Louisiana Voice

I subscribe to a number of news services, political blogs and think tanks. They span the ideological spectrum, from the outer fringe reactionary right, to the so-called mainstream media, to libertarian positions, to the lunatic left. I want to hear all sides of issues so I may reach my own conclusions.

Needless to say, I am on the receiving end of a lot of opinions, conspiracy theories, and occasionally even sound reasoning.

Obviously, I don’t have time to read each one.

But when I received the essay from the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) entitled Five Ways the Government Keeps Native Americans in Poverty, I had to check it out.

It’s no secret that the federal government had consistently dealt the American Indians, aka Native Americans, a sorry hand. They were displaced from their bountiful hunting lands and transplanted to unforgiving, barren reservations where they were provided substandard educational facilities by uncaring, paternalistic bureaucrats in Washington—all in the name of Manifest Destiny.

Unforgiving and barren, that is, until the discovery of oil and gas on the reservations. Suddenly the welfare of Native Americans became a major buzzword.

There was one big red flag when I started reading the post, however.

The article was written by one Shawn Regan of the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC).

Both FEE and PERC are funded in part by Charles and David, the billionaire Koch brothers of Koch Industries. http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/global-warming/climate-deniers/front-groups/foundation-for-economic-education-fee/

After failing to dislodge Barack Obama from the presidency in 2012, the Kochs quietly re-tooled, adapting the face of benevolent, caring humanitarians. Thus the rather sudden concern for the downtrodden, the environment, and the overall good of mankind.

So when reading about how the government keeps Native Americans in poverty, I paid special attention not to what Regan was saying but to what he did not say.

My first question before reading the first word was why are the Kochs suddenly so concerned with the welfare of Native Americans?

A 1989 U.S. Senate committee report, after all, found that the Kochs had cheated the Navajo tribe out of millions of dollars by deliberately short-measuring oil taken from Indian reservations. https://www.propublica.org/article/land-grab-cheats-north-dakota-tribes-out-of-1-billion-suits-allege

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs examined internal company documents and even sent investigators into the field to look at how Koch Oil employees were measuring the oil they took from tribal lands. The committee found that “Koch’s practice of sophisticated oil theft is carried out primarily by gaugers, the field personnel responsible for measurement of crude oil.” Gaugers report the oil measured and its quality on run tickets, which are the basis on which royalties are paid.

The quantity of the oil was measured by gauging the depth of the oil in the producer’s tanks before any was pumped out, the depth of the oil after the tank was pumped and the temperature of the oil to account for expansion or contraction. A fourth measurement determined the quality of the oil. “Koch gaugers were instructed to misstate each of these elements in the company’s favor and fraudulently report their phony measurements on the run tickets.” A gauger who reports that the company took more oil than it paid for was said to be “long” or “over.”

http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/10/28/money-koch-bros-stole-tribes-could-swing-mid-term-elections-157542

In all, the Navajo, Crow and Blackfoot tribes have been cheated out of more than $1 billion, according to a story by Pro Publica. https://www.propublica.org/article/land-grab-cheats-north-dakota-tribes-out-of-1-billion-suits-allege

Here’s a sample of some of the things Regan wrote (with his comments in boldface type followed by our interpretation of what he really meant in italics and parentheses):

“All development projects on Indian land must be reviewed and authorized by the government, a process that is notoriously slow and burdensome. On Indian lands, companies must go through at least four federal agencies and 49 steps to acquire a permit for energy development. Off reservation, it takes only four steps. This bureaucracy prevents tribes from capitalizing on their resources.” (We don’t want government regulators looking over our shoulders as we systematically destroy what little land these people have left—like the way we’ve helped destroy Louisiana’s coastal wetlands.)

“It’s not uncommon for years to pass before the necessary approvals are acquired to begin energy development on Indian lands – a process that takes only a few months on private lands. At any time, an agency may demand more information or shut down development. Simply completing a title search can cause delays. Indians have waited six years to receive title search reports that other Americans can get in just a few days.” (We’re the Kochs. We’re the public face of big oil and we’re used to getting our way without all those regulatory delays. Down in Louisiana, we spread a little money on the floor of the Legislature, pop over to the Department of Natural Resources, pick up our permits and we’re out the door in just a few hours, including lunch at Ruth’s Chris.)

“The result is that many investors avoid Indian lands altogether.” (That’s about to change: if there’s anyone easier to cheat than Cajuns, it’s those Indians who don’t have an advocate.) “When development does occur, federal agencies are involved in every detail, even collecting payments on behalf of tribes.” (We’ve been telling those folks in Louisiana the same thing for 100 years, so we hold franchise rights on how to do it.) The royalties are then distributed back to Indians (Yeah, right.) – that is, if the government doesn’t lose money in the process.”

“Royalties were set by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, but the agency consistently undervalued Indian resources. A federal commission concluded in 1977 that leases negotiated on behalf of Indians were “among the poorest agreements ever made.” (Uh, we don’t talk about that 1989 report which shows that we took it a step further with our bogus measurements.)

“A recent class action suit alleged that the government mismanaged billions of dollars in Indian assets. The case settled in 2009 for $3.4 billion—far less than what was lost by the feds.” (Shoot, we only took ‘em for $230 million).

“Thanks to the legacy of federal control, reservations have complicated legal and property systems that are detrimental to economic growth.” (When all other arguments fail, always fall back on the tried and true economic growth ploy. It never fails.)

“Darrin Old Coyote, chairman of the Crow Tribe in Montana, puts it plainly: ‘The war on coal is a war on our families and our children.’ Coal provides the greatest economic opportunity for the impoverished tribe, but regulations are making it hard for the tribe to capitalize on their natural resources. Some are even trying to prevent the tribe from exporting coal to Asia.” (Did we mention that Koch Carbon is one of the world’s largest traders in coal?)

http://www.kochcarbon.com/

http://www.kochcarbon.com/Businesses.aspx

So what’s the point of all this information about Koch and the Native Americans and just how does all this relate to Louisiana.

Well, besides being a major player in the fossil fuel industry, Koch Industries has set about on an ambitious—and expensive—campaign to purchase the federal (including Congress, the presidency, and the Supreme Court) and state governments with a complex network of innocent-sounding “educational” foundations that funnel hundreds of millions of unreported dollars into political campaigns and which underwrite such “informative” pseudo-investigative pieces such as the noble (on the surface, at least) essays on how the government keeps Native Americans in poverty.

Here are Koch purchases contributions in Louisiana since 2003:

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First, please allow me to express my deepest appreciation to those of you who have been so generous with your monetary and in-kind contributions. I have had offers of housing, computers, and even the free use of a vehicle, the latter which I ever-so-gratefully accepted (my wife’s car was destroyed and I’m pretty sure the insurance won’t begin to replace it; My truck, while having the seats and carpeting ruined, is drivable and GEICO will provide a rental while it is being repaired).

Also, to clear up a discrepancy spotted by reader “Robert,” my first post about the flood said I did not have flood insurance. I later learned from my mortgage lender, LaCap Federal Credit Union, that I did have a “forced-buy” flood policy in the amount of the $40,000 loan I had taken out for home improvements. Because it was a fairly recent loan, the insurance covered just that with practically nothing left to pay for repairs and replacement of destroyed furniture, food, linens and appliances (we salvaged enough clothing to get by without having to buy much of those and because we’re staying at a daughter’s home, we’re okay shelter-wise).

We are still in need of help (like every other victim of this awful event) and we would be more than appreciative of any help you could afford.

Having said that, I would also say that the American spirit of self-help and old-fashioned entrepreneurialship is alive and well.

In addition to seeking immediate financial assistance, I am also asking that flood victims in any area affected by this month’s flooding forward your stories and photographs to me for inclusion in a planned book about the devastation spread across South Louisiana. The proposed book will be published by Cavalier House Booksellers, owned by John and Michelle Cavalier. I am particularly interested in stories of dramatic rescues of those trapped by the water which seemed (in my case, at least) to have come from nowhere and everywhere at once.

Fifty percent of all profits from the book will go to flood relief.

I want stories about the heroic efforts of the Cajun Navy, the Louisiana National Guard, tireless law enforcement officials from all affected parishes, business and faith-based volunteers (about whom there are insufficient words of praise) governmental officials from small town mayors to the governor and, yes, Trump and Obama.

I also would like stories about any frustrations encountered with any officials, from turf wars to bureaucratic red tape encountered.

In short, any story you have, no matter how insignificant you think it may be, should be submitted.

And, of course, please send photos, photos, PHOTOS.

I will edit the submissions, combining or deleting facts where appropriate and select the ones for inclusion in the book. If your story and/or photo(s) are chosen, you will be given full credit in the book. Also, should your story and/or photo(s) be included, you will, of course, receive a free signed copy of the book.

There is no limit as to the length of your story. If it’s too long, we can always shorten but we cannot add to your personal story, so don’t be shy about telling every detail. And don’t worry about spelling, grammar or punctuation. We can edit your copy. by

You may make contributions by clicking on the  donate button at the upper right or by mailing your check to:

Capital News Service/LouisianaVoice

P.O. Box 922

Denham Springs, Louisiana 70727

To submit your story/photo(s), you may mail to the same address or email toL

tom.aswell@yahoo.com

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Just a reminder to our readers that LouisianaVoice, like 90% of Denham Springs residents, took a tremendous hit from the devastating flood last week. We lost our home for months, perhaps for a year. We’re fortunate to have daughters living nearby and we’ve moved in with our youngest and while it’s crowded, it is a roof over our heads and a warm bed at night.

And while we do have flood insurance, it won’t come close to covering our losses of thousand of dollara. As most know, auto insurance won’t replace our vehicle lost in the flood.

Please try to find it in your hearts to contribute to LouisianaVoice by credit card by clicking on the yellow Donate button on the right or mail your contribution to:

Capital News Service/Louisiana Voice

P.O. Box 922

Denham Springs, Louisiana 70727

Thank You.

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LouisianaVoice has been severely wounded but we’re temporarily operating from my daughter’s in Watson, about seven miles north of my destroyed home in Denham Springs. Following a leisurely breakfast Saturday morning, we looked out the front door to see water from the Amite River (a mile from my house) coming across the street.

That was all the warning we got after feeling confident the night before that we were in no peril. We scrambled to throw some clothing into garbage bags, gathered our medications and put our dogs on leashes as the water poured into the home where we had been living the past 22 years.

Shortly after, a flotilla from the West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Department (that’s West Baton Rouge, as in across two rivers—the Amite and the Mississippi—and two parishes to the west of us) arrived as we struggled to raise heavy furniture. The deputy who came to our door told us it was useless because the water was going to go much higher than where we were trying to raise it. He helped be complete the task anyway—something he didn’t have to do, but did anyway out of compassion for our plight which was growing more desperate by the minute.

He helped carry our bags of clothing and our small dog and I bodily carried our Chow-Golden Retriever mix through the filthy, swirling water that was by now deeper than the tops of my white shrimp boots (a required part of the uniform if you live in South Louisiana). Needless to say the weight of two boots filled with brown river water made jumping onto tho flotilla impossible so a pair of deputies bodily lifted me aboard even as an untimely cramp in my right calf prohibited me from being of much help to my own rescue.

Once aboard, another smaller boat pulled alongside carrying a family with a special needs teenage boy. His wheelchair was lifted onto the flotilla and his father, who lived behind our home on an adjacent street, lifted his helpless, diapered atrophied son and placed him gingerly onto his wheelchair. It was as I watched that boy, unable to even raise his head that I came to the realization that even though I was losing my home, both vehicles, my record collection, my books and my computer, our losses were insignificant.

As we made our way to higher ground in the middle of the Denham Springs Antique District, I looked northward up Range Avenue (LA. 16, the main north-south thoroughfare in Denham Springs, all I could see was a river of water—a river that was now far wider than Old Man River himself.

We passed Centerville Street and my deputy friend (regretfully, I failed to get his name) said, “When we came past this street awhile ago, there was a coffin floating in the water. It floated up that way (as he pointed eastward) but we don’t know where it went.” Coffins popping to the surface, it seems, is a common occurrence during flooding.

The flotilla was too large to make all the way to solid ground, so we had to disembark in shallow water and walk to to the storefronts of the antique shops, some of which already had shattered windows. Soon, another boat appeared bringing abandoned—and frightened—cats and small dogs that had been rescued by volunteers. I still can’t understand anyone abandoning a pet—even after we were turned form one shelter by an apologetic volunteer because of its no-pet policy.

We walked back to the Antique District leading our dogs and lugging the bags of clothing that were growing heavier with each step. We were in constant contact with all three of our daughters who, despite Betty’s admirable calm, were near hysterics. They were only seven miles away but they may as well have been a continent away. There was nothing between us but dark, rushing water that had already claimed two lives—one of whom was in a pickup that was swept off the road even as a local TV news crew filmed the tragedy, helpless to render assistance.

“What’re we going to do if no one comes to take us out?” Betty asked as two Louisiana National Guard trucks passed us taking evacuees to yet another shelter we were told did not accept pets.

“There’re benches on the sidewalk,” I said. “Since we’re now homeless, I guess we can sleep like homeless people.” I only half-joking.

“What if the water keeps rising?” she asked, pointing out it had already advanced about 30 feet up the street since we landed.

I looked around quickly and pointed to a fire escape that ascended up the rear of a store to the second floor.

That’ll work,” was all she said.

As fate would have it, it wasn’t necessary. Deborah LeDay, a teacher who taught with my oldest daughter lives in a part of Danham Springs which, to that point was high and dry. Calls were made and Ms. LeDay dispatched her friend, Johnny Musso to retrieve us. Driving an Infiniti sedan through deep water that at times I could’ve sworn was waist deep, he pulled off the improbable, if not the impossible and an hour later we were in dry clothes and watching TV news accounts of the flood.

As usual, when the chips are down AT&T drops the ball. For the third consecutive emergency in this area, AT&T subscribers (like me and two of my daughters) lost service for more than 24 hours. As I write this, I still have no service. Jennifer has Verizon and never lost service. Only when we arrived at her home could we contact family members and friends in other parts of the country and let them know we were okay. Another evacuee taken in by Ms. LeDay, a friend of each of my daughters, has Sprint and only by using her phone could we arrange our second rescue.

By noon Sunday, daughter Amy, husband Chris and the twins arrived to pick us up. No reflection on Leah and Jennifer, but I don’t think I have ever been happier to see one of my kids. We are now safe and secure in Jennifer’s home which, incidentally, will also be our home for some time to come. (Note to self: when things return to normal, switch carriers.)

Oak Point Grocery in Watson, by the way, contacted Live Oak United Methodist Church across the highway, which was serving as a shelter for evacuees. Oak Point owners had a message: because the store was going to flood anyway, why don’t LOUMC volunteers come over and clean out the store’s shelves so evacuees can be fed? That, folks, is the true spirit of Christianity.

Also, to West Baton Rough Sheriff Cazes and his deputies, to the Louisiana National Guard, Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard, the many churches and volunteers, Louisiana State Troopers, and to Gov. John Bel Edwards, who gave of his time serving evacuees in shelter food lines, a simple thank you is just not enough….but THANK YOU anyway.

We had planned our next fundraiser in October, but events now dictate otherwise.

We desperately need help now. We have lost clothing, appliances, computers, files, records, books, jewelry, vehicles and our home. We had no flood insurance because we we were on high ground that had never before taken on water.

Please help us raise needed thousands of dollars. If you can find it in your hearts to help, you may either click on the yellow “Donate” button to the right or mail checks to:

Capital News Service-LouisianaVoice

P.O. Box 922

Denham Springs, Louisiana 70727

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“The system is definitely rigged against independent candidates.”

—U.S. Senate candidate Donald Trump, er Troy Hebert, lamenting his being labeled as a Republican instead of as having no party affiliation in a May opinion poll that showed him at 2 percent. He is suing the polling firm.

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