Although last fall's election results were supposed to usher in a new era of reform in Baton Rouge, it seems that politics as usual still reigns in our state. Due to term limits, there are dozens of new legislators in Baton Rouge. In addition, we also have a new Governor who has said that ethics reform is his number one priority and that Louisiana should pursue "the gold standard" in ethics.
Unfortunately, over the past few weeks, the quest for a gold standard soon turned to silver, bronze, aluminum and now is barely a paper bag standard. First the Governor and his team were rocked by revelations of a campaign finance violation and the questionable activities of his Chief of Staff Timmy Teepell, who doled out free tickets to a coveted Hannah Montana concert while his boss was asking legislators to forgo free tickets. The stench of hypocrisy was unmistakable.
Now we see the legislative agenda being either derailed or amended into oblivion. The recent changes to Senate Bill 3 show some legislators are uninterested in real reform. The bill was supposed to limit obnoxious perks for legislators, such as free tickets to cultural and sporting events. To their credit, the Senate passed the bill. Unfortunately, the House approved amendments which gut the true intention of the legislation, allowing lobbyists to continue to give free tickets to a host of outings, events, and trips and allowing non-lobbyists to give legislators free tickets to anything. This would create a loophole the size of a Mack truck, as lobbyists could just give the freebies to third parties who would then give them to the politicians.
Sadly, true and bold reform seems impossible this session. If Governor Jindal receives bills that are so compromised, he should do the responsible thing and veto them.
At the start of this administration and legislative session, there were high expectations, maybe, too high. Now we have a more realistic view that reform is going to be extremely tough to enact. It is time that the public gets involved and loudly demand that legislators pursue real reform, not sham reform. Anything less is just typical Louisiana politics.
Jeff Crouere is a native of New Orleans, LA and he is the host of a Louisiana based program, “Ringside Politics,” which airs at 7:30 p.m. Fri. and 10:00 p.m. Sun. on WLAE-TV 32, a PBS station, and 8 a.m. till Noon weekdays on WGSO 990 AM in New Orleans and the Northshore. For more information, visit his web site at www.ringsidepolitics.com. E-mail him at jeff@ringsidepolitics.com
trifull, your post on the 22nd where you stated "...Unfortunately, we are not protected from ourselves and the corrupt and incompetent government that we continue to tolerate." was cynical, without hope for a better future, and unfortunately, accurate. Although we all would welcome change to a government that truly has the electorate’s best interest at heart, do any of us think this will actually happen? Written by kerry fox
on 2/25/2008
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Our legislature has been dominated by democrats and democratic party politics for all of my life. I consider myself an independent, too. But if we are going to make a start at correcting our problems, a few independents won't be able to get it done. It will take a highly organized and committed movement over a long time to make any lasting difference. If Jindal had gone into this session as some kind of a simple do-gooder, begging for cooperation, (like Buddy Roemer), then the goals would have been much lower and the results would have been a fraction of what they appear to be heading for now. The democrat power brokers would have made quick work of this session and continued us on the path that keeps us at the bottom of the barrel. Written by sad state
on 2/25/2008
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Do you also have a theory as to why our legislature opposes ethics laws? I guess that would be "righteous indignation at the implication of their dishonesty and greed." Written by trifull
on 2/25/2008
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I am an independent. I have voted for candidates for president and governor from both parties. It's PBJ's independence that's in question. When you're a congressman you can get by being a loyal party person as PBJ did, even at times when it wasn't in the state's best interest. As opposed to Roemer, whom I still like, who actually had some principle, PBJ is nothing special and nothing more than another career politico looking out for no. 1 and who would sell out to anyone from the party to the White House administration to corporations if he thought it could help his career (note how often PBJ has finished things he's started). It's clear that his only interest in ethics laws is for political purposes. Written by Richard P.
on 2/25/2008
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If we're to the point of the imperial bush/cheney diatribe, then it's obvious you're just a disgruntled diehard democrat who hates Jindal just like you hate Bush. I just can't make that leap from a Louisiana debate over financial disclosures and perks to the whole Bush/Cheney evil empire thing. Next you'll be throwing out things like plutocracies, Halliburton, waterboarding, and phantom weapons of mass destruction. I might argue the Bush/Cheney issues on another buzz article, but not on this one. Written by trifull
on 2/24/2008
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Yes and if indeed PBJ were more like Roemer then you could say "blame the legislators" and be right. But he isn't and thus you can't. You can hardly blame them for at least being skeptical when they see how he flaunts all of this with things like the tickets for his chief of staff. When you're the one who's choosing to make a big deal out of this and you can't lead by example then shame on you! Another issue is how PBJ wants to take power away from the ethics board. It really seems like he is trying to emulate the Imperial Presidency of Bush's/Cheney's vision on a gubernatorial level which is not surprising considering how he's been a very loyal follower of the administration as a congressman to the extent of whenever Bush said "jump" his response was "how high?" and he probably had to have surgery when he left Congress to have his nose removed from Bush's posterior. He's simply got to understand that he isn't in Washington any longer and being governor is different. To be fair, Roemer went through this, also. Written by Richard P.
on 2/24/2008
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Well said, trifull. If you can sit through a typical Louisiana legislative committee hearing in comfort, then you have no gag reflex. Written by rougeneck
on 2/24/2008
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We tried a reform governor who was humble. That cornball, drawling, foot-shuffling Buddy Roemer. I don't think I've ever seen a bigger flop than that. And he's still hanging around like some kind of celebrity.
And Dave Treen was so overwhelmed, doublecrossed, and bullied that now he wants to free the biggest crook from Louisiana in my lifetime. I think they call that the Stockholm Syndrome.
I would rather have a governor who comes in like a bull, calls out the slick-talking shysters, and tells it exactly like it is. Everytime our legislature meets, we get screwed again. If we had a pure obstructionist, we'd be better off. This state needs a bigger wake-up call than Katrina/Rita. Our pols do just enough to keep their kingdoms intact. Our voters settle for scraps from them and are proud to get them. It makes me want to puke when I see someone like Noble Ellington or John Alario acting all offended and hurt when someone suggests that they might not have our best interests at heart. Written by trifull
on 2/24/2008
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Maybe the "good people" that Richard thinks were insulted were lobbyists. I've worked right alongside dozens of them. If the truth helps their cause, they'll use it. But if it takes a lie or a distortion, then that's what they get paid to do and they won't hesitate to go there. Much of their job is providing cover and preparing excuses for the legislators when they fail to do the right things again and again. Written by sad state
on 2/24/2008
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PBJ has also insulted previous governors, too. He seems to think that he's the greatest. The Greeks had a word for PBJ's hang-up, "hubris." He thinks he's so high and mighty that he can insult people, he can have his proposals apply to others but not to himself and his own staff, that everyone was just waiting for him to come riding in in shining armor on his high horse to save the day. Again, the state didn't need that; the state needs someone who can roll up their sleeves and get to work with all of us. Message from Earth to PBJ and apologists: before you use the work "great" you need to prove it first. Written by Richard P.
on 2/24/2008
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Exactly what good people did he insult? Noble Ellington, Marchand, McPherson, Frances Thompson, Alario, Marionneaux, Nevers?? Those are just a few names that come to mind. Any legislator who was insulted by these proposals is a part of the problem. If their skin is too thin to accept the fact that the occupation ranks right up there with used car salesmen on the integrity scale, then they are in the wrong line of work. Thank God Edwards is gone up the river. Foster and Blanco tried to work with the crooks in our legislature and we're still in last place, barely above third world status. Term limits got rid of a pitifully small number of the crooks. Look at how many crossed the aisle and got another 12 years to screw us. Look at how many successfully handed off the job to their family members or cohorts. Term limits are a good idea, just like ethics reform. But Louisiana voters have proven that they are too ignorant, selfish, populist and gullible to elect leadership that can bring us up to par with other states. If you want to point to Jindal's election as one result of that, go ahead. The problem is that a bad governor can really hurt the state. But a great governor has an extremely difficult time making any progress because of our corrupt, incompetent and backwards a$$ legislature.
If you believe that our legislators are such noble public servants, then what do they need a governor for? They write and introduce the bills, they work them through the committees and the floor. Why can't they address all of your issues regardless of the governor? Written by trifull
on 2/24/2008
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Don't we already have term limits, anyway? Hey, talk about waste, what has this special session been costing all of us? Just to get a few laws passed that might move the state a few notches in the ethics rankings. The point is that Edwards has been long gone. Neither the Foster nor the Blanco administration involved a major scandal. But, nonetheless, Boy Wonder PBJ chooses to make this his centerpiece and also to insult and antagonize almost everyone around that he has to work with while looking to sanctimoniously ramrod his proposals through with minimal discussion. It's no wonder that legislators are reacting. We didn't need more typical GOP holier-than-thou-ism. We do need a governor who can get to work and is capable of working with everyone on all the issues to get problems solved. For all his much-advertised brilliance this guy doesn't have the people and managerial skills to actually get things done. That he is more and more coming across like a hypocrite -- perhaps because he is one? -- is only hurting his cause. If he had some humility, if he weren't so sanctimonious, if he hadn't gone out of his way to insult good people, if he could practice what he preaches about ethics as regards his own staff and his own campaign then one could more easily root for him and feel inclined to not blame him. Alas, he hasn't; he's brought this all on himself. PBJ must take the blame. Written by Richard P.
on 2/24/2008
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I have to agree with trifull.
Richard and other Jindal detractors try to paint ethics as a standalone issue. It's oversimplification to assume that a higher ethics ranking will bring the jobs and businesses to Louisiana. But ethics will begin to tie the crooks hands or get them replaced, and then, maybe some real public servants might take office and begin to address all of Louisiana's problems.
Trying to achieve progress with the politicians like we've had in office for generations is hopeless. They've proven that over and over and over. Written by sad state
on 2/24/2008
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Richard P. -- How in the hell can Jindal be blamed for a pack of career criminals who chose not to end their free ride at the trough? Only a democratic hack or someone who's disappointed that their pet project, like coastal restoration or dumping money on education, could jump to that conclusion so quickly and certainly. Jindal has a responsibility to call out the a$$holes who derailed these efforts and push a never-ending stream of ethics legislation at them every time they go into session. That's all he can do.
Ethics is the foundation for any hope to build good government anywhere. Good government is not about fighting to collect more and more tax money, then fighting over who gets to spend it on what (and siphon off what they can for their themselves, their friends, family and contributors. Louisiana will never achieve a minimal level of government ethics, because the crooks are the ones who'd have to fix it and how hard is it to see that that won't ever happen?
If ethics began to improve, two key things would start to happen. One, the crooks and cronies who run this state might have to curtail their dirty dealings, leaving a few more of our resources for things we really need, like all of the issues you suggest should be a priority). The second, and less likely, but more important thing, would be that the unethical legislators are booted out, and some ethical ones actually get elected. That's such a long shot, that I won't go into detail on the benefits of such a pipe dream, but I think you might be able to imagine a world like that, just for fun. Written by trifull
on 2/24/2008
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And as well PBJ should accept the blame and responsibility. BTW if somehow things work out well PBJ and his apologists will beyond any doubt be out front taking credit as they would deserve to be able to do. However let's not forget that PBJ made ethics, not coastal restoration, not flood protection, not health care, not education, not job/business attraction and cultivation, his centerpiece issue and chose to talk it up as opposed to the other issues, 24/7 in his campaign. Typical GOP politico. All about finger-pointing, moralizing and antagonizing others as opposed to caring about the everyday issues. Was this ethics reform really necessary to make the state better able to attract and cultivate businesses and jobs? No. Did La. have to move up in those supposed all-important state-by-state ethics rankings? No. The point should be, instead, to just competently provide quality services and infrastructure that are necessary and do so at a reasonable cost. The kicker is that now PBJ has gotten off on a wrong foot, is less likely to receive much cooperation down the road now that he's gone out of his way to make enemies and has probably detracted from his ability to be effective on other issues. This guy was supposed to be so extra brilliant. Sorry, he's not impressing so far. Written by Richard P.
on 2/24/2008
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Sid,
And the sad part of all of this is that the one elected official most likely to take the blame for another round of failed or flawed ethics legislation is Bobby Jindal. Not only can our sleazy legislators defeat all meaningful reform, they can defeat it, then place the blame on the governor, who at least had the guts to call the session. Next, our ignorant voters call Jindal a failure and a hyprocrite and vote him out in four years for someone who'll help the legislature screw us to the max.
It's a cycle that has no end in Louisiana. The only say to get any real relief is moving out of state, and our most mobile and educated and employable are doing that in record numbers. Written by trifull
on 2/23/2008
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These posts seem to reflect our lege's inability to maintain focus and get true reform legislation passed. How the hell did we get from reviewing the article to this drival? Apparently the lege's are experienced enough to pass enough watered down ethics bills that their trough is only slightly less full and Jindal can't do much because he lives in a glass house and doesn't have the balls to walk the walk! Written by Sid
on 2/23/2008
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Ah, Confucius says: "He who pass gas in church sits in his own pew". And unfortunately, that is where I must leave you oh insufferable one. Written by I here U but can you dance the Ju Jitsu?
on 2/22/2008
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Oh, inscrutable one, please enlighten the minds of the slow and thick so that we too may share in the ways of the oracle. Written by Many men smoke, but fu manchu
on 2/22/2008
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Oh, I hear you, said the deaf mute to the dyslexic calligrapher Written by Odeodeo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
on 2/22/2008
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Huhh? Written by Says "you are wise beyond your ears"
on 2/22/2008
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Oh if only I could be as Righteous as you oh uninsightful one. Written by Ah, so I see said the mute to the blind man
on 2/22/2008
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Hilary got slammed last night when she took a cheap shot at Obama on the plagiarism issue. I wonder if she has the guts to swipe at McCain and pretend she's offended by adultery. Written by trifull
on 2/22/2008
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Rhetoric is not enough, Pi. Now let's see what your political guts are like. This will be an interesting time. Now to the primaries for president. Oh, Oh, looks like Hillary is in trouble and was Mc Cain naughty? Written by RhettsWife
on 2/22/2008
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The only question left for Jindal is whether he will identify those who sabotaged the reform and CALL THEM OUT, like he promised in his victory speech. I'll be waiting to see if that happens. If he doesn't do it, then I'm afraid we might just have another Buddy Roemer on our hands. Written by ellno
on 2/22/2008
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Jeff,
You are absolutely right and to the point this time. Louisiana is not capable of changing. Even when a few sleazy pols get defeated, there are scores more waiting in the wings. This state will never crawl out of last place. Our ignorant voting base will never see the light, and the status quo will continue unabated.
If Louisiana were a third world country, then a revolution might eventually occur, but in the good old USA, we are protected from such undemocratic anarchy. Unfortunately, we are not protected from ourselves and the corrupt and incompetent government that we continue to tolerate. Written by trifull
on 2/22/2008
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Hey Stonehead,
Look everybody knows your posts so stopping trying to be cute by changing your name everytime to fit your posts and once in a while make some sense with your wierd posts. Like the one you just did regarding Jeff's column. What in the world are you saying? Crouere's column is crystal clear. Your post is pea soup. What are you saying, please. Written by Righteous
on 2/22/2008
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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>At the start of this administration and legislative session, there were high expectations, maybe, too high. Now we have a more realistic view that reform is going to be extremely tough to enact. It is time that the public gets involved and loudly demand that legislators pursue real reform, not sham reform. Anything less is just typical Louisiana politics.<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Not true Jeff,,,,,,, It only remains a condition of fact if that is what people such as yourself and others expect to remain........................ Written by .........Seated alone at the table round.....
on 2/22/2008
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Although last fall's election results were supposed to usher in a new era of reform in Baton Rouge, it seems that politics as usual still reigns in our state. Due to term limits, there are dozens of new legislators in 
