Andre Strumer

Andre Strumer

---

Democratic Party

Education

Bachelor's

Auburn University

Graduate

Auburn University

Ph.D

University of Southern Mississippi

Contact

Personal Facebook

Andre Strumer was a Democratic candidate for District B representative on the New Orleans City Council in Louisiana. Strumer was defeated in the primary election on October 14, 2017. Click here to read Strumer's response to Ballotpedia's 2017 municipal candidate survey.

Biography

Strumer obtained a B.A. in psychology, a B.A. in English literature, and an M.A. in communication from Auburn University. He also received his Ph.D. in mass communication and journalism from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Elections

2017

See also: Municipal elections in New Orleans, Louisiana (2017)

The following candidates ran in the primary election for the District B seat on the New Orleans City Council.

New Orleans City Council, District B Primary Election, 2017
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Seth Bloom	39.66%	5,617
	Democratic	Jay Banks	27.41%	3,882
	Democratic	Timothy David Ray	17.47%	2,475
	Democratic	Catherine Love	9.67%	1,369
	Democratic	Eugene Ben-Oluwole	3.35%	475
	Democratic	Andre Strumer	2.44%	346
Total Votes				14,164
Source: Louisiana Secretary of State, "Saturday, October 14, 2017," accessed October 14, 2017

Campaign themes

2017

See also: Ballotpedia's municipal government candidate survey

Strumer participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of municipal government candidates. The following sections display his responses to the survey questions. When asked what his top priority would be if elected, the candidate made the following statement:

“	Jobs. Jobs. Jobs. Crime. Poverty is the worst type of violence. And education is the silver bullet.	”
—Andre Strumer (October 4, 2017)

Ranking the issues

The candidate was asked to rank the following issues by importance in the city, with 1 being the most important and 12 being the least important: city services (trash, utilities, etc.), civil rights, crime reduction/prevention, environment, government transparency, homelessness, housing, K-12 education, public pensions/retirement funds, recreational opportunities, transportation, and unemployment. This table displays this candidate's rankings from most to least important.

Issue importance ranking
Candidate's ranking	Issue	Candidate's ranking	Issue
1	Crime reduction/prevention	7	Transportation
2	K-12 education	8	Homelessness
3	City services	9	Government transparency
4	Environment	10	Civil rights
5	Unemployment	11	Recreational opportunities
6	Housing	12	Public pensions/retirement funds

Nationwide municipal issues

The candidate was asked to answer questions from Ballotpedia regarding issues facing cities across America. The questions are in the left column and the candidate's responses are in the right column. Some questions provided multiple choices, which are noted after those questions.

Question	Response
Is it important for the city’s budget to be balanced?Answer options: Not important; Not important, but required by state law; A little important; A little important, but required by state law; Important; Very important	Very important
Which level of government do you feel should set a minimum wage?Answer options: None, Local, State, Federal	Federal
What do you think is the best way to improve a city’s public safety? Candidates could write their own answer or choose from the following options: Increased economic opportunities, Increased police presence/activity, Harsher penalties for offenders, Public outreach/education programs	Increased police presence/activity
How do you think your city should emphasize economic development? Candidates could write their own answer or choose from the following options: Changing zoning restrictions, Create a more competitive business climate, Focusing on small business development, Instituting a citywide minimum wage, Recruiting new businesses to your city, Regulatory and licensing reforms, and tax reform	Focusing on small business development
What is the one thing you’re most proud of about your city?	It's diversity. We are "The Land of Misfit Toys." Anyone can find a home here.
What is the one thing you’d most like to change about your city?	The most dangerous thing is the crime. The best plan for the future is our children's education and job creation. The most annoying thin I would fix are the streets. Good bye potholes. Hello nice sidewalks.

Additional themes

Strumer included the following additional themes with his survey response:

“	Public Safety Adequately funding the police for 400 additional officers, 100 additional firefighters, and 100 first responders. Allocating funding for the new police cruisers, fire trucks and ambulances, which will make possible an increase at every level of public safety, while providing monetary incentives for veteran first responders, to stay in New Orleans, over seeking more money in nearly every other major American city Repairing the streets of the city inundated with potholes is a major Public Safety issue. Firefighters need good roads on which to respond to calls on matters of life and death. In the fight to save lives, seconds add up to minutes. And minutes cost lives. Too many minutes mean tragedy for people and property. Our roads are in horrible disrepair. It’s ass if we are driving on the surface of the moon. For the people driving on them, bumpy streets and deep and often hidden potholes mean damage to our cars and expensive repairs adding to our budgets. It is a matter of the safety and the security of our citizens that this issue be addressed immediately and completely. We can do it. The people who employed at the New Orleans department of Public Works and the Sewage and Water board want to work more hours. But their jobs are outsourced to private contractors that charge the city twice as much money for the same work. I will not vote for any private contract, unless all of the city’s employees have as many hours and they can safely work. There is no reason why the people who repair our water system are forgotten. These workers need to have the resources available to them properly allocated so they can earn a living wage, enjoy the security of their jobs, take pride in the work they do, and have the incentive to continue to work for the city instead of seeking higher paying jobs in private companies as soon as they have the experience to apply for those jobs. Education Providing for our children enough excellent teachers, who will raise the education standards of New Orleans to level, at which our children can be competitive with the rest of the country. By hiring more teachers, who are paid more, and teach in smaller classrooms, we will successfully promote better learning, a higher level of high school graduation and more opportunities for trade school careers or college bound students. This change will encourage teachers who are committed to careers, in education, the most noble profession, to choose New Orleans. This critically important and often forgotten group of professionals in whom we trust our greatest asset, our children must be given the pay, respect and tools to do their jobs and teach or children. All the teachers I with whom I have spoken, and that is a large number of teachers share the opinion that there is too much administrative bureaucracy. The problem isn’t with our teachers. Their jobs are hard enough. The problem certainly isn’t with our children. The problem lies in the School Board. I will protect our children and support our teachers. Alternative Energy Educating the people of New Orleans about the universal benefits of green technology to help make our city more environmentally friendly, economically stable, fiscally independent. Aggressively advocating in favour of greater tax credits for implementing the alternative energy sources of solar and wind. Giving tax credits, to people who choose to make their homes and businesses more energy efficient. City wide adoption of LED lights. Promoting alternative energy programs that will create thousands of new and well paying jobs in an industry that strengthens the security of America, provides economic stability for its employees, and helps secure and recover our endangered wetlands from the threat of devastating storms from the Gulf. Awarding city contracts only to businesses that choose to use and to support green technology in their buildings and with their vehicles. Advocating for more environmentally friendly, energy efficient, and economically stable, green companies to base their companies and jobs in New Orleans. Installing solar panels is the best investment a home owner can make. It’s not an opinion it’s a fact. The physics and the math support the fact. Green Spaces Creating more pleasant city parks and playgrounds for us and our children to use for relaxation and playtime is essential for the health and well being of all the people who live in New Orleans. Active people are healthier, happier, live longer, and spend much less money on healthcare. Open parks provide places to meet new people, to talk with your neighbors, or to visit with family and life long friends in pleasant surroundings, near their homes and other communities citywide. Adding 1,000 miles of dedicated bicycle lanes throughout the city, will offer countless opportunities for friends and family, who do not have cars, to trave to other communities citywide, to earn money for work or to play and have fun. With 500 more bicycle racks, placed across the city, to secure the bicycles that will be using these new lanes, people of every neighborhoods will have the same opportunity to a job in a different part of the city, visit with family, and meet up with friends. These new bicycle lanes and security racks will encourage uniting the city, as one group, New Orleanians, living together peacefully. Corruption Together, we will begin augmenting the city’s budget plan, routing out corruption in areas of the city government were it knowingly festers, and where we believe it lurks. Leading by the example of my strong work ethic, and holding everyone at every level, of our local government to the same level of transparent accountability, to which I hold myself. Removing those people whom, for whatever reasons they may be, tenure, nepotism, or continued lackluster performance and replacing them with energetic, progressive, and dedicated new employees, who welcome the privilege of public service, and will thereby begin revitalizing the city’s core of bureaucratic caretakers. I will continue tirelessly working as a committed liaison, between the constituents of District B, Greater New Orleans, and the legislators in the different branches of local, state, and national government, through subtle compromise and rigid positioning, to secure what is best for the most. Once exposed, the lazy and corrupt will be run out of City Hall, the Court System, and the parish maintenance departments with immediate action. Any chance to return to public service, first will require community service, public censure, and probationary reinstatement. Depending on the severity of the abuse of position or the neglect of employment duties to the city of New Orleans by the person, loss of pay grade, monetary fines, and imprisonment will be disciplinary options. The word will go out, Employees of the City of New Orleans, “If you do not pull your weight, cheat the city, or by action or inaction cause harm, distress or loss of hope, to come to the people of New Orleans, for personal gain, there will be no quarter given.” Mass Transit Exposing the known corruptions in the RTA, and the obscene waste of resources at the Sewage and Water Board, through immediate investigation begins immediately. Presenting an achievable timetable, for the complete expansion of bus lines to include, extending existing routes, and establishing new routes all operating 24 hour a day seven days a week, while providing greater access to the disabled, and larger, covered waiting areas with more seats for everyone. The improvements will offer service to thousands of new riders, generating millions of dollars in revenue for the city. During the same time as the routes are expanded, 24 hour service is implemented, and thousands more riders receive better accommodations, the entire city’s mass transit system will come into the 21st century, joining the rest of the world, by switching to environmentally friendly, more reliable, and less expensive, electric buses. Short Term Rentals Forcing the people abusing the city’s short term rental agreement loop holes, to pay their fair share of taxes to maintain our city. Business and commerce are to be encouraged and welcomed. But no one will be allowed to abuse the system. There will be fair and equitable opportunity for all. $15 Minimum Wage Presenting to the Governor a plan for a city wide adoption of a $15 minimum wage, providing a livable wage for tens of thousands of struggling people working at the current minimum wage and aiding tens of thousands of more people desperately living day to day at service industry jobs, then working with the legislators in Baton Rouge toward a statewide implementation. Community Growth Supporting the growth and maintenance of neighbourhood community organizations, through healthy, competitive programs introduced to ease the building of local relationships and encourage civic responsibility for beautification projects with city wide recognition awards as goals for establishing and maintaining positive, community appearance and general well-being. Street lights will be maintained. Sidewalks will be accessible. Fire hydrants will be clear of grass and weeds, for emergency use. Starting my own personal and historically successful, “Let It Bother You” program, which will empower people to do simple things to help the city. Pick up the trash in front of their houses. Stop throwing trash into the streets. When you see trash on your street, then Let It Bother You. And pick it up. If criminals set up business on your corner. Let it bother you. And call the police. When there are abandoned cars or water lines leaking, then Let it bother you. And call the city authority. The people of New Orleans will gain a growing sense of community involvement, family stability, and city pride. Lawlessness and living in fear will become a thing of the past. Personal opportunities and business achievements will stand together with strong families and caring communities, beginning today and continuing forever. Affordable Housing The city must look to the people who need help the most. As our city grows and prospers, the people who have lived in our neighborhoods for generations should not be forced out because the property taxes are too high. The poor people of our city have tremendous struggles. They need to have the faith in the people who represent them that their cries will be heard, they will not be forced from their homes and their communities solely because gentrification will benefit more affluent new additions the city. Marijuana Decriminalizing marijuana city wide, to help police focus on serious felony crimes, reducing the arrest rates for non-violent people, with the ultimate goal of complete legalization for both medicinal and recreational use, which will be strictly regulated and taxed. The enormous amounts of money generated by legalization will produce a previously, unimaginable surplus of funds for the city that can be used to further all of these aforementioned progressive platforms of my legislative agenda. New Orleans of Tomorrow Visitors to our great city and locals living here will speak of New Orleans with admiration and look to us for examples. We will no longer be derided as corrupt, dirty, and criminal. It is our city to love or lose. Given the chance, we will make New Orleans, “The City on the Hill” and a “Beacon of Light,” to shine for the rest of the world. They will speak of us as a working example of social justice, racial unity, gender equality, community pride, and personal opportunity.	”
—Andre Strumer (2017)

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Andre Strumer New Orleans City Council. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Andre Strumer - Google News

See also

New Orleans, Louisiana	Louisiana	Municipal government	Other local coverage

External links

Suggest a link

• New Orleans City Council
• Campaign website
• Andre Strumer on Facebook