Walter Boasso

Infobox State Senator


name=Walter Boasso


state_senate=Louisiana
state=Louisiana
district=1st
term=2004 - 2008
preceded=
succeeded=Incumbent
date of birth=birth date and age|1960|05|10
place of birth=Arabi, Louisiana
date of death=
place of death=
spouse=Cynthia
profession=businessman
religion=
party=Democratic (? - mid 1990s)
Republican (mid 1990s - 2007)
Democratic (2007 - present)|

Walter Joseph Boasso (born May 10, 1960) is a wealthy businessman and a departing Democratic state senator from Chalmette, the seat of St. Bernard Parish in south Louisiana. He was defeated in a bid for governor in the October 20, 2007, jungle primary. Boasso won 47 percent in his own St. Bernard Parish, his sole plurality showing in any of his state's sixty-four parishes. He has represented Senate District 1, which includes St. Bernard Parish and surrounding areas that were devastated by Hurricane Katrina, since 2004.

Biography

A life-long resident of St. Bernard Parish, Boasso graduated from Chalmette High School in 1978. He obtained a business degree from the University of New Orleans. Boasso began his own company cleaning storage tanks for local companies during summer vacations. He soon established a large corporation, Boasso America. The company is still headquartered in St. Bernard Parish and employs hundreds of people in several states. He described the business as being started "with a brush and a bucket of Tide." During August of 2007 Boasso America Corp., was sold to a Florida company, Quality Distribution Inc. at a profit of $60 million. The company will maintain its presence in South Louisiana.

Political career

Originally a Democrat, Boasso switched to the Republican Party in the mid 1990s. He was selected as the chairman of the Port of New Orleans Authority Board of Commissioners in 2001 and to the state Senate in 2003.

On February 6, 2007, Boasso announced his plans to run in the primary for the governor. He faced opposition from the Republican U.S. Representative Bobby Jindal, also of suburban New Orleans. After the decision by Louisiana Republicans to endorse Jindal, Boasso was approached about running for governor as a Democrat.

To that end, on April 26, 2007, Boasso formally switched parties again. In addition to Jindal, he was forced to contend with rival Democrat Foster L. Campbell, Jr., of Bossier City in Bossier Parish, a member of the Louisiana Public Service Commission.

Hurricane Katrina

Boasso has been lauded for his response to the disaster that struck his constituents on the morning of August 29, 2005. Katrina sent a tidal wave of up to 25-30 feet in height that drowned St. Bernard Parish in a matter of minutes. Boasso was in Baton Rouge at the time, and on being advised of the situation returned to the parish before the winds had completely died. He spent the following weeks bringing supplies, including fuel, food, medicines, and transportation to the parish. Many local residents said that Boasso and Democratic U.S. Representative Charlie Melancon were nearly the only source of help for his parish. Media coverage was aimed almost entirely at New Orleans alone. Boasso noted that rescuers from Canada were in the parish before any state response got there. Boasso has continued to push for assistance for St. Bernard Parish and has promised that Boasso America will continue to operate there.

Quotes during Hurricane Katrina

* “I've got 122,000 people in my district, and everybody's been affected (by Hurricane Katrina),” said Boasso.
* “I don't care about finger pointing,” Boasso said. “I'm hollering and screaming and you know what? If they can't help us we're going to help ourselves.”
* "Fabulous, fabulous guys," Boasso said. Referring to the Vancouver, Canada's USAR team who came to his flooded town's aid, "They started rolling with us and got in boats to save people."
* "We've got Canadian flags flying everywhere."

Legislation

Boasso has garnered national coverage for the "Boasso Bill," his proposed state legislation that would eliminate the system of local levee boards and replace them with a professionally staffed board to prevent the levee failures that contributed to the flooding.

Boasso's Senate seat will revert to Republican hands. In the primary, A.G. Crowe defeated the Democrat Kenneth L. Odinet, Sr., 11,625 (52 percent) to 10,811 (48 percent). In 2008, Odinet switched to the Republican Party in an unsuccessful candidacy for the Louisiana Public Service Commission.

Electoral history

State Senator, 1st Senatorial District, 2003

Threshold > 50%

First Ballot, October 4, 2003

ee also

*Louisiana gubernatorial election, 2007

References

External links

* [http://www.governorboasso.org Campaign site]
*http://www.getitdonela.com
* [http://senate.legis.state.la.us/Boasso/ Louisiana State Legislature - Senator Walter Boasso] official government website
* [http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=35426 Project Vote Smart - Senator Walter J. Boasso (LA)] profile
*"Follow the Money" - Richard D. Young
** [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=200518&c=414357 2005] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=200318&c=57978 2003] campaign contributions
*http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:k26dRYJITlcJ:www.penguinbar.com/Weblog/categories/3-The-American-Empire+%22camp+katrina%22+%22Walter+Boasso%22&hl=en
*http://www.nola.com/weblogs/print.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_Times-Picayune/archives/print076812.html