Whenever I see a story about some stupid criminal I find myself wishing I could be alone in a room with the poor sap just so I could ask him three questions:
• What was your thought process?
• Did you think this through to its logical conclusion?
• Did you ever, at any point in time, think this would end well for you?
That’s all. Just those three questions.
Until now, I had always limited this wish to stupid criminals:
• Like the guy who pulls up at the drive-through window of a bank and slips a note in it saying “This is a holdup.” The teller, pulls the drawer in, reads the note, flips it over and writes on the back, “I don’t see a gun,” and sends note back to the guy who obligingly puts his gun in the drawer and sends it in to the teller;
• Like the guy who writes his holdup note on any piece of paper with his name and address on it or who is wearing a work uniform with his name tag fully visible;
• Like the guy who tries to outrun police on the interstate;
• Like any idiot who tries to resist a half-dozen police officers;
You get the picture.
But now I have expanded my sentiments to wishing I could pose the same question to some of our bumbling state politicians—particularly our self-promoting, egocentric, ambitious, absentee governor who insists—with a straight face, no less—that he has the job he wants even as he ignores a multitude of problems at home while auditioning for any job that will promote his shameless career goals.
But there are others:
• Any legislator (like Noble Ellington or Jane Smith) who runs for office on the promise of looking out for the folks back home but then accepts a six-figure salary in some department for which he or she has zero qualifications. What were you thinking?
• Any agency head (like Louisiana Workforce Commission Executive Director Curt Eysink) who sends out an email saying there will be no merit raises for employees because of budgetary constraints while almost simultaneously approving a 41 percent increase for a single employee. What were you thinking?
• Any agency head (like Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Bruce Greenstein) who would attempt to withhold the name of the winner of a $300 million contract with DHH from a legislative committee charged with confirming his appointment as secretary. What were you thinking?
• Any agency head (like Department of Natural Resources Secretary Scott Angelle) who would resign in the middle of a major crisis involving a potentially toxic sinkhole in order to selfishly run for a public office that he thinks will set him up for a run for governor in 2015? What were you thinking?
• Any agency head (like Alcohol and Tobacco Control Office Commissioner Troy Hebert) who would send a uniformed agent to inspect bars where she had recently worked undercover and purchased drugs from dealers. What were you thinking?
• Any agency head (like Superintendent of Education John White) who, on the night before he was to testify before a legislative committee about the New Living Word school in Ruston, sent emails to the governor’s office that he would try to “take some air out of the room” and to “muddy up” the narrative over the his approval of 315 vouchers for the school that had no classrooms, no desks and no teachers. What were you thinking?
• Any agency head (like White) who, within a matter of a few weeks, would hire a $144,000 part-time public relations officer from Florida and a consultant from Los Angeles to serve as a shill for the Department of Education’s (DOE) computer Course Content at a salary of $146,000—both of whom are allowed to commute and/or work from their homes. What were you thinking?
• Any agency head who, while giving no merit increases for three years and while even laying off rank and file employees, continues to give healthy salary increases to employees already earning in excess of $100,000 per year. What were you thinking?
• Any legislator who sees nothing wrong with private Christian schools receiving vouchers but who goes ballistic when it is learned that an Islamic school applied for vouchers under the same program. What were you thinking?
• Any governor who, while busy traveling all over the country promoting his aspirations for a cabinet position should Mitt Romney be elected president, approves closures of and budgetary cutbacks for state hospitals where cutbacks and closures result in the loss of treatment availability for indigent citizens. What were you thinking?
• Any governor who, while spewing outright lies in his many out-of-state visits about how he has the most ethical, most transparent and accountable administration in the country, continues to hide his office behind a veil of secrecy, refusing to provide public records or to grant media interviews. What were you thinking?
• Any inaccessible, unreachable, unavailable, unaccountable governor who, in an attempt to further shroud public agencies from having to answer directly to Louisiana citizens, attempts to force disputes with state agencies to be handled via telephone hearings instead of face-to-face hearings. What were you thinking?
• Any legislator who allows this governor and these bureaucrats to snub their collective noses at the citizens of this state with their arrogant actions and their attitude of defiance and mockery.
• Any citizen of Louisiana who would rather watch Dancing with the Stars than hold these sorry excuses for public servants accountable.
What the hell are any of you thinking?
Louisiana Voice 
So timely; and If I’m understanding the article I just read this morning, then please let’s add…
Any member of the LSU Board of Supervisors who approves a plan to cut $150 million out of the operations of 7 LSU hospitals without knowing that medical school funding relies on the revenues from those hospital operations.
Bingo!! Just saw that at The Advocate’s website.
http://theadvocate.com/home/4255925-125/lsu-downsizing-could-cost-83
If they are that dumb they don’t need to be on the board of a supervisors of a major university. DOH!
That’s what I call hitting all the nails smack dab on the head!! The only thing I can ask is WHEN IS ENOUGH , ENOUGH !!!!!!!??????
What I’m thinking is that none of our current crop of legislators deserves to be re-elected. Collectively they are allowing all the abuses and more to continue by not standing up to a tyrant and doing the right thing. I’m thinking that with a few notable exceptions they all need to be thrown out by the voters. I’m thinking that Louisiana citizens had better wake up to the fact that a vote for R candidates is a vote for their own destruction.
I can tell you what they were thinking…ME ME ME ME…All they think about is themselves.
Right ON!!!
There are too many citizens that have no conscience and will continue to ride on the weak of this state and then sit back and look at the National level of poverty in this poor state Louisiana. John White got his job the same way he is hiring his out of state pals, to heck with qualified people in this state. Where is the accountability there? The voters need to also read the amendments before putting anymore strength in the hands of these sell-outs.
Until I see the Legislators vote, I’m assuming that they are still sold, lock, stock, and barrell to Jindal and his outrageous ALEC inspired and drafted programs. Only if they vote to override Jindal and bring Jindal and his department heads back to sanity and accountability and exercise the powers that a legislature should have, will I give them credibility and respect. But if they do rein in the out of control governor and department heads, then I’ll again give them the benefit of the doubt.
There is a vote scheduled for Privatizing OGB set November 1, 2012.
If you recall last vote called off for lack of approval votes. Now the part time governor has returned and fresh from the fishing trip with the Leges being lectured by Rainwater. A new date has emerged. Bad guys have their votes now. the people can stop them if they call their lege and speak their mind. First up is to use $70 million of the OGB $500 million surplus to give to BCBS. then the general fund get $20 million in savings after firing the employees. Not a good deal for the State. Check it out and call to vote no.
They do these things…….because they can.
Who’s going to stop them?
The media barely report them, and when they do…as you wrote, people watch Dancing with the Stars. They don’t do anything. These politicians don’t get in trouble. In fact, they keep getting re-elected. Oh yeah, people hoot and holler about “throwing the bums out of office.” The politicians don’t see/hear/care if they do, they’re not even paying attention to the public. Or if they do, they laugh out loud – “who’s going to run against me, and how can we corrupt them when they get here?”
Or they throw minor enemies out to distract the people’s attention.
Thanks for mentioning merit raises. I’m a civil service worker, a “lowly” one who certainly doesn’t make $100,000 a year. I take home $13,000 a year. We haven’t got a merit raise/cost of living increase in at least 3 or 4 years, and no hope on the horizon any year soon. No bonuses (a bonus? Ha! What’s that?) Meanwhile, gas, groceries, everything has risen with no stop with inflation. We do the hard work of keeping things running for the state, keeping the state parks clean and operating, the universities running, the hospitals operating, etc. Yet the governor hates us, as he does public school teachers and hospital workers. Talk radio hosts attack us as if we’re evil plotters trying to destroy the state or something. “The DMV! The DMV!!” They shout. What kinds of people go to the DMV? Angry, usually criminal, mean people who got some fine or penalty. Of course they’re going to be in a foul mood, and of course this will adversely affect those who have to put up with their abuse every minute of every day. But to hear the talk show hosts and pundits talk, EVERY single worker in the state works for the DMV! Meanwhile, we take the insults and keep on working. They say we make more than we do. “Average pay is $50,000! Average pay for state workers is $50,000!” Repeat that over and over, and eventually the people think EVERY worker makes that much. No, most make a little above minimum wage, with no possibilities of raises unless the governor allows it (he hasn’t, and won’t) and zero possibilities of bonuses.
But we still work hard to make the state better for the people in whatever ways we can. Yes, there are crappy state workers, as there are crappy private sector workers. But most aren’t.
We can’t support candidates for office (which is unconstitutional), can’t put signs in our yard for Obama or Romney (which is unconstitutional…by the way, I support Romney, I’m a Republican), and can’t protest any of the governor’s actions or we’re fired. (At least the teachers can protest…..but are attacked when they do. When did we all start hating teachers?!!)
The governor does what he does because he can. This state is just a jumping off point for his future political aspirations. Unlike people like Rick Perry and Chris Christie, governors who stay in their states and do the nitty gritty work of making things better, Jindal simply passes a few pieces of legislation that’ll make the pundits and talk show hosts happy, and they praise his name nationally. So if he doesn’t get the votes of the people of Louisiana when he goes for president, big deal, he thinks, I’ll have the other 49 states!
Blanco left with him with a billion dollar surplus. Edwin Edwards, Mike Foster, Blanco all allowed state workers and teachers their little merit raises every year.
Jindal comes into office, and all of a sudden, permanent pay freezes, no new hires on the bottom level (but certainly at the top with the big wigs and managers!) yet every year it’s all this stress over balancing the budget, which has ended up being propped up with federal money….what’s the deal?! How were these other governors all those decades before, Democrat and Republican, able to balance the budget and keep things running without shutting down hospitals and taking it out on the poor and low level state workers who just want to earn a living and feed their families? If people had a problem with Mike Foster, he would often invite them to dinner or lunch and talk it over with them. If people have a problem with Jindal….he gets rid of them!
You know, I was in lock step with everything you were saying till I got to the part where you are a Romney supporter. That’s the problem! Stop voting for republicans & things may change. What most people don’t realize is everything that our wonderful gov. Is doing to our state is going to be done on the federal level. Pay attention to how Romney/Ryan feel about FEMA & you will understand how Louisiana will be hung out to dry when the next hurricane hits. Everyone who voted for jindal got exactly what they voted for. Can we say voter’s remorse!!!
Our education system has failed large portions of the population. It appears a majority of them believe they are included in the 1% that these policies favor.
Fishing trip with legislators? Have I missed something? Has he negated the sunshine law?
House Speaker Chuck Kleckley hosted a fishing trip to Venice for house committee chairmen recently. No agenda was provided for the retreat and chances are it was closed to the public but attendees got their $149 per diem, plus mileage (55.5 cents per mile), for attending. So, basically, they got a short vacation on our dime.
—Editor
Oh that’s special!
Well, they cannot think, because they are on message with Teepell and Piyush, who consider all of us ignorant and prejudiced, like them. God forbid. Throw in the money and arrogance and you have a true Republican Conservative.rrt
“Except for an extraordinary diligence in looking out for his personal advancement, he had no motives at all. And this diligence in itself was in no way criminal; he certainly would never have murdered his superior in order to inherit his post. He merely, to put the matter colloquially, never realized what he was doing. It was precisely this lack of imagination […] In principle he knew quite well what it was all about, and in his final statement to the court he spoke of the ‘revaluation of values prescribed by the government.’ He was not stupid. It was sheer thoughtlessness – something by no means identical to stupidity – that predisposed him to become one of the greatest criminals of that period”
— Hannah Arendt: Eichmann in Jerusalem, A Report on the Banality of Evil; Penguin Books, 1994, pages 287-8