There are those like a certain former governor who see no good in any state employee. Perhaps that is why efforts were exerted to privatize every state government agency in sight and even to the extent of destroying one of the better teaching hospital systems in the country.
And gutting higher education’s budget only brought higher tuition costs, putting a college education out of reach of thousands of Louisiana students.
Perhaps that is one of the reasons Louisiana is the SEVENTH-FASTEST shrinking state in the nation, according to 24/7 Wall Street, a research organization that routinely publishes lists of the best and worst in a wide array of subjects.
Of course, another reason steeped in Louisiana tradition is the sordid history of CORRUPTION that has permeated the political culture of this state for longer than anyone reading this has lived.
And when you have a state legislature that ignores the well-being of the state’s citizens in favor of the corporate interests of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI), the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), and the oil and gas industry get first consideration, it’s no wonder that folks are a tad jaded.
Yet, thousands of state employees report to work each day to do jobs that go largely unnoticed—until something goes awry. Then, of course, all hell breaks loose. A civil servant gets fined for receiving an unsolicited Christmas ham from a vendor (that really happened), but another employee, an administrator, gets caught claiming time on the job while actually on vacation and nothing gets done.
Let a few rank and file state troopers drive across country for a conference at the direction of the State Police Superintendent and they are punished while the superintendent is allowed to retire—with full benefits.
Let another agency head trade sex with the manager of a restaurant in exchange for a permit to operate and nothing happens. But that same agency head dished out arbitrary punishment and fired employees for no cause and it took civil lawsuits to bring some measure of justice. And not even all of the lawsuits produced satisfactory results for the fired employees.
I write all that to say that while little seems to get done much of the time, there is one agency that has uncovered nearly $6.3 million in criminal violations, initiated investigations that have resulted in 51 criminal prosecutions that have resulted in produced 57 terminations or resignations.
A hard-charging, politically ambitious, headline-seeking prosecutor?
Nope. Just the work-a-day numbers-crunchers working for Louisiana Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera.
From Jan. 1, 2015, through Nov. 13, 2017, Purpera’s office has submitted 108 investigative audits of local and state government agencies, boards and commissions and quasi-public entities. From those 108 investigative audits came 72 actual reports with 200 findings reported and 555 recommendations made.
An investigative audit, by definition, is far more serious than routine audits that agencies undergo on a regular basis. Before embarking on an investigative audit, there must be a reason for the auditor’s office to suspect some kind of wrongdoing.
The dollar amount covered in those 118 investigative audits was $148.96 million dollars with almost $6.3 million in alleged criminal violations turned up.
Some of the more high-profile investigative audits performed during the 22-month period included:
- Misappropriation of funds by an employee of the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office;
- Misapplication of funds at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches;
- Improper payments and tickets to athletic events at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette;
- Improper expenditure of $268,000 by the Institute for Academic Excellence in New Orleans;
- Improper expenditure of $360,000 by the Municipal Employees’ Retirement System;
- Nearly $800,000 in seized cash assets was not deposited in the account of the 9th Judicial District Attorney in Rapides Parish;
- Employees of the Ouachita Parish Clerk of Court Office improperly paid for 51 days that they did not work;
- Numerous violations by management at Angola State Penitentiary which resulted in the resignation of Warden Burl Cain and others;
- Nearly $200,000 in seized cash assets was not deposited in the account of the District Attorney’s Special Asset Forfeiture Fund as required by the Acadia Parish Sheriff’s Office;
- Mismanagement and missing state equipment from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries;
- Improper use of state vehicle, hotel rooms, personnel, meals and training facilities by management personnel of Louisiana State Police;
- Improper use of $164,000 of state funds by two employees and a student worker, unauthorized use of student identification cards, unauthorized free meals totaling more than $12,600 and improper advances of financial aid to students at Grambling State University.
- Failure of the Non-Flood Protection Asset Management Authority in New Orleans to collect more than $600,000 in boat slip rental fees.
So, while it’s easy to criticize civil servants, it’s important to understand that while the public perception may be one of “deadheads,” they are people just like you—people with mortgages, student debt, family illnesses, and myriad other concerns (again, just like you). They are your neighbors, your friends and your relatives and they show up for work every day—just like you. And they struggle to make ends meet—just like you.
Given that, it’s a little difficult for me to understand how someone like autocrat Trump can pretend to say he relates with 800,000 federal workers who are facing the second pay period without a paycheck.
It’s puzzling also that daughter-in-law/adviser Lara Trump calls the government shutdown during which federal employees have to resort to food banks to eat, hold garage sales to pay the rent, or worse, be ordered to work without pay thus preventing them from taking part-time jobs that do pay, “a little bit of a pain.” This privileged, self-centered little rich girl has never known “a little bit of a pain.” so, how the hell can she relate?
And how can Trump economic adviser Kevin Hassett even dare to suggest that idled workers are better off because they’re benefiting from “a free vacation”? That’s unsurpassed arrogance.
But Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross took the prize by suggesting that federal workers simply run out to the corner bank or credit union and float a loan.
Perhaps Ross was trying to encourage them to borrow from the Bank of Cyprus that he once headed as it washed the money of Russian oligarchs.
All of this just so Trump can try to score some kind of vague point in order to say he’s a winner.
But my question to all those I’ve talked to who suddenly think a wall is of the utmost importance to the continued existence of a free and pure America is simply this:
Did you ever—even ONCE—consider the crushing need for a wall before Trump tossed the idea out as a throw-away line during a campaign stop in 2016? Did you know he was instructed to do that by his handlers only as a means of keeping him on topic?
Neither Trump, you, your mama, my mama, nor anyone else had ever given a wall a fleeting thought until then. Suddenly, it became the holy grail for all his followers who were unable to come up with an original thought of their own. And so, they fell in lockstep and followed, like so many sheep.
But there was another part to his promise that he has quietly dropped.
Mexico ain’t paying for it.
So, that’s my tribute to public employees, both state and federal and I hope to hell every one of them remembers our two U.S. Senators and five of our six U.S. Representatives who blindly support Trump’s every asinine utterance, tweet, and stumbling, bumbling, fumbling action.
Federal Employees are not allowed to go on strike. Okay, I get that. But how can the “No Strike” rule be used to FORCE federal employees to work for NOTHING? That’s not “going on strike.” That’s Involuntary Servitude. Or an even better term for it is “Legal Slavery.”
I’d like to hear the Louisiana Senators and Congressmen explain that.
Repubs insist that it’s right to deny public assistance to people in need, because they should be taught to work and earn a paycheck. Now it’s okay with repubs to force people to work and deny them those earned paychecks. And then they criticize those they have forced into slavery for feeding their families by accepting help from decent, generous people. What is the matter with people? This transcends plain old hypocrisy. There is something fundamentally wrong with those who come up with every excuse possible to deny people their basic human rights.
I’ve lived in down by the border, known friends and relatives who were affected very personally by illegal aliens crossing over. So yes, we want a wall. Also: those Federal employees should plan for economic downswings, as we all should. My uncle and two cousins waive their benefits during shutdown since they must be repaid when the shutdown ends. Imwe all of us are glad to have a President willing to challenge the political establishment (Reps & Dems) to do something the folks who elected him want. MAGA, all the way!
I repeat question No. 1: Did you ever even think about a wall before your Dear Leader threw it out for you like so much red meat?
Question 2: Do you really believe a wall is going to “Make America Great Again”? Seriously?
I guess the answer is in the inability to say anything original and only to repeat “MAGA” as often and as loudly as possible.
Response to #1: Yes. Yes. Read my response again. I state personal knowledge of the problem.
Response to #2: Yes. Physical fences do block entry. Or maybe yours don’t.
America is made great again by Taking a stand against bootless opposition who ignore anything that doesn’t fit their agenda. As you have so squarely done by ignoring the realities I cited in my OP. But then, I realize you’re “selling” a blog, so I’m not surprised. Or daunted by your response.
“Selling a blog”? Did you have to pay a subscription fee to log on? Nope. And the only advertising I accept is a free ad for a local bookstore because the owner was kind enough to help me set up the blog. So, no, I don’t “sell” anything.
And if you call schmoozing our adversaries and turning our back on our allies; if you call callously putting 800,000 people out of a paycheck just to make a silly point; if you call a laundry list of indictments and guilty pleas by top aides, appointees, and campaign workers; if you call preaching an anti-immigration message after employing (but failing to pay) illegal immigrants for construction work on projects in New York; if you call getting in bed with organized crime to guarantee no labor work stoppages on those projects; if you call blatant disrespect for women–if you call all that Making America Great Again, then my friend, you’re as much a part of the problem as Trump is.
And no, the walls don’t work, your claim to the contrary notwithstanding. That’s a pipe dream. They’ve already proven that by cutting a gaping hole in the prototype.
And I might add that the vast majority of illegals in this country came here legally, obtained visas, overstayed the visas, thus becoming “illegal.” And if they obtained visas, they received social security cards and thus, are paying taxes on their earnings–unless cheap Americans are paying them cash under the table–and just who is to blame for that? The majority didn’t sneak across the border. And those who do sneak across the border aren’t the main drug smugglers. The drugs come into this country by air, by boat, and by 18-wheelers.
And of course, whenever an illegal commits a crime (and it does happen), the Trumpsters are quick to point that out. But what is ignored is the disastrously high crime rate of U.S. citizens, i.e. those born here who rob, rape, steal, and kill by the thousands each year. I suppose the answer is to construct a wall around every living individual in the country—or deport everyone.
You accuse me of ignoring the obvious. Yet, it’s amusing to see all the indignation over “welfare moms,” for example, when corporate welfare dwarfs anything some indigent welfare cheat can game the system for. The Trump tax reform was supposed to create jobs but instead only created more wealth for shareholders. There was no appreciable gain in employment by those companies reaping the benefits of tax “reform,” just obscenely higher profits. You have allowed yourself to be manipulated by corporate lobbyists, paid hucksters whose primary responsibility is perpetuating the profiteering of banks, hedge funds, pharmaceutical companies, big oil, Wall Street and other corporate interests. And you know how they do it?
Stage magicians call it misdirection.
I call it a wall.
Preach Brother Tom. Thank you for stating the obvious, which many cannot or will not see. And all God’s people said “Amen!”
Thank you, Tom, for bringing this home to Louisiana. I just have one silly question: What the heck does Lara Trump advise Donald about? That aside, it has become obvious to sane, clear-thinking people that Trump is becoming more and more dysfunctional. This Trump Shutdown over his WALL, is beginning to cost McConnell & Crew. If Trump declares a national emergency, their problems will only escalate. We need to keep the pressure on all of our elected “public servants” to do their job as the Constitution demands. While it is true that they do not give a hoot what we think, we need to use every means to make our position known to them. Just when we think Trump cannot do more harm….he surpasses our wildest nightmares.
Excellent column, Tom.
A few observations about government employees, from the smallest political subdivision up:
1. A majority of the public has a low opinion of public employees. Public employees know this. Humans tend to do what is expected of them and to respond to positive reinforcement. To the extent public employees do not perform at the highest levels it is largely due to these simple facts.
2. The key to effective management of any organization is accountability from the bottom up. To the extent public agencies are ineffective, accountability is lacking. It is human nature to do what one can get by with. A small percentage of people are motivated by self-respect that requires they do the best they can at everything they do. The rest are motivated by the recognition that not doing one’s best can result in sanctions.
I worked for one of the largest multinational corporations (Pearson plc) in the world for 4 years after leaving state government. I was never in a position of authority greater than responsibility for my testing center. The people I worked with (one of whom is still there) were largely self-motivated, but we were all accountable for our actions and were held to very high standards. We knew full-well that failure to perform well had serious consequences. Believe me, it makes a difference.
When people talk about government being run like a business I strongly agree that the accountability in the private sector could and should be emulated in the public sector. Government is not business and can’t function like a business – only the naïve or uninformed believe otherwise. However, people are people, no matter where they work, and I believe they actually function better when they realize they are accountable for their actions and when they respect the work they do and are respected by others. And that is what is lacking in government from the bottom to the top.
I, too worked for our State Government. My experience was that my fellow public servants were honest, capable and were very self-motivated
We handled millions of dollars in medical research funding, obtained by successful professional researchers. This should show that it is a mistake to generally describe State workers as has been done by the above post
I should have mentioned that there are dedicated, hard-working government workers who work in well-managed agencies – I was fortunate enough to be the guest columnist for a Sunday ADVOCATE op-ed page some 35 years ago in which I made that very argument and I have always believed it. That does not mean a majority of the public has a positive impression of government employees. Nor does it mean accountability is a strong precept in state government management. I did not intend my comments to be one-sided, but I stand by them based on working with hundreds of state programs, agencies, and departments and validated by reports generated by the legislative auditor, including those cited by Tom. I have always believed greater accountability would enhance the public’s perception of how the state is managed, but we rarely see evidence of such efforts – We see Mr. Purpera’s reports and those of investigative journalists about the wrong-doing, but we hear little about what anybody is actually doing to prevent such things in the future.
Great work Tom!
Edith’s suggestion is on point: While it is true that they do not give a hoot what we think, we need to use every means to make our position known to them.”
Last week I decided to do exactly that by calling Mitch Mcconnell’s D.C. office. I didn’t expect to connect and was going to leave a voicemail expressing my concerns (sans expletives.) I got a carefully crafted automated response that I interpreted to be “Screw Off”, we don’t need your input. No option for VM. I’m certain that they were tired of dealing with an overflowing VM box each day and were embarrassed when constituents called and got the message mailbox was full.
I don’t believe in giving up so I called each of his Kentucky offices. All but one had the identical message. Perhaps they are automatically forwarded to the D.C. system. I left a message on the unaffected VM system with mild expletives…
What do I wish for most? Well, I would be quite happy to see Trump and family (except for Melania and son) caught in the ever turning gears and chains of justice and sent to prison where they might earn $.20 / hour.
Bob Mhoon
“Sell”, in quotations, indicates the way you market your blog, idiot. But you’re pretty much consistently missing the finer points, so I’ll give you credit for that.
Yes, a wall will work. I’ll overlook your half-baked reasoning, concocted from the safety of your home here in a Louisiana and stick with what people who live, work, and die down along the border.
Thanks for continuing to make my point for me with your every response. You’re doing your part to MAGA! 😁
Give ’em hell, Frankie!
With 7 criminal indictments this morning, you might want to watch out who you encourage, Roger 🙂