It would seem to me that if the governor were any kind of man at all, he would take the time to personally visit the Office of Group Benefits and attempt to assuage the feelings of fear, dread, and resentment that presently permeates that entire agency.
If he plans to dismantle, sell off or turn over the agency to a third party administrator, he needs to make his intentions known once and for all. Clearly. He owes the employees of OGB and indeed, all state employees, retirees, and their dependents that much.
It’s the transpranency, stupid.
Of course his mouthpiece, er Chief of Staff Timmy Teepell, will argue that the governor is far too busy running the state to take time out for such mundane matters. After all, there is no hurricane or oil spill to afford him face time on network television. He just wouldn’t look “governorish” stooping to such levels.
To that I say bull crap! Meadow muffins! Road apples!
He for damned sure isn’t too busy to visit north Louisiana Protestant churches every sunday as a prelude to soliciting campaign contributions from congregation members; he wasn’t too busy to make himself available to visit dozens of states last year in campaign appearances for Republican candidates; he wasn’t too busy to show up for out-of-state fundraisers for his own campaign; and he wasn’t too busy to flit about the country promoting his shallow, self-promoting, ghost-written book. And when did he find time to “write” it? He was all of 39 when he “wrote” it and he’s going to tell us, indeed the nation, about leadership and crisis? Give. Me. A. Break.
He certainly wasn’t running the state when he was on all of those out-of-state trips. He was absent so much that an LSU student had to go looking for him and ask him to return home and do his job. And they say college students like to cut classes.
So, guv, I hereby issue this challenge to you: do your job. Let the citizens of this state know your true intent as regards the Office of Group Benefits.
You owe it to us or we owe you nothing come this fall.
Man up.
Tom Aswell
Louisiana Voice 
I appreciate your monitoring of this shyster, the WORST governor in Louisiana’s history since Richard Leche. Keep up the good work!
I just received an email from David Vitter asking me to vote and contribute to Jindal’s campaign for Governor. I wrote back and got a thank you from him for my comments. I also reminded him that if he continues to support this jerk of a governor I would never vote for him again . Please keep us updated on the news. Gayle
All I can say to that is GOD Bless you Tom Aswell.
I totally agree, and I will not be voting for him this fall. He is the worse Governor we have ever had. Thank you Tom Aswell.
Jindal did, in fact, visit one group of hard working state employees this week–just not OGB! He made an appearance in the Budget Office Monday and thanked the employees for their diligence and hard work in preparing the budget for 2011-2012. I understand his remarks were “gracious” so it would appear that he has no plans to outsource the Budget Office–at least not now!
If I were an employee of OGB, I would not hold my breath until he deigned to explain what wonders he has planned for that agency. Unfortunately, they will probably find out sooner rather than later as did those of us who work for the Office of Risk Management.
I can only hope more and more people read this blog and realize the detriment our state is facing.