Bobby, Bobby, Bobby… Wednesday, Apr 22 2009 

pinocchio.jpg

When Bobby Jindal was running for governor in 2007 here’s what he said about conflicts of interest in government:

We can no longer tolerate any level of … conflict of interest by any state employee. Jindal Campaign Brochure: “Ethics Reform: Ending Corruption.” (emphasis mine)

When asked about the conflict of interest of his Executive Counsel, Jimmy Faircloth, who is an announced (last Friday) candidate for the LA Supreme Court, but will remain in Bobby’s employ, Bobby said:

Jindal noted that sitting judges typically keep their elected jobs while running for another office. Associated Press, April 20, 2009.

That’s only true when they are running for reelection or election to another judgeship within the Judicial Branch of government.

When Leon Cannizzaro ran for District Attorney of Orleans Parish he was required to resign from the Court of Appeal even though both offices are within the Judicial Branch.

Like a child who has been caught doing wrong, Bobby rationalizes his violation of his campaign promise by saying, in effect, “they all do it.”

Bobby, Bobby, Bobby. It’s time to match your action to your rhetoric  If Faircloth will not voluntarily step down — terminate him!

C.B.

1 CB 8:00 am

 

Put up or shut up! Tuesday, Apr 21 2009 

tied-hands

The leges continue to whine about their “hands being tied” and are forced to cut Higher Education and Healthcare whenever there is a shortfall of revenues.

However, there is nothing written per se that mandates those cuts.

Excuses, excuses, excuses

Excuse No. 1: The state constitution and laws dedicates so much money that they have no choice, but to cut Higher Education and Healthcare.

I’ve explained to any of them who will listen that statutory dedications do NOT tie the hands of leges. All the leges have to do when they are in session is to take the money from the funds via an appropriation and spend it where they choose.

When I ask for the specific citations in the constitution to which they refer that are “tying their hands,” I get zero response.

Excuse No. 2: Next the leges claim that the only way to remove the dedications from the state constitution is to hold a Constitutional Convention.

To which I say: no, that’s not true, all that has to be done is a simple amendment or amendments to the constitution that can be handled in any Regular or Special Session of the lege.

Excuse No. 3: The next excuse is that “we have to study“ the issue because we don’t know exactly what we need to change in the constitution.

Facts

There are 30 or so such funds in the constitution depending on what considers a “dedication.”

The total amount of money that the “dedications” tie up is $3.9 Billion out of the current budget of over $30 Billion.

Despite the number of funds, the only fund that is significant is the Minimum Foundation Program (”MFP”) for funding public elementary and secondary education.

The MFP alone accounts for $3.3 Billion of the $3.9 Billion in dedications that are “tying the hands” of the leges.

If it is true that the constitutional dedications are “tying the hands” of the leges, then a single simple amendment to the constitution will solve 85% of the problem.

There is no need to waste more time and our money studying the problem.  It’s been done for free.

Solution

Introduce a Joint Resolution which repeals LA Const. Article VIII, Section 13B. It takes a 2/3s vote of the leges and a majority favorable vote by the people of LA to untie their hands. The governor cannot even veto the amendment.

Propose the amendment to untie your hands or shut-up and adjust your spending priorities so that Higher Education and Healthcare don’t have to be cut at all.

C.B.

1 CB 8:00 am

 

Jindal attorney should step down! Monday, Apr 20 2009 

conflict-of-interest

On Friday, Bobby Jindal’s Executive Counsel Jimmy Faircloth announced that he is running for a seat on the State Supreme Court.

However, he is going to continue working for the governor until after the legislative session.  ( See story here.)

Faircloth said he won’t start campaigning until after the session. How noble!

The announcement itself is “campaigning.”

Conflicts

To think that Faircloth’s decisions during the upcoming lege session will not be influenced or compromised his decision to run for office and will not affect the decisions of others who have an interest in the outcome of the Supreme Court race defies credulity.

This is not the first time that Faircloth has attempted to serve two masters. When it was announced that Faircloth would be appointed as Jindal’s Executive Counsel, Faircloth made it clear that he intended to continue as a member of a private law firm.   After an outcry by the media, Faircloth changed his plans and resigned from the firm.

Do we really want someone on the State Supreme Court with such poor judgment?

Bobby’s promise

Here’s what Bobby Jindal said while running for governor in 2007 about such conflicts of interest:

Hold all officials and employees at all levels of government accountable for their actions.
We can no longer tolerate any level of … conflict of interest by any state employee. Jindal Campaign Brochure: “Ethics Reform: Ending Corruption.”

Step down!

Faircloth should have stepped down on Friday. He must step down now!

Jindal must demand that Faircloth step down if Faircloth does not on his own.

C.B.

1 CB 7:32 am

 

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