Consider yourself warned (Posted 03/31/05)

In a story by “Watchcat” Jeremy Alford, LA House of Representative Clerk Butch Speer seems to confirm the concerns that I expressed (Mullet Archives, March 2 and 3, 2005) about the impact on the 2005 Regular Session by a new constitutional provision.

According to Butch: “The biggest challenge has been the quiet education of lawmakers….”

I was merely trying to alert not only the leges to ,as Butch calls it a “very complicated” situation, but the public as well. My alerting the public is apparently what set Butch off. One could only conclude that having an informed public is not in the leges’ best interest.

Mark Twain said it best: “No man’s life, liberty or property are safe while the Legislature is in session.”

Consider yourself warned.

C.B.

Mullet Scribe

Quote of the day (perhaps the year, thus far) (Posted 03/30/05)

In response to Friday’s finding by the LA Supreme Court that he was not qualified to run for a seat on the New Orleans City Council because he had not lived in the district the required by the New Orleans City Charter (must be “domiciled”), Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans, had this to say about the Supremes:

“…[A}t some point we have to take a stand and say …that we don’t want judges from Shreveport or West Carroll Parish [Referring to the LA SupremeCourt’s 7 justices from 7 districts in the state.] deciding a local council race.”

Quite a statement for a “lawmaker” and lawyer to make. If Rep. Richmond wants the Supreme Court be appointed by the New Orleans City Council or The Mayor or The Chamber of Commerce, he should introduce an amendment to the constitution. If he is hesitant to do so one might understand. Everyone in LA gets to vote on constitutional amendments, even if they only affect New Orleans.

Richmond’s position taken to its logical conclusion, perhaps the leges from New Orleans should not be allowed to decide on tax measures solely for other parishes or cities. Heck, why not disband the lege entirely and leave law-making up to each individual parish.

Scary stuff from these folks who take an oath to support the constitution and laws of our state and the U.S. Perhaps he skipped Constitutional Law in law school.

C.B.

Mullet Scribe

By golly, she’s got it! (Posted 03/29/05)

No, not the Empress, she’s still buck nekkid, but at least Melinda Deslatte gets it. Kudos to Melinda for putting the pieces of the puzzle together in her column.

The next thing we might hear from the media is that all the billions of our hard-earned tax dollars that have been dumped into the budget in the last 9 years hasn’t actually improved the quality of life in LA. Nor, when compared to the other states,has education improved a single notch.

Soon it might dawn on some folks (hopefully the leges) that merely throwing money at the myriad of LA’s problems is not solving them. In fact it is just creating new ones by driving businesses and their jobs along with our “best and brightest from the state.

Well, it’s just two days after Easter; perhaps even in LA miracles can happen. (I can dream, can’t I.) Meanwhile stop sinning because your taxes are going up.

C.B.

Mullet Scribe

P.S. For further commentary on out-of-touch elected officials see the Piney Woods Oracle.

Our politicians need a reality check (Posted 03/28/05)

John LaPlante does an excellent job in his Sunday column of what some of us have been trying to do for years. We keep pointing out how out-of-touch with reality our politicians have become. LaPlante lists a few of the specific examples that of us Internet Kooks and talk radio host Moon Griffon talk about regularly to make our case.

Things have now gotten so bad the “mainstream” media is writing about it. Obviously, it’s so bad that Little Stevie Wonder can see it.

Bottom-line is that the only way to cure the problem is not via term limits. That clearly isn’t going to work as the leges merely cross over from one side of the Capitol Rotunda to the other. (No, I’m not going to say “I told you so”.) The only thing that will bring these folks back to the reality that they are public servants (work for us) and it is OUR money that they spend is to defeat them the next time that they come up for election to the same or a different office.

At the next election, ask yourself whether LA is better today than it was 4 years ago. If your answer is no, then vote against the incumbent. Trust me, you’ll be doing them a favor.

Perhaps this day after Easter will mean a rebirth of the spirit of the people of LA to have the courage to do what’s necessary to take back our state from the politicians.

C.B.

Mullet Scribe

P.S. For further commentary on out-of-touch elected officials see the Piney Woods Oracle.

Ag Commish out of control! (Posted 03/25/05)

In a story in today’s Baton Rouge newspaper, Ag. Commish Bob Odom calls State Treasurer John Kennedy “a no good SOB”.

Perhaps Commish Odom has been working too hard pouring concrete in the hot sun at the Lacassine syrup mill.

The cause of Odom’s out-of-control outburst? Kennedy suggested that before Odom attempts to sell $85 Million in bonds, he should first get a letter of credit in writing from the bank.

C.B.

Mullet Scribe

P.S. Is there a “good SOB” (other than a canine, that is)?

Apply this to state employees (Posted 03/24/05)

Rep. Katz may be on to something.

Rep. Kay Kellogg Katz, R-Monroe, the primary sponsor of House Bill 56, said although she is not aware of any specific “human trafficking problems” in Louisiana, the legislation might prevent criminals from importing adults and children into the state and farming them out for “commercial sexual activity” or forced labor under threats of bodily harm, loss of a passport or visa or physical restraint. Times Picayune, March 18, 2005

Seems to me that HB 56 (a constitutional amendment) could be easily amended to eliminate the practice of using state employees by those such as Ag. Commish Bob Odom to do construction work.

Suggested language to be added to the definition section HB 56: “(e) Requiring public employees to do work not in their job descriptions whether there is a threat of loss of employment either overt or tacit.”

C.B.

Mullet Scribe

Bernhard tells it like it is! (Posted 03/23/05)

In an article in Tuesday’s Baton Rouge paper, Shaw CEO, Jim Bernhard, Chairman of the LA Democratic Party said:

“The greatest increase [in the state’s operating budget] has not been under Democratic leadership; it’s been under Republican leadership.”

The facts prove Bernhard to be correct. The only difference between Dem and Repub governors in LA when it comes to the state fisc is the Dems are more conservative.

From 1812 (year LA became a state) to 1995 (last year of EWE’s 4th Coming) the state Operating Budget grew from ZERO to $10 BILLION. From 1996 (Big Daddy’s first year as nekkid emperor) to 2004 (the nude emperor’s last budget) the state Operating Budget grew from $10 BILLION to $17 BILLION.

If one checks the figures for the other Repub governors since Reconstruction (Dave Treen and Buddy Roemer), one will find that they also increased state spending more than did their Democratic predecessors.

Additionally, Big Daddy was aided in his spending binge by the Republican leges. With the exception of former State Representative Steve Windhorst, R-Terrytown, all voted for more taxes and more spending.

Finally, Governor Blanco will be unable to increase our taxes unless at least two members of the House and Senate Repub Delegation votes for the taxes.

Good research Mr. Bernhard! As Joe Friday said: “Just the facts, m’am.”

C.B.

Mullet Scribe

Doesn’t pass the smell test (Posted 03/22/05)

A story in Wednesday’s Times Picayune about the Lege Auditor’s new $12,000 per year “housing allowance” reported this:

He [Lege Auditor Steve Theriot] said the housing allowance will be used to pay for his hotel accommodations when he travels around the state, as well as his condo rental. (emphasis mine)

This matter raises a few questions:

1. Aren’t travel expenses, including hotel rooms, already covered by the state travel reimbursement regs followed by the lege branch? Is this double-dipping?

2. Doesn’t “his condo” connote that he is purchasing the unit and not renting per se? Should the state pay for the purchase of one’s second residence? Or first, for that matter?

3. According to the story “Theriot… lives in Gretna and has an office in Kenner and a condominium in Baton Rouge.” So when is he traveling away from home and entitled to hotel and meal reimbursements?

4. Who will audit the Auditor?

Seems like the type stuff for which the leges just forced Lege Fiscal Officer Johnny Rombach to retire.

C.B.

Mullet Scribe

Idle speculation?? (Posted 03/21/05)

Perhaps I’m still hung over from the Big Daddy balloon-floating regime and perhaps I’m putting two and two together and getting five, but here’s what I would be doing if I trying to find the easy way out (the usual way) of the state’s current fiscal morass:

The Blanco poll, notwithstanding, I see little sentiment for higher taxes amongst the mullets. Some of the locals have even begun withdrawing their proposals from the ballots because the signs are so ominous that even Little Stevie Wonder can see them.

In my not-so-humble opinion, this anti-tax sentiment is the fallout out of a poor economy, continued out-migration, the Stelly Plan’s tax bite on those still employed and the fact that the Assessors are finally being forced the LA Tax Commission to do their jobs properly.

The latest trial balloon is to raid the various state trust funds. I’m wondering if the strategy (assuming there is a strategy) is to stampede the leges into putting constitutional amendments on the ballot that will allow easier access to the money locked into the constitutionally-protected billions of dollars. In return, any tax increases passed this session will be revoked if the amendments pass a vote of the people.

This could be a big enough band-aid to, at a minimum, get the administration and the leges through the remainder of this term and leave them (non-term-limited leges and those seeking other offices) popular enough to get re-elected based on the fact that they didn’t raise taxes and, in fact, lowered business taxes the previous 4 years.

Maybe its just a daydream. Would someone please awaken me and tell me that it’s not true.

C.B.

Mullet Scribe

Commish gets a new truck (Posted 03/18/05)

No, not Commish of Ag. Bob Odom driving a truck. He flies an airplane furnished by the taxpayers. This Commish is Commish of Insurance Robert Wooley.

Yes, Wooley has “down-sized” to a $52,000 pickup truck paid for by you and me.

Here’ the part that gets to me. According to the story, the truck “sports red flames.” Hopefully they are merely painted on it. I suspect they symbolize how we mullets feel each month when we pay our auto insurance premiums.

LA is supposedly facing a shortfall of money for health care for the poor and elderly. It doesn’t look like it. LET THEM EAT CAKE.

Zoom, Zoom!

C.B.

Mullet Scribe

Another messenger needs shooting (Posted 03/17/05)

Load up the old .410. Time to shoot another messenger. LA remains next to the last in most livable states. See story here.

We can complain all we want about these comparisons. Biased, wrong or whatever, they are what they are and they are there for all the world to see. The LA media can continue to ignore these rankings, but it only means that the people of LA will not know what those in the other states know.

People (especially, the politicians) complain about my “Misery Index” being negative. As TV Detective Joe Friday of “Dragnet” used to say: “Just the facts, Ma’am.”

Until those of us who live in LA demand that things change, they never will. Don’t expect the citizens of the other states to demand change in LA.

Kudos to Emily Metzgar (a free-lancer) for writing about that which those whose full-time job is to report the news fail to do.

C.B.

Mullet Scribe

State employees not worth much (Posted 03/16/05)

Apparently, our state and federal governments don’t find public employees’safety as important as they do private employees. Think I’m making this up?

Here’s a quote from the article in Tuesday’s Times Picayune:

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has no jurisdiction over state agencies, and state safety officials normally do not conduct workplace inspections unless invited by an agency to do so.

Does this mean that public employees are safer construction workers than private employees? Hardly. The proof is in the story about Bob Odom’s Lacassine syrup mill. See full story here.

If, last week, I had told you that state employees were less valuable that private sector employees there would have been an outcry from state employees. They would have branded me a cynic.

Well, according to our own government, public employees don’t need to be protected as well as private employees are protected. To me that says one thing; the government does not value its employees very highly.

The silence from the LA public employees’ union is deafening.

C.B.

Mullet Scribe

Another ethics chuckle (Posted 03/15/05)

The Heh, Heh, Heh, Ethics Board continues to crack me up. Read about their latest comedy routine here. It’s on the par with the old “Who’s on First” routine by Abbott and Costello.

The board couldn’t decide whether something is ethical or not!! Heh, Heh, Heh!!!!

If the Heh, Heh, Heh, Ethics Board cannot determine if the actions of some public official are in compliance with the law, how can anyone who wants to comply with the law do so?

Does the law need to be changed to make it comprehensible or is there a need to appoint smarter people to the Heh, Heh, Heh, Ethics Board?

These people need to quit their day jobs and become stand-up comics. Check out who they are here.

Heh, Heh, Heh! Stop it! You’re making my sides hurt.

C.B.

Mullet Scribe

Must be a sin to be sick (Posted 03/14/05)

A new $75 Million fee (tax by another name) on private hospitals is being considered in the upcoming Regular Session of the lege.

I thought they were only going to tax sin this session of the lege. Apparently, it is now a sin to get sick and use a private hospital in LA. The tax will be passed on to the patients/sinners.

Wake me when we return from Oz.

C.B.

Mullet Scribe

It’s the LA Way! (Posted 03/11/05)

According to media reports, despite requesting proposals from 60 research firms, only one submitted a bid to the State Bond Commission to do a feasibility study on Ag Commish Bob Odom’s proposed state-funded syrup mill in Bunkie.

Some of the firms noted that the 30-day time-line to complete the study was inadequate. The only firm that submitted a bid ($60,000) is based in England.

Red flags

This failure to secure more than one bid raises a red flag or red flags.

In any case, this matter shows the shortcomings of the state procurement law which was passed, ostensibly, so that public agencies (state and local) got the best bang for the buck for the taxpayers of LA.

Clearly, when one only gets one bid for a study that hundreds if not thousands of companies in the U.S. are capable are doing, the taxpayers have not been well-served. Either the bid specifications were drawn so narrowly that only one company could qualify or the time-line was too narrowly drawn to get a reputable company to bid.

What’s the rush?

The only possible reasons for rush to get this feasibility study done are:

1) Likely that the outcome is already known.

2) To sell the bonds and encumber $12 Million of the taxpayers’ money before the lege can meet to re-direct this money for teacher pay or health care for the poor and elderly or other such worthwhile uses.

The bottom-line is that the politicians of this state have decided that is more important to have the study done expediently and than properly.

And, we continue to wonder why LA has such a poor reputation in the U.S. and why businesses are leaving or closing daily and no business will come here that doesn’t have to be here.

It’s just another example of the LA Way.

Bond commission members are: Alario, Jr. (Rep), John A; Blanco (Gov), Kathleen B; DeWitt (Rep.), Charlie Foti, Jr., Atty General, Charles C; Hammett (Rep), Bryant O; Heitmeier (Sen), Francis; Hines (Sen), Donald E; Kennedy (Treasurer), John N; Landrieu (Lt Gov), Mitch J; LeBlanc, (Comm. of Administration) Jerry Luke; McKeithen, (Sec. of State) W. Fox; McPherson, (Sen) Joe; Mount, (Sen) Willie L; Salter, Joe (Speaker) R

C.B.

Mullet Scribe

LSU Med School loss of accreditation signals trouble (Posted 03/10/05)

This report about the LSU Med School is but the latest fallout because of the poor priorities of state government. State spending by $10 BILLION in the last ten years, but the money instead of being spent in important areas such our medical schools was spent on syrup mills, reservoir, slush funds and other boondoggles.

Now, we hear the talk about raising even more money to be misspent. Until we can learn to spend wisely the over $20 BILLION a year, there is little reason to expect any new revenues to be spent on the right things. The state’s priorities are as bad as the Town of Waterproof which just began turning out the street lights to save money.

Albert Einstein said it best: “Significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.”

Time to stop taxing and spending and start THINKING about the priorities of this state.

Meanwhile, LA’s descent into the abyss continues unabated. Until the existing problems are resolved within our means, forget the talk about pay raises for ANYONE!

C.B.

Mullet Scribe

It’s the priorities dummy!!! (Posted 03/09/05)

The governor and the leges are considering various new and increased taxes with which to give the teachers a pay raise. In other words, extracting more money out of the private sector economy (last or next to the last in the U.S.) and “investing” it in government.

Government cannot be run like a business because there is no profit by which to show success. However, government can borrow some of the processes used by successful private businesses to make government function more efficiently.

Private vs. public

In the private sector, if the owner of a business determines there is a need to raise their employees salaries (to reward them for a job well-done or to keep them from leaving for another business) the owner doesn’t just raise the price of the product or service sold. The owner may decide not to refurbish the office building and instead put that money into salaries.

Government does both. It refurbishes the office building and gives raises. The cost is passed on to the taxpayers.

The private sector cannot just up the “tax” paid by its customers because there is competition in the private sector.

Each year the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) sets a constitutionally-protected formula by which the public schools of LA are funded. This year the formula is INCREASED by $52.2 MILLION. Source: Times Picayune, March 8, 2005

Why cannot the $52.2 MILLION and the money that is added to the formula annually simply be allocated for teacher pay?

The answer is that, WE don’t demand it.

Set priorities!

It is long past time that the public sector set its priorities just like the private sector. Government must distinguish between its “wants” and its “needs.” Until it learns to live within the existing revenue sources (which grow annually), the private sector of economy of LA will languish at the bottom of the 50 states.

To paraphrase James Carville: IT’S THE PRIORITIES — DUMMY!!!

C.B.

Mullet Scribe

Layoffs quadruple in LA!! (Posted 03/08/05)

Unfortunately, the LA Dept of Labor no longer provides these very revealing statistics. As such, the LA media doesn’t report them. Until they do, I guess it is up to us “Internet Kooks” to report this measure of our state’s economy.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, in January of 2004, there were 904 layoffs. In January of 2005, there were 3,417 layoffs.

Note that the above figures, do not include all layoffs in LA for the period, but only for those companies (larger ones) that are required by Federal Law to report their layoffs.

This is a much better measure of the health of our economy than the misleading employment rate figures reported dutifully reported by the LA media. Employment figures are irrelevant in a state that has a stagnant economy, a static population, massive out-migration and with people who remain simply giving up finding a job.

C.B.

Mullet Scribe

A new low for public schools (Posted 03/07/05)

The headline of the story says it all: “Movie`bribe’ lures Orleans students back from Carnival break”

Bribery with our tax dollars? (See story here.)

Soon we will have to pay them a per diem to attend class.

I understand giving rewards for doing exceptional work, but merely doing what the law requires is hardly worthy of a reward. Maybe they should get a summer pass to the movies if they don’t kill anyone for the rest of the school year.

The school system should simply enforce the law on attendance against the parents. See the law here.

Unbelievable!!

C.B.

Mullet Scribe

Think public corruption has ended in LA? (Posted 03/04/05)

If your answer is yes, read the article by Allen Johnson of Gambit Weekly. See it here.

If your answer is no, read the article anyway. It worse than you think.

A few excerpts:

–Louisiana last year ranked No. 3 in federal public corruption cases in 2004 among all 56 FBI field offices in the United States and its territories.

– The FBI …establishing a second public corruption squad in Baton Rouge that made Louisiana one of only five FBI field offices with corruption squads.

–T]he FBI’s anti-corruption squad in Baton Rouge is already swamped with cases in the capitol area. “They have more cases than the nine agents can work,” [Former (SAC) of the FBI in Louisiana Louis] Reigel says. “I thought it would take about 18 months to really build the squad up, to develop cases and make it successful. … So now I am in a dilemma. I’ve got 20 agents up there.

– “The business community that is constantly being tapped (by public officials) for 10 percent here or 20 percent there … that’s the community that needs to come forward even more so than they are doing today,” Reigel says.

–”The lack of cooperation from some of the parishes are probably based on political connections or political reasons,” says Reigel.

–The New Orleans Criminal Court system is “broken,” [Reigel] says.

– Reigel also says NOPD is understaffed and that the ongoing dispute over the city residency requirement is a major obstacle to beefing up the force.

– The Louisiana FBI is the only one of the 56 field offices that has established a presence in a school district headquarters.

We can remain in denial, but the facts cannot hidden from others.

Until we demand change, things will remain the same.

C.B.

Mullet Scribe

Per Butch Speer (Posted 03/03/05)

Butch Speer, Clerk of the LA House of Representatives, challenged me to provide you with his rebuke of me for bringing to your attention new constitutional issues affecting the upcoming legislative session (Yesterday’s commentary). Below is his email. Obviously, Butch is as please with it as I was to see him sweat.

C.B.

Mullet Scribe

Subject: RE: Session may be flooded with unconstitutional bills

Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2005 15:37:38 -0600

From: “Speer, Alfred”

To: “C.B. Forgotston”

C. B. – too bad you didn’t speak with someone who could inform you as to the intended position of the Presiding officers relative to the constitutional limitations applicable to this session, but then you’d not be able to criticize, though that seems to be your only goal.

You devalue your credibility on those issues deserving of criticism when you fly off half-cocked and ill-informed about issues that only rate your criticism because you assume the worst.

Next time call and then if you don’t receive assurances you can add me to your list of criticisms.

Butch Speer

Musta hit a nerve (Posted 03/02/05)

The following commentary was to give everyone a heads-up about some uncharted waters ahead as a result of the first lege session under the new provisions added to our state constitution.

I circulated it to the folks in the lege branch. I got a very angry rebuke from a very high-ranking person therein. All I can figure is that I must have hit a nerve. Maybe you an figure what I uncovered that caused such a reaction. In any case, here’s the information that set him off:

The upcoming Regular Session of the lege is referred to as a “fiscal-only” session. However, recent changes to our constitution have dramatically altered the previous understanding of what can and cannot be filed during such a shortened (60 instead of 85 days) session.

Of course, tax increases, tax exemptions and exclusions, etc. and bills to appropriate money may be considered. (I believe that the gambling repeal can also.) As previously discussed, in addition to the traditional fiscal bills, each lege may pre-file 5 non-fiscal bills. That alone could total 720 bills.

There is another major loophole through which Senator Cleo Fields state-purchased bus could be driven. LA Const. Article III, Section 2(4)(B)(ii) allows an unlimited number of “local or special” laws to be introduced.

What is a “local and special” law used to be fairly easy to determine by the existing jurisprudence. However, after the decision whereby the LA Supremes declared gambling to be legal in LA (and addressed this issue), I submit that the jurisprudence is “out the window”. Short of a declaratory judgment from the Supremes, what is a “local or special” law is anybody’s guess.

I raise this as a warning that through the guise of the “local and special” loophole, who knows what will be introduced (not pre-filed) and be subjected to amendments to broaden its meaning.

This is another problem with not have a public interest litigation group in our state. Without a legal challenge all such laws are presumed constitutional.

C.B.

Mullet Scribe

Obviously, not a math teacher (Posted 03/01/05)

In Saturday’s Baton Rouge newspaper was a picture of a nice looking young woman playing the video poker machines in West Baton Rouge Parish. (Link here.) According to the cut-line under the picture she is a teacher in the East Baton Rouge Parish Public Schools. The woman said that she’d like to see the taxes on legalized gambling increased in order to provide her with a pay raise.

Obviously, the woman is not a math teacher. It is said that legalized gambling is a tax on the mathematically-challenged.

If she had been a math teacher, she would know: 1) As the taxes rise on slots and video poker, the odds of winning go down. (She would be playing at an Indian casino, if she understood that.) 2) If she didn’t play video poker, she would keep more money in her pockets than she will ever get in terms of a raise.

It is so sad that you have to laugh. Only in LA!

C.B.

Mullet Scribe

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