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{{Infobox person

{{Infobox person

|birth_name =Edward Joseph "Ed" Steimel, Sr.

|birth_name =Edward Joseph "Ed" Steimel, Sr.<br>

(Louisiana civic figure and advocate of "good government";

(Louisiana civic figure and advocate of "good government";

Director of the Public Affairs Research Council;  

Director of the Public Affairs Research Council;  

| birth_place=Pocahontas, Randolph County, [[Arkansas]], USA​

| birth_place=Pocahontas, Randolph County, [[Arkansas]], USA​

| death_date=April 8, 2016 (aged 94)

| death_date=April 8, 2016 (aged 94)

| death_place=Denham Springs, Livingston Parish]], [[Louisiana]]​<br>

| death_place=Denham Springs, Livingston Parish, [[Louisiana]]​<br>

Resting place:<br>

Resting place:<br>

| party=[[Democratic Party|Democrat]]-turned-[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]​

| party=[[Democratic Party|Democrat]]-turned-[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]​

==LABI director==​

==LABI director==​

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As the director of LABI, Steimel often sparred with the Democrat [[Victor Bussie]], long-term president of the Louisiana [[AFL-CIO]]. The two clashed over [[Right-to-work law|right-to-work legislation]] which Steimel had championed through the state legislature in the summer of 1976. In the afterglow of the victory by the right-to-work forces, the public relations executive Jim Leslie of [[Shreveport]] was assassinated in a motel parking lot in Baton Rouge, but Leslie's still unsolved murder is not believed to have been related to wrangling over right-to-work but instead a dispute with the Shreveport Public Works Commissioner George Wendell  D'Artois.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forward-now.com/2012/07/05/lessons-from-the-murder-of-jim-leslie/|title=Lessons from the Murder of Jim Leslie|publisher=forward-now.com|date=July 5, 2012|author=Elliott Stonecipher|accessdate=July 26, 2014}}</ref>​

As the director of LABI, Steimel often sparred with the Democrat [[Victor Bussie]], long-term president of the Louisiana [[AFL-CIO]]. The two clashed over [[right-to-work]]

legislation which Steimel had championed through the state legislature in the summer of 1976. In the afterglow of the victory by the right-to-work forces, the public relations executive Jim Leslie of [[Shreveport]] was assassinated in a motel parking lot in Baton Rouge, but Leslie's still unsolved murder is not believed to have been related to wrangling over right-to-work but instead a dispute with the Shreveport Public Works Commissioner George Wendell  D'Artois.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forward-now.com/2012/07/05/lessons-from-the-murder-of-jim-leslie/|title=Lessons from the Murder of Jim Leslie|publisher=forward-now.com|date=July 5, 2012|author=Elliott Stonecipher|accessdate=July 26, 2014}}</ref>​

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In 1976, Steimel supported [[U.S. President]] [[Gerald Ford]], in the campaign against the Democrat [[Jimmy Carter]], whom Steimel claimed favored the [[repeal]] of Section 14B of the [[Taft Hartley Act]], which permits states to adopt right-to-work laws. More than twenty states have adopted such legislation.<ref>''Minden Press-Herald,'' September 17, 1976, p. 1.</ref>​

In 1976, Steimel supported [[U.S. President]] [[Gerald Ford]], in the campaign against the Democrat [[Jimmy Carter]], whom Steimel claimed favored the repeal of Section 14B of the [[Taft Hartley Act]], which permits states to adopt right-to-work laws. More than twenty states have adopted such legislation.<ref>''Minden Press-Herald,'' September 17, 1976, p. 1.</ref>​

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In 1989, however, Steimel and Bussie united to support Republican John S. Treen, older brother of former Governor [[David C. Treen]], in a [[special election]] for the District 81 seat in the Louisiana House of Representatives, vacated by Charles Cusimano, who became a state district judge. Treen narrowly lost the race to [[David Duke]], then of Jefferson Parish, a former grand wizard of the [[Ku Klux Klan]]. Duke later ran for the [[U.S. Senate]] and for governor in consecutive years in races which seemed to hamper the growth of the state Republican Party.​

In 1989, however, Steimel and Bussie united to support Republican John S. Treen, older brother of former Governor [[David C. Treen]], in a [[special election]] for the District 81 seat in the Louisiana House of Representatives, vacated by Charles Cusimano, who became a state district judge. Treen narrowly lost the race to [[David Duke]], then of Jefferson Parish, a former grand wizard of the [[Ku Klux Klan]]. Duke later ran for the [[U.S. Senate]] and for governor in consecutive years in races which seemed to hamper the growth of the state Republican Party.​

In 1987, Steimel announced opposition to mandatory [[collective bargaining]] for Louisiana teachers, a process which he maintained would remove the role of the public from the negotiation of educational labor contracts. Collective bargaining is voluntary on the part of each school district within Louisiana. Steimel voiced support for teacher salary increases<ref>"LA at bottom of teacher pay list," ''Minden Press-Herald,'' October 30, 1986, p. 1.</ref> but opposed other demands from the teacher associations.<ref>"Steimel blasts Tauzin's stand on teacher unions," ''Minden Press-Herald,'' September 22, 1987.</ref>​

In 1987, Steimel announced opposition to mandatory [[collective bargaining]] for Louisiana teachers, a process which he maintained would remove the role of the public from the negotiation of educational labor contracts. Collective bargaining is voluntary on the part of each school district within Louisiana. Steimel voiced support for teacher salary increases<ref>"LA at bottom of teacher pay list," ''Minden Press-Herald,'' October 30, 1986, p. 1.</ref> but opposed other demands from the teacher associations.<ref>"Steimel blasts Tauzin's stand on teacher unions," ''Minden Press-Herald,'' September 22, 1987.</ref>​

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In the summer of 1987, Steimel endorsed a $30 million reduction in [[unemployment compensation]] payments. At the time Louisiana employers owed $1 billion to the unemployment fund, a situation Steimel termed another major deterrent to economic growth and a contributing factor to the high rate of unemployment in the state, which was 12.5 percent in 1986.<ref>"Sixth time in '86, LA No. 1 in joblessness," ''Minden Press-Herald,'' October 28, 1986, p. 1.</ref> According to Steimel, Louisiana employers were then paying $234 more per year per employee into the unemployment fund than were employers in competing southern states. The reduction approved by the legislature brought Louisiana in line with unemployment payments made by employers in neighboring states.<ref>"A breather for business," ''Minden Press-Herald,'' July 5, 1987, p. 2.</ref>​

In the summer of 1987, Steimel endorsed a $30 million reduction in unemployment compensation payments. At the time Louisiana employers owed $1 billion to the unemployment fund, a situation Steimel termed another major deterrent to economic growth and a contributing factor to the high rate of unemployment in the state, which was 12.5 percent in 1986.<ref>"Sixth time in '86, LA No. 1 in joblessness," ''Minden Press-Herald,'' October 28, 1986, p. 1.</ref> According to Steimel, Louisiana employers were then paying $234 more per year per employee into the unemployment fund than were employers in competing southern states. The reduction approved by the legislature brought Louisiana in line with unemployment payments made by employers in neighboring states.<ref>"A breather for business," ''Minden Press-Herald,'' July 5, 1987, p. 2.</ref>​

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Steimel blamed environmental problems not on business but poor public policies regarding solid waste disposal and sewage treatment. He cited [[pesticide]] runoff from the American Midwest as a major pollutant of streams in Louisiana. Steimel once cited the cartoon character Pogo by Walt Kelly that, in reference to the environment, "the enemy is us."<ref>"The environmental enemy is us," ''Minden Press-Herald,'' February 3, 1988, p. 1.</ref>​

Steimel blamed environmental problems not on business but poor public policies regarding solid waste disposal and sewage treatment. He cited [[pesticide]] runoff from the American Midwest as a major pollutant of streams in Louisiana. Steimel once cited the cartoon character Pogo by Walt Kelly that, in reference to the environment, "the enemy is us."<ref>"The environmental enemy is us," ''Minden Press-Herald,'' February 3, 1988, p. 1.</ref>​

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Steimel encouraged the Democrat-turned-Republican [[Jock Scott]] of [[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]], an outgoing member of the state House, to run in 1987 for the [state Senate] a position which Scott subsequently lost to the Democrat businessman  [[Joe McPherson]] of  Rapides Parish, who held the Senate seat until 2012. One of the lawmakers generally supportive of LABI, [[Ron Gomez]], a Democrat from [[Lafayette]], in 1986 secured the "Most Valuable Player to Business" designation. Despite his pro-business voting record, Gomez had criticized Steimel for unproductive negativity toward the state's educational structure.<ref>[[Ron Gomez]], ''My Name Is Ron, And I Am a Recovering Legislator: Memoirs of a Louisiana State Representative,'' [[Lafayette]], Louisiana: Zemog Publishing, 2000, p. 165.</ref>​

Steimel encouraged the Democrat-turned-Republican [[Jock Scott]] of [[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]], an outgoing member of the state House, to run in 1987 for the state Senate, a position which Scott subsequently lost to the Democrat businessman  [[Joe McPherson]] of  Rapides Parish, who held the Senate seat until 2012. One of the lawmakers generally supportive of LABI, [[Ron Gomez]], a Democrat from [[Lafayette]], in 1986 secured the "Most Valuable Player to Business" designation. Despite his pro-business voting record, Gomez had criticized Steimel for unproductive negativity toward the state's educational structure.<ref>[[Ron Gomez]], ''My Name Is Ron, And I Am a Recovering Legislator: Memoirs of a Louisiana State Representative,'' [[Lafayette]], Louisiana: Zemog Publishing, 2000, p. 165.</ref>​

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Everett Gail Doerge (1935-1998), an assistant superintendent of schools in  Webster Parish in north Louisiana and later a Democratic member of the Louisiana House, accused Steimel and LABI of seeking to "destroy" public education. In a 1987 reply letter to Doerge published by ''The Minden Press-Herald,'' Steimel described the veteran educator as "a perfect example of why we can never change our present [educational] system. ...[His] reaction and behavior we have come to expect from many in the educational establishment who are more interested in protecting the status quo and jobs, rather than educating children".<ref>Edward J. Steimel, "In response to Everett Doerge," ''Minden Press-Herald,'' June 7, 1987, p. 2A.</ref>​

Everett Gail Doerge (1935-1998), an assistant superintendent of schools in  Webster Parish in north Louisiana and later a Democratic member of the Louisiana House, accused Steimel and LABI of seeking to "destroy" public education. In a 1987 reply letter to Doerge published by ''The Minden Press-Herald,'' Steimel described the veteran educator as "a perfect example of why we can never change our present [educational] system. ...[His] reaction and behavior we have come to expect from many in the educational establishment who are more interested in protecting the status quo and jobs, rather than educating children".<ref>Edward J. Steimel, "In response to Everett Doerge," ''Minden Press-Herald,'' June 7, 1987, p. 2A.</ref>​