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Archive for October, 2016

With more parties joining in the debate, it’s getting difficult to extricate ourselves from the ongoing saga of Troy Hebert

Posted in ATC, Cartoons, Politicians, Senate, State Agencies on October 6, 2016| 5 Comments »

Trying to write about Troy Hebert, former director of the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control (ATC), without getting mired down in controversy is a little like trying to run in knee-deep mud.

Likewise, attempts to make sense of it all is akin to trying to interpret a paint factory explosion as an expression of avant garde art.

avant-garde-art

It’s long past time to move on. Hebert is no longer conducting his misrule at ATC and he’s going about as far in his bid for U.S. Senator as Bobby Jindal did in his equally comical quest for the Republican presidential nomination. But flies have experienced less difficulty escaping from spider webs than we have in moving past the saga of Hebert et al.

It’s no longer a matter of LouisianaVoice writing about Troy Hebert; now it’s sub-factions sending messages back and forth, accusing each other of lying, threatening lawsuits, and still more anonymous sources coming forward with new information. https://louisianavoice.com/2016/09/20/fbi-agent-says-hebert-cleared-of-corruption-n-o-publication-way-off-in-identifying-our-story-source/

We no sooner pose our story about New Orleans attorney and former State Sen. Julie Quinn’s three-page letter to New Orleans CityBusiness demanding a retraction of its story about Quinn’s alleged representation of clients before ATC in applications for liquor licenses than we received copies of documents appearing to refute all of Quinn’s refutations.

This time, rather than offer denials of Facebook postings or legal representation, this unknown person, using the synonym “Sherlock Holmes” (not too terribly original), sent a screenshot of a Facebook post Quinn said she did not send. Also included were documents indicating that Quinn may have indeed represented clients in liquor license application matters.

Here is the complete text of that email:

From: Sherlock Holmes [mailto:] Sent: Wednesday, October 5, 2016 3:28 PM To: azspeak@cox.net Subject: Julie Quinn is LYING to you

Tom,

In your September 20, 2016 article you reported that LA attorney and former state senator, Julie Quinn told Louisiana Voice that she had never represented a client before ATC and quoted her as stating “I don’t do liquor licenses and I have NEVER in my career represented a single client in a liquor permit matter” (emphasis added).

Interestingly, in the letter to City Business from Quinn’s law partner, Mr. Alsterberg, (that you have attached to your October 4, 2016 article) he states: “…in fact, throughout her entire career, Ms. Quinn has only assisted a single client in this type of matter [alcohol licensing], which occurred four years ago on behalf of a restaurant located in the warehouse district, not a bar located in the French Quarter.”

Based on these two contradictory statements, it is clear that Ms. Quinn LIED  to you. 

Also, the attached emails, articles and Facebook post provide irrefutable evidence that Ms. Quinn, and now her law partner, continue to lie about her business dealings involving the ATC and also about her Facebook activity. I WONDER WHAT SHE IS TRYING TO HIDE????

Julie Quinn has represented (or held herself out to state governmental officials and the media as representing) at least 6 clients in ATC related matters between Jan 2013 and March 2016 including: a business in Grand Isle that was operating under a previous owner’s permit; a French Quarter business that had its permit revoked and had a bad reputation in the area for being a location frequented by prostitutes, panderers, johns, and were multiple arrest for drugs and weapons were made; and 3 French Quarter strip clubs.   

The attached documents also show that Quinn did in fact do more than “post links to two articles” on her Facebook page and that she did in fact make a Facebook post insinuating that “she just killed a politician.”  As you will see, the Facebook post provided were made in near proximity to your article about the FBI investigating Troy Hebert.

In addition to his email message, “Sherlock” also included DOCUMENTS that included copies of the Facebook screen shot, emails that alluded to representation of clients applying for liquor licenses, and news stories citing Quinn as the source of a Facebook post of a cartoon about confessing to killing “a politician.”

With stories in the queue about a significant court ruling on public records, flood recovery efforts and potential a judicial conflict of interests on the part of a Baton Rouge judge, this should be the final word in the sordid saga of Troy Hebert.

But it probably won’t be.

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Troy sues, un-sues, sues again, Quinn threatens to sue publication; this is Louisiana politics at its sordid best

Posted in ATC, Elections, Lawsuits, Senate on October 4, 2016| 2 Comments »

First, Troy Hebert sued. Then he un-sued. Then he sued again.

Meanwhile, Julie Quinn is threatening to sue.

And the saga of the Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control (ATC)—and by extension, the race for U.S. Senator, rolls on ad nauseam.

It’s the kind of macabre comedy only a Louisiana politics junkie could love.

Hebert, former ATC Director, is running for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. David Vitter. He is currently polling at somewhere around 0 percent, give or take a percentage point or two. (Well, in his case, you’d have to give.)

Quinn, now a New Orleans attorney, is a former State Senator. Right now she’s justifiably steamed.

Hebert first filed a lawsuit against Southern Media and Opinion Research poll and pollster Bernie Pinsonat because he was incorrectly listed as a Republican by the polling service. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/aug/9/senate-candidate-troy-hebert-files-suit-against-po/

He was polling 2 percent at the time and his lawsuit said the poll was flawed and that “the system is definitely rigged against independent candidates.”

Considering how his numbers have since plummeted by two points, he may be right.

He subsequently dropped that suit in favor of filing yet more litigation to block a debate between candidates for Senate after he was excluded because of his (wait for it)….low poll numbers. http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/elections/article_b80928b4-899a-11e6-ac34-5befc9373f3f.html

Meanwhile, he sent LouisianaVoice an email recently in which he attached a link to a story saying that the FBI had ended its investigation of official wrongdoing. In his email, he asked that LouisianaVoice publish a story to that effect…and we did.

The story alluded to a story in CityBusiness magazine of New Orleans which indicated that LouisianaVoice relied on anonymous sources in its story about the FBI launching its investigation of Hebert. At the same time, CityBusiness, apparently citing its own anonymous sources, said that Quinn was apparently the source for the LouisianaVoice story.

Not only was CityBusiness dead wrong about our source, but it went even further in saying that Quinn, while dating former Jefferson Parish President and unsuccessful candidate for Lieutenant Governor John Young, was in competition with John Young’s brother Chris Young in representing clients in liquor license matters before ATC.

Chris Young, previously a lobbyist for the Louisiana Beer League, also represented clients in licensure matters before ATC. Both Youngs are attorneys and their sister was head of the New Orleans ATC office.

Chris Young was recently indicted for distributing child porn on his cell phone. The porn consisted of a video of a boy having sex with a donkey and Chris Young used the poor judgment of sending the videos to others, which was apparently the basis of the indictment.

But it didn’t end there. The FBI, it seems, rather than employing old-fashioned police work in its investigation of Hebert, tried instead to get to Chris Young to roll over on Hebert. When he refused, the FBI probe abruptly ended.

Now Quinn has her dander up and her attorney has fired off a scorching letter to CityBusiness Publisher Lisa Blossman calling its story “flat-out false” and “highly defamatory” and demanding an immediate retraction or face possible litigation.

Rather than go through the three pages picking out highlights, we decided to publish the letter-from-julie-quinn here.

After wading through all the interlocking relationships of brothers and sister, former fiancés, employees, a state agency head, legal representation, federal investigations, kiddie porn, media stories and political hacks , just one conclusion may be reached: Only in Louisiana could all this come together in a single story and still have the ring of truth.

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Victim of post-Katrina Road Home program comes to Baton Rouge seeking justice; departs defeated, disillusioned, angry

Posted in Contract, Contracts, Corruption, Courts, DOA, Ethics, Fraud, Judges, Lawsuits on October 3, 2016| 4 Comments »

Tony Pelicano won a skirmish but may have lost the war in his years-long battle with the Louisiana Office of Community Development (OCD) over poor workmanship and claims of fraud in connection with the reconstruction of a rent house in Metairie destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

Because inferior materials were used in the work, Pelicano, himself a contractor, refused to accept the work and he filed suit against the contractor and the state filed suit against him to foreclose on the property.

The trial for his suit against Woodrow Wilson Contractors of Baton Rouge is scheduled for trial in January. The state’s foreclosure suit was scheduled for jury trial on Monday but the state threw a curve ball at Pelicano who apparently had not suffered quite enough in the eyes of OCD and the Division of Administration (DOA).

To make matters worse, the state’s attorney, Lesia Batiste, laughed at an emotional Pelicano after court adjourned.

Pelicano, represented by Baton Rouge attorney Jill Craft, entered Monday’s proceedings in 19th Judicial District Court fighting the state’s motion to deny Pelicano a jury trial but less than two hours before jury selection was slated to begin, Batiste filed a motion to dismiss its case without prejudice, meaning the state would be free to renew its foreclosure efforts at any time in the future.

Craft argued vehemently in favor of dismissal with prejudice, meaning the case would be over and done.

In September 2009, Pelicano was personally solicited by the State of Louisiana through OCD to submit an application to become the first test applicant for the Small Rental Program through the agency. https://louisianavoice.com/2016/09/23/state-ocd-figure-partnered-with-firm-that-blocked-repairs-to-road-home-project-shelter-at-home-follows-same-formula/

Specifications called for pressure treated lumber for the house but upon inspecting the work, Pelicano discovered pressure treated lumber was not used, leading almost immediately to termite infestation. Moreover, leaks in the roof resulted in rust of the top of the hot water heater and kitchen stove and the hot water heater was located in the wrong place, resulting in workers having to cut a hole in the door in order to close it. Joints and window sills have separated since the work was done, all of which have left the house uninhabitable despite Batiste’s contention that “I would live in the house.”

An independent engineer was retained by Pelicano to inspect the house. His photos-and-report are included here in order that you, the reader, can determine if you would pay rent to live in the house.

“I don’t file a suit and then come in here on the day of jury selection and say, ‘Hey, just kidding. They don’t get a do-over,” she said.

“The home owner (Pelicano) must approve a contractor’s punch list. All corrections in construction must be made before the contractor can be paid. These people (Pelicano and his wife) have gone through enough,” Craft said. “Dismissing without prejudice means the state may want to sue them again.”

She said the Pelicanos and the state “reached a settlement in 2013 and the state backed out. That cost my clients an extra $10,000 and now the state wants to allow itself another bite.”

Batiste argued that she did not believe a dismissal without prejudice would create any hardship on the Pelicanos.

District Judge Tim Kelley ruled that the Pelicanos were entitled to a jury trial but then upheld the state’s motion for dismissal without prejudice.

After Kelley adjourned court and exited the courtroom, Pelicano shouted to Batiste, “Take the house! Just take it! I’ve had it! I’m Through!”

Batiste, watching Pelicano’s emotional outburst, laughed.

“It’s not funny,” Craft said to Batiste.

LouisianaVoice asked Batiste why the state would not dismiss with prejudice and her answer left no doubt that the state still has the Pelicanos in its crosshairs.

“They’re under foreclosure,” she said. Not were, but are. Left unsaid was the unmistakable intent that the state would be back for more retribution against the Pelicanos at some future date.

“Have you seen that house?” we asked.

“Yes, I’ve been in it. There’s nothing wrong with it. I would live in it.”

No, she would not. Not without raising holy hell over the condition of the structure.

And neither would you. The mold and mildew in the house, fostered by what Pelicano says was the use of substandard materials,  presents a clear health hazard.

And now the state is asking August flood victims to trust its Shelter at Home program, the illegitimate child of its precursor, the Road Home program.

Pelicano came to Baton Rouge Monday hoping for some measure of justice but the state lived down to its customary expectations of disillusionment and disappointment which in turn only nurtures a climate of manipulation and corruption.

He deserves better.

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New David Duke joke: He thinks because Trump’s running strong for President, he is destined to win U.S. Senate race

Posted in Elections, Governor's Office, Politicians, Senate on October 2, 2016| 27 Comments »

David Duke is delusional.

David Duke is an idiot.

A couple of other facts about David Duke:

He is no longer considered dangerous.

He’s a loser.

He’s not a has-been; he’s a never-was and a never-will-be.

In a Washington Post story, he is quoted as saying “The fact that Donald Trump’s doing so well, it proves that I’m winning. I am winning.”

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/with-white-supremacists-drawn-into-political-mainstream-david-duke-declares-victory/ar-BBwNn7p?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=iehp

Not so fast, Sparky. It ain’t happening.

I also personally remain convinced that Trump will not win (and before you say it, let me be clear that I’m nowhere close to being a Hillary fan, either).

The latest revelations that Trump may not have paid ANY income taxes for 18 years after claiming a loss of almost $1 billion in 1995 should cripple him with those of us who do not have the financial resources to employ an army of tax lawyers and accountants to enable him to evade taxes. http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-campaign-reels-after-disclosure-of-1995-tax-returns/ar-BBwUGBY?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=iehp

(No wonder he has not made his tax returns public.)

The fact that the Trump campaign responded to The New York Times report by saying Trump was a “genius” (and by his saying in last week’s debate that he was “smart” to avoid taxes) should be taken as an insult to the rest of us who are obviously too damned stupid and dumb to avoid paying our own fair share.

Duke, however, thinks because Trump is doing well in the polls, he will win in the ongoing lottery to succeed David Vitter in the U.S. Senate.

But even if Trump wins every single electoral vote out there, David Duke is NOT going to be Louisiana’s next U.S. Senator.

I am already on record with several friends as predicting no more than 7 percent for Duke. But after realizing there are 24 candidates in the crowded field and that there is already a Duke semi-clone (U.S. Rep. John Fleming) in the race, I am downscaling Duke’s support to 3 percent maximum. He will be competing with Troy Hebert, the erstwhile Director of the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, for the 24th position in the polling.

And that anemic support is precisely why I don’t consider Duke dangerous anymore. He is simply a non-factor, no any longer even a mild curiosity.

That’s not to say the white supremacist movement is dead. Far from it. Trump’s support base is clear evidence of that sad fact. But for Duke to believe he can ride that sad tide into the U.S. Senate is pure fantasy. (As my disclaimer, I understand fully that not all of Trump’s supporters are racists. A large measure of his support consists of Americans who are disillusioned with government in general and both major political parties in particular.)

And they’re frustrated with a U.S. Congress that is bought and packaged by big money paid by big oil, big pharma, big banks and big business so that they may avoid and evade taxes, pass legislation that enriches them at the expense of the environment, healthcare, the economy and the American people.

But David Duke is apparently oblivious to the fact that his agenda is not attached to any of those issues.

He peaked when he ran for governor against Edwin Edwards in 1991. Remember that race? All the pollsters called it a tossup. I told co-workers at the Office of Risk Management that when voters entered that voting booth and closed the curtains, there would be no way they would pull the leaver for Duke. I said then Edwards would get 60 percent of the vote.

He got 61 percent.

Duke for U.S. Senate in 2016?

3 percent max.

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Stories, photos of statewide flooding still needed for book

Posted in Uncategorized on October 2, 2016| Leave a Comment »

The floods that have hit Louisiana during 2016 have been devastating. And while the most recent floods in August were concentrated in the East Baton Rouge-Livingston-Ascension areas, others earlier in the year struck other parts of the state.

One family learned on Facebook of their home in Baton Rouge not only flooding, but burning when water got into the home’s electrical system—while they were vacationing in Texas.

I plan to publish a book about the widespread destruction inflicted on thousands of homeowners and businesses in Louisiana. Included in our book will be accounts of the difficulties of overcoming the burdensome red tape of the FEMA bureaucracy, local and state building codes, slow-paying insurance companies, and any other problems encountered with the floods and their aftermaths.

We want stories and photos about rescues (humans and pets), property losses, and any other events associated with the flooding.

Those whose stories and/or photos are used will receive complimentary signed copies of the book.

One-half of all net profits will be given to flood relief.

Please email your stories and/or photos to:

tom.aswell@yahoo.com

or mail to:

LouisianaVoice

P.O. Box 922

Denham Springs, LA. 70727

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