While The Louisiana GOP is trying to revive Bobby Jindal’s reputation throughout the state and while I believe he still harbors hopes for Vice President, there are some lingering questions we must ask ourselves before we let go of the ordeal of the Louisiana Legislative pay raise.
What did Bobby Jindal and the Louisiana legislature pledge so that Jindal would favor the legislature and not the Louisiana people?
What is Louisiana going to do regarding its boards and commissions, now—especially the Ethics Board ranks have been depleted?
Why did Bobby Jindal change his mind and side with the people instead of the legislature earlier this week?
The reason these questions are important is because it tells us much about our present Governor and whether the Ethics reform will ever really take place if there is a reduced chance of enforcement. It might also tell us whether we can expect Bobby Jindal to be John McCain’s Vice President candidate?
Let me be clear.We should be celebrating the recent bond improvements that started with the Blanco administration after Katrina and which have continued with Governor Jindal.We should also be thankful that Jindal ultimately did the right thing although he was going against almost ninety percent of the Louisiana population prior to this week.
So, let me try to answer the questions but I must tell you that the only way to get a more definitive answer is for Bobby Jindal to come clean and for some of the answers to be totally corroborated by others.
Recently, I had a long talk with a legislator, who I will label as “Legislator X”.Legislator X told me (off the record) that the deal for the pay raise was the “vouchers” legislation.In other words, Jindal wanted success with his school voucher legislation and so he let the legislature do what they wanted to do regarding the pay raise.Were there other deals?We do not know.But, this one legislator identified the vouchers and I believe this legislator would be in a very good position to have a good idea what was occurring behind the scenes.Bobby Jindal, if he really wanted transparency in government should tell the public what occurred.We are not talking about national security.We are referring to public policy.It is Jindal who prances as being the transparent governor, so let him open the windows and let the sun shine in.The public deserves an answer.
What made Jindal change his mind?
Obviously, many have pointed to the confluence of factors such as the public caving in by Speaker Tucker, the recalls, the threat of a march at the Capitol.But, could there have been some other reasons?One source says that information about a leading Vice President candidate had come to John McCain’s camp that would have eliminated him from all consideration. That other candidate was Florida Governor Charles Crist and the rumor was that he was "gay". Crist has denied being gay. So, the rumor goes that with the negatives arising out of Louisiana with Jindal over the pay raise, Jindal saw an opening and made his move.By the way, Crist has just announced his intentions to be married.
If this information from the source is correct, was Jindal listening to the voices of the people or was he playing Machiavellian and opportunist politics so he could be on the short list again for Veep?The bad Jindal news stories were just creeping into the national media and a large rally would have made him look miserable, nationally.We might not ever know Jindal's real motivations, but don't be fooled to think that Vice President considerations were not on the table given the fact he had previously made two major national television appearances within ten days before his veto decision.
Last, what will happen to the Ethics Commission and the entire Ethics Gold Standard if there is no ethics board?There are rumors that some of the ethics commission members were upset at the very high standard placed by Jindal which would make it virtually impossible for them to prove ethics violations.Others might not have wanted to have their own closets opened with the new reporting mechanism.However, the result is that Jindal will have more power in choosing the Ethics board commission members and the Administrative Law Judges which is someone of a power opportunity, even if unintended.Then, if Jindal should be chosen for VP, the power of the Ethics controls would go to Mitch Landrieu, should McCain win.
The bottom line is there are so many questions going unanswered by the “transparent governor”.We should not be swooned by the Governor simply because he finally threw the people a bone.Louisiana citizens really should have a bone with the Governor and get him to answer some very important questions.Although there are some very good things happening with our bond ratings which we should be pleased, our leaders’ word and credibility are their bonds with the Louisiana people and the citizens should not be placed in "mystery bondage", especially during a holiday celebrating Independence.
Good move, moving that article to the back burner..... You know, out of sight, out of mind so to speak.... Written by
on 7/8/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
7 July 2008……….2 Hrs. 16 minutes ago…….
Baton Rouge, LA… (UPI) ***** - After a major security breach in the Bayou Buzz office on Friday, Stephen Sabludowsky made an emergency trip to Baton Rouge on Friday. Steve needed to meet with Prime Minister Aide Melissa Sellers, to solve a massive problem that took place Thrusday night. Apparently the security breach compromised the secrecy of the Sabludowsky-Right Wing secret handshake. The Bayou Buzz Staff told Sabludowsky that it was imperative to the continuation of the agreements that Louisiana Government has set up with media sources following The Blanco Administration. They proceeded to warn Sabludowsky that the people who stole the handshake could do so much evil with it, that the entire State could end up restarting basically.
Ace Reporter and Pulitzer winning journalist Sabludowsky was heard as saying "This handshake will be even better than the last one, this one will be so complicated, even if someone does steal it, they will have no idea how to do it." before getting on 110 North to reach the Capital exit. After a short meeting with Melissa Sellers and other members of parliament, Sabludowsky and Prime Minister Aide Melissa Sellers left to a secret undisclosed location.
After hours of brainstorming between the two of them, they finally began the process of putting the handshake together. Bayou Buzz staff media officials considered releasing photos, and information about the handshake, without actually releasing the handshake to the general public. Currently, rumors around the handshake have ensued, with talk of an "up-down pound", an "exploding pound", and up to 3 "butterflies", with a random assortment of hand and feet motions thrown in between them. It supposedly ends with both parties spitting in their shaking hand, and giving the other party a "high-five".
Sabludowsky returned home on Monday, July 7th, and hopes to celebrate his accomplishment at home, now that his official business there is completed. ******note – this article was a spoof……. Written by
on 7/7/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
Uhhhhhh Steve,,,,,,, when you wrote........ {I absolutely applaud the "right wing" for standing up for their principles.} Would you mind telling me who the "Right Wing" is, and what in the name of Sam Hill are their 'principles' that you attest to applauding in such a resounding manner?? Tell me Steve, are you saying that you adhear to their principles? Now that might begin to answer a few of my questions..... Written by .....................STRONGCONCRETE...............
on 7/7/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
Thanks, kpf, this old gang admits to making mistakes. Written by RhettsWife
on 7/7/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
one more "a" - www.rwlouisianaalive.com not www.rwlouisianalive.com Written by kpf
on 7/7/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
Just the kind of steel fisted woman that Rhett likes, after all he married one. LOL. Check our website at www.rwlouisianalive.com and you will find a way to email us as we must keep in touch and Stephen has a lot more interesting issues to bring up, I am sure, and we need not take up his space to communicate. Written by RhettsWife
on 7/7/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
Yes, RhettsWife, I did oppose Scalise in the recent congressional special election. He won with less than 10% of the registered voters. Over 310,000 folks did not vote. I campaigned for 18 long months because I knew grassroots was the only way to get my name known without money. Scalise had a million and did not spend a cent of his own money. I got a birds-eye view of how government works and I was not impressed. Our legislators in DC are either rich or owe people who are. Working families are not first with them. Thank you so much for your votes. I may not be legislating for us but it is a comfort to know that some good bills are passing despite Scalise's totally ineffectual presence. He can also spare us the rah-rah crapola that he will bring gasoline prices down to $3 a gallon. His media stunt with maps at a gas station last week was pitiful. Does he really think we are that gullible? Written by Gilda Reed
on 7/6/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
Gilda,dear, our apologies - we meant U.S. House of Representatives. It is late and it has been a long time but we would hope that someone other than Polly want a cracker will run. Written by RhettsWife
on 7/6/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
Gilda, dear, did you run for the Senate recently? If so, you had our vote. Now District 9 has an opening due to Scalise's jumping ship so quickly after his election. Are you ready for another one? Written by RhettsWife
on 7/6/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
Precisely, RhettsWife, which is why we cannot afford to deplete the coffers at all.
We need more equitable appropriation of public funds, implementation of academic programs with a high success record, lowering pupil/teacher ratio for reading and math, and higher pay incentives for seasoned teachers willing to teach in substandard schools. We need to address individual needs of students at the first signs of struggle. (Learning is supposed to be fun and frustration is a red flag that all is not well.) We need reinforced inclusion with special education experts and properly-trained paraprofessionals available for teamwork with classroom teachers. (No more dumping, please!) Universities need to non-judgmentally lend their services to drowning schools, and the personnel at these schools need to interact with and accept the help graciously. We need local and state school boards to investigate more fully the psychological and educational impact of laws and procedures so that the counterproductive ones are discarded (ie-- tracking, whole class punishment, and too much nightly homework).
And this is but a start. Written by Gilda Reed
on 7/6/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
Gilda, dear, we agree with you in principle. However, the decline of the public school system and the time that it will take to rescue it must be taken into consideration. Yes money must be wisely spent to improve the public school system. A careful analysis has begun and must continue. In the meantime we suggest that parents must have an alternative to afford their children an opportunity to get the best education available. That might be available through the voucher system. However, we would add a hot bed of contention to those vouchers - parochial and private schools must adhere to the testing system that is used to analyze the public school system. Now that is throwing fat into the fire. Some will say that the tests given in the private school are harder than those given in private schools. Then, if this is true, the public schools must prove their worth by giving the same tests given in private schools. Tit for tat, dears. Written by RhettsWife
on 7/6/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
RhettsWife---I do not disagree with you on the reality that we need major reform in the public education system. It would take too much room to elaborate on the ideas I have. But I see vouchers as counterproductive. Anything that removes 1 dollar from the coffers of the public school system is counterproductive. Just throwing more money on a defunct system is not wise either. Until we put public education closer to the top of the priority list, we will continue to suffer the consequences as a society. Written by Gilda Reed
on 7/6/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
Gilda, dear, while we believe in vouchers for parents who wish to struggle and make up the difference with an education at a private school, religious or otherwise, we strongly believe in public education. The unfortunate issue is that there has not been a strong emphasis on it in the past half century. We have allowed a multitude of issues to interfere with public education, including board members and others who have been stealing from the youth of our state and the city of New Orleans in particular. We also have not been attracting people who are dedicated teachers but only see it as a method of taking home a salary, which is low compared to other states. We must focus on proper management, proper pay, proper credentials (this does not include simply a degree in educators because many believe that such a degree is nothing more that zooeducation), proper funding, proper leadership, and parental involvement. Most important is parental involvement in the sense of demanding that their children do the work and walk the walk. Rid the public schools (Recovery District, Charter, whatever) of incompetence in leadership. Teach the children to respect themselves and parent to get up off of their fat, lazy rears and start being role models. We read the article in the T-P of the young man who is involved in special education. Now that is a role model. Stop simply using sports stars and music stars as the role models (although many such as Chris Paul are certainly young people of quality) but show them other role models of all kinds, all faiths, all ancestries, and all forms of occupations. The culture of this city is a mixed culture. Introduce them to that and give them hope of a better future. DAMN - LET TOMORROW BRING A SENSE OF UNITY TO THIS CITY AND STATE IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE. Written by RhettsWife
on 7/6/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
If Jindal's deal was to get vouchers passed, then he has sunk even lower. He can afford to send his children to private schools, so it is no skin off his nose to weaken the public school system even further. Rescuing a few children from failing schools while leaving the overwhelming majority to fend for themselves with less money is not smart and certainly not for the common good. Written by Gilda Reed
on 7/5/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
Deals, deals, deals. I believe we do have a right to know the deals since Governor Jindal did tell us that he would be the most transparent Governor in history. His entire platform (when we got to see him during the debates) was transparency, transparency, transparency. In the Internet age, the more transparent an elected official can make his or her office, the better. I believe in representative democracy and deals are obviously made, but when they are questioned with such force and curiosity, I believe that the Governor or elected official has an obligation to be straight forward and respond to the people. Instead, we have received a cutesy answer that really means nothing at all since we do not know what was promised and what was given away. On another note, I think we should give thanks to the "right wing" since they stood up to the plate on the pay raise issue. In many ways, they were very angry, very vocal, very active in taking strong positions against the Governor they supported. While I am a moderate and try to find workable solutions so we have a state that works for the majority of the people, I absolutely applaud the "right wing" for standing up for their principles. I assure you that without them on this cause, we would never have been able to succeed and they absolutely put principles over politics. Written by Stephen Sabludowsky, Publisher of Bayoubuzz.com
on 7/5/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
My understanding is that the deal had to do with getting Jindal's school voucher program passed (probably as a promise to the right-wing base). I have also heard that Jindal giving large raises to the governor's staff caught the legislature's eyes. Right wing types whose votes Jindal seems ever so much to covet ought well to remember this episode. The only principle that seems to matter with Jindal is "career above all." Written by Richard P.
on 7/5/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
If a secret deal was made between legislators and Jindal to give them a pay raise to compensate for ethics reform, no one is going to admit to it. Jindal needed his ethics reform package to enhance his national reputation so he could be considered for Vice President. He almost pulled it off. Neither he nor the legislature ever anticipated the firestorm the pay raise bill would touch off. In the end, Jindal had no choice but to veto the bill to put out the fire. The last thing he needed was a massive rally in Baton Rouge that would shine a negative media spotlight on him. Jindal may have acted in time to save his allies in the legislature but it probably won't save his Vice Presidential prospects. Written by David Quidd
on 7/5/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
Bobby, dear, thank you for the compliment. Frankly, Pi, does not have experience and his reaction to individuals is not in their interests but in his own interests, what will further achieve his ambition. Has he legally changed his name for example? A whiz kid from Oxford does not necessarily impress the general population but one with charisma and the hutzpah (not the steel own below we like) to play the game of politics can overcome the general populace's perception of who and what he is. Now the motto of New College, Oxford is "Manners Makyth Man". In actuality this refers to "is not by birth, money, or property that an individual is defined, but in how he (or she) behaves towards other people". Pi, Bobby, whatever you may use, may have vast intelligence and political skills but he lack a certain attunement to the people's core interests. He may very well believe that he does but he has never ever been down where they are and have been. What should be his motivation is not a constant search to seek self approval and self achievement, but seek to help others, to walk in their shoes for a few steps, to understand the values that they have. Education does not give that - but experience does but his experiences are limited. He has lost the struggle to remain human in the eyes of many and chosen to be nothing more than a self serving hypocritical politician. Written by RhettsWife
on 7/5/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
Thank you Rhett's wife. I could not have said it better myself. NO, I could not have said it at all as well put as you do and have. But well said. We must always remember that we are dealing with politicians. Have not met one yet that did not make decisions based on number of votes affected. I have always wanted to be 100% wrong about our governor, but I always doubted him even when he ran last time. He has the best spin machine that I have seen in years. These young men no women yet who come out of no where, or the IVY League with a little Oxford on the end or in between who are the new young stars. whether Obama or a Jindal, NOt trying to make a comparison but they are just two new guys from out of nowhere who are thrust upon the national scene and we do not really know who they are and who is really behind them. Rhet's wife help me out here. Written by Bobby
on 7/5/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
Some very interesting observations, Stephen, dear. Frankly from the beginning we had Pi tagged as a politicial opportunist without experience other than by appointment and by election by citizens who fell for his rehtoric. Deals, dears, we will never know the deals that he has made over the years. It is almost Faustian. What does that mean dears? Faustian" has come to denote acts or constellations involving human hubris which lead eventually to nemesis. Translation: pride and vanity lead to doom. That was evident in the movement to recall. Happy Fourth everyone. Written by RhettsWife
on 7/4/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
And, oh yeah, this is the same guy who continually ducked debates last year and still relies heavily on his "handlers." He can talk fast but can he say something that makes much sense or sounds sincere or principles-based when he isn't being "handled?"
Written by Richard P.
on 7/4/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
Amen. He merely threw the people a bone. He has never said why he was initially reluctant to veto the pay raise or why he didn't try harder initially to convince the legislature not to pass it. He has also never mentioned his own campaign promise or why he forgot about or didn't care about it once the legislators started the process of enacting the pay raise. Finally he has not really shown that anything other than public pressure caused him to finally veto the pay raise. Thus, at best he only "did the right thing" out of his own spinelessness. I view him as someone hardly above both deal-making and heavy spin when it comes to self-promotion or taking care of his own career. Written by Richard P.
on 7/4/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
"Were there other deals? We do not know." gimmie a break Steve - you act as though there is something sinister and dark with negotiations between the executive and legislative branches. Would you rather have a King dictating terms? It's called a representative democracy with division of powers - might want to read up on it - it's really cool. Written by Steveo
on 7/4/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
While The Louisiana GOP is trying to revive Bobby Jindal’s reputation throughout the state and while I believe he still harbors hopes for Vice President, there are some lingering questions we must ask ourselves before we let go of the ordeal of the Louisiana Legislative pay raise.
