like it in another. Governor, it would depend upon his own personality. I'm not going to mention any names, but I can think some of the people who were running for governor, in my opinion, would just not have been able to carry it off that way. But they were probably been able to carry it off in a manner that would have been totally foreign to me and I would not have been able to do it the way they would, they would do it. It's a matter of the personality of the individual and I think each one has to be his own man and I think the key to it is hypocrisy. I think the public abhors hypocrisy. They dislike hypocrites. They dislike and grown tired of public figures who appear to be what they are not. And I think the one thing that they admire and expect, at the least, out of public figures is honesty.

Sometimes, I've heard it say there's a confusion between candor and honesty. Yes, some people are more cynical. In the press, for instance, for instance, I can name one of your close friends. You know confuse, confuse the two and take the position that candor is nothing more than veiled dishonesty and, you know, there are people who feel that way about it and that might be true in isolated specific instances, but it couldn't last for eight years. Governor, do you think that Dave Treen has some surprises in store for him? Sure. Just like I had surprises in store for me. A few of the big surprises? Well the biggest surprise he's going to run across is the number of people whom he thought was totally dedicated ,honest people interested in nothing but good government, who all of a sudden are interested in jobs, contracts and special favors. And that's going to happen to him. It happens to all of us. And the thing to do is to try to avoid confusing our desire to be nice to

people who are nice to us with the public interest. If you can keep the public interest. Best served and first served. Then if friends and supporters benefit while the public is being benefited, that's acceptable. But any time you submerge the public interest to favor, and I'm not suggesting he will do that, quite the contrary. Individuals or groups. Then you begin to get in trouble. Next week, we'll be back with a look at the threat of industrial air pollution in Louisiana and we hope you'll join us then. I'm Ron Blome. And I'm Beth George. Good evening. (music) The preceding has been an LPB production.

Production assistance for the preceding program was provided in part through contributions to friends of LBB.