NEW ORLEANS — On Sunday, former governor Kathleen Blanco passed away after a long battle with cancer.
Blanco will be remembered for much more than being the state's first female governor. Here's Eyewitness News Political Analyst and Gambit columnist Clancy Dubos.
I rarely make predictions, but I think history will be kind to Kathleen Blanco.
She pushed through some of Louisiana's most significant political reforms. Without her support, we wouldn't have combined local levee boards into a single flood protection authority. Same goes for combining New Orleans' seven assessors' offices into one.
Perhaps the most important reforms that Blanco advocated were those dealing with education. Even though she was elected with solid support from the local teachers union, she championed reforms that made New Orleans a national model for charter schools.
Above all, Kathleen Blanco maintained her dignity and grace in the face of adversity and criticism. She set an example that many today should follow.
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