I know I’m sounding like a preacher on Sunday morning at offering time, and I hate this part of LouisianaVoice more than you know.
But the truth is, doing this costs money and as a retiree, I am on a fixed income, so twice a year, I come to you asking for your assistance.
Whether you can help or not, this service will continue.
Why?
Because with the state’s daily newspapers cutting staff, it’s more important than ever that the actions, both official and unofficial, of our elected representatives and their appointees, be watched closely and reported, especially when they break the public’s trust.
Sometimes, our efforts run into a dead end on a story. That just happened on a story I’ve been working on since last July. Yesterday (Thursday), I paid $192 for videos and other documents that failed to depict what I was told happened. But where I had asked for videos of three days of activity, I got only two, so now I have to ask again for that third day and it will cost more money. (Thanks to Robert Burns, who picked up $100 of that $192 cost, the financial hit was mitigated. But as I said, there will be more costs when I receive the third day’s videos.)
Sometimes I must file lawsuits to obtain records and while my legal representation costs little, filing fees must be paid. Also, there is the cost of fuel for traveling all over the state to chase stories that sometimes pan out, sometimes not.
We—investigative reporter Lee Zurik and I—will be breaking (in conjunction with TV news stations in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lake Charles and Shreveport) a major story simultaneously at 10 p.m. Monday. This is a story I’ve been working on for approximately three months. A lot of time, energy, and finances have been invested in this effort.
Bottom line, keeping you informed of what your government is doing is a sacrifice in both time and financial resources.
Please help us by clicking on the yellow “DONATE” button on the right and give what you can by credit card or you can send checks or money orders to:
Capital News Service/LouisianaVoice
P.O. Box 922
Denham Springs, LA 70727
Louisiana Voice 
Over the last few months, Tom has graciously invited me to travel with him for investigative groundwork which would blow readers away hearing what informants have been willing to share. I look forward to more to come. Tom will write the articles once all the fact-gathering is complete and corroborated, and they should be phenomenal reads!!
I know Louisiana Voice readership have varied political persuasions, but the one thing I hope we all stand united on is exposing corruption irrespective of which party the perpetrator may be a member.
I can tell you first-hand that Tom’s costs are real, and it’s my sincere hope that anyone who finds his posts useful toward exposing wrongdoing (how much of the general public would know what a joke LSP management is without Tom??), and who are able will share in the financial burden that comes with doing the hard work he does!! I think you’ll see the dividends of your help to him in the form of some great features beginning with Monday night!!
I send Tom a contribution once or twice a year because, as Robert says, his costs are real and what he does is worthwhile. Web data shows the phenomenal number of hits this low-key, but highly effective site gets. If everybody pitched in a little, I know it would be used wisely. I may not trust our government to always operate as efficiently as possible, but I trust Tom to.
So, if you enjoy what you get here, send him a little something. If you subscribe to the print (or digital) version of a newspaper, think of what you pay for it and then consider the very extensive advertising that actually pays for the printed and, to a lesser extent, digital newspapers – A cynic might argue that extensive advertising has an affect on the objectivity with which newspapers report in the same way campaign contributions might very well affect political actions.
LouisianaVoice has, so far, been able to keep on chugging along without accepting big-time advertising dollars and it is against Tom’s policy to do so, so please help him out if you can.
I am mailing a check for $50 today- you are the best . Carole