John LaBruzzo

John LaBruzzo (born July 6, 1970, New Orleans, Louisiana) is a Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, representing District 81 in Metairie, Louisiana. LaBruzzo has spent the last 12 years in medical sales, and has recently expanded his business career into real estate. He married Brandi Davison, an attorney from Baton Rouge; their first child, Ava Corinne LaBruzzo, was born in December 2006. LaBruzzo is a graduate of Louisiana State University in Communications and Political Science. He also graduated from St. Stanislaus College Prep School in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. He currently occupies the legislative district formerly represented by David Duke.

District profile

District 81 includes a section of Metairie near the storied 17th Street Canal, which Hurricane Katrina turned into a channel for floodwaters. Recovery has been slow but noticeably visible due to the overwhelming participation of its citizens. It consists of mostly residential neighborhoods in Jefferson Parish including "Bucktown," "Hog Alley," and "Old Metairie." Young people moving out of the city to raise their families developed the neighborhoods after World War II. Today, many young professionals purchase and remodel homes in lieu of living in Uptown New Orleans, where property values are higher, but crime is perceived as a problem. There is little corporate business or industry within the district. However, retail corridors along Metairie Road and Causeway Boulevard, where Lakeside Shopping Center is located and the few high-rise office buildings that are also located along Veterens Memorial Boulevard provide the area with strong economic commerce.

Many residents are upper income, especially in the Old Metairie neighborhoods near the Metairie Country Club and enclaves farther out on Metairie Road. There are pockets of older, blue-collar residents in "Bucktown" and "Hog Alley." The remainder of residents are solidly middle class with a large concentration of whites.

The district is arguably the most conservative in the state of Louisiana, with a large number of Republicans. In fact, Republican registration makes up well over half of the district's voters.Fact|date=September 2008 Tax issues tend to be of foremost concern in the district.Fact|date=September 2008

2007 election

While John LaBruzzo was unopposed during this most recent election cycle, he easily defeated trial lawyer Mickey Landry in 2003 earning him the seat that was once held by Senator David Vitter. The two were vying to replace Jennifer Sneed, who ran successfully at the time for her seat on the Jefferson Parish Council. In winning the seat he campaigned on two particular promises; to help businesses in the state and to pass a tax credit for parents of private school students. [ [http://www.louisianagovernmentalstudies.com Louisiana Governmental Studies Inc.] ]

District office

LaBruzzo's office is located in Metairie near Lakeside mall and is open during normal business hours.

Voluntary sterilization proposal

On September 23 2008, LaBruzzo raised controversy by proposing that women receiving government welfare should be sterilized. The proposal was criticized by opponents as "racist, sexist, unethical and immoral." [ [http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/09/labruzzo_sterilization_plan_fi.html NOLA.com] ]

The voluntary sterilization proposal has a great deal in common with a previous proposal by Neo-Nazi David Duke, who formerly occupied LaBruzzo's seat in the Louisiana House of Representatives. To wit, "David Duke, the unsuccessful candidate for governor, proposed legislation offering $100 a year to welfare recipients who used Norplant. That, too, was defeated." [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE3D61030F93AA15752C1A967958260&sec=health&spon=&pagewanted=2] LaBruzzo's proposal goes even farther than Duke's, as he has proposed permanent sterilization, as opposed to temporary birth control. Norplant, which Duke proposed using, has a 5-year period of effectiveness.

The public furor and negative reaction that arose over LaBruzzo's proposal led to him losing a leadership position in the Louisiana Legislature. On October 6, 2008, Labruzzo "was removed...from his position as vice chairman of the House Health and Welfare Committee." source: http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/10/rep_labruzzo_loses_house_vicec.html

References

External links

* [http://house.louisiana.gov/H_Reps/members.asp?ID=81 John LaBruzzo page at Louisiana House of Representatives]