Alan Gutierrez

Some of you have asked me, why Nick Varrecchio?

The Times-Picayune ran an article today, by Susan Finch, where she describes a contest for an important office, that has long been mis-managed, and wonders why such why race for the Clerk for Criminal District Court has not received the coverage it deserves.

This is an office that has been run into the ground by Kimberly Williamson Butler. We dearly need to restore and reform the office of Clerk of Criminal District Court. The criminal courts are stuggling with a backlog of criminal cases, and elections are only being held because Nick Varrecchio has done the job of Kimberly Williamson Butler, by training poll commissioners so that that she had no more excuses to delay the elections.

Nick Varrecchio has an impeccable record of ethics and comptence in his 17 years of practice.

The best Nick Varrecchio’s opponent can do, is question Nick Varrecchio’s experience, but the experience that Arthor Morell brings to the Clerk of Criminal District Court is the kind of experience we want to put behind us.

Clerk of Court’s Race Takes a Backseat by Susan Finch

Earlier this year, the state ethics board ordered Morrell to pay a $1,000 fine after finding him guilty of improperly using his elected office in an attempt to benefit his private legal clients. Morrell said that as soon as the written decision is issued, he’ll ask the state 1st Circuit Court of Appeal to reverse it: “What they said I did, they never produced any evidence to prove that I did it,” he said.

Arthur Morell recently repealed what was “one of his worst ideas”, according to New Orleans City Business.

Boneheaded Morrell bill hopefully buried - New Orleans City Business Editorial

Morrell’s bill to repeal a major ethics reform was scheduled for a hearing Wednesday before it was pulled. It is unlikely to reappear. Good riddance.

But it bears asking why Morrell, or any other legislator for that matter, would roll back this reform. Louisiana law now prohibits campaign contributions to all legislators, including the governor, during regular legislative sessions.

Nick Varrecchio has a reform agenda for the Clerk of Criminal District Court. Nick Varrecchio will get to work to restore the integrity of evidence and restore the day to day operation of the Criminal Courts in Orleans Parish.

Nick Varrecchio has pressured Kimberly Williamson Butler into holding elections after Katrina.

When Kimberly said that there were not enough poll commissioners to conduct the elections, Nick Varrecchio launched a campaign to train poll commissioners, removing another excuse for the current Clerk’s incompentence.

Nick Varrecchio has been in New Orleans, working to return Orleans Parish to normalcy, while Arthur Morell campaigns from Batton Rouge. Arthor Morell’s message is confused.

Arthur for Clerk

Arthur understands that the Clerks office is underfunded.

True. Arthor Morell says that he has the connections in Batton Rouge to obtain new funding for the Clerks office, but if that’s the case, why hasn’t he obtained the funding already?

Arthur for Clerk

As a state legislator I have been a sitting member of the committee which most greatly affect the funding of the clerks office.

Doesn’t it follow that Arthur Morell has seen to it that the Clerk’s office is underfunded?

Please vote for Nick Varrecchio for Clerk of Criminal District Court. Nick Varrecchio will get right down to work and clean up the office of Orleans Parish Clerk of Criminal District Court.

This is why Nick Varrecchio has received the endorsement of every major newspaper in New Orleans, as well as the endorsements of both politcal parties, the Democrats and the Republicans, and numerous civic and church organizations, and State Senators and Representatives.

Everyone who talks to the candidates comes away saying that Nick Varrecchio is their choice for Clerk of Criminal District Court.

Nick Varrecchio is the reform candidate for this vital office. The Clerk of Court is responsible for maintaining the integrity of evidence in criminal trials. The Clerk of Court is also responsible for conducting elections in Orleans Parish.

The current Clerk of Court, Kimberly Williamson Butler, has brought this functionary office to the front pages, with stories of graft and flawed elections. Since Katrina, little has been done to return this office to operation. Nick Varrecchio has aggressively campaign to train poll commissioners, and to see that these elections are held.

Nick Varrecchio has the endorsement of every major newspaper in New Orleans, as well as the endorsement of both the Democratic and Republican parties. There are dozens of civic organizations and State Senators and Reps that endorse Nick Varrecchio.

You can compare Nick to his opponent at the League of Women Voters of New Orleans.

This is such an important office. It doesn’t belong on the front pages. It belongs behind the scenes, administering criminal evidence, and conducting elections. We need courts and elections to rebuild.

Jimmy Delery spent the morning on the phone. He’s my ride. I waited. I grew impatient. I set out to vote.

On a hot summer day, I walked accross the Treme to Mid-City where I am registered. In my time in Ann Arbor, I did not surrender my Louisiana driver’s license. Not even when it expired.

I did not want make my return to Michigan offical. I’m going to live in New Orleans or die trying.

There will always be a cold, dark place in heart that rusts for Detroit, however.

I’d not had coffee in two days. I was quiting. I’m somewhat dazed. No cravings, except for sleep. A mild headache. Treme looks rough from Katrina.

I voted for Nick Varrecchio among others.

Lolly-gaged in Mid-City at Liuzza’s by the Track, lunching with a Floridian I once knew, until I broke down and taxied back to the Quarter. Got to my place. Flopped. As I drift off into a cafine-free afternoon coma, my the phone rings. Jimmy is on the loose. I’m ready I say, but we need to stop for coffee.

We cruise Uptown to Napoleon. The Varrecchio supporters are at the corner of St Charles. Varrecchio himself is not there. I grab a sign. Face traffic. Smile. Wave.

Met Desiree. Met Mark and Woody, again. Time passes. Kimberly Williamson Butler arrives.

She’s in a caravan that rolls down from the River Bend. Desiree and I break off to get Kimberly T-Shirts. We decide to put them on. Not that we are clad in Kimberly 53 tees, we decide that it would be rude to remove them until her caravan is out of view.

The caravan parks.

Having set the precident, everyone wants to wear a Kimberly tee. Cameras are out. Jimmy, Desiree, and myself pose with citizen Butler. Kimberly collects her entourage to leave.

I overhear Desiree as she says to Kimberly In parting, you’re just misunderstood. Kimberly says, I know, but I’m strong.

Off with Kimberly. Off with the tees.

We break for Lunch at Frankie and Johny’s. Mark, Woody, Desiree, Nick and I. We talk about the debates. We talk about the run off.

Half a fried shrimp po’ boy later, we’re back on the corner. Waving. The Varrecchio contingent is the last on standing. We waved until the polls closed.

We got back to the campaign headquarters in a round about way. Results looked good until the very end, when the absentee ballots were in. Then Nick drops to second.

That was to be expected. Not much consideration is put into a 11 candidate primary for a lesser office when the voter knows there will be a run off. There was a lot of muddle in the press with all the different voices.

The real campaign is the run off. A real choice between two very different candidates.

Election Day updates are going to take place soon, I promise, but I’m running around today. I’m off now to see Paul Chistmann’s new Macintosh. Then I’m going to talk to Leonard Nicholson about the French Quarter Confidential. Then I’m going to spend time showing Deserie Durham how to update Nick Varrecchio’s weblog. Finally, in the evening, I’m attending an event at the African-American History Museum in the Treme. It is at 6:00 pm at 1210 Governor Nicholls St.

Couldn’t bring myself to blog today. Now the day is gone. I’m off to the River Bend to meet with Nick Varrecchio and the Louisiana Regular Democrats. Looking at an exciting run off. I’ll post a follow up to the Click for Nick campaign that so many of you supported. The long and the sort of it was that the results were dismissed after the poll for City Council District B made it obvious that the system was so easily manipulated.

If You Read Nothing Else

By clicking on the following link, you cast your vote for Nick Varrecchio to participate in the final debates for Clerk of Court. Help a blogger out and click for Nick.

• Vote Nick Varrecchio for the WDSU Clerk of Court debate.

Please note that, once you click, your vote is cast. The click is the vote. There is nothing more to do, except to click again in 15 minutes.

An Important Debate

WDSU Channel 6 is going to have a debate between two candidates for Clerk of Criminal District Court.

This is an important office. This office is responsible for conducting election in Orleans Parish. This office manages criminal trial evidence.
My candidate is Nick Varrecchio. I’m fully behind Nick Varrecchio.

There are many candidates running, so how is WDSU going to choose two candidates?

Using an poll on it’s web site.

An Arbitrary Selection

That’s right, by using an entirely unscientific online web poll, WDSU will choose two candidates that will be given valuable television time, and priceless exclusivity. Worst of all, you can vote in the poll every five minutes or so.

Already, two of the candidates have 800 votes apiece. Are voting again and again? Why wouldn’t they?
The poll accepts GET requests, so you can skip the form and vote for Nick Varrecchio by clicking on the following link.

• Vote Nick Varrecchio for the WDSU Clerk of Court debate.

Please, click on that link to vote for Nick Varrecchio. When you click on the link, your vote is cast for Nick. It is such an arbitrary way to allot television time, you may as well help Nick out with a click. Learn more about Nick Varrechio at his campaign site.

In Praise of WDSU

WDSU is a great local station, that has done a great job keeping us informed during Katrina. Their web site is an excellent resource.

I understand why they want to narrow the debate.

A Real Poll Please

I do not, however, feel that this is a good way for them to choose two candidates, since it is so easily manipulated.

Anyone can vote, and vote multiple times. Someone could write a script to vote every five minutes.

The outcome of this poll and the television time it bestows can change the contest. They really ought to use a scientific poll.

Alan Gutierrez