T. Wong's Gazette

Another Cool Thing About Shreveport

2008-05-08T16:18:00.005-05:00

Every year in May, there is a great airshow at Barksdale AFB. During the days before, the flyers practice, and they fly right over my apartment.

Here's a picture of the Blue Angels flying over my head.

If you get a chance, you oughtta go. It's a blast!

Free T. Wong? Maybe So!

2008-04-22T21:16:00.003-05:00

It goes like this, according to WAFB and the Baton Rouge Business Report.

In 2000, Robert Guidry, former owner of the Treasure Chest Casino, cut a deal with the feds and was a key witness against EWE. Guidry testified that he had paid bribes to EWE by putting them in a dumpster. Guidry’s testimony was the linchpin of the feds’ case against EWE, who was convicted.

In 2004, Guidry’s former attorney, James Perdigao, gets busted in a $30 million wire fraud sting. WAFB says Perdigao agreed to cooperate with the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana in exchange for leniency. The E.D. of LA must not have been very lenient because Perdigao now wants them recused from prosecuting him.

Here is Perdigao’s story:

Guidry, with the help of William Jefferson, paid a bribe to then U.S. Attorney Eddie Jordan in exchange for a more lenient sentence and lower restitution. Perdiago also says that Guidry paid substantial sums of money to the Assistant U.S. Attorney responsible for preparing Guidry to testify. Perdigao and his lawyer insist that they can prove these allegations.

Perdigao says the U.S. Attorney failed to act on his tips because to do so would undermine the Edwards conviction and sully the reputation of the U.S. Attorney’s office. I have not read the motion, but I gather that Perdigao thinks the reason he could not cut a very good deal is because the U.S. Attorney refused to act on his tips.

EWE will meet with his defense lawyer next week, and Jim Letten calls Perdigao’s allegations “malicious misrepresentations”

So how might all of this affect EWE?

According to Mike Small, EWE’s defense attorney, one of the grounds for EWE’s appeal was the failure of the feds to disclose the full extent of the “sweetheart deal” between Guidry and the feds. The feds are required to disclose to defendants the terms of plea bargains granted to prosecution witnesses. And a bribe to the U.S. Attorney? Well, that would be quite a material term.

Would this be enough to upset EWE’s conviction? Is Perdigao blowing smoke? Stay tuned.

I'm Tired of Politics

2008-04-07T09:06:00.006-05:00

Well, at least for now I am. So I would rather blog about my new, adopted home-- Shreveport.

Before January of last year, I had lived my 44 years within a 10 mile radius in and around Baton Rouge. When our business in Shreveport was found needing adult supervision, I was the only person available. I resisted moving here on a "permanent" basis until last October, when we put the house in BR up for sale and moved all of our worldly belongings here.

Like most moves, this one has been a mixed bag. I miss my BR friends and the family I left there. My two older kids (one a sophomore in high school and the other a freshman at LSU) have roots and friends in BR that keep them there. We visit often and talk on the phone very often, but part of my heart is still in Baton Rouge.

Shreveport, however, has a lot to offer us. We are grateful for our friends at the Cathedral of St. John Berchman and the school there. We have made and continue to make new friends here.

Another great thing about Shreveport is the abundance of outdoor activities nearby and within a half-day's drive. My son and I ride our bikes on the path along Clyde Fant Parkway and the Red River. The best investment I have ever made is in a trailer bike. It is basically the back half of a small bike which clamps onto the seat of mine. I can and do pull him all over town. He pedals once in a while.

We have a sandbar that we visit often that we call "Treasure Island." We also ride to Downtown Airport and watch the planes take off and land. When the farmers market opens, we cycle up the bike path and fill up my knapsack full of fresh produce.

This weekend, we made a three hour trip to Hot Springs, AR. I used to picture a lot of old people waiting around bathhouses when I thought of Hot Springs. Now, I think of a place with a lot of good places to eat and a whole bunch of hiking path and biking opportunities.

Anyhow, my younger son and I rode up and down some serious hills and hiked some trails. I posted a picture of him at the Garvan Woodland Gardens, just outside of Hot Springs and well worth the trip.

A Whole Lot of Quid

2008-03-31T10:24:00.003-05:00

Jindal’s detractors cry foul! They assert that there was quid pro quo in a recent award of a contract supported by $14 million in state dollars. We hear terms like “legalized bribery,” “legal corruption,” and “return on investment” being batted around. Jindal insists otherwise.

Two Inescapable Truths

Like most cases, we will not be able to prove quid pro quo in this one. I rarely agree with Jindal, but, heck, there might not be any ill intent on his part. Which leads me to my second conclusion.

This is largely a matter of perception. It stinks on ice! Makes it look like Jindal was bought like a sack of potatoes. Jindal promised to improve Louisiana’s image but has largely ignored campaign finance reform. This recent debacle shows that Jindal cannot improve our image without addressing campaign finance issues.

Quid Pro Quo? Prove It!

Quid pro quo means “this for that.” Quid pro quo implies bribery. Corruption.

The owner of the company to whom Louisiana awarded the contract, his relatives, and other companies he owns contributed at least $135,250 to Jindal. That sure is a lot of quid, especially considering the supposed $5,000.00 per donor contribution limit.

Neither can we reasonably argue that a large contract supported by $14 million in state dollars is not quo. And a whole lot of it.

Since there is both quid and quo, the only thing missing here is the pro, or the “for.” To determine whether the pro element exists, we must examine the motives of both the Jindal administration and the contractor. Unless both had an ill intent, there is no quid pro quo.

That pesky “pro” is what gives politicians and contractors plausible deniability. Aside from riverboat gaming licenses, the pro is almost always invisible and, most likely, unspoken. Winks, nods and nudges.

It would be interesting to know how much quid these donors gave to Blanco. According to Jindal’s economic development leader, contract discussions began with the Blanco administration. Giving money to politicians with such differing political philosophies raises questions about the contractor’s intent. But it would not prove quid pro quo.

Showing that Jindal favored the contractor by acting contrary to his usual philosophy would likewise raise questions about his intent. Jindal has shown a penchant for favoring corporations, so I do not see him acting contrary to his philosophy. Even if he did, it would not prove quid pro quo.

So, while giving his detractors a golden opportunity for mudslinging, the whole quid pro quo issue is largely academic. The fact that those benefiting from state government also contribute to political campaigns is no revelation.

Campaign Finance Reform—Change the Perception

Corporations and other entities cannot contribute to federal election campaigns. We need the same rule in Louisiana—individuals only. This would prevent (or at least make more difficult) the “bundling” of contributions that arises when related companies can each make a $5,000.00 contribution. Presently, individuals controlling numerous corporations or entities can easily circumvent the $5,000.00 limit by having each of their companies contribute $5,000.00. That is exactly what happened here.

Alternatively, we could require that individuals’ contributions be aggregated with those of corporations in which they control or own a certain percentage in calculating the limit. Contributions by corporations with interlocking ownership/directorship/officers could likewise be aggregated with each other in calculating the limit.

Campaigns should require individuals contributing more than a certain threshold ($250?) to disclose their employer. Campaign finance law should penalize employers who either coerce their employees to donate or who use employees as conduits by funneling money through them. At a minimum, there ought to be transparency in corporate employees’ contributions.

Politically, this will be a difficult sell. Bundled contributions are the crack cocaine of statewide campaigns.

Will limiting corporate contributions solve all of our perception problems? No way. Still, it is a good start. It will counter the perception that our elected officials are bought and paid for by those receiving benefits from the state.

To Spur Economic Development, Jindal Should Focus On Education

2008-03-24T10:36:00.001-05:00

Jindal’s consistent mantra is that we need to bring business to Louisiana. That we need to create jobs. These are admirable goals, but is Jindal’s approach flawed?

Forbes magazine recently ranked 200 cities in its Best Places for Business and Career. Baton Rouge and Shreveport’s rankings of 142 and 162 overall would surprise few, but the components of the analysis just may surprise you.

Forbes evaluated three aspects of the cities: 1) cost of doing business, 2) job growth, and 3) educational attainment. In evaluating cost of doing business, Forbes considered costs of labor, energy, taxes and office space.

Despite ranking 5^th in cost of doing business and 81^st in job growth, Shreveport ranked 162 overall. Why? Because Shreveport ranked 158 in educational attainment. Baton Rouge ranked 50^th in cost of doing business and 43^rd in job growth, but it ranked 142 overall. Baton Rouge ranked 126 in educational attainment.

Little Rock, Arkansas, on the other hand, ranked 31 in cost of doing business and 32 overall. Why? Little Rock beat us out on educational attainment. It ranked 104^thin that category.

We could dismiss the Forbes list as skewed, an anomaly. Unfortunately, Money magazine’s Top 100 list for 2007 lists no Louisiana cities either. No love from Forbes or Money.

To be fair, there is more to the Forbes ranking than simply adding up the rankings numbers. Some cities that Forbes ranked better than Baton Rouge and Shreveport had higher total numbers. It appears, however, that the cities with higher educational attainment numbers ranked disproportionately higher in the overall rankings.

The Forbes rankings probably give us a glimpse into how captains of industry view our state. If so, having an educated workforce is the most important attribute for attracting new business.

This suggests that much of the Jindal administration’s initial legislative efforts amount to wheel spinning. Louisiana’s large cities already boast a comparatively low cost of doing business. Lowering it further by reducing taxes will not render us more attractive to business. And nowhere in the Forbes article does governmental ethics merit even a single mention.

A recent article in The Advocate suggests that we ought to reduce taxes on individuals, not business. Elliot Stonecipher says that the reason North Louisiana is losing population is because our young people are taking jobs in other states with no income taxes. So we are in a “race to the bottom” for business taxes while we overtax our young, encouraging them to seek jobs elsewhere. Go figure.

Bad Bet on the Bayou

2008-03-19T22:09:00.000-05:00

Ok, I am way behind in reading this book, which was first published in 2001. It chronicles the rise of gambling in Louisiana and the fall of Edwin Edwards, who sometimes used the name “T. Wong” when gambling.

I remember receiving the news that Edwin Edwards had been convicted. It was as though Tom had just chewed Jerry up into small pieces and swallowed him. After that, the screen said “That’s All Folks,” and the story was over. For good. Having some recollection of Edwin’s escape from previous troubles, I truly had thought that the feds would never catch him. Hearing that a jury had convicted EWE was a major shock to my system and many others’ as well.

I had followed his last trial with some interest. Practicing law at the time, I had several matters pending in federal court during the trial. It became a big hassle to find a parking place. Nevertheless, it was fun to talk to all of the cameramen perched outside the courthouse door. They spent most of their day sitting around and waiting for something to happen.

The camera crews were nice to me. I usually forgot to take my cell phone from my pocket until I was at the metal detectors. The U.S. Marshals would not hold my phone for me. Before the cameramen, I had to go back to my car. When they arrived, I could just ask one of them to keep an eye on it for me. And they would.

Two things were eye opening about Bad Bet. First, I had no idea how deep and wide gambling’s influence was/is. Bad Bet talks about folks from North, South, East, and West. Folks from Louisiana, New York, California, Hawaii, and elsewhere. Legislators, other elected officials, bureaucrats, and businessmen. I had no idea how pervasive gambling’s influence really was.

The other eye opener was how blatant the corruption really was. The cronyism in making appointments to gambling regulatory boards looked bad. The blatant extortion exercised by EWE and Stephen was unbelievable. If the writer is to be believed, EWE and Stephen were quite blunt when they exacted payments for licenses. I was constantly thinking, “Man, if they were that blatant, it’s no wonder they got caught.”

Another good thing about Bad Bet is that the writer, Tyler Bridges, really built suspense as he described the feds tightening the noose on EWE and the rest. I knew how the story ended, but I still found myself thrilled by the dramatic tension Bridges created.

If you like stories of political intrigue and corruption, you will probably like Bad Bet. It was a bit repetitive, but a good read over all.

I Can’t Speak!

2008-03-19T13:33:00.003-05:00

I have not felt much like blogging lately. Following the legislature and the governor lately has me in a bit of a funk. Even though his philosophy and mine are usually diametrically opposed, I still had hopes that he could move our state government in a better direction. Despite philosophy, it seemed that good, smart, sincere leadership could produce gains for the state.

So far, the "good" and "sincere" part seem missing. Looks like more of the same to me, the only difference being philosophy. "Won't Get Fooled Again" by The Who is playing over and over in my head.

When I first started practicing law, the attorney supervising me said that if you expect the worst in people, you will only rarely be disappointed. Not having had my ideals completely beaten out of me yet, I cannot adopt these diminished expectations. I am sometimes disappointed but will hang onto my ideals as long as I can.

So here’s a random post. I have had some sort of cold or something for about the last week. It affected my voice. I couldn’t sing in choir this Sunday. Missed choir practice yesterday. Will miss singing at Chrism Mass today and will likely miss Holy Thursday also.

I do not hold myself out to be particularly pious or "good," but I do love music. In the hour or two I spend at choir rehearsal, all of my other cares and worries completely fade. Listening to and helping make this beautiful music makes the idea of a loving, benevolent God much more plausible.

Today, I can barely speak at all.

For the most part, I speak for a living. Used to write more than speak, but now I mostly speak. So you can imagine how frustrating this day has become.

First thing--I needed to call a source of referrals for my business. They were trying to send us a client yesterday and wanted us to follow up by phone today. Between writing and speaking in the little bit of raspy voice I could muster, I asked one of our staff to make the call. Suffice it to say that I was constantly writing and whispering while she was on the phone. A frustrating experience for both of us.

Afterwards, I tried to take two phone calls. Not a good experience! One of the callers kept telling me to speak up. She had called me from a noisy restaurant where she was having lunch. Imagine Yosemite Sam saying "oooooooooohhhhhhhh!"

Days like today remind me how much we rely upon the spoken word to communicate. Despite email, IM, and texting, most of us communicate mostly by the spoken word. Virtually all of my communication with family is by speaking. Same with my friends. I know that the younger generations do a lot more texting and IM’ing than I, but I suspect they still rely more on speaking.

I don’t know where I am going with this, but what would we do if we suddenly could not speak? Some people lose their ability to speak through stroke or some other medical condition. Some hearing impaired folks do not speak.

I have always been thankful for many things but have pretty much taken my voice for granted. Now that I know what life without a voice is like, I am thankful for it also. How in the heck did this paragraph get into a smaller font? I didn't do it, and I surely can't call customer support!

The Advocate Supports EBR School Tax Renewal

2008-03-03T00:29:00.002-06:00

Citing the need for adequately supported public schools for expansion of Baton Rouge's economy, The Advocate urges voters to support renewal of the sales tax dedicated to the public school system. Kudos to The Advocate for a well-reasoned stance on the school tax.

Educational Vouchers for N.O.—The Next Salvo

2008-03-02T18:57:00.003-06:00

According to the Times Picayune, Jindal’s budget proposal provides for a $10 million “School Choice Initiative” that provides “scholarships” for New Orleans students. These students could use these “scholarships” to go to any school of their choice, including private and parochial schools.

The proposal apparently only includes the New Orleans school system, but you cannot eat this elephant all in one sitting.

Strap on your boots, boys and girls. You are about to be shin deep in mule muffins.

The "Session Special"

2008-02-28T16:52:00.002-06:00

All right, it may not be the Legislator "In Your Eye Jindal" Special, but Jim Engster says some of the fancy restaurants really are going to have a $49.99 special for legislators. He also points out more holes in the ethics rules than there are in Swiss cheese.

Looks live we may have gotten the "sieve made of gold" standard.

Meet the new boss.
Same as the old boss.

Jindal Supporters’ Attack on Public Education—The Initial Salvo

2008-02-28T11:48:00.003-06:00

If you were interested in opening charter schools or instituting an education voucher system in Louisiana, what would be the best way to garner public support? You would point out failures in public education. If you were Machiavellian, you would thwart the efforts of public education to improve. Then you would tell the public that its public school system is failing the students. That other options are called for.

Enter The Prince, Rolfe McCollister, Governor Jindal’s campaign treasurer and co-founder of the Children’s Charter School. On 26 February 2008 McCollister’s BusinessReport.com encouraged East Baton Rouge voters to vote ‘no’ to renew a sales tax to fund the public schools. In a prior entry, I blogged McCollister’s half-truths, twisted logic, and faulty comparisons.

Keep in mind that McCollister encourages voting against a renewal, not a new tax.

Remember that only three full school years have passed since court-supervision of EBR’s schools ceased. The system had endured a 47 year federal desegregation case. It is still rebuilding. In addition, Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was an unexpected “hiccup” for the school system.

McCollister’s article points out the system’s negatives without celebrating its many successes. His slant, however, is not surprising. McCollister and other Baton Rouge community leaders have disconnected themselves from the school system in favor of private schools and outlying school systems. Without significant support and involvement from community leaders, East Baton Rouge’s school system will never be what it could be.

Despite a lack of meaningful support from community leaders, the system has seen recent improvement. A 2005 PAR report notes that high school achievement increased “dramatically” while elementary school achievement increased “greatly.”

Nevertheless, McCollister uses the school system’s difficulties to promote his own agenda. I predict that McCollister’s action is only the beginning. Jindal supports the expansion of charter schools. He has been described as a “fervent supporter of education vouchers.”

McCollister’s actions show that he will promote his agenda by any means. He does not consider the damage he is doing to an already battered public school system. Those who want quality education for all of Louisiana’s students should carefully watch Jindal and his followers. Jindal is beholden to his supporters, many of whom are country clubbers who neither utilize nor support public education. In promoting their agendas, they could do serious damage to education in Louisiana.

McCollister Fails to Disclose His Bias in Recommending Against School Tax Renewal

2008-02-27T11:20:00.002-06:00

Rolfe McCollister, publisher of the Baton Rouge Business Report, recommends voting against a school tax renewal. His recent article is full of half-truths and distortions. This is not entirely surprising, considering that McCollister and his country-clubber cronies have been working against the public schools for years. Or at least outside of it.

First, let me disclose my own biases. I graduated from Baton Rouge High School, as did my daughter. My son is in the gifted and talented program at an EBR public school now. My father retired about 8 years ago after a long career with EBR public schools.

Here is what McCollister did not disclose. McCollister is a co-founder of the Childrens Charter School, which is or was located in Baton Rouge. Many of the facts and figures he cites were also cited to the Committee on the Judiciary, United States House of Representatives, in 1999.

Now, for the half-truths and distortions.

McCollister states that enrollment is declining. He compares 2005-06 figures with 2007 figures to show an 8.9% enrollment drop. As others have aptly pointed out, Hurricane Katrina evacuees increased enrollment in the 2005-06 school year. Many of them are now moving home.

McCollister compares EBR’s school performance with Ascension, Livingston, and West Feliciana Parishes, as well as the Zachary school system. This is an “apples to oranges” comparison if there ever were one.

Prior to 1982, the year EBR began forced busing on a massive scale, the school census of Ascension, Livingston, and West Feliciana Parishes was miniscule. They became a roost for white flighters, and their school systems have grown in dramatically in the last twenty or so years. They do not have the large population of urban poor that EBR does, so the “bottom” is chopped out of their scoring. Based upon demographics alone, these parishes are expected to outperform EBR.

Likewise, the Zachary school system has a much more middle class demographic. Impoverished minorities are a small fraction of its population. Notice that McCollister ignores the Baker School system, one of the worst in the state. It broke off from EBR, and it has a large percentage of poor and minority students.

McCollister cites costs of $8,521 per pupil cost for EBR schools. He erroneously compares this figure with tuition charged to private school students. Again, apples and oranges.

First, the public schools are required to provide a free and appropriate public education to special needs children. Special education is incredibly expensive.

Private schools do not provide much in the way of special education. Private schools are good for the child in the middle of the pack, but they are not equipped to handle special needs children on a large scale. Public schools must expend great sums on special education; private schools do not.

And if I do say so myself, the number of National Merit Finalists in the EBR public system shows that we outshine the private schools at the top of the academic food chain also.

EBR public schools spend a fortune of transportation, but Louisiana subsidizes the transportation costs of some private/parochial schools. At one time, EBR had over 400 buses running each day. I have no idea how many they have now.

EBR must spend money transporting the handicapped also. This requires a special bus and an attendant. I have never heard of a private school providing this service.

Even ignoring the extra costs of special education, McCollister’s comparison of private school tuition with EBR’s per pupil costs is misleading. Have a look at the Baton Rouge Area Foundation’s 2005 report. Baton Rouge Area Foundation, a device for philanthropy by Baton Rouge’s country club set, gives disproportionately to private schools. In fact, BRAF gave $40,000.00 in 2005 to Children’s Charter School. It gave even more in earlier years.

Private schools have fewer expenses than do public schools. Private schools get more private support than do public schools.

McCollister and his cronies also ignore EBR’s successes. They have largely abandoned and ignored the school system, and they are unconcerned with it. As a result, they see only what they want to see—the negative.

What we know is that good public schools are important to economic development. We can only hope that Baton Rouge will not join McCollister and his country club cronies in biting off their noses to spite their faces.

And just wait-- we'll hear from the voucher system proponents very soon.

The Legislator "In Your Eye, Jindal" Special

2008-02-19T12:41:00.003-06:00

All you can eat and drink! $49.99, gratuity included. Available only for tables of one lobbyist, two bimbos, and a legislator. One special per table.

Coming to a restaurant near you!

An Equal and Opposite Reaction?

2008-02-19T12:26:00.001-06:00

The Reduct Box did a good summary of the mounting opposition to Jindal’s ethics reform. Considering the apparent double standard and the lopsided treatment of the legislative branch, the legislature’s resistance is not hard to understand.

Opposition from CABL and the Public Affairs Research Council, however, are a bit surprising. These are two “good government” organizations that one would expect to be in lockstep with this new governor.

How Jindal deals with this resistance may predict how effective a reformer he will be. If he can make reasonable compromises with the legislature, he can still accomplish a great deal. If he keeps pushing the legislature, they will simply push back.

One thing is certain—these are interesting times at the capitol.

Jindal Positives

2008-02-17T12:09:00.000-06:00

I just watched Wolf Blitzer interview Jindal on CNN. I missed the first part. My youngest is sick, and he was watching cartoons.

What I saw was a very impressive governor. After the Blanco debacles, Louisiana needs a good public face. We got that with Jindal.

Jindal said the right things. He issued a call to action to the federal government. He wondered aloud why we still have so many folks living in unhealthy FEMA trailers. He talked about bipartisan bickering and how people are tired of it. He said that Louisiana will revamp its healthcare and education.

Despite my criticisms, I sincerely hope that Governor Jindal can make a positive difference for Louisiana. In a small way, he made a positive difference in his CNN interview.

Walkin’ the Walk?

2008-02-17T03:54:00.001-06:00

The Jindal Administration is learning from the school of experience. The problem with the school of experience: the test comes before the lesson.

Like many of his Republican counterparts, Jindal acts as though he has a monopoly on ethics and good behavior. When he falls even the least bit short, people will call him out on it.

Treasurer goofedgate looks like little to do about not much, but Jindal’s detractors jumped on it like a duck on a junebug because he looks hypocritical. Same with Montanagate.

Remember when EWE said that the only way he could lose his next race was to get caught in bed with a dead woman or a live boy? At the time, he was right.

The lesson: pushing the ethics envelope too hard will be counterproductive to a politician’s ability to promote his agenda. Unless, of course, he and his staff can be perfect.

Magic Negroes and Stale Crackers

2008-02-14T22:15:00.001-06:00

Like the party he shills for, Jeff Sadow heads straight for the lowest common denominator. Today, he refers to Senator Barack Obama as the “’magic Negro’ prepared to give some white voters a chance to assuage their ‘white guilt’.” He parrots an L.A. Times article making the same case.

Hold on a minute! Can Professor Sadow not entertain the possibility that Barack Obama is ahead because he is well-qualified? Because of his remarkable achievements? Because he looks like someone whom we want as President? Someone who lines up on our favored side of the issues?

Look at the facts. Obama went to Columbia University as an undergraduate. He graduated from Harvard Law School, where he was president of the Harvard Law Review. He lectured at the University of Chicago Law School. Academically, he was a superlative among superlatives.

If memory serves me correctly, Sadow graduated from UNO. I graduated from LSU. Unless Sadow just prefers 3^rd or 4^th tier schools to top academic institutions, Columbia or Harvard would not have let him in their tool shed, much less into the classroom. Don’t feel too bad, professor, I am right there with you.

Obama then enjoyed a distinguished political career. At the young age of 46, he has already served in his state’s legislature and in Congress. His party chose him to give the keynote address in its 2004 national convention.

Not being hip to the term “magic negro,” I went to Wikipedia for some McKnowledge. Wikipedia describes this stock character as “in some way outwardly or inwardly disabled, either by discrimination, disability or social constraint," often a janitor or prisoner. He has no past; he simply appears one day to help the white protagonist. He is the black stereotype, "prone to criminality and laziness.". . . “[H]e is still ultimately subordinate to European-Americans.”

Huh? Does Obama sound in any way like a “Magic Negro?” If so, somebody drop me a comment and tell me how. I am truly befuddled.

How is Professor Sadow calling Obama a “Magic Negro” any different from Imus calling the Rutgers womens’ basketball team “nappy headed hos?” Other than him linking to the L.A. Times article, it isn’t different at all. The reason Imus’ comments were offensive is that he racially stereotyped women who in no way fit the stereotype. That is precisely what Sadow has done. No different.

In fact, Sadow’s use of false stereotyping is even more offensive. Imus is a “shock jock.” He never was known for heavy intellectual analysis. He is an entertainer. No more, no less. Imus talks trash for a living.

Sadow, on the other hand, will ballyhoo the fact that he is a professor, that he has done massive research, and that he is the proverbial Renaissance Man. Look at the description on his blog. His blog, to the extent folks read it, is a bully pulpit. For those who disagree, he resorts to ad hominem attacks. He feels no need to justify or reference his conclusions. What kind of example does this set for his students?

Sadow should be thankful that he works for the government that he has such disdain for. Were it not for First Amendment protections, his employers would hold him to account

Of Angels and Pinheads

2008-02-11T21:14:00.000-06:00

The ethics special session is underway in all of its glory. The judiciary is squawking about separation of powers. Legislators discuss whether they ought to be required to disclose credit card debt. Whether small town elected officials ought to disclose less than their big city counterparts.

Is anyone asking the overriding question—how will this lead to more ethical behavior? How will Louisiana get full value for the contract dollars it spends?

Will it really help us to know how much credit card debt an elected official has? Do we need to know more about our judiciary? We already know that campaign contributions affect outcomes. What else do you need to know?

One of the few ways ethics reform could have a tangible effect would be to forbid judges who take contributions from hearing a case involving the contributor. That didn't make the call, and it is not being discussed to my knowledge.

Ethics reform, in an of itself, amounts to nothing. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Offshoring Jobs—Where is the Discussion in This Presidential Campaign?

2008-02-08T12:05:00.000-06:00

Try googling the name of your internet service provider, favorite stores, income tax preparer, or lenders that come to mind, with the words “careers” and “India” after them. You may find that these companies are not doing much hiring in the U.S. They are, however, hiring for their call centers in India.

My first encounter with offshoring occurred when I had problems with my cable internet modem. After going around and around with a lot of people with heavy accents, I gave up. I got DSL, and that was that.

When I had issues with my home mortgage, the problem was not easy to fix. After spending two hours on the phone, I finally resolved the problem. No doubt, English was not the native tongue of the representatives I spoke with.

I was asked to send documents to the company and was given the address. He said to send it to 102 Earwine Place . . . . I said, “huh?” a couple of times, and he repeated, “earwine.”

I asked him to spell “Earwine,” and he did-- “I-r-v-i-n-e.” How would I have felt if the only thing between me and homelessness couldn’t pronounce the city of his company’s main headquarters? Good thing it hadn’t come to that.

We hear a lot of political talk about illegal immigrants taking away our jobs. Why are we not hearing much from the candidates about our jobs being exported? The effect is actually worse, since illegal immigrants will actually spend some of their money here.

How We Treat Our Poor

2008-02-07T22:27:00.000-06:00

Through my work, I often drive through Shreveport’s poorer neighborhoods. These neighborhoods are not so different from the poorer neighborhoods in Baton Rouge, my former home. Nevertheless, my time driving around the poorer areas here has caused me to reflect on how we treat our poor.

There are a lot of empty shopping centers on the poor side of town. The big boxes close in favor of super big boxes. These superstores locate on the more affluent side of town, and the old big boxes become dead boxes. Poorer residents must either drive long distances or shop at pricier convenience stores.

Also filling the spaces of dead boxes are the notorious rent-to-owns. You can find a lot of the things in rent-to-owns that you find in the super big box stores. And you will pay multiples of the big box prices. In the seventies, we called this an “easy credit rip-off.”

There are not as many bank branches in poor neighborhoods. Replacing them are scores of paycheck lenders and finance companies. These businesses can charge 36%, plus fees that make the effective rate much, much higher.

Unless they have access to transportation, poor residents will pay more money for their goods and services than do the more affluent. At a minimum, they will spend more on transportation than do the more affluent.

There are a few medical clinics in the poor neighborhoods. I believe that Shreveport is ahead of Baton Rouge on this front.

But what about the working poor? Those that do not qualify for medical assistance but have no health insurance? What about their plight?

I had the misfortune of going to the emergency room a few years ago. I had health insurance. Nevertheless, I got a bill showing the “retail” rate, along with the discounted rate that my health insurer paid. Surprisingly, my insurer’s rate was about one-third of the “retail” rate that I would have paid without insurance.

The foregoing demonstrates a perverted economy—one in which those with the least end up paying the most. As a society, we seem to have accepted this condition, but is it right?

Jindal Ethics Reform—Improving Our Perception?

2008-02-05T09:00:00.000-06:00

Governor Jindal wants the rest of the country to think we have honest government. I want to be rich and good-looking.

I am almost finished reading Kingfish: The Reign of Huey Long. Dr. White at LSUBR wrote it. The three hundred or so pages are chock full of tales of chicanery. You wonder how many pages Professor White would have needed had Huey’s life not been cut short.

When you consider the legacies of Huey Long, Earl Long, and three terms of Edwin Edwards, Jindal has a lot of work to do. Convincing the country that we’re honest is a tall order, even considering Jindal’s long remaining life expectancy. Our reputation is the culmination of many years of perceived corruption. It will take a lot of years to change that perception.

Not only that, but Item 2 of Jindal’s call looks more heavy handed on legislators than it does the Executive Branch. The way I read it, if a legislator, his wife, his daughter, and his mother were all doctors, none of them could see Medicaid patients. They would have to have a provider agreement (contract) with the State to do it. On the other hand, the governor and other statewide elected officials could see Medicaid patients except after a bad hurricane.

Heck, section 1 of Item 2 would have taken away legislators’ right to contract with ANYBODY in excess of $2,500.00 before it was amended. That would've kept 'em in line!

But hold on just a minute. Maybe I’m missing something, but it seems that the most notorious rascality historically came from the Executive Branch.

Maybe I just don't get it. Somebody drop a comment and enlighten me. Anybody home?

Jindal Ethics Reform – Reality and Item No. 6

2008-02-04T09:54:00.000-06:00

The special session on ethics reform is a good idea, but will it accomplish the Jindal administration’s goals? The goals seem to be 1) to promote ethical behavior by government officials and 2) to send a message to the rest of the world that Louisiana government is ethical. Number 1 addresses reality. Number 2, the more touted goal, addresses perception.

What do we get from this special session at the end of the day? A new set of statutes and regulations. Ink on paper. To be effective, the new rules must be enforced. They must be enforced evenhandedly. Any ethics reforms from the special session are merely a flight plan. The plane sits on the ramp unless someone actually flies it.

Assume then, that we get a good set of new rules. That they are evenly enforced. Have we ever had a set of rules in this state immune to subterfuge, chicanery, or rascality? Can we truly expect to have such rules in the future? My answers are “no” and “hmmmm, I wonder.”

The special session will be largely dictated by the governor’s order calling the legislature into special session, often referred to as “the call.” It tells us what matters the governor orders the legislature to address. There are seven items on the call.

Items 1, 3, 5, and 7 address disclosure and transparency. Item 2 would prohibit contracts and certain other dealings between the state and elected officials, their families and their businesses. It also prohibits legislators from representing parties before state boards, etc. Item 4 would require ethics training and would make changes to the Ethics Board.

The “teeth” in ethics reform would come from Item No. 6, addressing how Louisiana will combat fraud and abuse. This item would expand the powers of the Office of Inspector General, presumably to investigate ethics issues. The provision is very vague, and I cannot see what Governor Jindal might have in mind. A strong mandate that the OIG fully investigate and audit ethics issues and report those findings seems wise.

However, the Inspector General needs independence. Presently, the governor appoints the Inspector General. Ethics reform should include safeguards in order that the Inspector General can act without fear of reprisals.

Item No. 6 would also provide more protections for so-called “whistleblowers,” those employees that might complain about ethics issues. There is a whistleblower statute already on the books, so I am not sure what the governor has in mind.

The last entry in Item No. 6 authorizes qui tam actions. These actions grant individuals the right to sue on behalf of the state. Individuals could sue those that defraud the state, but only if the state refuses to act. The individual then gets a percentage of the recovery. The federal government has authorized qui tam lawsuits for many years. Louisiana presently allows qui tam actions to recover Medicaid overpayments. This provision is merely a backstop. It only works when the government fails to perform its duties.

To track the reality of ethics reform, we need to most closely track legislation addressing Item No. 6. Stay tuned.

Duuuhhhhhhhh, you think?

2008-02-02T05:29:00.001-06:00

The Times Picayune’s nola.com ran an article on the Supreme Court of Louisiana similar to the New York Times’. Readers commented.

Of eleven (11) comments, eight (8) commentators accused nola.com of stating the obvious. No outcry for change. No outrage.

This is good news for our judiciary. The folks voting for them have very low expectations. The public expects judges to be biased in favor of contributors. If we were giving them a job evaluation, it would be “meets expectations.”

It will be interesting to see if the Tulane Law professor’s magnum opus changes anything. Unless Louisiana’s population thinks differently from nola.com’s commentators, it will not.

Not A Pretty Picture

2008-02-01T10:44:00.000-06:00

A New York Times article suggests that campaign contributions, not ideology, influence outcomes in the Supreme Court of Louisiana. The article cites research performed by a professor at the Tulane University School of Law.

Let us hope that there is another explanation for the professor’s statistics and that the justices will come forward with an explanation. Our governor is trying to show the rest of the world that Louisiana values ethical behavior. We do not need this type of publicity.

Here is a link to the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/29/us/29bar.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=liptak&st=nyt&oref=slogin