Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for September, 2015

Bob Mann has separated the wheat from the chaff in this year’s governor’s race by invoking a single word: poverty

Posted in Economy, Education, Elections, Governor's Office, Guest Columnist, Health Care, Higher Education, Huey Long, Jobs, Legislature, Legislators, Politicians on September 18, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Folks, if you don’t read anything else today, please read Bob Mann’s post. It should strike a chord with every person in Louisiana who struggles to make his or life a little better. It will break the hearts of teachers who see the effects that abject poverty has on children’s ability to learn. It will resonate with those who are unable to afford health care. It should infuriate those forced to pay higher tuition at our colleges and universities because the politicians can’t seem to find the funds to support higher education.

But it will clang with an empty thud with those who want to absolve themselves of any responsibility, who fail to see society’s problems as their own and who, instead of striving to find solutions, choose only to blame the federal bureaucracy in a sweeping dismissal of the ills that afflict us all—economically, physically, emotionally, and morally.

A survey released on Thursday (Sept. 17) shows that Louisiana is the 8th poorest state in the nation. With the abundance of natural resources that we have in this state, that should never be. It should an extreme embarrassment to our leaders, especially one so oblivious as to believe he is presidential timber. Here is the link to that survey: http://247wallst.com/special-report/2015/09/17/richest-and-poorest-states/?utm_source=247WallStDailyNewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=SEP172015A&utm_campaign=DailyNewsletter

Bob Mann has said the things that I have wished a thousand times for the skill and the proficiency to articulate. Go here to read today’s post:

http://bobmannblog.com/2015/09/18/the-real-immorality-in-the-governors-race-is-not-david-vitters-prostitution-scandal/

Read Full Post »

More on Kristy’s new job: it appears Ochsner received $31 million to take over Leonard J. Chabert Hospital in Houma

Posted in Contract, Contracts, DOA, Governor's Office, Health Care, Lobbyist, LSU, Privatization, Public Records on September 17, 2015| 15 Comments »

ETHICS DILEMMA

(CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE)

“No former elected official, including a legislator, no former member of a board or commission, nor agency head for two years shall assist another person for compensation in connection with a transaction, or render service on a contractual basis for or be employed/ appointed to any position involving the agency by which he or she was formerly employed or in which he/she formerly held office.” (LA Rev Stat § 42:1121)

“…Kristy Nichols is leaving the public sector to become Ochsner Health System’s vice president of government and corporate affairs, the Jindal administration announced today.” (Baton Rouge Business Report, Sept. 15, 2015)

So Nichols will be going to work for Ochsner as a lobbyist. And while state law precludes her lobbying the legislative or executive branches for two years, there appears to be no prohibition to her lobbying local governments (parishes and municipalities) on the part of Ochsner.

Kristy, anticipating the end of her boss’s rocky tenure in January, found her own golden parachute at Ochsner. We don’t know her salary at Ochsner, but we’re guessing it’ll be six figures. Taken at face value, that would normally be the end of the story.

But with this gang, there’s always more than meets the eye. And thanks to our friend C.B. Forgotston who helped us connect the dots, we’re able to shed a little more light into how she parlayed three years of repeated budget crises into such a high-profile private sector job.

Remember the great state hospital privatization fiasco and the contract with 50 blank pages? http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130602/INFO/306029998

The contract obligated the state to long-term spending obligations that will extend decades beyond the Jindal years. Let’s ignore for the moment the fact that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services has yet to approve the deal. Instead, let’s explore the Nichols-Ochsner connection.

It was two years ago that the LSU Board of Supervisors signed off on that contract to hand over operation of state-owned hospitals in Lake Charles, Houma, Shreveport and Monroe. The blank pages were supposed to have contained lease terms. Instead, the LSU board left those minor details to the Jindal administration (read: Commissioner of Administration Kristy Nichols).

Eventually details about the contracts emerged, including that of the Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center in Houma. And, thanks to the Louisiana Public Affairs Research Council, that is where we’re able to bring the picture into focus.

Leonard Chabert Medical Center was opened in 1978 as a 96-bed facility with 802 employees but by the time it was privatized, it was down to 63 beds.

In 2008, a hospital-based accredited Internal Medicine residency program was begun. In 2011, the hospital’s revenue was 47 percent uncompensated care for the uninsured, 29.5 percent Medicaid, 13 percent Medicare, 5.5 percent state general fund and 6 percent interagency transfer from other departments with only 1 percent being self-generated.

When the Jindal administration moved to unload state hospitals, Chabert was partnered with Southern Regional Medical Corp., a nonprofit entity whose only member is Terrebonne General Medical Center (TGMC).

TGMC was slated to manage Chabert with assistance with a company affiliated with (drum roll)…..Ochsner Health System, Louisiana’s largest private not-for-profit health system with eight hospitals and 40 health centers statewide.

So what were the terms of the agreement? Five years with an automatic renewal after the first year in one-year increments to create a rolling five-year term.

Though Southern Regional is not required to pay rent under terms of the agreement, the Terrebonne Parish Hospital Service District No. 1 is required to make annual intergovernmental transfers of $17.6 million to the Medicaid program for Southern Regional and its affiliates. Here are the TERMS OF THE OCHSNER DEAL AT LEONARD CHABERT MEDICAL CENTER

Here’s the kicker: the cooperative endeavor agreement (CEA) calls for supplemental payments of $31 million to Ochsner. It’s no wonder the Houma Daily Courier described the deal as “a valuable asset to Ochsner’s network of hospitals” and that the deal “expands Ochsner’s business profile.”

Between 2009 and 2013, Ochsner’s revenue doubled from $900 million to $1.8 billion and the deal only means more revenue for Ochsner, the Daily Courier said. http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20140325/articles/140329692?p=3&tc=pg

We’re certain it’s just coincidence that the LSU Board signed off on a blank contract that the Jindal administration would fill in after the fact.

And it’s just by chance that Kristy Nichols, as Commissioner of Administration, was responsible for that task.

And of course it was just happenstance that Ochsner received that $31 million payment and a mere two years later, just as her reign at DOA was ending, saw the need to bring Kristy aboard as vice president of government and corporate affairs.

So there you have it. All you have to do is follow the money.

Read Full Post »

Notable Quotables (in their own words)

Posted in Uncategorized on September 17, 2015| 1 Comment »

“If we learned anything from the previous debate, it’s that these events reshuffle the deck. The deck has been reshuffled. And we’re fighting our way up.”

—Bobby Jindal, in assessing his performance at the kiddie table debate on Wednesday, Sept. 16 by email, as he strives to sit at the grown-up table.

“In tonight’s debate Governor Jindal neutered the Republican establishment in D.C. The Republican establishment in D.C. is the surrender caucus.”

—Jindal campaign manager Timmy Teepell, trying to earn his expensive fees from the Jindal campaign, also by email.

“He’s right—the deck has been reshuffled again. We’re on our way up. Don’t you want to be a part of it?”

—Supriya Jindal, echoing her husband’s less than convincing refrain. Ditto on the email.

“To follow through with their ‘card deck’ analogy: Yes, the debate did reshuffle the deck. Unfortunately for BJ, a joker is a joker no matter how many times the deck is reshuffled.”

—A reader who must by necessity remain anonymous. (and no, its not Earthmother, nor are we quoting ourselves.)

Read Full Post »

Don’t tell Bobby but we’re in his email address book and we get daily updates on how he ‘neutered’ GOP establishment

Posted in Campaign Contributions, Elections, Governor's Office on September 17, 2015| 8 Comments »

Many of our stories come to us by way of tips from readers. Sometimes they identify themselves but most of the time they’re anonymous because our sources often are state employees and they don’t want to be teagued.

Occasionally, the readers even provide us with copies of public records. If not, we make requests of the appropriate agencies for documents that will verify the story. The Division of Administration more often than not either ignores our requests or drags out compliance with the public records laws for weeks or even months.

Lately, the Louisiana Department of Public Safety has found a way to deny us access to records by claiming ongoing investigations and thus, justifying not releasing documents. But in most of those cases, we already have the records from our anonymous sources who pulled the records prior to their becoming part of an “ongoing investigation.” One vocal critic, writing under a fake name (we know who he is) even claimed we were breaking the law by having those records in our possession. Not so.

More recently, we have been the beneficiary of another source for a rather pathetic, but nevertheless amusing running story—Bobby Jindal’s desperate quest for the Republican presidential nomination.

The source is none other than Jindal himself.

Sometimes it’s by sheer luck that we stumble into some of our stories. We’re certain that Jindal and/or his people never intended that we be included in his email updates but somehow we got on his mail list and we get updates on his campaign every day. Sometimes we get two or three such updates in a single day.

Last night, following the debates (the kiddie table and the grown-up debates, though at times it was difficult to tell which was which), we received not one, not two, but three updates, each one proclaiming Jindal (kiddie table) all but nominated, elected and inaugurated.

In two of those, the first from Jindal and the second from wife Supriya, the message was the same: “The deck has been reshuffled.”

That prompted an observation from a friend who said, “Yes, this debate did reshuffle the deck. Unfortunately for Jindal, a joker is a joker no matter how many times the deck is reshuffled.”

Having said that, we now would like to show you some of the recent emails from Jindal camp members, including campaign manager Timmy Teepell, communications director Kyle Plotkin (You have to love his references to Jindal as “the Gov”), deputy campaign manager Tim Saler, Bobby and Supriya Jindal. This list is not all-inclusive because it would be too long but it is indicative of the delusions of mediocracy that seem to permeate Team Jindal. We pick up the dialogue on Aug. 21 and carry it through Thursday morning(Sept. 17). Of course, like any good televangelist, there is the perpetual request for money at the end. Here we go:
From: Kyle, BobbyJindal.com [mailto:info@bobbyjindalhq.com]

Sent: Friday, August 21, 2015 5:26 PM

To: Tom Aswell

Subject: Fired Up

Governor Jindal just got off the stage at AFP’s Defending the American Dream Summit, and wow, the Gov (sic) crushed it. Check out this video I filmed a couple minutes after he finished speaking: People were so inspired by his message, they kept running up to the stage to try to shake the Gov’s hand. We are in the car headed to catch a flight to Iowa. Can you chip in $50 right now so we can capitalize on this momentum? It would be awesome to turn my phone on when we land in Iowa and be able to tell the Gov we just raised a lot of money. Thanks, Kyle Plotkin Communications Director, Jindal for President
(VIDEO WOULD NOT LOAD) 

 

From: Bobby Jindal – iPad [mailto:info@bobbyjindalhq.com]

Sent: Tuesday, August 25, 2015 3:38 PM

To: Tom Aswell

Subject: Our first ad

We just released a new ad in Iowa that shows footage of my exchange with pro-amnesty protesters who tried to silence my speech at the Iowa State Fair with shouts of “citizenship now.” I confronted the protesters with hard truths: “If you want freedom, if you love America — follow the law, learn English, adopt our values and get to work!” You can watch the new ad here: https://www.bobbyjindal.com/new-jindal-ad-follow-the-law/ The ad will be targeted online to voters across Iowa for the next week. Can you chip in $25 right now so we can keep it running and make sure more people see it? Thanks, Bobby
  

From: Bobby Jindal – iPad [mailto:info@bobbyjindalhq.com]

Sent: Sunday, August 30, 2015 4:40 PM

To: Tom Aswell

Subject: Thank you

I am in the car headed to the airport to fly back to Iowa. I wanted to say thank you. The last few months campaigning have been inspiring. I wish we could bottle up the energy and passion we see everyday at events so you could experience it for yourself. I’m very grateful for the support you have given me so far. But campaigning for President is expensive, so I’m asking you to double down and make a donation as we approach our end of month fundraising deadline. Thank you, Bobby

 

From: Tim Saler – BobbyJindal.com [mailto:info@bobbyjindalhq.com]

Sent: Tuesday, September 08, 2015 1:02 PM

To: Tom Aswell

Subject: We all knew

Winning the Iowa Caucus has never been about money, looks, or media attention. The Iowa Caucus is all about grassroots campaigning. That is why we always knew that Gov. Jindal would do well there. He loves talking with voters one on one. Thanks to the support of people like you, we are seeing this come to fruition in the polls. The latest NBC Marist Poll has Gov. Jindal rising in the polls in Iowa again – currently tied with Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. This is great news for the campaign, but we still have a long way to go. Will you help us continue this momentum with a donation? Gov. Jindal has been adamant about using your donations for actual campaign activities – no meals out with campaign staff. Your donation will go directly into the field, and directly towards winning Iowa. Please make your contribution today. Thank you. Tim Saler Deputy Campaign Manager, Jindal for President
From: Bobby Jindal [mailto:info@bobbyjindalhq.com]

Sent: Saturday, September 12, 2015 10:01 AM

To: Tom Aswell

Subject: Weekend reading

Everyday (sic) on the campaign trail, I get great questions from voters — one I get a lot is what I’d do if I were elected President. That’s an easy question because while other candidates spent the last few years looking at polling and hiring consultants, I spent my time thinking about what the next President needs to do to get our country back on track and developed detailed policy plans built on conservative principles. So far, I released my plans on repealing Obamacare, fixing our broken education system, harnessing American energy, and rebuilding our national defense. All the plans are available on my website for you to read. When you are running for elected office, it’s easy to say you are for something. Every Republican running says they are for smaller government. But of all the candidates running, I am the only one that has actually cut government spending. It drives the big-government crowd in Louisiana crazy, but I have governed and kept my conservative principles intact. I’m proud of that. I hope you have a great weekend. Bobby
  

From: Bobby Jindal [mailto:info@bobbyjindalhq.com]

Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2015 6:30 PM

To: Tom Aswell

Subject: Tomorrow night

I just landed in California for tomorrow night’s Republican Presidential debate. I’m fired up. I hope you will tune in to CNN at 6 p.m. eastern to watch. If you are excited for tomorrow night too, chip in $20.16 right now to let me know. Bobby
  

From: Bobby Jindal – iPad [mailto:info@bobbyjindalhq.com]

Sent: Wednesday, September 16, 2015 7:03 PM

To: Tom Aswell

Subject: Just got off stage at debate

I just left the stage at the Reagan Foundation for today’s debate. If we learned anything from the previous debate, it’s that these events reshuffle the deck. Tonight’s debate was no exception. Sure, I talked about policy and substance. I talked about my record as the only Governor running for President who has actually cut spending. If you think that’s the kind of leadership we need from our next President, then make a special contribution of $20.16 now. But I also talked about how important this election is for our future. This may be our last chance to save the American Dream, and we can’t afford to turn our hopes over to Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders. That’s why I need your help to make sure I am on the main debate stage at next month’s debate. The pundits and analysts have declared I won tonight, and it is critical we keep the momentum going. Stand with me and make a contribution of $15, $10, or even $5 right now so our campaign has the resources we need to make sure I am in the next primetime debate. The campaign continues. The deck has been reshuffled. And we’re fighting our way up. Join us today. Bobby

 

 

From: Timmy, BobbyJindal.com [mailto:info@bobbyjindalhq.com]

Sent: Wednesday, September 16, 2015 8:23 PM

To: Tom Aswell

Subject: Jindal wins debate, neutered Republican establishment

In tonight’s debate, Governor Jindal neutered the Republican establishment in D.C. The Republican establishment in D.C. is the surrender caucus. They backed down on repealing Obamacare, stopping a dangerous Iran deal, and defunding Planned Parenthood. Republican voters are angry at Republicans in D.C. and they should be. It’s time for us to fight for what we believe in. Donate $20.16 right now to stand with Governor Jindal. Thank you, Timmy Teepell Campaign Manager, Jindal for President

 

 

From: Supriya Jindal [mailto:info@bobbyjindalhq.com]

Sent: Thursday, September 17, 2015 7:24 AM

To: Tom Aswell

Subject: Bobby did great!! FW: Just got off stage at debate

 

This is Supriya. Did you watch last night’s debate? Bobby did great! He’s right – the deck has been reshuffled again. We’re on our way up. Don’t you want to be a part of it? Make an instant donation right now to join our cause >>> $20.16 This is such an exciting time in the campaign. Bobby is off to Iowa later this week, and I’m looking forward to joining him again on the trail soon. I know we can count on you! -Supriya

Read Full Post »

Notable Quotables (in their own words)

Posted in Uncategorized on September 16, 2015| 9 Comments »

“I am proud of the work that we have accomplished in making Louisiana a better place to live and raise a family…”

“I believe that our accomplishments will provide lasting benefits for generations to come.”

“…I have accepted a position with Ochsner. I’ll be helping them to strategically manage their growth as a healthcare provider. I’ve always been passionate about healthcare and wellness…”

—Commissioner of Administration Kristy Nichols in email messages sent to Division of Administration employees in which she announced she will resign, effective Oct. 14, to work as a lobbyist for Ochsner Health Systems.

“Kristy has been a key team player who has fully dedicated herself to bettering the state of Louisiana.”

“Together, we’ve been able to reduce the size of government, improve health care across the state, and create a better, stronger Louisiana.”

—Bobby Jindal, in announcing Kristy’s departure after three years as Commissioner of Administration.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »