A confrontation reminiscent of the one nearly 50 years ago between the managing editor (yours truly) and the family news editor at the Ruston Daily Leader has arisen between Gov. Bobby Jindal and the Louisiana Public Service Commission (PSC) and if the late Wiley Hilburn were alive today, he might well find the latest one just as amusing.
Hilburn was on hand when I needed a camera to cover a breaking news story. The only problem was, the news camera was broken and the only one available was a cheap one Publisher Tom Kelly had purchased for use by family news editor Virginia Kavanaugh for her section. “Give me your camera,” I said as I hung up the telephone and stood from my chair across from her. “I have to get a picture of a wreck on I-20.”
“No,” said Mrs. Kavanaugh. “You can’t have it. It’s for my use.”
In complete exasperation and more than a little frustrated at this unexpected lesson in humility, I looked over at Hilburn who had just walked in with a news release from Louisiana Tech University. The look I got in return told me I was on my own. “But I’m the managing editor!” I finally blurted. It was the only thing that came to mind in response to her unexpected insubordination. As I write this, I swear I can still hear Hilburn laughing at the absurdity of the scene that unfolded before his eyes. He would repeat that story for my benefit for years to come, laughing just as hard as he did that morning at the very audacity of my naïve belief that in some parallel universe, my managing editor badge trumped her title as family news editor.
And I never got that camera.
Now the PSC has ripped a page from Mrs. Kavanaugh’s playbook and it’s just as funny.
Jindal, in a desperate attempt to scrape together a few pennies to cover what at last estimate was a deficit of about $141 million, is conducting a fire sale of what state assets still remain after he disposed of state buildings and parking garages in years past to patch similar budget holes.
The administration wants to sell some 700 state vehicles, including 13 assigned to the PSC but commissioners voted unanimously Wednesday (Dec. 17) to direct the PSC staff not to relinquish the vehicles because, the commission lacks funds with which to rent cars and to sell them would hinder its work.
Jindal planned to confiscate the vehicles to be sold with the others early next year in yet another cost-cutting move. The administration says the PSC vehicles aren’t used enough to justify their upkeep.
(The same might be said for some of the governor’s highly-paid appointees. And let’s not even discuss the cost of overtime, lodging, travel and meals for state police security details that accompany the governor on all of those trips to Iowa, New Hampshire and Washington.)
It should be noted that the $141 million shortfall was before the latest plunge in oil prices which Jindal conveniently blames for the fiscal mess in which the state finds itself—again. Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera is scheduled to give a presentation tomorrow (Thursday, Dec. 18) to the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget and early indications are the governor’s office and Commissioner of Administration Kristy Nichols aren’t going to be very happy.
The $1.4 million anticipated from the sale of the vehicles represents a shade less than 1 percent of the $141 million deficit (which may be even more after the legislative auditor’s report) and is only a tiny fraction of the $25 billion state budget.
“Of the 13 state vehicles at the Public Service Commission, 11 of them are driven less than 15,000 miles a year,” said Jan Cassidy, Assistant Commissioner of Administration for Procurement. “The cost of maintaining underutilized vehicles is greater than the cost of reimbursing employees for travel when it’s necessary,” she said.
The $1.4 million anticipated from the sale of the vehicles would not be net since the state would be required to either pay employees for use of personal vehicles or pay for rental of cars through a contract the state has with Enterprise Car Rentals.
The administration put agencies on notice about the planned sale last week, giving them two weeks to turn over vehicles designated for auction.
“Reducing state expenses requires all state agencies to review their priorities and ensure they are spending taxpayer dollars appropriately,” Cassidy said.
One of those voting to defy the governor was Scott Angelle who once served in Jindal’s cabinet. A dispute between the PSC and the governor’s office has been simmering and the vehicle flap is only the latest issue as things have reached a boiling point.
The PSC has been critical of a recent practice by the administration and the legislature to take over funds paid to the PSC as fees by regulated companies. Members say the action amounts to an unconstitutional tax levy while the governor and legislator argue for the right to use the fees as part of the state budget. That outcome of that argument is now pending in court.
We can only assume that state police vehicles were exempt from the fire sale order. But with this administration, who knows?
Nor was there was any immediate word on whether or not the administration would attempt to seize the PSC vehicles, which would just be another log on that smoldering fire.
But somewhere within the walls of the Governor’s mansion (he’s rarely on the fourth floor of the State Capitol, we’re told), Bobby Jindal must be incredulous as he exclaims perhaps to wife Supriya or, to a curious butler, “But I’m the governor!”
Louisiana Voice 
Too, too funny!!!!!!!
Does this include vehicles belonging to the Louisiana Lottery Corporation?
It’s across the board, so probably.
Aren’t the lottery operations completely funded through ticket sales? It seems he shouldn’t be entitled to those.
You have to remember Jindal’s creed (and this was once spoken during a meeting in the Division of Administration): “We are not bound by the law.”
This situation is as hilarious as it is pathetic. Lots of value in those poorly maintained used state vehicles…has DoA actually gotten appraisals on them? Will the cars be practically given away like the rest of the sold-off state properties? Those pennies are going to go a long way toward wiping out that pesky deficit.
And here we all thought Scott Angelle was just a Jindal minion…can’t believe he actually stood up to the lil tyrant.
And BTW, we hear that Piyush does not spend a lot of time on the fourth floor even on the rare occasions when he’s in the state. We hear he hides out in the mansion where there is less chance of a confrontation with actual people.
O. K. This post has me REALLY salivating!! So, our good Gov. Jindal has finally gotten so desperate that he would rely upon the auction industry in Louisiana to scoop up some cash. That is REALLY desperate considering the complete absence of protection his auctioneer board appointees provide to auction victims!! Better choose that auctioneer carefully, Big Bobby!!
Ah, I should realize, Gov. Jindal has already written off the State of Louisiana’s eight electoral votes in the 2016 presidential election. Hence, Jindal, with his superior intellect, will merely hire an out-of-state auction firm to auction the vehicles. Better be careful there too, Big Bobby!! The City of Kenner (on your watch) tried the same thing in auctioning off surplus police cars and FEMA trailers. They used a shade-tree group out of Mississippi. The result? Kenner never saw a DIME of the $500,000 in proceeds of the auction: http://www.wdam.com/Global/story.asp?S=8908762. Yep, even screwed the federal government out of $300,000 (with a fellow Republican, Bush, still being in office) on that deal.
I had just gotten on the Kangaroo Board (opps, its technical name is Auctioneer Licensing Board) after Jindal folk (I found out later) desperately wanted an applicant without a felony conviction (so I got a call) in time for a hearing on the above Kenner fiasco on my first board meeting. I became concerned with how a former LALB chairman (who was himself “demoted” to mere board member for suspected travel voucher fraud) could have played such a large role in granting these folk a license given their background. He did so because they paired up with (i.e. illegally “borrowed” a license to get around having to have their own license approved) a gentleman who at least CLAIMED to be a resident Louisiana auctioneer (William Jones). The only problem? He was simultaneously telling the folks in Mississippi that he lived there too (thus avoiding a higher license fee in one state or the other).
Concerned that things just didn’t “smell right” on any of this, I asked for records from the LALB attorney, Anna Dow, and I uncovered that she indicated to Mr. Jones that she would draft a stipulation to go before the board to renew his license if he merely paid the back licensing fee for the eight (8) years he’d deceived the State of Louisiana: http://www.auctioneer-la.org/Jones_MS_license_resolution.pdf. It was bad enough in my mind she’d committed the board to approve a license renewal on such lucrative terms, but my dander REALLY got fired up upon learning that Ms. Dow NEVER prepared such a stipulation. Consequently, I let her know in no uncertain terms that I was furious at her for going ahead and instructing the Executive Director to renew his license with no fine, reprimand, or any other punitive measure!! Of course, Jones, realizing the apparent fools and idiots with whom he was dealing (though I contend it’s much more standard Louisiana corruption), gladly remitted the $600 (a tiny fraction of the $5,000 — an OUTRAGEOUS amount for a one-day contract auctioneer — even the best don’t command more than $800 or so — he was paid for serving as “auctioneer for a day” to facilitate the Kenner fiasco). So, he got his license renewed: http://www.auctioneer-la.org/Jones_accept.pdf.
City of Kenner officials, one of whom feared the loss of her job over this fiasco, then vented considerable frustration to the LALB Executive Director that an auctioneer bond only covers $10,000 of losses. Yep, the other approximate $521,000 ($300,000 of which belonged to the Feds) was a complete flush for the City of Kenner.
So, if Gov. Jindal is going to put his faith in the hands of an auctioneer (in-state or out-of-state), my recommendation is that he ensure the bidders make checks payable to the State of Louisiana. If he makes the mistake of letting the funds go through an auctioneer’s trust account (assuming the auctioneer even obeys the law and maintains a trust account — the LALB doesn’t audit that), the state may never see the first dime of the money.
Now, if Gov. Jindal does get the taxpayers screwed, glued, and tattooed by an auctioneer, I bet he demands the auctioneer be prosecuted and pursued with full vigor for messing with his presidential aspirations. Too bad he doesn’t do that with victims like 84-year-old widow Betty Story who, I’m happy to report, got a $4,102.09 judgment from 36th Judicial District Court on October 29, 2014 (which he auctioneer PAID!!) for what all happened to her. She represented herself and did a bang up job in court!! She now faces a January 26, 2015 court date before Judge Caldwell entailing her lawsuit against the LALB because she’s still out almost $3,300 from her own auction fiasco (see full details here: http://www.auctioneer-la.org/problems_marlo_schmidt.htm).
Ah, yes, the illustrious Gov. Bobby Jindal having to resort to auction to scrape together some funds. This could get REAL interesting, folks!!
Thanks, Tom!!
It looks like this is the week the wheels are starting to come off of Jindal’s fantasy ride. There is this direct act of defiance described above. Then there are a slew of new 2016 polls out, and to no one’s surprise, except maybe Jindal’s, he does worse than terrible. He is already not in the game before the primaries even get started. Some poll summaries don’t even bother to list people as far down the list as Jindal.
Then there is The Response, which no serious contender would touch. This is desperation at its most desperate.
So Jindal has spent the better part of two terms as governor showing increasing neglect and even contempt for the well-being of the state, for nothing except delusions. No wonder people are pissed. No wonder there is going to be a run on popcorn as the little guy spirals his way downward and then out of the picture.
Whatever metric one uses to measure political capital, Jindal has less of it this week than he had last week. He’ll have even less next week.
Popcorn! Popcorn! Getcha popcorn right here. (hope this works)
I’d like a popcorn franchise, and soon, because the Jindal primary debacle is going to be a riot, but it will be short.
Fire sale was my first thought, as well. A relatively easy calculation yields the break point of 15,000 miles. Shouldn’t the elimination of the vehicles not driven enough miles per year to justify ownership have been the lowest of the low-hanging fruit when making efficiency cuts and, therefore, done years and years ago? Hello.
The Public Service Commission is flexing its power as an elected, not appointed, body. May the best entity win.
Stephen, it’s going to be fire sale unless an unscrupulous auctioneer relays to Jindal that he can save the day with shill bidding. Heck, at this point, Jindal is appearing so desperate that the Feds could likely set up a low-level sting with an auctioneer explaining to Jindal that shill bidding is the route to go (illegality notwithstanding). An auctioneer could relay, “We do it all the time! It’s a misdemeanor with a maximum $500 fine. Just give us some plants you trust for us to sprinkle among the crowd of registered bidders.” It would be hilarious for Jindal to get nabbed in a low-level, unsophisticated sting like that in acquiescing to an illegal act given all the other major atrocities he and his folk have managed somehow to pull off!
So why didn’t A&M (is that their name?) think of this on their dime?
Probably because, as Tom points out, long-term, this is a losing proposition (costs to rent cars or reimburse folk for personal car use adds costs over a longer time horizon). For Jindal, long term is a month. He’s scrambling to cling to a life preserver to keep faint presidential aspirations alive. He’s certainly not worried about fiscal impacts beyond his tenure as governor.
Thanks for the reply Robert. That makes sense. It’s just so laughable.
Exactly – or anything original or innovative.
The DOA applied this simple formula for many years. As a matter of fact, when I first went to work there, we in the budget office did in-depth analysis of every line item (at the object level) each year when reviewing budgets, including analysis of every car in every agency’s fleet. We also looked at every position and every professional services contract. In other words we looked at budgets in great detail and analyzed all budgetary needs in light of each agency’s mission.
With the implementation of programmatic budgeting agencies and departments were given increasing flexibility on how to spend their appropriations. They were no longer held to line-item spending. The presumption, of course, was that they would manage diminishing resources in the priority necessary to maintain their core missions. Sounds good, right? After all, this put responsibility for efficient budgeting in the hands of those with those who knew the absolute most about their budgets. Why, then, should there be any “waste” out there given years of annual budget cuts? Why does the MSM not ask this simple question?
You have to wonder if he is even going to qualify for wingnut welfare after the debacle of his gubernatorial terms. Good grief, what a mess he is leaving.
That is an excellent (and funny) question.
And speaking of the mess Jindal will be leaving, what will the state of Louisiana ever name after the wunderkind? I suggest a sewerage treatment facility, or perhaps a landfill or toxic waste dump, or a rusted out neglected bridge that is about to collapse…maybe we could have a contest.
Veritas, I would suggest naming the closed and decaying former public hospital sites after him. The EKL/Piyush Medical Center, for example.
If this is such a great way for the state to save money, why did it take the Boy Genius 7 years to figure it out?
Bingo.