Tom Aswell, a native of Ruston, has lived in the Baton Rouge area for 30 years and for 10 of those years, ran Capitol News Service, covering state government for about 40 weekly and small daily newspapers throughout the state. Aswell also is the author if a comprehensive history of Louisiana rock and roll entitled Louisiana Rocks! The True Genesis of Rock and Roll. The book is available at all major book stores and on amazon.com.
Capitol News Service was recently revised and presently provides localized coverage of state government for about three dozen newspapers. But because much of what is observed in the State Capitol does not lend itself to client newspapers because there is generally no local hook, this web blog was created to provide the citizens of Louisiana an inside look at how your legislators and other elected officials carry on the state’s business and how your tax dollars are spent.
Much of what you find here won’t be found in your traditional newspapers or on the wire services. Many politicians will not like what they see here but we feel that you, the people without a voice, have a right to know the real stories and issues in state government. If it makes politicians uncomfortable, it gives us comfort. We are neither Republican nor Democrat. We are not Tea Partyers, nor do we defend wasteful spending. We do not parrot the Rush Limbaughs, Glenn Becks, or Sean Hannitys of the world, and we do not subscribe to the spin doctors on the opposite end of the political spectrum; we prefer to think for ourselves. At the same time, we invite your suggestions for stories and your inquiries into any issue. We also encourage your comments on the content of our Louisiana Voice blog. This way, we hope to give Louisiana citizens a voice in governmental affairs.
Hi Tom,
I love what you’re doing.
Might I suggest that you expand your blog’s reach, such as setting up a page on FB.
I live in California but I’ve been following the situation with LA state agencies through a friend who works there. It makes me ill. I know many would “like” and share the page.
Appreciate you fighting back against this craven cronyism.
j
Mr. Aswell, and readers, please join us on Saturday, May 14th at 9 AM at the Gov. mansion. We will march to the Capital in opposion to the cuts, increases, privitzations, and all that Jindal is attampting to do that will hurt Louisiana and her people.
We are a group of state workers, citizens, union members, students, teachers and whomever would like to join with us.
You are welcome to check out our Facebook page “Fight Back Louisiana” and recently set up web page http://www.louisianatakingaction.yolasite.com..open for viewing but information still being added.
Please join us and lets fight together to stop these destructive actions that gov. Jindal proposing!
The Secretary of State’s Office continues to hire unclassified employees. While 30-75 rank and file (the ones who do the work) will be laid off. At a recent agency wide meeting held by the Human Resources Department, everyone was told that the unclassifieds are not affected.
Butch,
Thank you for caring enough to pursue the untoward events surrounding OGB and TRSL.
Your former Cypress Springs neighbor.
Interesting article on prisons by the NY Times linked below. Thanks for your work to educate and protect the citizens of LA.
Fwd: nytimes: Private Prisons Found to Offer Little in Savings http://nyti.ms/k9BlV9
I live in California but I’ve been following the situation with LA state agencies through a friend who works there. It makes me ill. I know many would “like” and share the page.
+1
Tom,
Why don’t you seek advertising for your blog? You could have a contact point indicating how to contact you for those who want to advertise a service.
If you don’t have a counter to indicate the number of contacts from readers it might be good to install one so potential advertisers would know the number of hits you’re getting.
Just a suggestion. Good luck. Make some money.
Bill
Thanks for your great news reporting. We get the front story and the back story. Kudos. Wish your clones were at all papers in Louisiana, perhaps some educating voting would take place.
Thank you and keep up the good work.
Please come up with a strategy to reach more folks as we approach this important legislative session. Also, please remind state workers they DO have a voice, so many are afraid. But it is critical they speak up as their lives and careers are at stake.
Thank you for ensuring the rights for all state citizens to be heard!
I enjoy your articles. I am one of the 69 DHH Information Technology staff that is affected by the UNO Contract.
Basically, we have been mis-informed on future employment by DHH Executives on 3 Occassions. At each meeting, we felt as though we were being threatened with furlough without pay, having to pay 100 percent of Cobra to maintain our insurance, to being threatened by the biggest monetary right of not receiving our 300 hours of saved annual leave. You are right. How can the Jindal train be stopped? By recall.
Your blog was recommended to me by a fellow teacher. I have family and friends working for the Office of Group Benefits. I appreciate what you’re doing and I will continue to spread the word!
If a state employee signs the recall petition (of course on his own time and equipment ) can there still be legal retribution against him/her? Where in the Constitution does it state that public servants are indentured? By the way, it is extremely offensive to me that a first generation immigrant would speak so disparagingly of our government, both state and federal when my forebears died establishing and protecting that government.
Check the LouisianaVoice archives to see state employees’ rights. A state employee may not start a recall petition, but he/she is free to sign a recall petition without fear of reprisals.
A state employee is free to sign the petition, but that doesn’t mean the Maharaja doesn’t have his little henchmen and women checking names and address against their list of state employees. They could fire you for something you did or didn’t do back in 2005, while Katrina was raging.
This is the only blog or news source that I have found that is turning a spotlight on the corrupting influence of the American Legislative Exchange Council in Louisiana’s politics. ALEC, and especially its largest contributors like UnitedHealthCare, have bought key people in the state legislature and in the capitol with inundations of money, gifts, appointments and privileges. Our state is being sliced up and sold to insurance companies and corporate interests.
Mr. Aswell, please continue your work. I will be following your blog closely and repeating the truth you uncover.
I heard you on Engster show. As a former reporter, I admire your work. King Jindal is a throwback to days of political boss-bullies. Like you, I hope he does get a national job and leaves the state forever. Amazing how a man with such an education can be so shortsighted and be disrepectful of professional educators. Bad teachers are not the problem with Louisiana’s educational troubles.
Great work! Wonder how much money Charter School Operators and Foundations pushing charters, such as the Gates, Broad, Ford, Walton, and Dell Foundations have given Bobby since 2007.
Wow. Just spent 2 hours educating myself from your posts. I sure couldn’t figure out what was going on from reading the TP! Thank you. I retired from OPSB last March. As we are “charivaring” Walt Leger tomorrow, do you know where I can find info on what ALEC bills he has voted for? I’d like to be accurate on my posters and chants.
I would like to see a list of names (full) of each of our state legislator’s that states whether they vote for or against laws related to for-profit prison systems.
I just book marked your blog louisianavoice.com on Digg and Stumble Upon. I enjoy reading your commentaries.
Tom, first of all, just stumbled onto this site and it’s great. Secondly, loved “Louisiana Rocks”. IN fact, loaned out a copy to a friend, never came back. Bought another copy, loaned it out, never came back. My brother will now not give me my third copy back! Anyway, Wny not put a link to this site on Facebook? You the man!
tom if you want to link the interview you did on baton rouge labor radio with mike day go to http://youtube.com/batonrougelaborradio
the interview is in 2 parts
If properly credited, can excerpts from your posts be shared on Facebook?
Of course.
*whew*
Do you have mail list? If so I would love to be added to your daily mail outs. Thanks.
You are added.
Thanks,
Tom Aswell
LouisianaVoice is a one of the more impressive blogs I’ve seen. Thanks so much for keeping the internet classy for a change. Youve got style, class, bravado. I mean it. Please keep it up because without the internet is definitely lacking in intelligence. Best regards
Wow. You could not set out to write a fiction book and come up with stuff this wacky. Unbelievable that people in this state have their heads in the sand when it comes to Jindal.