Gov. Piyush Jindal, aka Bobbin Hood (robs from the poor, gives to the rich), certainly loses no time.
No sooner does he ram through his education “reforms,” which, among other things, removes from local school boards all authority over parish superintendents, than he institutes his reign of terror.
It seems that the administration, even before passage of his education reforms, had already initiated a policy of monitoring email communications between some, if not all, parish school superintendents and school employees.
That’s the word out of northeast Louisiana and at least one of the Florida parishes.
Livingston Parish Superintendent Bill Spear, speaking last week at a parish chamber of commerce luncheon, revealed that Jindal’s administration has wasted no time in making a public records request for emails concerning proposed changes to education sent to Livingston parish school employees.
The emails, without question, are public record, available for the asking to anyone interested enough to ask for them.
It’s just that it seems rather peculiar that someone as busy as the governor of a state and who plainly has ambitions for bigger and better things would have time to review the emails of a parish school superintendent.
Unless…
Unless there are underlying motives of reprisals against those who do not fall into line quickly enough.
This governor has already exhibited a sufficient propensity to take swift and severe actions against subordinates who dare express an independent opinion that is at odds with his.
Inspired by the phrase coined by an acquaintance who shall remain nameless because he is a state employee, we have applied the term Teagued to those who have felt the wrath of Piyush:
• Department of Social Services grant reviewer Melody Teague in October 2009 testified against Jindal’s proposed streamlining of state government. She was fired the very next day. It took six months but she got her job back;
• Office of Group Benefits (OGB) Director Tommy Teague, husband of Melody, wasn’t quick enough to bow and scrap when Jindal proposed the privatization of OGB. Fired.
• Jim Champagne, executive director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, disagreed with Jindal’ plan to repeal the state’s motorcycle helmet law. Out the door;
• Ethics Administrator Richard Sherburne hit the bricks when Jindal gutted the Ethics Board’s adjudicatory authority, giving that authority to administrative law judges. Jindal neutered the board after he was hit was an ethics fine shortly after taking office. Coincidence? Not likely.
• Tammie McDaniel, a member of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), questioned budget decisions by the administration and was immediately asked to resign by Jindal. She did after first resisting his heavy-handed methods;
• Martha Manuel, executive director of the Office of Elderly Affairs, was critical of an administration decision to move her agency from the governor’s office to the Department of Health and Hospitals. Axed by phone;
• State Rep. Harold Richie (D-Bogalusa), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee and vice chairman of the House Committee on Insurance, was stripped of his vice-chairmanship of the latter after voting no on a tax rebate for those who donate money for scholarships to private and parochial schools while sitting on the former.
With passage of Jindal’s sweeping education reform package, the state, through the Department of Education, now assumes authority over local school superintendents.
The local school boards will continue to hire the superintendents but they will answer to State Superintendent John White and not the local boards that appoint them.
That would be moral equivalent of the Louisiana Supreme Court’s suddenly deciding to micromanage the affairs of a local traffic court or the Louisiana State Police commander’s monitoring the time clock of the Shongaloo town marshal.
Simply put, such action trivializes the office of the governor.
Could Jindal’s demanding copies of superintendents’ emails to local school employees be the first step down a slippery slope toward disciplinary action for imagined sins of the local superintendents?
If so, it would seem reasonable that the next logical step for this governor would be to seek out and destroy the school employees themselves, especially teachers who dare question the reforms, for punishment.
That’s the way Piyush Jindal operates.
It’s also the way it’s done in Third World dictatorships around the globe.
One would think it’s not the way it’s done in a free society.
One would be wrong.
It’s a bone-chilling message that the citizens of this state, whether state employees or not, should not ignore.
Louisiana Voice 
Tom, is it possible Jindal could be impeached for malfeasance in office? Is it not a violation to penalize citizens of the US for free speech? Is he not in violation of any law with his tactics? How does an individual such as he get away with the clear and blatant violation of the constitutions of the US and La.?
Not being an attorney, I would never attempt to answer those questions.
There’s got to be something that could be done to the lil general.
The Emir gets away with it because no one in the media (newspaper or TV) has guts enough to challenge him. The media knows, members of the Legislature know, but they’re sheeple. Anyone out there old enough to remeber “The Emperor’s New Clothes”? There’s a parallel here.
My husband works for the state and has been concerned about being associated with this blog. He uses my email for comments and wont use his fb to ‘like’ the page. Up until today I thought he was being paranoid.
Have steps been made to forward the evidence of double dipping to the attorney general? You said it was frowned upon. Is it illegal?
The East Baton Rouge Parish district attorney would have jurisdiction over any alleged double dipping on the part of legislators. It’s possible the U.S. attorney could be involved if he chose, since any payments from ALEC could come across state lines.
And that is why teachers, civil servants will be afraid to sign petitions or assemble for protests from now on. I’d advise anyone working for the state to not use their own names on twitter or on blogs, but use pseudonyms. Of course on FB, that’s kinda hard to do. Is there any doubt that the new school superintendents will, in turn, get instructions from the Jindal administration to spy on their school board members, principals and teachers….then get rid of any “malcontents?” We have gone into gulag territory here.
In better news today, there was a partial victory against ALEC. Public Statement said ALEC was no longer pursuing gun legislation or voter-suppression. I guess that’s a victory of sorts. ALEC did emphasize it would continue to concentrate it’s focus on economic issues…which includes privatizing education, prisons, every other government service…and in general, screwing the American consumer.
I find it amazing that “privatizing” and “education” in the public sense is even a valid term, though we all know that today it is.
recallbobbyjindal.com –> volunteer
How can we request his, his staffers, and John White’s emails to Charter School companies and lobbyists who represent the PACS (which promote charter schools),which contributed to his campaign and to Holly Boffy’s?
Send an email to each of the individuals (you may find their email addresses on their respective web pages) and begin your email thusly:
Pursuant to the Public Records Act of Louisiana, R.S. 44:1 et seq., I respectfully request the following information:
“Please provide me with copies of….”
If you have trouble locating the web pages and/or their email addresses, email louisianavoice@cox.net and we will be happy to pass them along.
We’re here to serve even if they are not.
“tomaswell”
I think your blog is hilarious. And as far as I’m concerned, another state “employee” off the payroll is a great thing. The funny thing is, all of the Liberals (like you) and the Conservatives out there do are the same thing… scare tactics, conspiracy theories. Get a life… seriously.
Glad you’re so easily amused. Drop by anytime.
The Republicans have been saying for years that they want to get rid of Public Education. Piyush is just quick at starting what the rest want to do. There are THOUSANDS of children in failing schools. This state is already behind the 8 ball as far as deficits go and yet he wants to spend 10 times as much per student so that they can get a private school education. This means that Piyush’s friends will be able to start more private schools, make money now on the backs of our children and leave thousands with substandard education or no education at all.
This doesn’t surprise me in the least. The morale at LDOE is amazingly low as long time employees (or those who are not TFA Alums) are looked down upon. Members of the staff have no idea of what’s to come, besides the announced layoffs and folks are all on edge about who’s on the list. As many have not been told, but the announcement was to occur this week.