LA 2 Runoff Election Cultural Policy Candidate Questionnaire

Get Your Brass Out and Vote! and MaCCNO collaborated on a questionnaire for LA 2 candidates that specifically focused on issues facing the cultural community. Each candidate received the same 8 questions and answers are printed below exactly as they were received. Both Karen Carter Peterson and Troy Carter submitted responses.

1. WHAT DOES THE PHRASE CULTURE BEARER MEAN TO YOU?

Troy Carter: A culture bearer is someone who shoulders the responsibility of holding the sacred culture of one’s city or locale. Here in New Orleans we have no shortage of culture bearers whether it be the Mardi Gras Indians, the Social & Pleasure Clubs, all the way to the hospitality workers who are the backbone of our city. We are lucky enough to hail from the birthplace of so much of what is uniquely American culture and the culture bearers are those who keep the traditions since New Orleans inception and from generation to generation.

Karen Carter Peterson: To me, a culture bearer means an individual or a group that practices arts and traditions that express a community's traditional values, aesthetics, history and needs through this work. When I think of New Orleans culture bearers specifically, I think of those who carry the culture of our city and state wherever they are...whether it's the Mardi Gras Indian Chief, the Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs that lead the Second-line, the brass and funk bands that tour the globe, and even the Bell Hops at the French Quarter Hotels that charm and greet our guests as they arrive.

2. MUSICIANS AND CULTURE BEARERS ARE THE CATALYST FOR LOUISIANA’S TOURISM INDUSTRY, THE LARGEST EMPLOYER OF THE NEW ORLEANS WORKFORCE, AND THE MOST NEGLECTED OF THE SECTOR BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC. WHAT WILL YOU DO TO ENSURE THAT A GREATER AMOUNT OF THE TAX REVENUE GENERATED BY THE CULTURAL ECONOMY OF NEW ORLEANS FINDS ITS WAY BACK INTO THE HANDS OF THE PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING IT?

Troy Carter: It is absolutely vital that those who provide the culture of our city see dividends in return. We must have safety nets in place for our musicians so that in the eventuality of a pandemic, those musicians and culture bearers alike are taken care of. As a Member of Congress, I promise to fight to make sure that a greater share of tax revenue provided by these individuals and organizations is returned to them in kind. We must begin with increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour, creating a system so that members of the gig economy are compensated and have the benefits as that of an employee to an organization, and creating opportunities for collective bargaining and organized labor for all those who care to. As we’ve all learned during this pandemic, this city is only a shell of itself without the vibrant music and culture that they all bring to the table. We must do better for our culture bearers, musicians, and members of the arts community.

Karen Carter Peterson: I believe that the government must serve as a safety net for our musicians, culture bearers, hospitality workers, single mothers, children and senior citizens. That is why throughout my 20 plus years in the legislature I have authored legislation to raise the minimum wage, to require employers to provide sick leave for workers, to create a Louisiana version of the family and medical leave act, equal pay for women and minorities and more.

It is not acceptable for our culture bearers to be struggling when they are the driving force for tourism. When I am in Congress, I will propose a plan to give more support to those that add flavor to our city. I will support expanding the unemployment insurance system to cover more workers, including independent contractors and gig, part-time, and tipped workers. I recognize that many of our culture bearers work multiple jobs to provide for themselves and their families, while still engaging in their artistic passions, so I will fight for a living wage including raising the federal minimum wage to $15/hour. I will support enacting robust paid sick leave protections as part of the COVID-19 response for gig workers and the self-employed so that one trip to the hospital does not bankrupt them, while protecting rights to organize, join a union, and collectively bargain.

3. LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ARE ROUTINELY USED TO POLICE “QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES” LIKE STREET PERFORMERS OR “LOUD MUSIC,” WHICH, DUE TO SYSTEMIC RACIAL INEQUITIES IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, CAN PUT BIPOC COMMUNITY MEMBERS--ESPECIALLY BLACK BOYS AND YOUNG MEN --AT INCREASED RISK OF ARREST, DETAINMENT OR RECEIVING A SUMMONS. WHAT POLICIES WOULD YOU PROPOSE TO REDUCE THESE TYPES OF INTERACTIONS?

Troy Carter: For too long our community has been overpoliced and the poor have been victimized by a justice system designed during the days of Jim Crow. I have long worked to change this unfair system and will continue to do so in congress by: ending qualified immunity and replacing it with a standard that allows those victimized by police officers to force the government to confront the true costs of keeping bad police officers on the force.

Ending the absolute immunity of prosecutors so that they are held accountable when they hide evidence or violate the rules of professional responsibility. Providing funding to public defenders so that the poor receive the same defense as those with means and are not forced into plea bargains for crimes they did not commit. Passing legislation to ensure communities are not overpoliced.

There is no reason why our musicians should be arbitrarily targeted by overzealous police in order to create comfort for tourists when tourists would not visit our city with such frequency if it wasn’t for their beautiful musical gift in the first place.

Karen Carter Peterson: We must fix an unjust criminal justice and policing system that too often targets black and brown men and children. I believe the safest communities are those that invest in community resources instead of police presence and the militarization of the police.

In Congress, I will support legislation that seeks to divest federal dollars from the main programs and agencies that have been fueling mass incarceration at state and local levels. Instead, those funds should be invested to build a new model of public safety and create a new Community Public Safety Agency which will use grants to replace the harmful criminal legal systems locally with evidence-based public safety infrastructure.

Additionally, I support ending cash bail with respect to the fact that any system that allows for poor people to remain in jail before trial simply because they cannot afford bond should be completely overhauled. I believe it is the job of Congress to come up with a bail system that is fair and keeps violent criminals behind bars but allows for the release of those who are not a threat.

4. PAY FOR MUSICIANS HAS, ON AVERAGE, NOT INCREASED IN SEVERAL DECADES, AND THE TIPPED MINIMUM WAGE REMAINS STUCK AT $2.13 AN HOUR. THIS CREATES SERIOUS ECONOMIC INSTABILITY FOR THE MAJORITY OF CULTURAL, TOURISM, AND SERVICE INDUSTRY WORKERS. HOW CAN WE CREATE A STRONGER ECONOMIC SAFETY NET FOR THESE COMMUNITIES, AND HOW CAN THOSE WHO EXPLOIT THE WORKERS OF THESE THREE SECTORS BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE? FOLLOW UP: DO YOU SUPPORT RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE TO $15/HR?

Troy Carter: First and foremost, I absolutely support raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour. The minimum wage has been completely stagnant for decades and there is no reason why the minimum age has not increased as the cost of living has increased. If the price of bread, rice, and milk has increased yearly, why aren’t our wages reflecting that? Whether it be for musicians or hospitality workers of any trade - we all deserve a living wage.

Karen Carter Peterson: Louisiana’s minimum wage hasn’t budged from $7.25 an hour for well over a decade. Even before the pandemic, that was nowhere near enough. Now, frontline and essential workers are putting their lives on the line to keep our communities running, but too many still aren’t paid enough to take care of themselves and their families. It’s past time to give workers the raise they deserve.

I filed legislation in 2020 again this year at the State legislature to raise the state minimum wage to $15/hour. This bill is a much-needed boost to the economy, puts more money in the pocket of hard-working families who need it the most, and will lift thousands of Louisianans out of poverty. It’s time for us to act and raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, because nobody should have to work two or three jobs to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads.”

5. CULTURAL BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN HIT ESPECIALLY HARD BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. WHAT WILL YOU DO TO SUPPORT TARGETED FEDERAL RELIEF FOR THE ARTS AND CULTURE SECTOR?

Troy Carter: I have spoken with community leaders as well as venue owners who are participating in the Save Our Stages Act and other initiatives targeting relief for the arts industry. We must get the arts and entertainment sector back on its feet as it stands solidly as the foundation of our tourism based economy and the soul of our city. We have to do more for those involved that have been affected by the pandemic.

Karen Carter Peterson: I have been meeting directly with local with venue owners and operators who in many instances are barely hanging on. I support the Save Our Stages Act and implementation by the Small Business Administration shuttered Venues Operator Grant to ensure grants released to our local venues.

6. GENTRIFICATION AND DISPLACEMENT CONTINUE TO BE MAJOR--AND GROWING--ISSUES IN NEW ORLEANS AND CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. BLACK, WORKING CLASS NEIGHBORHOODS AND BUSINESSES, WHICH ARE THE BIRTHPLACE AND INCUBATORS OF MOST MUSIC AND CULTURAL TRADITIONS SPECIFICALLY, ARE HIGHLY AT-RISK. WHAT IS AT LEAST ONE POLICY THAT COULD BE IMPLEMENTED TO HELP MITIGATE THE HARM DONE, AND/OR REVERSE THIS?

Troy Carter: We must make capital more accessible to Black people of all socio-economic backgrounds. The fact is that Black folks don’t have the same resources and access to loans and grants as others. This must change and it must change now. For too long we have been disenfranchised by the economic system. I propose creating equitable access to resources so that displacement and gentrification don’t destroy the

neighborhoods that have been incubators for culture for centuries. No one should be forced to leave the homes and communities that they have due to economic binds.

Karen Carter Peterson: Housing is a fundamental human right. Every person should have the right to live somewhere in security, peace, and dignity, no matter who you are or how much you make. As a State legislator, I have been the lead author on legislation that supports access to low-cost financing for residential and group housing programs that support low-income families. Our city is defined by its neighborhoods and its diversity. In addition to financing resources that make access possible, I will always be willing to author and champion legislation that protects the rights of all individuals to live where they are able without discrimination. That’s why in Congress I will continue to support targeting new affordable housing in low-poverty neighborhoods near job centers and transit, while simultaneously increasing infrastructure and economic development investments in higher-poverty, underserved communities.

7. AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE HEALTH CARE REMAINS A SIGNIFICANT BARRIER IN MANY OF OUR COMMUNITIES, AND IS A PARTICULAR ISSUE FOR GIG WORKERS, LIKE MUSICIANS. HOW WILL YOU WORK TO ENSURE EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO NEEDED CARE?

Troy Carter: We must provide healthcare to all Americans. I have been a champion of expanding healthcare my entire career. I was proud to help in Governor John Bel Edwards initiative to expand healthcare here in our state. I stand with the Biden Administration in their initiative to create and strengthen a public option.

Karen Carter Peterson: Throughout my 20 year tenure as a progressive state legislator, I have proudly fought for affordable healthcare, advocated for protection and expansion of Medicare and Medicaid, increased funding for substance abuse and mental health treatment, women’s health access, community-based health clinics, lower costs for prescription drugs, and more. And, when Gov. Bobby Jindal refused to expand health care in Louisiana, while serving as a member of the Obama White House Health Care Taskforce I led the charge and demanded the state expand Medicaid to save lives and improve health outcomes for the working people of our state. Today, 442,000 Louisianans are now covered by health insurance, have more access to primary care, and pay lower out-of-pocket health care costs.

Still, I believe we can and must do more. As a member of Congress I will fight to expand coverage, support policies that lower drug prices, reduce premiums and cost sharing, and increase support for long-term care. I believe that healthcare is a fundamental, human right, not a privilege for the few and that the best way to achieve universal health care is Medicare for All.

I believe in providing health and long-term care benefits to all U.S. residents with no out-of-pocket costs. In Congress, I will support policies that eliminate copays,

deductibles, premiums, and surprise billing. I believe that covering medical, dental, vision, hearing, prescription drugs, maternity care, comprehensive mental health services and substance abuse treatment can be achieved and that it is the right thing to do. Even if they say it can’t be done.

8. HOW DO YOU ENVISION REGULARLY ENGAGING WITH AND INCLUDING NEW ORLEANS’ CULTURAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS STAKEHOLDERS WHEN YOU ARE ELECTED TO OFFICE?

Troy Carter: I understand the importance in bringing our culture bearers to the table to address their needs and concerns as valued community leaders. I intend to utilize my long standing relationships with our cultural community members to truly hear them. We must create social safety nets to support our local artists and musicians so that they have economic security no matter the circumstances. If elected, I hope to build a broad coalition of our culture-bearers to advise and inform me on how to best center their lives and experiences when creating policy in congress.

Karen Carter Peterson: Instead of spending my career defending big business, I have spent my years in public service working for the people in the trenches fighting for policy and building coalitions to implement real reforms for real people, not corporations. This experience has prepared me to be able to introduce and carry out the kinds of legislative changes necessary to meet the goals of the New Orleans cultural community to which I am also deeply committed.

Constituents know from experience that I listen, engage and come up with solutions for complex problems. I’ve spent my life working to empower communities that were underrepresented in politics – from knocking doors in New Orleans as a kid to help elect the city’s first Black mayor, to my time as DNC Vice Chair of Civic Engagement and Voter Protection protecting voting rights against attacks from the Trump Administration. The voices of working people and families in our communities – not special interests – will always be the most important. That’s why I’m proud to answer to grassroots supporters and constituents, not a single corporate PAC.