Q&A: Gubernatorial candidates answer voters’ questions about crime and safety, education

Louisiana gubernatorial candidates on crime, education | Local ...  NOLA.com

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Sep 27, 2023 - 15:30
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Q&A: Gubernatorial candidates answer voters’ questions about crime and safety, education

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Louisiana’s Governor’s Race

Introduction

Five candidates running to be Louisiana’s next governor answered voters’ questions today at a live town hall meeting in New Orleans, hosted by the Times-Picayune, The Advocate and Nola.com.

Priorities as Governor

  1. Question from resident Victor Kowalski, of Baton Rouge: If you were to rank the top three areas that you would focus on during your time as governor to make Louisiana citizens happier and healthier, what would those priorities be?
    • Lundy: Education, crime, poverty. They’re all linked. We can use education to resolve illiteracy and incarceration. We want our children to be able to read and write. We will invest resources in early childhood education if necessary.
    • Wilson: Safer communities, smarter workforce, healthier citizens, and wealthier economy.
    • Hewitt: Better education, good high-paying jobs, safe neighborhoods, growing economy, and affordable cost of living.
    • Schroder: Addressing generational problems, investing in early childhood education, and reevaluating the budget to prioritize early childhood and law enforcement.
    • Waguespack: Affordability, education reform, and public safety.

Education

  1. Question from resident Don Gary, of Broussard: What do you feel is the top priority for our education system and what plans do you have to address that specific concern?
    • Wilson: Paying teachers what they deserve, funding early childhood education, and investing in higher education to train the workforce.
    • Hewitt: Reinventing education delivery, identifying skills needed by businesses, and building an education pipeline to provide jobs for Louisiana citizens.
    • Schroder: Investing in early childhood education immediately, reevaluating the budget, and focusing on early intervention for mental health and crime prevention.
    • Waguespack: Empowering parents and families to take control of their children’s education, offering multiple pathways to success, and making high schools launch points for different career paths.
    • Lundy: Getting rid of the LEAP test, funding lower elementary and pre-K education, and undoing damage done to the UL system.

Crime and Safety

  1. Question from resident Linda Tuten, of Ruston: How would you clean up our major cities—New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport—to make them safe to visit again?
    • Waguespack: Increasing police presence, implementing technology for better evidence collection, and developing regional facilities for juvenile offenders.
    • Lundy: Rehabilitating young criminals through the reinstatement of the juvenile justice system.
    • Wilson: Working with mayors, police chiefs, and other leaders to implement justice fairly and consistently, addressing mental health and drug issues, and investing in quality of life and government services.
    • Hewitt: Recruiting and retaining law enforcement, increasing pay for state troopers, and offering specialized state trooper troops for areas that need extra help.
    • Schroder: Increasing police presence, investing in mental health, and reevaluating reentry programs for nonviolent offenders.

The primary election to replace Gov. John Bel Edwards is Oct. 14. Early voting starts Sept. 30.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

SDGs Addressed:

  1. SDG 1: No Poverty
  2. SDG 4: Quality Education
  3. SDG 5: Gender Equality
  4. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
  5. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
  6. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
  7. SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

Specific Targets:

  • SDG 1.1: By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere
  • SDG 4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes
  • SDG 4.2: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education
  • SDG 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life
  • SDG 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value
  • SDG 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status
  • SDG 11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums
  • SDG 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all

Indicators:

  • Indicator 1.1.1: Proportion of population below the international poverty line, by sex, age, employment status and geographical location
  • Indicator 4.1.1: Proportion of children and young people (a) in grades 2/3; (b) at the end of primary; and (c) at the end of lower secondary achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in (i) reading and (ii) mathematics, by sex
  • Indicator 4.2.1: Proportion of children under 5 years of age who are developmentally on track in health, learning and psychosocial well-being, by sex
  • Indicator 5.5.1: Proportion of seats held by women in (a) national parliaments and (b) local governments
  • Indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of female and male employees, by occupation, age group and persons with disabilities
  • Indicator 10.2.1: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income, by sex, age and persons with disabilities
  • Indicator 11.1.1: Proportion of urban population living in slums, informal settlements or inadequate housing
  • Indicator 16.3.1: Proportion of victims of violence in the previous 12 months who reported their victimization to competent authorities or other officially recognized mechanisms

SDGs Targets Indicators
SDG 1: No Poverty 1.1: Eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere 1.1.1: Proportion of population below the international poverty line, by sex, age, employment status and geographical location
SDG 4: Quality Education 4.1: Ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes 4.1.1: Proportion of children and young people (a) in grades 2/3; (b) at the end of primary; and (c) at the end of lower secondary achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in (i) reading and (ii) mathematics, by sex 4.2: Ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education 4.2.1: Proportion of children under 5 years of age who are developmentally on track in health, learning and psychosocial well-being, by sex
SDG 5: Gender Equality 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life 5.5.1: Proportion of seats held by women in (a) national parliaments and (b) local governments
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth 8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of female and male employees, by occupation, age group and persons with disabilities
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status 10.2.1: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income, by sex, age and persons with disabilities
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities 11.1: Ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums 11.1.1: Proportion of urban population living in sl

Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

Source: nola.com

 

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