Posted in Charters, Education, Governor's Office, House, Senate, Legislature, Legislators, Notable Quotables on April 4, 2012| 5 Comments »
“We’re against discrimination, but we don’t believe in special protections or rights.”
–Gov. Bobby Jindal’s press secretary Frank Collins, defending Senate Bill 217 by State Sen. A.G. Crowe (R-Slidell), which would allow charter schools to refuse to admit students on the basis of their ability to speak English, their sexual orientation or other unspecified factors.
Posted in ALEC, American Legislative Exchange Council, Charters, Education, House, Senate, Legislature, Legislators, Louisiana Purchase on April 4, 2012| 11 Comments »
The Senate Labor and Industrial Relations Committee has approved by a 5-1 vote Senate Bill 217 by State Sen. A.G. Crowe (R-Slidell) which would allow charter schools to refuse to admit students on the basis of their ability to speak English, their sexual orientation or other unspecified factors.
In what must qualify as one of the more asinine comments coming out of the current session, Crowe said the intent of his bill is to prevent bans by executive branch agencies and local governments on discrimination against characteristics not listed in state law as a condition for private companies to do business with their agencies.
Wait. What? Is Sen. A.G. Crowe really advocating a return to Jim Crow?
Apparently so and so are four of the remaining six members. Sen. Dan Martiny (R-Metairie) was not around for the final vote.
Voting in favor, besides committee Chairman Crowe were Sens. Bob Kostelka (R-Monroe), Barrow Peacock (R-Bossier City), Neil Riser (R-Columbia), and Ronnie Johns (R-Lake Charles).
Of the six Republicans on the committee, only Peacock received no significant campaign contributions from either Gov. Bobby Jindal’s campaign or from corporations affiliated with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
ALEC is an organization which denies it is a lobbyist, but, headed by Koch Industries, it includes dozens of large national and multi-national corporations who meet with state legislators on a regular basis to draft legislation for state lawmakers to take back home with them for enactment.
Invariably those laws favor corporate tax breaks and cuts to state employee benefits. ALEC also promotes widespread privatization of heretofore public services and advocates school vouchers and private and charter schools over traditional public schools.
It’s really amazing what a little largesse in the right places can do.
Crowe, Kostelka, Riser, Johns and Martiny each received $2,500 from Jindal’s campaign fund in 2011 and the same five received numerous campaign contributions from ALEC-affiliated corporations.
Perhaps Jindal and some of those corporations should demand a pro rata rebate from Martiny for his failure to vote on the bill.
The state Department of Education contracts with those seeking charter schools were the chief examples cited during testimony for Senate Bill 217. Gov. Bobby Jindal did not respond to requests for comment about calls to unilaterally strip the anti-discriminatory language from the department’s contract criteria.
Sen. Ed Murray, the only committee member to vote no on the measure, said the possibility of SB217 becoming law and negating the anti-discriminatory prohibitions in charter school contracts is “really scary.”
Is it really true that Sen. Murray is the only member of the committee to understand that?
“I can’t believe that at the same time we as a Legislature are passing bills that .… allow charter schools to deny admission based solely on a child’s ability to speak English well enough or play basketball well enough,” Murray said.
“The focus is really simple,” Crowe said. “It says stick to the law.”
State law currently forbids discrimination on the basis of race, religion, national ancestry, age, sex or disability but the Department of Education has expanded that to include sex ethnicity, sexual orientation, athletic performance and special need proficiency in the English language or in a foreign language.
Leslie Ellison, of New Orleans, testified she refused to sign a charter school contract with the Department of Education because it required her company to not discriminate against gays, as well as other criteria not listed in state law. She said the department does not have the right to insert its own opinions into a state contract.
Louisiana Family Forum head Gene Mills a message was being sent for Jindal to strip the provision from his Education Department’s contract criteria. Louisiana Family Forum is a coalition of religious groups that lobby the legislature on issues such as teen abstinence and other social issues.
Neither Jindal nor State Superintendent of Education John White responded to requests for comment about the policy but Jindal press secretary Frank Collins said, “We’re against discrimination, but we don’t believe in special protections or rights.”
Education Department spokesperson Rene Greer said the charter authorization provision was under review by the department.
Someone whose name is long since forgotten once said you get what you pay for and apparently ALEC and Jindal are getting their money’s worth from Louisiana legislators they bought…er, supported.
Posted in Computers, Education, Governor's Office, House, Senate, Legislature, Legislators, Retirement on March 24, 2012| 9 Comments »
Short shorts around the State Capitol
Just in case you may have missed it, we found yet another in a long line of examples of Jindal arrogance and hypocrisy from a few days ago:
• Whereas, Louisiana’s retired teachers have devoted their careers to the education and training of literally thousands upon thousands of Louisiana’s youth; and
• Whereas, Louisiana’s retired teachers have provided additional job and social skill training for adults throughout the state; and
• Whereas, Louisiana’s retired teachers have rendered valuable services in diverse leadership roles to their communities and institutions throughout their careers and continue to render such services as retirees; and
• Whereas, Louisiana’s retired teachers represent the profession, which is given the basic responsibility for launching the careers of state and national leaders, and for laying the foundation for the welfare of all members of our society; and
• Whereas, Louisiana’s retired teachers represent a tremendous pool of experience and training which remains dedicated and dependable support to the leaders in our communities, state, and nation; and
• Whereas, Louisiana’s retired teachers represent a loyal, patriotic, and concerned citizenry which provides a dedicated and dependable support to the leaders in our communities, state and nation.
• Now, therefore, I, Bobby Jindal, Governor of the State of Louisiana, do hereby proclaim March 15, 2012 as
Retired Teachers Day in the State of Louisiana.
Other than to question the grammar of the next-to-last whereas (“which remains dedicated and dependable support”—does anyone proofread these things?), we have nothing to add except to observe that even the pickle gets a full week and the rutabaga gets an entire month.
Fear and Loathing on the House Floor
Freshman House member Bob Hensgens (R-Abbeville) reportedly visited a constituent recently and confided that he had no choice other than to vote with the governor on the education bills lest the governor cancel the LA. Highway 14 construction project in his district.
Nice to know, observed the constituent that “my job, (my) retirement and all Louisiana children and teachers are less important than a few miles of highway.”
If true, Hensgens apparently is either sufficiently politically astute to throw up the appropriate smokescreen to detract from the real issue at hand or he is far too naïve to try to swim with the sharks in Baton Rouge.
The word we get is the project is already at or near completion. It would be rather difficult for the governor to undo the work that’s already done.
Such is life these days with this governor. In computer parlance, one might be prone to refer to Jindal as 2012 Nixon Upgrade: like Nixon, he is more than a little paranoid, he is certainly as vindictive as Nixon (see: Teague, Teague, Richie, Manuel, Champagne & Daniel) and he has complete and total disdain for existing law (see the U.S. Constitution position on breaking contracts as regards state retirement contributions and benefits).
But, as a longtime north Louisiana political observer says, “Is the public getting it yet? Do they see?”.
Dissent will not be tolerated, she noted. “The events that transpired on the House Floor on HB 976 and HB 974 finally show the true face of Jindal and his lackeys, as well as the absolute spinelessness of the House members.
“Thank goodness for the Black Caucus. Freshman Rep. Katrina Jackson…repeatedly embarrassed Rep. (Stephen) Carter, the author of the bills and the chairman of the House Education Committee who, as was clearly demonstrated, does not know what is in his own bills.
“He (Carter) finally grew tired of looking like a fool and ‘refused’ to take questions on his own amendments. The Speaker was forced to drag other administration lackeys such as Rep. Ligi to the mike to give equally evasive and/or uninformed answers.
“…These bills are bad for Louisiana. Who ever heard of giving school boards the responsibility to hire and pay a local superintendent, but then tell that same school board that they cannot supervise that superintendent? This is madness. Local superintendents are somehow now answerable (the bill is unclear on how this will actually work) to the State Superintendent, an appointed lackey who is not answerable to the voters or, technically, even to the governor!
“This is the ‘small-government-is-best crowd that is consolidating power at the state level?
” What the hell?”
Posted in ALEC, American Legislative Exchange Council, Campaign Contributions, Education, Governor's Office, House, Senate, Legislature, Legislators, Lobbyist, Teague on March 24, 2012| 2 Comments »
BATON ROUGE (CNS)—The influence of lobbyists and campaign contributions was never more in evidence than in last week’s House votes on two separate education bills being pushed hard by the Jindal administration.
Of the 62 House members who are current or former members of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) or attended ALEC conferences, accepted campaign contributions from corporate members of ALEC, from education reform lobbyists or from Gov. Bobby Jindal himself, 46 voted in favor of HB 974 and 43 voted for HB 976.
In all, more than $523,000 was doled out in campaign contributions to 50 House members—an average of more than $10,000 each—by lobbyists or corporate entities affiliated with ALEC who supported the bills or from Jindal’s own campaign funds.
Even more telling, of those 50 campaign contribution recipients, only five voted against both bills and two others split their votes. Reps. Brett Geymann (R-Lake Charles), Jim Morris (R-Oil City), Andy Anders (D-Vidalia), Joe Harrison (R-Gray) and Dorothy Hill (D-Dry Creek) each voted no on both bills.
Rep. Gregory Miller (R-Norco) voted in favor of HB 974 but against HB 976 while Rep. Patrick Williams (D-Shreveport) voted for HB 976 but was opposed to HB 974. Rep. Hunter Greene (R-Baton Rouge) did not vote on HB 974 but voted for HB 976.
Both bills have been criticized by newspapers throughout the state, as well as teachers as being too hurried and not well conceived by the administration.
One of the criticisms by proponents and opponents alike is the problem of classroom space for students wishing to transfer from so-called failing schools to charter schools, with tuition being paid by state-funded vouchers.
Another question, raised in the House Education Committee by Rep. John Bel Edwards (D-Amite) was the state’s power to redirect local tax money for purposes other than the uses approved by local voters.
HB 974, by Rep. Stephen Carter (R-Baton Rouge), addressed teacher tenure, pay-for-performance and teacher evaluations. It passed by a vote of 64-40 with Greene not voting.
HB 976, also by Carter, provides vouchers, or to use Gov. Jindal’s terminology, scholarships, for education excellence, allows parents to transfer their children to charter schools and provides for charter school authorizers and course providers. It passed by a 62-43 vote.
Another mostly unspoken criticism of the bills, besides Jindal’s move to fast track them through the legislative process, is that of financial influence, or pressure, from special interests, particularly that of the American Federation of Children (AFC) and its Louisiana affiliate, the Louisiana Federation of Children (LFT).
The LFC recently did an extensive mail-out in House District 72, represented by Edwards in which it accused Edwards of attempting to stymie the education of children in grades K-12.
Additionally, Baton Rouge attorney Bryan Jeansonne, a law partner of Jason Dore, executive director of the Louisiana Republican Party, has submitted a public records request for all email correspondence between Edwards and the Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT) or any of its employees, a move that could be construed as intimidation, given Jindal’s propensity to fire or otherwise punish those who disagree with him.
Jeansonne also made a request to the Tangipahoa Parish School Board for a list of all the system’s teachers and home addresses. Edwards said his wife is a teacher and a member of the LFT.
AFC was formerly an organization called All Children Matter and both organizations were and are run by Dick and Betsy DeVos of Michigan. Dick DeVos owns Amway and Betsy DeVos is the former chairperson of the Michigan Republican Party. Her brother, Erik D. Prince, is the founder of Blackwater USA, the private security firm that made international headlines in 2007 when its guards killed 17 Iraqi civilians and then attempted to bribe Iraqi officials to quell criticism of their actions.
In 2006, All Children Matter was fined $5.2 million for funneling campaign money into Ohio through the organization’s various state networks. All Children Matter also was fined for illegal political activity in Wisconsin. A “527” organization, its legal problems prompted a change in name to the American Federation for Children.
Betsy DeVos, writing in an op-ed piece for the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call, said, “I know a little something about soft money as my family is the largest single contributor of soft money to the national Republican Party. I have decided, however, to stop taking offense at the suggestion that we are buying influence. Now I simply concede the point. They are right. We do expect some things in return.”
All Children Matter contributed $71,000 to 32 House members between 2007 and 2011, records from the Louisiana Board of Ethics show.
House members who voted for both bills and the amount of contributions received from all sources includes:
• John Berthelot (R-Gonzales), $8,000;
• Christopher Broadwater (R-Hammond), $47,000;
• Timothy Burns (R-Mandeville, $29,500;
• Stephen Carter (Chairman of the House Education Committee and author of House Bills 974 and 976), $24,675;
• Simone Champagne (R-Erath), $45,000;
• Patrick Connick (R-Marrero), $7,500;
• Gregory Cromer (R-Slidell), $13,250;
• Raymond Garofalo (R-Chalmette), $15,000;
• Kenneth Havard (R-Jackson), $35,000;
• Lowell Hazel (R-Pineville, $11,000;
• Frank Hoffman (R-West Monroe), $40,500;
• Paul Hollis (R-Covington), $10,000;
• Chuck Kleckley (R-Lake Charles, Speaker of the House), $15,000;
• Nancy Landry (R-Lafayette), $7,000;
• Christopher Leopold (R-Belle Chasse), $7,500;
• Gregory Miller, $17,500;
• Erich Ponti (R-Baton Rouge), $7,000;
• Stephen Pugh (R-Ponchatoula), $6,000;
• Clifton Richardson (R-Baton Rouge), $17,000;
• Joel Robideaux (R-Lafayette), $13,600;
• Clay Schexnayder (R-Sorrento), $27,500;
• Alan Seabaugh (R-Shreveport), $25,750;
• Thomas Carmody (R-Shreveport), $1,500;
• Cameron Henry (R-Metairie), $2,500;
• John Schroder (R-Covington), $4,500;
• Kevin Pearson (R-Slidell), $2,500;
• Nick Lorusso (R-New Orleans), $6,500;
• Anthony Ligi (R-Metairie), $26,700;
• Jack Montoucet (D-Crowley), $6,000;
• Kirk Talbot (R-River Ridge), $6,000;
• Austin Badon (D-New Orleans), $4,000;
• Neil Abramson (D-New Orleans), $3,500;
• Steve Pylant (R-Winnsboro), $2,500;
• Walt Leger (D-New Orleans), $3,500;
• Karen St. Germain (D-Plaquemine), $2,500;
• Dorothy Hill (D-Dry Creek), $2,500;
• Andy Anders, $2,000;
• Charles Chaney (R-Rayville), $1,000;
• Ledricka Thierry (D-Opelousas), $500;
• Robert Billiot (D-Westwego), $1,000;
• Frank Howard (R-Many), $1,000;
• Anthony Ligi (R-Metairie), $1,000;
• Kirk Talbot (R-River Ridge), $1,000;
• Patrick Jefferson (D-Homer), $1,000.
Greene, who did not vote on HB 974, received $13,000 in contributions from supporters of both bills.
Thibaut, who voted for HB 974 and against 976, received $4,500;
Those receiving contributions from supporters of the bills but who voted no on each included Joseph Harrison (R-Gray), $1,000; Geymann, $6,000, and Morris, $13,750.
Posted in Campaign Contributions, Education, Notable Quotables on March 22, 2012| 1 Comment »
“I know a little something about soft money as my family is the largest single contributor of soft monty to the National Republican Party. I have decided, however, to stop taking offense at the suggestion that we are buying influence. Now I simply concede the point. They are right. We do expect some things in return.”
–Betsy DeVos of the American Federation for Children, formerly All Children Matter, writing an op-ed piece in the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call in 1997.
$2.50 each or three for $6.00
Louisiana Voice 