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Archive for December, 2010

John’s Christmas Shopping tips

Posted in Uncategorized on December 10, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Got a news tip or lead? send your information to: louisianavoice@cox.net. Your identity will not be divulged.

Disclaimer-Disclaimer-Disclaimer! It’s not Dave Barry and the following Christmas shopping suggestions are solely those of John Sachs and not Louisiana Voice.

John’s Christmas Shopping Tips

This is the first of what I anticipate becoming a multi-year Christmas shopping suggestion list intended to help men become Holiday Heroes. Women, you can stop reading now. If you continue, you have no one but yourselves to blame when no glorious surprises are awaiting you on Christmas morning.

Now, guys, let’s be candid here. I’m not married and don’t have a lady friend. I’ve never been successful at either enterprise. But that doesn’t for a moment dissuade me from considering myself totally qualified to offer you advice on how to Christmas shop for the woman in your life. There are plenty of folks blithely going about the world giving advice to others on topics with which they have no expertise. So why not me? And if I’m wrong…oh well. With that understood, let’s get started on specifics.

Ruston offers conveniently located, moderately priced, and skillfully managed stores to make your shopping joyful. Yeah, joyful. That’s a good seasonal word to describe what we want here. No need to leave the deer camp early as these places are accustomed to customers with deer entrails splattered on their camouflage overalls and deer scat on their boots. These folks really mean it when they say, “Come as you are.” There are plenty of sympathetic salesmen who speak your language, and they’ll understand your predicament—completely.

First gift idea. A vacuum cleaner. More specifically, a USED vacuum cleaner. The local vacuum cleaner store has a dandy selection. They can also offer you some great tips on describing the features of your purchase to “the li’l lady” recipient of your generosity. And believe me when I tell you, almost nothing impresses a lady more than a man who knows vacuum cleaners.

But don’t get snookered into actually using the darn thing. When she coyly suggests that you vacuum a few rooms to show her how to use it, just turn it on, hand it to her and say, “I don’t want to deprive you of a moment’s pleasure.” Then quickly walk away. Preferably out of earshot range so you won’t have to listen to her screams of what are surely delight with her present.

Second, a broom and dust pan set. Getting the broom with the matching, color coordinated, clip-on dust pan is a sure winner. And so considerate. I just hate it when I hear of women getting upset as they prepare to sweep up the dirt from his work boots that he just deposited on her freshly mopped floor. Often when that happens she is unable to speak through her clinched teeth, but I’m pretty certain it’s because she’s upset about the missing dustpan.

One more thing about brooms I want to share with you that is sure to win points. Get one cut on the bias. That means that the straws or bristles or whatever you call the things that actually move the dirt around aren’t straight. They are shorter on one end than the other. Let me help you out here. Those things are cut that way so that first, you can get dirt out of the corners easier, and second, so that when you put the broom in the closet it will stay behind the doorjamb and won’t fall out and hit her, or more importantly – you — on the head.

Again, to impress your lady fair, let her know you considered these points when selecting her broom set. Then point out some dirt in a corner and encourage her to clean it up. When it works just as you said it would, you’ll make bonus points. It may not by itself be a home run, but it’ll be a strong triple.

Okay, we’re down to the last of this year’s Big Three gift suggestions. A used bicycle. The folks at the local bike shop can fix you up from their selection, or they’ll put one you bought through Thrifty Nickel into top-notch shape. When choosing that perfect bike for the ladylove of your life, you’ll need to pay close attention to three things. Make certain it has wide, soft tires. If at all possible, get one with shock absorbers. Really. Bikes have shock absorbers on them nowadays. And most important of all, get the biggest seat that money can buy. If there is such a thing as a bicycle seat for two, buy it.

Again, prepare to be pampered once she receives this gift on Christmas morning. Point out to her all of the comfort features that you made certain to incorporate into the bike. Point out the smooth ride the big tires will provide. Emphasize the value of “heavy duty” shock absorbers for her riding comfort. And then for the coup de gras, point out the oversized seat meant to accommodate (maybe even custom fit) her anatomy.

One word of caution. When she sits on the custom oversized seat and asks you if it makes her hips look fat—lie! Trust me, you’ll get an extra serving of Christmas dinner with this last point. However, failure to follow these instructions completely may result in your just being lucky to be alive to enjoy Christmas dinner. But not to worry. Go for it.

Well, there you have it. My first annual gift idea list for the hurried and harried man. No need to thank me. It’s my gift to y’all.

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Alabama security firm threatens retaliation against Louisiana employees

Posted in Contract, Contracts, Governor's Office, Prison, Transparency on December 10, 2010| 2 Comments »

An Alabama firm that provides security for about 20 state offices buildings in Baton Rouge and other Louisiana cities has threatened retaliation against employees who complained of not receiving paychecks from the company or who received checks that bounced.

A December 6 one-page memorandum from JAT Bureau of Protective Services of Montgomery, Alabama, began by instructing employees on when to submit their timesheets and then noted that the firm’s current pay calendar was incorrect. “The next pay date will be December 23, 2010. A new pay calendar will be distributed to each employee within the next few weeks,” it said.

The memo then said the Department of Public Safety (DPS) “has had several complaints by building tenants (employees of state agencies, ostensibly) and DPS officers of JAT employees complaining about issues they have with the company.”

The “issues” weren’t identified but the reference was apparently to complaints about late payroll checks and payroll checks that bounced. One employee showed Capitol News Service his check of November 17 that was returned by his bank because of insufficient funds.

“This behavior WILL NOT BE TOLERATED,” the memorandum said in all capital, bold letters. “If any employee has a complaint, it can be expressed to (supervisors). If the complaint cannot be handled by the supervisor, he or she will pass (it) on to the appropriate manager to be handled. DPS does not want employees calling their officers or office with complaints. Complaints will be handled by JAT management.”

The final admonition said, again in bold lettering: “Any employees found to be in violation of this policy will be given a written warning. Further violation(s) will result in termination.”

Another memorandum to JAT employees, dated the following day from JAT Chairman Arthur Coleman, III, said the company is current with employee salary payments but it appeared to conflict with the Dec. 6 memo which said the next pay date will be Dec. 23. “All employees will receive a check on Friday, January 7, 2011,” the Dec. 7 letter said, again in all-bold letters. “The next pay date will be February 7, 2001.” Coleman said the 30-day notice of changes in pay dates is in compliance with Louisiana law

JAT, of Montgomery, Alabama, was awarded the contract, effective Oct. 1, on the basis of its low bid of $1,061,866.11 at bid openings last August. The contract runs through June 30, 2011 and stipulates that unarmed guards receive a minimum of $8.50 per hour with armed guards receiving one dollar more per hour. Supervisors are to receive at least $12 per hour.

The firm employs 74 guards in 15 Baton Rouge state office buildings, plus employees in other state buildings scattered across the state, from New Orleans to Shreveport.

Attempts by Capitol News Service to contact Coleman were unsuccessful.

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Louisiana’s tobacco lawsuit settlement laden with irony

Posted in Attorney General, Contract, Contracts, Health Care, Prison, Revenue, Transparency on December 8, 2010| Leave a Comment »

An online dictionary defines the essential feature of irony as “the indirect presentation of a contradiction between an action or expression and the context in which it occurs.”

A good example of irony would be the State of Louisiana’s legal position in joining with 45 other states several years ago in suing the big tobacco companies. Louisiana, then-Attorney General Richard Ieyoub claimed, was spending inordinate amounts of state revenue treating tobacco-related illnesses among indigent citizens at the state’s charity hospitals.

Joining in the lawsuit was a logical and justified means of recovering some of the state’s costs of treating heart and lung disease, diabetes, cancer, tooth and gum disease, and various other ailments afflicting the state’s poor smokers. It even made sense when state buildings established designating smoking rooms in the early 1990s and then later abolished smoking altogether, forcing those unwilling to kick the habit to trudge outside in heat, cold, and rain to get their nicotine fix.

The 46 states and several U.S. territories eventually reached a settlement of about $206 billion with Louisiana slated to receive $4.6 billion as its share of the settlement.

Louisiana received its first check of $104 million in December of 1999. Last year the state’s share was $175.5 million and the 2010 payment of an as yet undetermined amount is due later this month.

That would explain the justification. Now for the irony.

On June 16 of this year, the Louisiana Department of Corrections (DOC) awarded contracts to three separate vendors for the purchase of more than $6.1 million in tobacco products for re-sale to prison inmates across the state.

And that was only for a six-month supply.

Of the three vendors who were awarded contracts, two are from Texas. Rudy Love Distributing Co. of Huntsville, Texas, had a low bid of $1,002,450 and Price & Co. of Beaumont, Texas, submitted a low bid of $84,631.75. Lyons Specialty Co. of Port Allen tied with an out-of-state firm with its bid of $5,025,220, but was awarded the contract because it is a Louisiana firm, according to DOC spokesperson Pam LaBorde.

The three firms were low bidders on 16 separate items on which bids were opened on June 14, two days before the contracts were awarded, she said.

LaBorde said that DOC and Prison Enterprises (PE) recoups the full amount of the tobacco items purchased off the bids by selling the products to prisoners at a markup, “plus the applicable sales taxes by parish and city or town where the correctional center is located.” She added that prices will vary somewhat because of local taxes.

“When placed out for bid, the amounts reflected in the bid are estimates of usage for the six-month contract period,” LaBorde said. “The amount purchased fluctuates based on the demand.” She said that items are delivered on an as-needed basis and facilities are not required to purchase the full amount as estimated in the contract.

“These proceeds are used to offset the cost of the items, the bidding of the items, the storage, warehousing, other overhead, and delivery to each facility as well as to recoup the necessary salary funds of the correctional officers who provide the canteen service. These canteen services are provided to the offender population as self-generated program(s),” she added.

So much for recovering the costs of purchasing tobacco products for the prisoners. Every contingency, it seems, is covered.

Except….except, oh yes, medical care for the state’s indigent population.

And who in Louisiana is more indigent than prison inmates?

No one. And bear in mind that Louisiana has the largest prison population in the U.S.

And where are prison inmates treated for their smoking-related illnesses?

At the state’s charity hospitals, that’s where.

And who pays for their treatment?

Since the cost of medical treatment is not factored into the equation, i.e. the price prisoners pay for tobacco products, that would be you and me, the Louisiana taxpayers.

Irony.

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State contractor bounces employee paychecks

Posted in Contract, Contracts, Governor's Office, Prison, Transparency on December 5, 2010| Leave a Comment »

An Alabama firm that was awarded a million dollar contract in September to provide security for at least 15 state office buildings in Baton Rouge is late paying most of the 74 guards on its Baton Rouge payroll and has bounced paychecks for several others only weeks before Christmas.

JAT Bureau of Services and Management of Montgomery, Alabama, sent memorandums to employees last Thursday informing them that their paychecks, already late in coming, will be distributed on Tuesday of this week.

JAT, which employs 200 persons in all and which had 2009 revenues of $2 million, had the low bid of $1,061,866.11 during bid openings on Aug. 4 and was awarded the contract to run from September 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011, according to documents provided by the Division of Administration.

The contract stipulates that unarmed guards receive a minimum of $8.50 per hour and armed guards $9.50. Supervisors are to receive at least $12 per hour under terms of the contract.

One guard showed a copy of his paycheck dated November 17, which was returned because of insufficient funds. Guards have continued working despite either not receiving paychecks for several weeks or after receiving paychecks that were not honored by banks.

One unconfirmed report said the company’s contract also includes as many as five other state office buildings in other cities and that employees in those locations also have not been paid.

Attempts were made to contact JAT Chairman Arthur Coleman, but an employee who answered the phone said he was not available. She gave a cell phone number for him but he did not answer when called.

The request for proposals (RFP) issued a month before the bid opening apparently did not require that bidders post either a bid bond or performance bond. The RFP did stipulate, however, that the successful bidder carry liability insurance and that the state had the right to cancel the contract for unsatisfactory performance with 15 days written notice.

State buildings where JAT has a contract to provide security include the Claiborne Building which houses the Division of Administration that awarded the firm its contract, the Office of State Police, the State Library Building, the Baton Rouge State Office Building, the Poydras Building, the First Circuit Court of Appeal Building, the State Data Processing Building, the Galvez Building, the LaSalle Building, the LaSalle Building garage, the Department of Environmental Quality Laboratory building, the Iberville Building, the Bienville Building, the Division of Administrative Law building, and the Wooddale State Office Building.

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