Bobby Jindal has completely lost touch with reality.
To be perfectly blunt, he is an imbecilic moron. (For those of you who think I should apologize for that characterization: okay, I’m sorry he’s an imbecilic moron.)
There, we’ve said it. We’ve tried to take the high road in our criticism of his actions and policies in the past but when he chooses to spend $2 million that the state does not have to build a monument that it does not need to his mentor who isn’t particularly memorable other than for the fact that he imposed and inflicted Bobby Jindal on the state, we can only throw up our hands in abject exasperation.
Our college and university physical plants are in desperate need of repairs and renovations—but there’s no money for that.
Most state employees have gone four years without pay raises because there’s no money.
The various state retirement plans have gigantic unfunded liabilities mostly because the state does not live up to its obligation to pay its share into those funds.
Higher education has been cut to the bone by this administration but there’s money to house the archives of former Gov. Mike Foster.
Our roads and highways are in deplorable condition—and there’s no money fix them. But we can erect a shrine to a former governor for the first time in the state’s history.
The administration has been conducting a fire sale of state property in order to raise one-time money to meet recurring expenses in an effort to plug a gaping deficit in the state budget but somehow we seem to need a museum for a governor who likes to ride a motorcycle without a helmet (and Lyndon Johnson once said that Gerald Ford played “too much football without a helmet.”)
Nearly a half-million people are without health care but Medicaid benefits have been cut.
What the hell?
Has anyone taken a look at some Jindal’s veto messages?
- He killed a $190,000 appropriation for support services to the elderly;
- He slashed $500,000 for the arts;
- Appropriations for individuals with development disabilities in Jefferson Parish ($50,000), the Florida Parishes ($200,000), Capital Area ($200,000), the Metropolitan Human Services District ($50,000), the Northeast Delta ($50,000), Acadiana ($200,000), Calcasieu ($50,000), Central Louisiana ($50,000), Northwest Louisiana ($50,000): all vetoed because of a reduction to Medicaid utilization;
- Continued operation of the Children’s Special Health Services Clinics across the state ($794,000);
- Prevention and Intervention Services Program for the Family Violence Program ($1.17 million);
- A $2 million reduction in the value of state contracts;
Yes, we are aware that these vetoes were from Act 1, the General Appropriations Budget and the $2 million appropriation for the Mike Foster Shrine comes from Act 2, the Capital Outlay Budget and yes, we know these are two different buckets. We know that, but waste is waste and payback is payback and this is both.
The state is spending the money to renovate the third floor of an old elementary school in Franklin (Foster’s home town) to house the archives of Jindal’s benefactor who served as governor from 1996 to 2004.
The first two floors of the former school building presently serve as the Franklin City Hall.
There are three very good reasons why the state should not be paying for this. One we’ve already mentioned: the state is broke, as in destitute—mostly because of Jindal’s penchant for giving away the store in the form of tax incentives, tax breaks and tax exemptions to business and industry and for the Louisiana Department of Economic Development’s designation of enterprise zones to businesses and industries, which awards more tax incentives even though the designation does not always translate to jobs.
The other two reasons are:
- Mike Foster is a very wealthy man. If he wants to immortalize himself with a trophy room, let him pay for it.
- Bobby Jindal should pay for it personally because he owes everything he has attained in his political life to the glaring blunder of Foster back in 1996: appointing Jindal head of the Department of Health and Hospitals at the tender age of 24 when he knew even less than he knows now about how things work.
The most absurd utterance of this entire sordid affair came from Foster himself when, in saying that the project came as a surprise to him, added, “I never liked to be the center of attention.” That ranks right up there with Jindal’s “I have the job I want.”
State Sen. Bret Allain (R-Jeanerette) said he included the project in the Capital Outlay Bill because he did not want Foster’s papers to be buried among a university’s collection, whatever that meant. Maybe he wants Foster to make him a governor the way he did Jindal.
No governor in Louisiana’s history has had his own library, museum or archives building. That’s what makes Jindal’s approval of Allain’s project so absurd—and outrageous and irresponsible.
Most Louisiana governors simply turn their papers over to the Secretary of State’s office where they are stored in the State Archives but Foster sent only those records involving state boards and commissions. Supposedly, everything else was taken to Franklin in a U-Haul towed by Foster on a Harley-Davidson 1450 cc V-twin (yeah, we had to Google that).
Of course with Jindal’s obsession with secrecy and the “deliberative process,” there won’t be a need for a museum or a library; any papers and records that he leaves behind can probably be stored in a cabinet beneath the bathroom sink—with room to spare.
And of course the worse thing about it that, now, Jindull will want one, too.
Please keep letting us know what’s going on. We need to hear the truth!
Jon Awbrey is correct. Jindal is doing this to set precedent so the state will finance his library. Since Jindal did not attend any LA university, and has cut funding to higher ed throughout his office, no self-respecting university in LA would be the least bit interested in housing his papers. You can imagine the cost of denying access to all of the paperwork once it’s placed in storage. The security cost of guarding these precious papers from public view. His “transparent” administration has fought tooth & nail to keep documents hidden from public scrutiny, so why should we believe it will be available for public view once he leaves office?
I am a librarian at a Louisiana university, and I guarantee that we’d LOVE to have Jindal’s papers to preserve and make available for examination. Librarians and Jindal may have low opinions of each other, but it is our responsibility to preserve this history of this state.
Whether or not he makes his papers available is yet to be seen.
Almost all communications is on computers now, so why not just place a computer in the back room where all can assess information if they so desire at no cost to the public and let the world see what type of person Jindal was and is now.
How can this be stopped?!! And how can we ‘vet’ future candidates to stop this type of totalitarianism from happening in Louisiana again? Thank you, Mr. Aswell for always shining the light of truth into these horribly dark corners! God bless you and God help Louisiana!
At what point do we as citizens have the right to stop such blatant misuse of our hard earned income for ignorance. Mike Foster should not be glorified while sick and mentally unstable individuals cannot receive the treatment they deserve. I was working in Laplace at a state owned facility which privatized and later closed. Individuals who had been treated for behavioral health problems were basically turned away after the private industry took over because most of them could not afford the cost of treatment. There were programs cut to help the youth in our community as an alternative to institutions like Jetson Correctional (baby prison) and Jindal somehow stopped funding for those facilities. There are children who are physically incapable of taking up for themselves and they are being punished while this self righteous idiot does pretty much whatever he damn well pleases! And Mike Foster must be a pompous idiot if he agrees with this God Awful Eye sore of an institution that is being erected at the cost of improving the quality of human lives! May they both be held responsible for their poor decisions and lack of compassion. There is a God and if you don’t believe in Him there is always a woman named Karma!
Great post and great comments.
Re: your comment “To be perfectly blunt, he is an imbecilic moron.” You are much too kind.
I believe that Jindal is part of the Cabal (Illuminati) that owns and runs this world.
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Kundalini needs to close his mouth shut reel tight , pinch his nose closed really tight and blow out through his ears for he has a huge fart on his brain!!!
Is there nothing those of us who see that the Would-be Emperor has no clothes can do to arrest these ridiculous actions? Is the whole Legislature in thrall to Jindal, or are the people of this state so craven as to let all these offenses go unpunished, or – worse yet, unremarked?
Utterly Insane!
He can only do as much as the Legislators let him.
Louisiana is not as Bad as we are being portrayed,leadership need to step up.
Reblogged this on The Daily Kingfish and commented:
Thanks to Tom Aswell for another zinger about the morally-challenged Jindal Admin.
Is there no end to this man’s vanity? All of our state colleges and universities are in dire need, to say nothing of healthcare providers and facilities. Is every member of the legislature so testicularly challenged they are afraid to challenge him when he is so patently throwing OUR money down the proverbial rat hole???
Anne, I don’t know if it’s vanity that drives Jindull (Thank you Jon Awbrey) or if it’s his Hitleristic character flaw of total disdain of all things proletariat. With his obsession with Hitler, maybe Glen Beck needs to investigate Jindull and his tactics.
But worst yet, our roll over and beg legislators will line up to kiss Jundull’s —whatever, and offer to up the ante if Foster’s Reading Room (He has a book?) needs additional funding, OR the spare change left is needed to upgrade yet another Duck Camp for Foster’s oilfield trash cronies.
http://bobmannblog.com/2013/10/24/a-tale-of-three-libraries-bobby-jindals-misplaced-priorities/
Tom, Unable to find it online and facts are fading with memory, but I seem to recall Foster’s first official act was to rescind a tax on bagasse. This self-serving governing has likely netted millions for the sugar plantation master. Perhaps the museum will have a diorama display of this milestone in Louisiana colonialism.
A fan, Ronnie Clifton
Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2013 14:50:46 +0000 To: ronniesez@hotmail.com
It needs to be stopped somehow. I so just want this little man to disappear from politics.
One would think Gov. Foster would have the class to put the brakes on this project. We all know Jindal has an ulterior motive. He doesn’t do something for nothing.
Tom: Just as a personal note or questions, isn’t the old state capitol a museum dedicated to memorabilia of past governors? You are correct in that Foster can pay for any personal shrine with his own money! Cynthia
Right on, Cynthia! Your historical experience with Louisiana politics from the inside gives special credence to your take on this.
You are of course entitled to write any petty little drivelous thing you want on your own blog, but a point of order- Governor Foster didn’t “make him a governor…” That’s not how the process works. The people of Louisiana made Governor Jindal the governor, twice. I wonder, will your criticism will be so sharp when we elect a hand-wringing apologist who panders to put-upon state employees, teachers, and welfare queens?
You have every right to your opinion and I would never attempt to take that away. Foster appointed him head of DHH. Had he not given that boost to Jindal’s career, chances are Louisiana voters would never have heard of him. So yes, indirectly Foster did “make him a governor.”
Likewise, it is my right to criticize any elected official, Republican, Democrat, conservative, liberal or of any other stripe when I think he’s wrong.
I have only one question for you: what have your learned about Jindal on this or any other blog that you would rather not have known?
And by the way, you wrote a lucid, well-structured comment. You might wish to thank a “put-upon teacher” for that ability.
Hmmm, “drivelous”? Did you make that word up? If it means what you intend, some of us would apply it your post.
If Jindal is really smart he’ll burn everything so that no one will be able to find out how much money he has given his friends during his tenure as governor. In fact it would be a good thing if someone could find a friendly judge—now—and get an injunction forbidding any government employees to destroy any piece of paper that comes from the governor, his office, or his administration.
Dick Hemmings
More and more surreal each and every day…oh God how many more months, days, minutes, seconds yawn before us until he is out of office??
BTW, Tom, I’m fairly certain Matt would have points taken off by his high school English teacher, re: “drivelous”? Really??
I wonder how many of those people regret making Jindal governor? Other than his almighty cronies, I’d be willing to bet that put-upon state employees and teachers regret voting for him. As for me, I am proud to say that Jindal did not get my vote in either term. I never minded my taxes along with other taxpayers contributing to his salary as long as I was working, but my vote? Never!!!
Just to modify one of your statements, Mr. Tom: Some state employees had their salaries frozen for FIVE years and were told by our supervisors to basically ‘grin and bear it’ while themselves and their cronies received raises through promotions and reallocations in the hopes that we wouldn’t find out. They’re full of horse manure.
To Mr. ‘Matt: To further add to the claim that Gov. Foster propped up Gov. Jindal, upon Gov. Foster’s last days in politics, he transferred ALL of his political campaign coffers over to his DHH Secretary- a Piyush ‘Bobby’ Jindal. I remember hearing him say that out of his own mouth on WWL AM 870 back in 2003…
I am very happy to say I never voted for the man and wouldn’t if he were the last man on earth!! Everyone I know in South La., and beyond, share the feeling!
If you want to read something really funny, look up today’s online editorial in The Lake Charles American Press.
Hint: The Lake Charles American Press did not publish the story concerning the funding of Mike Foster’s Library.
There would certainly seem to be an editorial shift with the retirement of Jim Beam. Among the more naïve points made by Mr. Moses was the one about legislators loading the wagon while realizing the money wasn’t there to fund them – this is printed as if it is some revelation, but it is something 100% of the people involved in the process understand all too well. On the other hand, very few members of the general public understand at all. It is a disservice to the AMERICAN PRESS readers that no attempt whatsoever was made to explain that this is done so the legislators can brag about what they put in the bill and then blame the governor about if the projects are not funded, not to mention the bottom-line that the legislature is abrogating its power of appropriation to the governor by virtue of how projects are ultimately funded. But, I guess the AMERICAN PRESS believes we are all mullets, as C. B. Forgotston might say..
What a difference a year makes!
http://www.doa.louisiana.gov/osr/other/bj11-09.htm
Check out the 3rd comment here:
http://bobmannblog.com/2013/11/02/bobby-jindals-poverty-of-compassion/#comments
Next up: Jindal gets the Senate to vote to deify Foster.