Following is a speech deliverd on the floor of the Louisiana Senate on Wednesday by Sen. Butch Gautreaux (D-Morgan City), who will be leaving office at the end of his current term:
Bobby Jindal has been led our state now for approximately three-and-one-half years and I think it is time to acknowledge some of the most notable achievements of his first term as governor of the Great State of Louisiana.
Governor Jindal, the most traveled governor in Louisiana history, has logged well over a thousand hours in State Police helicopters, spending Sundays campaigning in churches mostly in north Louisiana. Additionally, he has logged hundreds of hours in Army National Guard helicopters traveling to the coast after Hurricane Gustav and Ike and the BP oil spill in an effort to point out that President Obama wasn’t there and that the Federal government was doing nothing.
And, while the State of Louisiana struggles with the national recession and while experiencing unprecedented unemployment, Governor Jindal crisscrosses the United States delivering the curious good news of business growth and job creation under his leadership. Of course all the while Jindal’s pointing out that Washington is out of control and that he is prepared to bring his principles of success in on-hands management to our nation—that is once he is back in Louisiana for a visit.
For the wisdom he delivered, millions of dollars were bestowed upon him by his adoring followers for his re-election campaign.
Who can forget Gov. Jindal’s adamant and very public refusal to accept the millions of stimulus dollars from Washington? And who can forget the very generous six foot by two foot presentation checks delivered to each and every parish of the State from the special checking account of Governor Bobby Jindal along with the same inspiring speech, except for the “insert parish name here” part?
I know how special I felt as we accepted the checks in the five parishes I serve. Some were trying to cast dispersions on those special occasions saying that the money doled out was Federal stimulus money, but we know the governor refused those dollars.
Let’s not forget the encouragement Gov. Jindal has given to our eldest military veterans—pinning their medals on them during his interrupted out-of-state campaign travel.
And of course, let’s not overlook the encouragement given to the young people of Louisiana. Among those is the opportunity to pay more for an education in state universities while losing courses of study and outstanding professors as more and more budget cuts were imposed.
Graduates have much more job opportunities today; out-of-state jobs that is. And special thanks should be given to Gov. Jindal for his attempt to make smoking more affordable.
And for special friends of the governor, great business opportunities have been provided int he form of lucrative tax breaks, adding big dollars to their bottom lines.
Another example that comes to mind is the opportunity afforded to Vantage Health to participate in writing the RFP and then being awarded the contract for an unprecedented awarding of a book of business away from the Office of Group Benefits.
In a meeting in Timmy Teepell’s office attended by the cmmissioner of administration, the governor’s chief of staff, Timmy Teepell, and three executives from Vantage Health, OGB CEO Tommy Teague was given the instructions and language to provide a book of business for Vantage Health. How’s that for transparency?
Next we have CNSI, a company with offices in India and the former employer of our newest Department of Health and Hospitals secretary. CNSI had the RFP re-written so that they could be eligible for the $34 million-per-year award for handling the Medicare billings and administration. This again was done by administrative act, bypassing the legislative oversight. We want to point out that those Louisiana jobs will now headed to points unknown in a continuing Jindal effort on job growth–just not for Louisiana residents.
And now it is my understanding Bobby Jindal will be saving the State of Louisiana $10 million by firing 149 employees at the Office of Group Benefits as soon as I get my butt away from Baton Rouge.
Of course the flip side of this significant savings is that it will cost twice the amount saved in additional costs to the State by placing the PPO plan in the hands of some favored private insurance company as evidenced by the Chaffe Report steadfastly kept under the shield of new transparency by Gov. Jindal.
The real and yet unreleased final report is more critical of this deal than the draft we saw. The cost of that deal within the Governor’s office will be borne by all Louisiana taxpayers.
While resolutions from the Legislature, District Judges Association, The Office of Group Benefits Board of Trustees and numerous state retiree organizations have been sent to Gov. Jindal in opposition to placing OGB in private hands, the Governor has seen fit to ignore all such petitions.
I would be remiss if I did not offer my sincere gratitude to the governor for one thing that has stood out this year; it has been a long time since Republicans and Democrats have courageously stood together and in opposition to Bobby Jindal’s efforts to denigrate and devalue the contributions of State employees and retirees. Nor should we overlook other administration efforts not in the best interest of Louisiana.
Thank you.
Louisiana Voice 
Thank You Senator Gautreaux for having the backbone to put the truth about our so called Louisiana Governor out there. A great speech and It is all the truth. You are the best Senator the State of Louisana could ever hope for and it was a job well done. Too bad our Governor is not looking out for what is best for Louisiana but what is best for him to line his pockets as he plans to run for President of the United States one day. You have done your best to keep OGB as a state agency and not privatize it. The rest is left up to the good Lord. We will miss you as a Senator….but it is still not too late to run against the crooked Jindal for Governor
BUTCH GAUTREAUX FOR GOVERNOR!!!!!
From one of the state employees at OGB that might be one of the 149 employees to be without a job after years of serving the State of Louisiana
Could not have been spoken any better by anyone else! You will be missed as a Senator who would stand up for the employees of the State of Louisiana! It has been a pleasure to work with you during your tenure on the Group Benefits Committee. You have always, without fail, taken the side of the state employees. I concur with the previous writer, maybe you should consider running for Governor. I bet we could elect you with the state employees who are active and retired along with the teachers who fit in that category! At least you understand right from wrong! Good luck on your campaign! North Louisiana will be glad to help you campaign!!!
I definitely agree with the previous comment, including: BUTCH GAUTREAUX FOR GOVERNOR!!!!! Not only is he brave, but eloquent, sincere, and caring. It is a shame to lose him in the legislature. If we had more like him, John Bel Edwards, and Ernest Wooten the legislature might muster the courage to actually represent the people rather than the governor.
Wonderful! Yes, Gautreaux for Governor!
He said it clearly.
Thank you Sen. Gautreaux!!! Beautifully written. Wish you were staying. I will pass your words along with hope that there will be people who read them and take action at the polls. It is indeed sad times for LA.
Sen. Gautreaux for governor!!!
Tom Aswell and Senator Gautreaux your support, honesty, caring and being righteous is not falling on deaf ears. Thank God we have people like you in the world. Tommy Teague too. Good honest people are very hard to find in any of LA politics. You all work with great passion and conviction. We could never thank you enough. Had it not been for your paper Mr. Aswell I being an disabled state retiree had no idea this was going on. I am a member of OGB and will fight for it to my death. It is unique and no plan members were ever asked how they felt. Thank you all so very much. Now I guess its in the Lord’s hands. Thank you all again. We have done all we could.
I would vote Sen. Gautreaux for whatever office he would run in. I would also like to get into a class action lawsuit against the evil Jindal for wrongdoing.
I agree with everyone. Thanks Tom and Gautreaux for Governor!!!!
I do believe Brady and Rainwater were confirmed along with Goldstein. This article from WAFB.com states;
“Greenstein’s confirmation, along with a list of other appointees by Gov. Bobby Jindal, was approved in a 30-5 Senate vote Thursday afternoon. Lawmakers who voted against the list say their objections were with Greenstein.”
So it looks like we are stuck with these hatchet men until we get a NEW GOVERNOR…..Come On Butch Gautreaux, run for Governor. Go talk to Buddy Leach. Let’s see if he can get you some campaign dollars!!!!!!!!
As a former worker for Sen. Gautreaux’s Lt. Gov. campaign, I know these comments mean a lot to him. Thanks so much for all your love and support over the years.
Nice, but too short, interview with Senator Gautreaux on WRKF this afternoon. He proved, again, he is a true gentleman. He is proud of his record in the La. legislature and, although he voted for term limits, he admits it is unfortunate he has to leave at the peak of his knowledge and experience, i. e., when he was positioned to have the most impact. The real losers are us.
IMO, term limits rob the voters of power and cause more harm than good. I am not and have never been for regs which serve to limit the power of the electorate. Losing Sen. Gautreaux and many others this year to term limits is just plain wrong. It’s just what “we” demanded, but it is wrong.
Please join me this Fall and fire Bobby Jindal! Sen. Geautreaux please help us and run for Governor.
Wow, thank you, Senator Gautreaux, for speaking your piece about Jindals sad reign as Governor. Thank you, Tom for posting this, I will be sharing it.