The firestorm of controversy behind the recent legislative pay raise has caused Gov. Jindal to admit he made a mistake in allowing such a bill to pass through the Legislature - though he still says he will not veto the increase.
But even with the admission, the Governor could not resist some doublespeak on the topic.
Readers who picked up today’s Advocate got a glimpse of some very happy state legislators. Why are they celebrating? Has Louisiana vaulted to the top of the nation’s education ratings? Have thousands of new jobs been created in our state in the past few months?
No, this jubilation is the result of the Legislature giving itself a whopping legislative pay increase. While it remains to be seen how the public will react to the images of laughing, cheering politicians voting themselves still another pay raise - while the “reformer,” Gov. Jindal, looks on serenely and, apparently, quite helplessly- at least we can all rest well knowing that at least someone in the state is doing well financially.
Yet another example of arrogance from the Administration, as Gov. Jindal and his chief of staff, Timmy Teepell, engage in a name-calling debate with a board of retired generals appointed to review the state’s National Guard. Since it was the governor himself who appointed these generals to the panel, one wonders exactly what is going on over there on the fourth floor.
The generals, apparently upset that Jindal had ignored their input on certain military issues after selecting them to review those same issues, protested the reappointment of Maj. Gen. Bennett Landreneau as the state’s adjutant general.
Never one to shy away from going to any lengths to protect his boss, Teepell responded by attacking the reputation and integrity of the panel’s chairman, former Louisiana Adjutant Gen. Ansel “Buddy” Stroud. Read more
Chris Tidmore over at the Bayou Buzz takes a look at a provision called the “Travel Act” which deals with mail and interstate travel in promoting crimes such as gambling, narcotics distribution and - you guessed it - prostitution. Tidmore reckons that, with the Travel Act’s ten-year statute of limitations, Senator Vitter is still open for potential prosecution under that law.
Collis Temple Jr., chairman of the Baton Rouge Parish Recreation and Park Commission and a juvenile justice advisor to Gov. Jindal’s administration, will face charges before the Louisiana Board of Ethics on Aug. 14. Temple is accused of allegedly participating in transactions between BREC and a company owned by his father-in-law. The company, Unemployment Compensation Control Systems, also employs his wife. Read more
The Advocate reports that FEMA responded to an information request by the newspaper with a $210,000 bill. In September of last year, the Advocate requested a series of documents detailing contracts issued after the hurricanes. FEMA responded with a letter explaining the charge for the information. In the letter, a FEMA attorney wrote “The first 100 pages are free. The duplication cost for 2,099,900 pages will be $0.10 per page for photocopying.” Read more
In the bad news department, Louisiana has vaulted to second place on Congressional Quarterly’s “Most Dangerous State Award” list. Only Nevada edges out the Bayou State, although Louisiana’s murder rate is number one in the nation.
Hmm, maybe this is what Lt. Gov Mitch Landrieu was talking about.
Gerard Shields breaks down this year’s National Journal vote study, which tags Sen. Mary Landrieu and Rep. Charlie Melancon as the “most-centrist” members of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Meanwhile, Sen. David Vitter maintains his standing as one of the most reliable conservative votes in the Senate.
Also: Melancon and Landrieu both introduce a bill to help commercial vessels in Louisiana, while Vitter travels to Florida to watch the Space Shuttle take off.
The Advocate sounds off on the latest ethics “blunder” by the Jindal administration. You can almost hear the sound of foreheads hitting desks over there on Bluebonnet.
If the Jindal administration is to retain its positive public image, it must practice the reform it preaches. Equally important, the administration must admit ethical lapses when they occur, rather than deny the obvious, and the administration must move aggressively to correct such mistakes and prevent their recurrence, rather than try to excuse them.
The Times-Picayune with the latest on Gov. Jindal’s hiring freeze. Many administrators at state colleges are concerned that the wait for the exemption process will discourage talented applicants, who often have other offers, from sticking around long enough to get the job. Read more
