Growing up in Shreveport

I was born and raised in the Cooper Road neighborhood of Shreveport, Louisiana, and I was lucky enough to be surrounded by loving, encouraging family and friends. The values that were instilled in me by these fine people encouraged me to deeply love Shreveport and its wonderful residents.

My father was a huge influence on the man I am. He pushed me to understand the importance of a great education. He taught me that no one can take away your knowledge, and if you embrace learning, you’ll be happier and more prepared to better your fellow people.

As I pursued my education, I cultivated my discipline. I worked hard on not only learning, but understanding science, literature and most importantly, the people around me. I grew to understand that I shouldn’t take everything at face value. I learned that I should try to understand the reasons behind or beneath what I was seeing and hearing around me.

My dedication to pursuing knowledge and education has empowered and enlightened me.

The people and the city of Shreveport are at the core of who I have become.  Without that, I wouldn’t be able to do the work that I do as a businessman and public servant. I am so thankful for the love Shreveport has given me throughout my life, and I hope that I can continue to give it back as your next mayor of Shreveport and work to make this city great once again.

Getting to know Patrick Williams

Patrick C. Williams knows Shreveport. He was born and raised here. He cares about this great city. He has worked in cities across the nation and yet he chose to come back to Shreveport.

Patrick was raised on the historic Cooper Road, or what you now know as Martin Luther King Drive. He was raised by a loving family who provided all that he needed to be successful, though that meant sometimes all of his wants could not be met. As a young boy, he knew that he had to make something of himself. His father instilled the importance of education and learning in him from an early age. Patrick knew that education was his ticket to success in life. That drive is what led him to get his Bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering from Southern University, his Master’s in Business Administration from Centenary College and to currently pursue his Ph.D. in Applied Management and Decision Science at Walden University.

In 2000, Patrick was elected to serve as Caddo Parish Commissioner for four years. Patrick proudly served as a commissioner where he worked on issues such as infrastructure improvement, economic development and public health initiatives.

Patrick’s degrees and parish commission experience have helped him start his own architectural engineering consulting firm, Williams Enterprises, LLC. He started his firm in 2008 and has worked on projects such as the YWCA Women’s Shelter, the Sci-Port Space Center, Bossier Parish Courthouse, Shreveport Regional Airport and the Central Fire Station. His experiences as a parish commissioner and a businessman have helped him tremendously while he has served as a State Representative for District 4.

In 2007, Patrick Williams was elected to serve as the Louisiana State Representative for District 4. Patrick has worked hard to serve the people of District 4 and Louisiana as a whole. In his freshman year alone, Patrick authored or co-authored 79 bills. His work in the state legislature has been towards the education, health issues and economic revitalization of Louisiana. He has also worked very passionately towards improving the health of our children.

Patrick’s work for children’s health initiatives extends outside of the state legislature. At the beginning of each legislative session, Patrick Williams and members of the Shreveport community walk 226 miles from Shreveport to Baton Rouge in order to raise awareness for childhood obesity and autism. Even though this walk is meant to help others and bring awareness to childhood health issues, it has gotten Patrick noticed as well. He has been commended on the floor of Congress by Congressman John Fleming and Senator Mary Landrieu. He also won Legislator of the Year by the YWCA, as well as State Representative of the Year by the Louisiana Assembly on School Based Health Care.

Patrick fully understands that our children are the leaders of tomorrow and he wants them to be as prepared as possible to become successful citizens. That starts with being healthy and willing to learn.

Patrick’s passion for learning and education has spilled over into his work as a public servant. Patrick wants to improve Shreveport’s education system and knows what it takes to do that. He understands that he can’t fix the education system by himself. It takes a community working together. He is willing to work with Superintendent Goree, the school board, the teachers and the parents to increase the performance of Shreveport’s students.

Patrick and his wife, Karanda, both love the city of Shreveport. He is prepared to do what it takes to bring life back to our city. We need a mayor with experience as a businessman, a public servant, and most importantly, a caring resident of Shreveport who is willing to put in the work needed in the mayor’s office. We need Patrick Williams.

Shreveport’s Next Mayor Must be Economic Developer

Patrick Williams addressed the most important qualification the next mayor of Shreveport must possess:

“Without question, our next mayor must understand economic development and be able to create opportunities for our city.  Politics of the past will only produce similar results and having no business experience means putting our city on the path of continued failure and deterioration.  When we are voted as one of the worst places for opportunity in the United States, that is a sign of failed leadership.

Shreveport is in serious trouble and we need a mayor that understands the need for entrepreneurial ingenuity and will make the tough decisions to get our city’s business back into balance and will have a path for economic development on Day 1.

Over the past few weeks, I have worked to organize a group of local businessmen that will be going to China for the whole purpose of working on bringing foreign investment to this city.  This is only the beginning.  Under my administration and under my leadership, we are going to be hyper-focused on bringing this city into its rightful place of prominence and finally attract business and industry that will put our people to work in good paying jobs.”

Shreveport Summer 2014

As the end of the school year approaches for students in classes, Shreveport summer programs are starting to begin enrollment. Patrick Williams supports children continuing their education and participating in activities throughout the summer. With over a dozen summer activities in the Shreveport area, the list is endless of what your child could partake.

 

This list below is just some of the opportunities that are available to get involved for this summer.

 

ACT PREP COURSE


Sponsor: LSUS Division of Continuing Education.

Open to: Students preparing to take the ACT exam.

Dates: Sat. 9 a.m.-4 p.m., May 10^th-June 7^th.

Location: LSUS, Bronson Hall 361.

Features: all sections of the ACT & test-taking strategies.

Cost: $199.

Contact: (318) 798-4177.

 

SUMMER SCIENCE BLAST


Sponsor: Sci-Port Discovery Center.

Open to: kindergarten-eighth grade.

Dates: weekly sessions from June 2-27 & July 7^th-Aug 1^st.

Location: Sci-Port Discovery Center.

Features: full or half-day, hands-on activities involving nature, computers, Harry Potter and more.

Cost: half-day, member, $155, non-member, $175; full-day, $80, member, $90, nonmember. Multiple children and camp rates available.

Deadline for registration: before camps begin. Space is limited.

Contact: (318) 424-8660.

 

 

AMERICAN RED CROSS BABY SITTER’S TRAINING

Sponsor: LSUS & American Red Cross.

Open to: ages 11 and older.

Dates: Mon. & Tues. 9 a.m.-10 a.m. June 9^th-10th.

Location: LSUS, Bronson Hall 361

Features: certification in first-aid, child and infant CPR

Cost: $179

Deadline for registration: Registration limited.

Contact: (318) 798-4177.

 

 

CAMP FORBING

Sponsor: Northwest Louisiana YMCA

Open to: boys and girls 4-13 years old

Dates: Monday-Friday

Location: Camp Forbing, 9470 Ellerbe Road

Features: Swimming, Canoeing, Challenge courses, sports, etc.

Cost: Family Members: Regular Session-$85, Holiday Session- $68

Non-Members: Regular Session-$135, Holiday Session- $108

Additional Child: Regular Session-$110, Holiday Session- $88

Deadline for registration: before camps begin. Space is limited.

Contact: (318) 674-9635.

 

 

Planning for Implementation

Patrick C. Williams knows that planning and implementing city-wide programs is not always an easy feat. What kind of fiscal programs are available and how would they be adopted into Shreveport? Tackling the back and forth is only something that someone with passion for the city will be prepared to face. Williams discusses below: 

TO IMPLEMENT THESE PROGRAMS HOW WILL WE BE ABLE TO AFFORD IT? WILL YOU WANT TO RAISE OUR TAXES?

“It is not always going to be easy to implement these programs and sometimes there will have to be some hard decisions made. The reason I have emphasized it so many times about doing a financial audit and efficiency audit is because it is my belief that, by doing this, we will see revenues being freed up, increased from enforcement and collections of fees for permits and programs already on the books. Then we must actively pursue bringing in new business and industry to our City, which will increase our tax base. I personally do not want more taxes nor do I believe that increased taxes are the best thing for our economy.  I do believe that we must increase our tax base and the services the city does provide must be operated in the most cost conscious manner possible.”

WHY DO YOU REALLY WANT TO MAYOR?

“Because we need a leader who the people of Shreveport can believe in. I keep hearing about the apathy so many of citizens have and frankly, I don’t blame them. I am not beholden to anyone and I know that if we have an educated mayor that understands our problems and is willing to bring everyone together to create the solution, we will start to rebuild our city. A segmented Shreveport means we are on path to a further deconstructed Shreveport. I’m running because I genuinely care.”

Shreveport, are we not looking for a mayor like Patrick C. Williams? He has a plan, he is well-educated about the city’s specific needs, and he is prepared to reach out to as many of us citizens as possible to bring us together for the good of the city of Shreveport. Patrick has continued to use the power of social media, his website and blogging to address citizen’s questions. If there’s something that you would like to ask Patrick, contact I Am With Patrick via any social media handle or email iamwithpatrick@gmail.com and Patrick will personally address your questions and concerns. 

Shreveport Public Safety

It’s no secret that as a city gradually grows so does its overall crime rate. Many citizens of Shreveport pose questions that involve community safety. Patrick Williams cares deeply about the rejuvenation and renovation of blighted neighborhoods to make every area of Shreveport better for all. So what are the first steps? Patrick addresses the most common questions below:

 

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS TO REDUCE CRIME AND MAKE SHREVEPORT A SAFER PLACE?

Community oriented policing needs to be given more attention and the goal of this attention is to increase patrols and make our police department more visible in the neighborhoods. More visible patrols will give the citizens a feel that the city cares about them with faster response times and, in turn, we will see an improvement in crime statistics. It’s proven that other cities  have seen improvements in public safety when an active and visible community oriented policing programs are utilized. Just because Shreveport isn’t a major metropolitan area doesn’t mean we shouldn’t make those programs a priority.

 

EXPLAIN WHAT CAN BE DONE TO ADDRESS OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND CLEANING UP THIS CITY. 

The key is to get the police department, property standards, public works and the fire department involved in assisting the different neighborhood associations in cleaning up neighborhoods, ridding the area of dilapidated structures and reducing the number of adjudicated properties in order to put them back into commerce. We should explore both public and private partnerships because I don’t think we can solve this issue waiting on private development or government dollars to provide a completely viable solution.

 

With the help of the citizens of Shreveport, Patrick’s plans for public safety can be realized! Stay tuned to iamwithpatrick via social media to read more about Patrick C. Williams’ plans for our city. 

 

@iamwithpatrick via Twitter

I Am With Patrick via FaceBook

 

Edited by Katherine Herrin

Energy and Technology

Shreveport-Bossier isn’t shy about showing support and asking questions. While there have been many concerns addressed by citizens, there seem to be a couple in particular that keep coming up. So what about Shreveport’s energy efficiency standards and programs for innovative technology?

 

 

WHAT KIND OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAMS ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

“I want to begin using more solar technology as a means of reducing our electrical costs.  The city owns numerous acres of vacant land that could be turned into solar farms. We could begin using solar panels on our buildings, traffic signals, while simultaneously implementing a LED lighting program throughout the city. We also need to be installing turbine generators into some of our water and wastewater discharge lines to offset our electrical costs. I want to turn our rolling fleet from conventional fuel sources to alternative fuel sources to reduce our overall operating costs. Finally, we need to take a serious look at the development of fuel cells and how the city could become a part of this new technology and how it could possibly become an advantage to future growth in our area.”

 

WHAT ARE THE INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRAMS YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT AND HOW WILL THAT BENEFIT ME?

“Shreveport should work toward implementing a 311 Information System that is connected to the phone system, as well as, the internet, to make the city operational 24/7/365. A 311 system would also give our city the ability to do budgeting forecasts, due directly to the data that is preserved and would be connected into recently purchased Asset Management Systems. Once operational, this system would be instrumental in speeding up repairs and response time on citizen complaints and would also reduce non emergency calls to the 911 Center. I’d also like to look at moving towards a super high speed or gigabit fiber service like has been done in places like Kansas City, Chattanooga, Austin. Shreveport needs to become open to new technological innovations that are geared for automation and could assist in reducing the city’s overall cost of operations and increase our economic development for expansion opportunities.”

 

Education about these matters concerns everyone in Shreveport. Now that information is so accessible, Shreveport citizens have the 24/7 connectivity needed to learn about these issues. Patrick C. Williams is bringing information to the city to better the city. The 2014 I Am With Patrick Campaign will continue to shed light on issues as well as opportunities for the city of Shreveport. Check back next week for more!

 

 

Edited by
Cadie Hancock & Kat Herrin

The Infrastructure

Patrick’s back again to tackle the troubling questions of Shreveport’s infrastructure and turning the city into a place for businesses to grow. As an elected official, he understands that no city can thrive if two of its most essential elements go unattended. When approached with two separate questions concerning critical Shreveport issues, Patrick lays out his vision for how to address these problems.

 

HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT ADDRESSING THE INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEM?

The $1.5 billion infrastructure problem is by far the largest elephant in the room, and this issue has been skirted and the can kicked further down the road for years. We must immediately develop a short and long range plan to address the current priorities of our infrastructure and the future funding needs that will be required to implement a program of this magnitude. Preventative maintenance programs will also need to be implemented to give longer life and sustain operations to our existing infrastructure.

 

WOULD YOU GO INTO MORE DETAIL ON HOW YOU PLAN TO ADDRESS YOUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS FOR NEW BUSINESSES AND WHAT ABOUT THE EXISTING BUSINESSES THAT ARE ALREADY HERE?

Shreveport is sitting on top of one of the largest gas deposits in the country and this natural resource needs to become a major asset in selling Shreveport as a major industrial Mecca as it once was. The Shale joined with the strong transportation industry in Shreveport would make it perfect as a centralized cargo and warehouse hub.
We need to capitalize on other cities that need to:
1.  barge cargo to and from the Gulf of Mexico through our inland Port facility,
2.  utilize rail service to move products from the Panama Canal to the Canadian border and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean,
3.  utilize trucking operations with two Interstate Highways with a third in planning stages now.

We need to prepare a business plan for Shreveport that highlights these advantages and by actively pursuing new businesses where these assets fit into their business model. We must also ensure that our existing businesses are prosperous and that the City is working with them to increase their size and productivity and letting them they are not forgotten.

Please stay posted on what other Shreveport concerns I address in my next blog. Thank you for your questions and I look forward to much more dialogue with you in the future.

Sincerely,
Patrick

Addressing the Priorities

Patrick Williams was again contacted by two other citizens with questions and concerns about the Shreveport area. The first question focused on the financial stability of Shreveport and the second question focused on the unfunded liabilities and what Patrick’s plan is to address it.

 

What do you mean by “you’re going to ensure the our financial stability of the city is strong and that our departments are run efficiently and effectively”?

We need to quickly determine the true financial situation of the city and what areas need the most attention. This will call for a complete financial audit and an efficiency/effectiveness audit. I know unfunded liabilities and unfunded infrastructure are two of the largest issues that have the greatest impact on the financial stability of the city, but we also need to know what programs in our city are inefficient. We can reduce costs through increasing efficiency and increase revenues through effective enforcement and collection programs.

What are unfunded liabilities and what is your plan to address them? 

The pension and health care plans of the city have approximately $200 million in unfunded liabilities and must be addressed to ensure that the programs are sustainable for future generations. We’ll need to address current and future benefit packages, current and future funding packages while keeping the overall programs as fair and equitable as possible. I will bring in some of the best financial professionals in the region to immediately begin making recommendations to ensure the programs are sustainable for the future and in the best interest of the city as a whole.

Please stay tuned over the next 5 weeks for more questions from citizens and answers from Patrick. Next week Patrick will be answering the questions about energy efficiency programs in the city and innovative technically programs.

Edited by Cadie Hancock

Want to help Patrick’s cause? 

Creating Meaningful Dialogue

 

Patrick Williams is all about transparency. In order to maintain it, he must give the citizens of Shreveport the politically balanced information that they need about issues concerning our city. Patrick keeps this transparency by using the power of social media for his campaign.

More Shreveport citizens are becoming aware of how strongly Patrick maintains his online presence. As such, people are starting to bring their concerns to him through various social media platforms – and he isn’t shy about responding. He knows that creating meaningful dialogue about the state of the city requires communication across the board. His multiple social channels allow citizens to address him directly and keeps the dialogue flowing.

Stay tuned over the next five weeks to follow up with the latest news, updates, and information Patrick will provide to the citizens of Shreveport. If there’s something that you would like to ask Patrick, contact “I Am With Patrick” via any social media handle or email iamwithpatrick@gmail.com and Patrick will personally address your questions/concerns.

 

 

Edited by Keaton Roberson