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Archive for August, 2012

Notable Quotables (in their own words)

Posted in Governor's Office, Grant, Grants, Notable Quotables on August 28, 2012| 3 Comments »

“I ask that you exercise your discretion to approve the State’s pending request for all emergency protective measures. Further, I ask that you consider a cost-share adjustment to eliminate the State’s non-federal share of the costs for this event. When threatened with extraordinary disasters, states depend upon the availability of the full spectrum of assistance available under the Stafford Act.

…A core responsibility of the federal government is to protect the lives and property of its citizens when threatened.”

–Gov. Piyush Jindal, lecturing President Obama on his decision to limit the Hurricane Isaac emergency declaration only to direct federal assistance.

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Jindal petulance over Obama’s Hurricane Isaac emergency declaration is just more of the same spoiled ingrate persona

Posted in Ethics, Governor's Office, Grant, Grants on August 28, 2012| 12 Comments »

Gov. Piyush Jindal has done it again.

Just when you think he can’t get any more arrogant, he responds by flexing his string bean Barney Fife-like muscles at President Obama over—you guessed it—federal funds.

It all started with an Aug. 26 request from Jindal to Obama for reimbursement “for all emergency protective measures” against the threat of tropical storm and soon-to-be hurricane Isaac.

What the state got instead was a federal declaration of emergency that provided only for direct federal assistance. “Unfortunately, your limited declaration does not provide for reimbursement of expenses that the state is taking to prepare for the storm,” Jindal said.

Remember, this is the governor who eschews federal grants on the grounds that federal money means federal interference and control.

Now it appears that he wants to cherry pick what he does and does not want in the way of federal funds.

Jindal’s response was all too typical of his wanting everything his way—whether it involves public education, higher education, health care, or oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico.

Everything, that is, except that Bayou Corne sinkhole in Assumption Parish. The sinkhole, the size of three football fields and 380 feet deep, is only 1500 feet from a butane-filled cavern. That’s one place Jindal has never shown his face despite–or maybe because of–the lingering threat of a major explosion.

That could be because on Jan. 21, 2011, Texas Brine Co. notified the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) by letter of a “failed mechanical integrity test (MIT) of the company’s subject brine production well. At the time, Texas Brine was in the process of sectioning out a portion of the lower cemented casing to allow additional salt extraction. Testing indicated the well lacked sufficient integrity for continued production.

DNR apparently concealed documents showing that the cavern may have had problems since 2010.

In an earlier letter dated Aug. 25, 1995, Texas Brine notified DNR that low levels of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM). DNR responded that it had “no objection” to Texas Brine’s “returning the NORM along with otherwise uncontaminated soil to the salt dome cavern.”

Last week, a non-government group, Louisiana Environmental Action Network, said radiation levels at the sinkhole were 15 times higher than the state limit.

Former DNR Secretary Scott Angelle resigned in the middle of the crisis, ostensibly to seek a seat on the Louisiana Public Service Commission in a move some regarded as a callous disregard for the safety of the residents around the sinkhole.

Considering the fact that the Bayou Corne crisis came about on Jindal’s watch and considering there was no one else to blame (BP, a hurricane or the federal government), Piyush has kept a conspicuously low profile in this ongoing saga.

It would seem, therefore, that Jindal only shows up at a crisis when there might be political points to be gained.

Following is the text of Jindal’s Aug. 27 letter to Obama:

Dear Mr. President:

I have received your approval of a limited federal declaration of emergency for Tropical Storm Isaac for the State of Louisiana. We appreciate your response to our request and your approval. However, the State’s original request for federal assistance dated August 26, 2012 included a request for reimbursement for all emergency protective measures. The federal declaration of emergency only provides for direct federal assistance.

In a release issued by the White House today, it said “the declaration builds on resources already deployed by FEMA and makes Federal funding available for certain emergency activities undertaken by the state to prepare for and respond to the storm.” Unfortunately, your limited declaration does not provide for reimbursement of expenses that the state is taking to prepare for the storm.

As of 5 p.m. Central time today, the National Weather Service forecasts this storm to strengthen to a Category 2 hurricane and squarely impact the State of Louisiana. The increased urgency of the situation necessitates that we re-emphasize the request for full federal assistance for the State.

The projected path of the storm has continued to shift westward and now threatens the entire State of Louisiana. The rapidity of the path’s westward movement has increased the potential impact of this storm from a slight chance of affecting southeastern Louisiana to now threatening the entire state. The speed with which this threat developed has necessitated extraordinary emergency protective measures at the State and local government level.

Since the State of Louisiana is faced with a rapidly developing situation that threatens a large percentage of our population, please consider the following developments as a supplement to the request submitted yesterday.

At this time 34 parishes have declared a state of emergency:

Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Cameron, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Franklin, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafourche, Livingston, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, St Bernard, St Charles, St Helena, St James, St John, St Martin, St Mary, St Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington, West Baton Rouge.

We request that you expand the designations to include all of these parishes. We expect more parishes to declare a state of emergency.

There are currently nine areas covered by mandatory evacuation orders:

Jefferson – Grand Isle
Jefferson –Town of Jean Lafitte
Jefferson – Crown Pointe
Jefferson – Barataria
Lafourche – Low lying parishes
Plaquemines – From Braithwaite to White Ditch on the East Bank
Plaquemines – From Ironton South to Venice
St Charles – Parish Wide Evacuation
Tangipahoa – Town of Winnsboro, Lee’s Landing, and low-lying areas

As of this morning, I have activated 4,126 Louisiana National Guardsmen, an emergency contract for over 300 commercial buses, and over 5,000 shelter spaces to respond to the wide ranging projected path of this storm, move our citizens out of harm’s way and provide them with shelter. The school districts in the path of the storm have cancelled school until this dangerous storm passes.

All of these actions are appropriate and necessary responses to the threat of this storm. While Tropical Storm Isaac has yet to strike the state, it has necessitated significant amounts of State and local government expenditures. The State’s expenditures for emergency protective measures are already approximately $8,000,000 and exceed the State of Louisiana’s threshold when making a request for a major disaster declaration.

Given the extraordinary developments of this storm and its approaching impact on the State of Louisiana, I ask that you exercise your discretion to approve the State’s pending request for all emergency protective measures. Further, I ask that you consider a cost-share adjustment to eliminate the State’s non-federal share of the costs for this event. When threatened with extraordinary disasters, states depend upon the availability of the full spectrum of assistance available under the Stafford Act.

Finally, a core responsibility of the federal government is to protect the lives and property of its citizens when threatened. This disaster declaration will help ensure that we best protect life and property in our state.

Sincerely,

Bobby Jindal
Governor

Could it be that Obama was concerned that Jindal might use federal funds to construct another $250 million disposable berm?

Or perhaps he just wants Piyush to do more with less.

Could it also be, as one reader pointed out, that Piyush spends so little time in Louisiana that he does not know that the Winnsboro he alluded to in his letter to Obama is in Franklin Parish in north Louisiana, not Tangipahoa? We assume he meant Waynesboro but a little closer proofreading of a letter to the President would seem to be in order here.

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LSU’s football season cancelled in favor of virtual football & virtual tailgating for Piyush’s new virtual flagship university

Posted in Uncategorized on August 25, 2012| 11 Comments »

The 2012 football seasons for LSU and all other Louisiana colleges and universities have been cancelled by Gov. Piyush Jindal in favor of virtual tailgating and virtual football as the natural extension of his virtual school vision.

Jindal apparently has no regard for the ripple effect his virtual school policies will have on the Louisiana economy and the havoc those policies will wreak on campuses each fall across the state.

And if Mitt Romney is elected and he enacts the same platform on a national scale, the country will revert to the Dark Ages of collegiate football.

Oh, the humanity!

How will we cope as beer-gutted, brain-addled, maniacal football fans if our favorite college, i.e. LSU, Louisiana Tech, Grambling, ULL, Southern, Northwestern, Nichols and all the rest eventually succumb to the Republican/Koch Brothers/ALEC scheme to privatize all state universities?

We have seen in an incredibly short time how Piyush has gone from charter schools to vouchers and now to virtual, online schools and with a national push to “take the state out of state colleges,” it will be only a matter of time before we have virtual, online state universities—if indeed they can still be called “state” schools.

Think about it.

The marriage between virtual colleges and fantasy football will be a match made in sports hell.

First, the drastic drop in sales of barbeque grills, motor homes, ice chests and lawn chairs will be catastrophic to those particular industries. Massive layoffs will occur in not just those industries, but in the manufacturing and sale of stadium blankets, hip flasks, band uniforms and instruments, team jerseys and caps and sports equipment, including uniforms, pads, helmets and footballs.

And how many referees, trainers, sportswriters and ticket takers, will be thrown out of work in the process?

And just how do you think all those legislators are going to react to having to settle for virtual season tickets paid for with virtual campaign funds?

Think about the draconian loss of revenue to colleges in parking fees, ticket, concession and program sales. And how much is a virtual coach worth these days? Certainly nowhere the salaries of a Les Miles of Nick Saban. Those two alone account for the entire GNP of a half-dozen zip codes, not to mention their army of assistant coaches.

And what about the recent expansion to Tiger Stadium? Where will the money to pay for that little project come from? For that matter, what will they do with all those college stadia scattered across the state?

How much does a real Mike the Tiger fetch these days when there are virtual tigers all over the internet?

How many virtual ribs can you cook on a virtual grill in your den? Where are you going to park that virtual motor home for your virtual tailgate party, in your back yard? Nice.

And are you going to go bonkers when the virtual LSU band enters a virtual Tiger Stadium? What about when the virtual Les Miles leads his virtual team onto the field with his virtual white hat and his silly, but so enjoyable virtual hand clap? Will he eat virtual grass during the virtual game?

Can’t wait for the virtual awarding of the virtual Heisman. If only we’d had virtual football a little earlier, the virtual Honey Badger would have been a virtual shoo-in for the virtual award.

And segueing into basketball, a virtual LSU team will virtually crush all opposition, including the virtual championship-caliber teams of Kentucky and Florida.

And a virtual LSU baseball team will win the virtual College World Series every year at virtual Omaha.

And let’s not stop with college. Public schools, after all, are where the trend started so let’s return to our virtual origins.

West Monroe? Hah. A virtual Ruston Bearcat team can return to its 1980s glory days by teaching those virtual Rebs a virtual lesson in virtual fantasy football. Neville? Shoot, they’d just be virtual also-rans.

John Curtis, Evangel, Haynesville and Catholic High of Baton Rouge would continue, most likely in their roles as virtual perennial champions or, in the case of Catholic High, virtual contenders (always a virtual bridesmaid but never a virtual bride).

It just doesn’t get any better. No expensive concessions, no freezing cold, driving rain, horrendous traffic jams, obnoxious drunks, no staring into the sun during a day game if you sit in the east stands—just good, virtual football.

The downside of course, is no pretty cheerleaders and drum majorettes to gawk at, no tailgate parties with endless food and drink, no camaraderie with fellow fans. In short, no fun.

But let’s not stop there. After virtual schools and virtual colleges, the natural procession will be to virtual legislatures, virtual regulatory agencies and of course, virtual health care, virtual police and fire protection and virtual sewer services and virtual garbage pickup.

That, sadly, is the virtual reality of Piyush Jindal’s virtual world: a make believe society receiving virtual services in every sector of life with no camaraderie, no interaction—only obscene profits for the virtual providers.

But that’s the disconnected world in which our virtual governor now resides.

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Notable quotables (in their own words)

Posted in Governor's Office, Health Care, LSU, Notable Quotables on August 24, 2012| 4 Comments »

“I was notified yesterday by Dr. William Jenkins that I will no longer lead the the LSU Health System.”

–Dr. Fred Cerise, on his firing by Gov. Piyush Jindal through his proxy, the LSU Board of Supervisors.

“That’s a decision for the board and the LSU System president. LSU’s health system needs a leader who can implement reforms that deliver services more efficiently.”

–Jindal mouthpiece Kyle Plotkin, parroting his boss in commenting on the firing of Dr. Cerise.

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Piyush purge continues; head of LSU medical system is latest to be teagued for unpardonable sin of thinking for himself

Posted in Boards, Governor's Office, Health Care, House, Senate, Layoffs, Legislature, Legislators, LSU on August 24, 2012| 16 Comments »

Add another name to the growing list of state employees teagued by Gov. Piyush Jindal.

This time it was Dr. Fred Cerise, head of the LSU health care system who was canned by this egomaniacal little man who simply cannot tolerate any subordinate who thinks or acts for himself.

It’s not as if LSU’s statewide system of hospitals and clinics which served the dual purpose of providing of healthcare for the poor and as teaching hospitals for medical students had not already been dealt crushing blows from devastating cutbacks.

And it’s not as if Jindal hasn’t gained complete control of the LSU Board of Supervisors, appointing all but one of its members and firing President John Lombardi earlier this year.

This egocentric governor must lie awake at night thinking of new ways he can consolidate absolute power in the name of all that’s good and wholesome. He must salivate when he thinks of another employee he can fire and the higher position his latest victim holds, the more titillating it must be for Piyush.

So, of course, when Cerise criticized Piyush budget cuts which gutted the LSU medical system of hundreds of millions of dollars, he had to go.

It was not a matter of whether or not he or Lombardi, or Office of Group Benefits former director Tommy Teague or anyone else was doing a good job; it was a question of blind, unquestioning subservience to sanctimonious Pope Piyush the Perfect. Fail that test, and you’re history.

Not even members of the legislature are immune to his wrath. Two crossed him and promptly were removed from their committee assignments.

Speaking of the legislature, isn’t it about time those 144 representatives and senators grew a collective spine and stood up to this Huey Long reincarnate? Wouldn’t there be some merit to being a member of a House or Senate that could truly call itself independent as opposed to simply existing to serve the whims of a power-mad, self-righteous narcissist?

It wasn’t enough that Jindal purged his administration of yet another person capable of being something more than just another pathetic, fawning sycophant in Piyush’s inner circle (with the exception of one who this week admitted that his boss was “delusional”), but he had the unmitigated gall to play the “who me?” card when asked about the firing.

True to form, Jindal did not give an interview about the latest dismissal. He rarely holds press conferences in other than tightly controlled settings and he never takes questions, preferring instead to stick to the stock prepared statement which neither takes questions nor answers them.

In just such a prepared statement, this man of action (when there is a TV camera to record his image at an oil spill or in a hurricane command center, that is) said through his imported press secretary: “That’s a decision for the board and the LSU System President. With the changing environment in healthcare today, LSU’s health system needs a leader who can implement reforms that deliver services more efficiently.”

Please, Piyush, can’t you be a little more original—and honest—than that?

Sen. Fred Mills (R-St. Martinville), a member of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, expressed concern over the firing of Cerise, who also served a stint as Secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals under former Gov. Kathleen Blanco.

“Where else in the state do you have a gentleman that’s worked in the health care system (as a physician at Earl K. Long Hospital in Baton Rouge), been secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals, and leader in the LSU Health System?” Mills asked. “Where are you going to get a resumé to replace this type of gentleman?”

Adding to the absurdity of the entire situation is the fact that Cerise’s contract runs through 2015, so he will be kept on the payroll in another capacity.

His replacement, Dr. Frank Opelka, vice chancellor for clinical affairs at the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, was named to replace Cerise—in the newly-created position (an increasingly familiar scenario for Jindal appointees) of executive vice president for health care and medical education redesign.

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