We can still be friends
Six months ago, on March 1, in the inaugural post for this blog and at the Council meeting, I reported Charlotte had made personal use of her Parish credit card. The rest, as they say, is history - revelations of a DPW director using Public property for his personal gain, a $5.3 million debt incurred to protect a cow pasture, an aborted general obligation bond slush fund, and a demoralized Parish workforce, and an apparent reluctance on the part of those with authority to do something about it.

The idea for this blog began after months of futile attempt on my part to get uncensored public records from Charlotte Randolph's Administration. After the revelations last fall of George and Charlotte's wreck of a Parish vehicle, while George was driving, and Charlotte's payment of overtime to salaried employees, I decided to investigate whether these were isolated incidents or a pattern of abuse of the Public trust. Sometime in late November 2005, I started submitting public records requests for Charlotte's expense records. Prior posts detail the Administration's reaction - censored documents, a failed attempt to raise public record copy costs, and a lawsuit that taught Charlotte Randolph's Administration public records couldn't be censored.

That first day of the blog's existence saw about 4 or 5 hits. Then we settled in at about 30 per day after we started using the counter on March 13. The generator story in late May sent it through the roof. Thereafter, we have been averaging over 100 hits a day.

Charlotte Randolph's Administration is in shambles, her credibility is gone and, although she continues to delude herself otherwise, her political career is over.

This little hobby of "[p]roviding information our public servants would prefer we didn't know and the traditional media won't, opinion, news and a little taste of South Lafourche culture", while fun, has taken too much of my time. Although I will not be going away, I will be devoting alot more time to my law practice and alot less time to investigating the Charlotte Randolph administration and reporting my findings, partly out of necessity and, to a greater extent, due to the fact that it's time for the Hamlets with the legal authority to decide whether they will enforce the law or not.

The success of this blog would not have been possible without all the information, moral support and feedback provided by countless people, both inside and outside Lafourche Parish government, and whose identities will remain secret. I thank you for your help. You know who you are.

The coverage provided by the traditional media was a mixed bag. The Lafourche Gazette's reporting and editorializing came as a shock because it has traditionally not published stories critical of public officials or bodies, with few exceptions. While the Comet covered the news part of the story, for the most part, its editoral page remained missing in action. Maybe they are still hungover from the "Council 5" and/or have too much invested in Charlotte Randolph. KLRZ's Talk on the Bayou was not the critical instrument it was in the days of the "Council 5". Emilie Bahr of the Comet, Alces Adams stringing with the Gazette and Kirk Cheramie of KLRZ deserve special recognition.

It has been a fun ride. I doubt that any government has been subjected to this degree of relentless scrutiny by someone with so little authority to do anything about it as this passed six months have seen. Charlotte and her bumbling band of bozos made it so easy to find damaging information that they have made me seem to be a far better investigator than I am. No telling what a little deeper digging would have uncovered. And that, my friends, is the scary part!

I will see the George wreck lawsuit out to the end.

Many people have asked me what they can do about this mess. Attend Council meetings in mass and speak at the meetings. Call KLRZ, especially when Charlotte is on.
Talk to Cam and Craig Weber. Ask them whether Charlotte's Administration is above the law. Write letters to the editors.

Now, you're on your own. But, we can still be friends.

News from the Public titin
Below is an Advisory Opinion from the Ethics Commission I thought ya'll might want to know about.

March 12, 2004

Major Marty Dufrene
Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office
P.O. Box 5608
Thibodaux, LA 70302

Re: Ethics Board Docket No. 2004-168

Dear Major Dufrene :

The Louisiana Board of Ethics, at its March 11, 2004 meeting, considered your request for an advisory opinion concerning whether Randolph Publications, a company which is owned by George Randolph, the husband of the Lafourche Parish President Charlotte Randolph, may continue to contract with the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office. Randolph Publications currently has a contract with the Sheriff's office to maintain the Sheriff's Office's web page, and would like to enter into future contracts for document construction and various publications.

The Board concluded and instructed me to inform you that the Code of Governmental Ethics does not prohibit Randolph Publications from bidding on or entering into a contract or other transaction with the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office. Section 1113A of the Code will prohibit a legal entity in which a pubic servant or his immediate family member own a controlling interest from bidding on or entering into a contract, subcontract, or other transaction that is under the supervision or jurisdiction the public servant’s agency. Since the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office is a separate agency from the parish, the current contract and any future contracts between the Sheriff's Office and Randolph Publications are not prohibited.

The Board issues no opinion as to laws other than the Code of Governmental Ethics. If you have any questions, please contact me at (800) 842-6630 or (225) 763-8777.

Sincerely,

LOUISIANA BOARD OF ETHICS

Peggy A. Sabadie For the Board

Is Cam in a trick bag, or is it a catch 22?
It may be that the District Attorney of Lafourche Parish, no matter who he is, has a legislatively created no-win situation. On one hand, the law provides that every DA "shall have charge of every criminal prosecution by the state in his district." (See La. RS 16:1. B.)

On the other hand, the law specifically provides that "[i]n the parish of Lafourche, the district attorney shall ex officio and without extra compensation, general or special, be the regular attorney and counsel for the parish governing authority..." (See La. RS 16:2.E.) There are no other parishes set-out in this way in that provision of law.

Go ahead, read those laws for yourself. I made it easy for you. A link to Louisiana law is over to the right.

Has the Louisiana Legislature, by passing these two potentially conflicting laws, put our DA in a trick bag or created a catch 22 for him? Does his obligation to provide legal representation to the parish governing authority conflict with his obligation to prosecute crimes in this district, especially when he is also reliant upon that governing authority to provide workspace for himself and his staff and the present administration has shown a willingness to use strong-arm tactics to get its way and retaliate if it doesn't?

Is legislation necessary to correct this problem? Shouldn't the Council have legal authority to retain its own attorney? Wouldn't this relieve our DA's dilemna?

Rapides Parish - Public works director fired
In an April 7, 2006 article, The Alexandria Town Talk reported the City of Alexandria Public Works Department Director was fired, six months after he was placed on unpaid leave pending an investigation into work done at his church. The investigation came on the heals of accusations he authorized city employees to do work at the church, where he was the pastor. He was fired after the Rapides Parish District Attorney's Office found there was not enough evidence to charge him.

Just nod if you can hear me
Is there anyone home?
Are you comfortably numb?

RAY EXONERATED!?!?
Will Ray Cheramie gloat for long?
An article appears in today's Comet wherein Ray Cheramie discloses the Ethics Commission cleared him of two complaints.

The article states that in one of the instances "the board found that the request to clean the ditch came after Cheramie’s neighbor 'could not get an Entergy connect for a sewer plant until the ditch was cleaned.' " O.K. fair enough. But, that is the use of public equipment on private property for a private purpose, Ray! PUBLIC EQUIPMENT MUST BE USED FOR A PUBLIC PURPOSE, benefitting lots of the Public, not just one neighbor. They have, or are, prosecuting a bunch in Quachita Parish for the same kind of stuff. You would be charged with malfeasance and/or unauthorized use of a moveable in the 63 other Parishes.

By the way, who was the neighbor? I seem to recall Ray being quoted in another Comet article that the neighbor was his daughter.

("Cheramie admits the work was performed on his property at his instruction but denies that his actions were out of order. The work was necessary, he said, to promote proper drainage for his and six other homes that front the canal, all of which, it so happens, belong to immediate relatives, including his daughter." Daily Comet, August 02. 2006)

Yo, Ray, is that the same property? Did the Ethics folks know this information that may well have changed the outcome of their opinion?

In the other instance it was apparently alleged that Ray had dug outfall canals on property he grazes cattle but does not own. The article states that it "related to the cleaning of a ditch to drain land where it was alleged Cheramie grazed cattle." But that "the board found “no evidence” that cattle owned by Cheramie grazed on the land." Anybody has and can get pictures of Ray's cattle grazing and give me a general description of the location of the property?

The article concludes with Sheriff Craig Weber confirming what I had told the Comet when interviewed for the story - "There may be other infractions of laws that are not ethics laws". Oh Oh, sounds ominous, Ray, at least, in 63 other Parishes.

Oh yeah, and something that I said that the Comet didn't see fit to print - the Ethics Commission reconsiders their opinions if new facts are brought to their attention.

Any of y'all who want to step to the plate, the Ethics Commission contact information can be found by clicking on that link to the right - the one what says "Louisiana Board of Ethics".

Corruption Trials in Ouachita Parish
Here's an interesting article from the August 22, 2006 Monroe News Star and a second one and a KATC-Lafayette report concerning prosecution of Parish officials for corruption in Ouachita Parish.

Interesting passages:

"Dawson is charged with one count of malfeasance in office in connection with improvements made on Camel Road, which runs through property co-owned by his wife, and one count of unauthorized use of a moveable.

The unauthorized use of a moveable charge resulted from the Public Works department using parish-owned materials to pave the parking lot of Dawson's Gilbert church.

Dawson was one of eight people indicted in June 2003 following an 18-month investigation into Police Jury corruption. Only Dawson and Boyte still have pending cases."

"(Former DPW Chief) Boyte used a jury-rented bulldozer to do work on former Police Juror Grady Williams' property.

Former Public Works employee Earl Stone cut trees at the Union Parish home of former Assistant Parish Administrator Woodson McGuffee. Stone told the court he did the work at Boyte's request."

"McGuffee was convicted in February of corruption and sentenced to five years at hard labor, two of them suspended, and three years probation. A six-person jury found McGuffee guilty of malfeasance in office for having a parish Public Works employee remove trees from his property in Union Parish in December 2000."

Parallels? Anyone?

This is what happens when you F with Ray Cheramie!
James Thibodaux lives in a nice subdivision in Chackbay. Through the subdivision runs a Parish drainage canal excavated pursuant to the right-of-way secured by the Parish. Mr. Thibodaux attended the August 8 Council meeting where he spoke during the Public Comments portion of the meeting. He complained about the Parish not cutting the grass in the canal.

This past week, the Parish cut the grass in the canal in Mr. Thibodaux's subdivision and its environs. But, according to Mr. Ray Cheramie, Lafourche Parish Department of Public Works Director, during his appearance on KLRZ's Talk on the Bayou talk show yesterday, in response to a caller asking why the portion adjacent to Mr. Thibodaux's tract and two other tracts were not cut, the tractor could have broken when it got to Mr. Thibodaux's property line. As a result, the grass in that portion of the canal was not cut. It still hasn't been cut. Is the tractor still broken?

See what happens to you when you F with Ray Cheramie?!?! Wonder why the Council shows so little backbone? WHO'S YOUR DADDY!?!?

Millions of $s for Ray, Charlotte and they're padnas;
$O for drainage on W. 25th St., 10th Ward, Part 2
Here's a second letter to the editor concerning flooding on W. 25th Street in Larose that was published in the August 23 edition of the Lafourche Gazette:

"Campaign promises to be remembered next election

Roads and drainage...Seems to be all we hear about during election time!

Well, I've lived on West 25th Street for 24 years, and we don't have any drainage. I'm one of the fortunate ones, because I didn't get any water in my home for Hurricane Juan in 1985, when so many people in the South Lafourche area flooded due to levee breaks. However, I did flooded in 1992 due to rainstorm. Some of my neighbors have flooded in excess of nine times during the last several years.

Our cries fall on deaf ears. For Hurricane Katrina there were 16 homes that water went into, and one year later, we still haven't seen our ditches re-dug. Instead of the parish doing drain work in the most needed areas, I've observed progress in areas where homes are not affected with flooding problems due to rain.

Where are the priorities? Is it the upper class subdivisions or the who you know ditches, that
get results? All we would like is an honest answer as to when you are going to finally fix once and for all our drainage, so we can sleep at night not worrying if our homes will flood again due to neglect on the part of our officials in charge of providing the tax payers the services in which we are paying for.

I, for one will remember all the campaign promises made come next election day.

Kay Guidry Kiff
Cut Off"

Millions of $s for Ray, Charlotte and they're padnas;
$O for drainage on W. 25th St., 10th Ward, Part 1
The following appeared as a letter to the editor in the August 19, 2006 Lafourche Gazette:

"Resident has enough of flooding problems

I am writing about a major problem we have on our street, W. 25th St., (back of LCO School). We have about 12 houses on that street that floods. Not just for hurricanes, but any hard rain may flood their homes. This has only been going on for about 40 years.

All the water from the schoolyard and the front drains in the middle of the street, where it stays. It is only getting worse and whenever they complain, they come and dig the ditches in the low areas. How much brain does it take to figure out to dig in the back of the street, so the water can drain?

We are tired of sweeping water from our homes and drying the walls after a heavy rain. Pretty soon the flood insurance will not help us. Then who will?
Willa Blair
Larose"

Millions of $s for Ray, Charlotte and they're padnas;
$O for 10th Ward courtroom
Following is an email I received from Lafourche Parish Bar Association President Damon Stentz relative to the courtroom at the 10th Ward Annex:

"Dear Bar Members:

You may or may not have heard that the courthouse annex in Galliano has closed down. On July 28, 2006, the 17th JDC issued the order, formally closing the annex. The order says, in pertinent part:

"Considering that the courthouse in Galliano consists of several rooms in a building owned by the Parish of Lafourche which houses other Parish and Public agencies, that the Parish Governing Authority has recently determined that the building is no longer suitable to house these offices and agencies and has secured a more adequate building to relocate all offices and agencies, and that to construct and equip a new courthouse location in a new site would require a substantial outlay of public funds;

"Further, considering that neither the Court nor the Parish Governing Authority has the available funds at this time to construct and equip a new courthouse facility in accordance with current standards, including security, and considering that in recent years the Court has not used the Galliano courthouse as frequently as in the past for various reasons, including scheduling conflicts with lawyers and litigants from the South Lafourche area, the substandard conditions of the facility, the lack of security, the lack of staff support, and the time and expense attendant to traveling to and from the facility, the Court now determines that it will no longer conduct sessions of court in the courthouse in Galliano."

This order was signed en banc by the judge in each division of court, effectively closing the Galliano courthouse annex on August 1, 2006.

I have emailed this announcement to every member who has provided an email address to the Bar Association. Please pass this information along to other attorneys in your office or elsewhere who do not have email addresses.

If you have any questions, you may contact me or the 17th JDC.

Damon Stentz
President, LPBA"

If you are going to do what it takes, Charlotte, why don't you do what it takes to mitigate the burden of 10th Ward residents having to travel all the way to Thibodaux for court. I guess Lafourche Parish, to you, doesn't extend below the Intracoastal Waterway, except as a source for tax money.

Trapped in a web of their own design - the price
When did Parish officials know about the price of the $5.3 million cow capots?

Cam wrote in his opinion of August 16, 2006 that "[a]ccording to parish personnel, approximately two (2) weeks (on or about October 7, 2005) after Rita made landfall, a meeting was held with Mr. Vickers, Mr. Cheramie and Mr. Seth Holloway in attendance. At that meeting, Mr. Vickers presented the first set of invoices detailing the rental costs of the portable levees."

However, in a July 22. 2006 Comet article, President Randolph is quoted as saying, "We put off using them as long as we could because we knew the price of these things." This suggests prior knowledge.

Furthermore, TPRTK obtained from the Administration copies of emails dated Sept. 27 and Sept. 28, 2005 wherein U.S. Flood Control informs Mr. Ray Cheramie's assistant that the invoices are attached and asking for a purchase order number. Therefore, Mr. Cheramie's office knew the price on Sept. 27 or Sept. 28.

Did the Administration know the price of the portable levees before they were delivered and deployed? Did the "parish personnel" misinform DA Morvant? Did the Administration not provide DA Morvant copies of these emails obtained by TPRTK through a public records request?

Is there anybody out there?
Is there anyone home?
Are you comfortably numb?

Cheating When No One's Home

A commenter left the following earlier this morning:

"IT'S A LEARNING EXPERIENCE!!!!???

A LEARNING EXPERIENCE !!!!!!!!???

LEARNING EXPERIENCE ?????????????
BOY, could a "TOP TEN" list be made with this!But "on the other hand" this morning find's me in a"country state of mind." Let us ponder this while we think up the words to a John Prine country song.

It's a cheating situation
a stealing invitation
to take what's not really ours
to make it through the midnight hours
It's a cheating situation
just a cheap imitation
doing what we want to do
when we think no one's home

there's no use pretending
there'll be a happy ending
where the truth's concerned
sweetheart we both know
we'll fake it as they find it
run and try to hide it
It's all we got
For we know they're not
Gonna let us go

IT'S A CHEATING SITUATION
WHEN THE CHARTER COMES HOME!"

“It’s a learning experience”?!?!
The Comet published an article in today's paper concerning Cam's opinion of Charlotte's $5.3 million blunder. More importantly, the Comet was so kind as to attach the entire opinion as a .pdf file at the end of the article.

Instead of a learning experience, sounds more like a firing-worthy screw-up. You know how much educating you can get for $5.3 million!? Some of the big-shots are going to get a migraine over this article.

Since I ain't a big-shot, I asked one who was a former big-time supporter of Charlotte what he would do to an employee who f 'ed-up this bad. He told me that first he would kill her and then fire her.

"An elected official of the Parish shall forfeit his/her office if ..." (Article III.9.D. of the Lafourche Parish Charter)
"No payment shall be made or obligation incurred against any appropriation except in accordance with the approved operating budget or capital budget, or amendment thereto,unless the President, or the President’s designee, first certifies that there is a sufficient unencumbered balance in the appropriation and that sufficient funds therefrom are or will be available to cover the claim or meet the obligation when it becomes due and payable. However, this provision shall not limit the authority of the Parish to borrow funds in anticipation of revenues as provided in the general laws of the State. Any authorization of payment or incurring of obligation in violation of the provisions of this Charter shall be void and any payment so made absolutely null and of no legal effect; such action shall be just cause for removal of any official, officer or employee who knowingly authorized or made such payment or incurred such obligation or who caused such payment to be authorized or made or obligation to be incurred. Such person also shall be liable to the Parish for any amount so paid or obligated." Article VI, Section 2, Paragraph B. Subparagraph 1, Lafourche Parish Charter

In such a suit for removal, any elector of the Parish shall have a right and cause of action and standing to bring the suit. Article III.9.E. of the Lafourche Parish Charter

Grounds: overtime to salaried employees, all "emergency" expenditures, including the $5.3 million portable levees.

Louisiana has alot of licensed, practicing attorneys who can help you with this matter. Unfortunately, it'll have to be on your nickel. But then, it'll likely have to be on Charlotte's nickel too.

Prez Could Go Mad With Money For Only 4 Days
That is the gist of Lafourche Parish DA Cam Morvant's opinion released yesterday in response to a request from the Council asking whether President Charlotte Randolph had authority to contract with US Flood Control for use of the now notorious "inflatable flood control devices" for 30 days without Council approval.

Cam opined that Louisiana law and the Parish Charter grants the President emergency authority to use "all available resources" in times of emergency. President Randolph declared a state of emergency for Hurricane Rita on Sept. 22, 2005 and gave the all clear sign on Sept. 26 at 6 A.M. Therefore, she could obligate the Parish for the use of the tubes for that period.

Most critical to President Randolph, Cam states that "expenses incurred during or after the emergency that were not budgeted must subsequently be brought before the Council" (for approval). Cam further states that President Randolph "should have requested ... a special meeting (of the Council) as soon as possible so that an emergency ordinance could have been passed to allow her to continue using the portable levees..." Cam continues that, alternatively, at the Sept. 27, 2005 Council meeting, President Randolph "should have sought to have the acceptance and deployment of the portable levees ratified" by the Council.

Cam adds cryptically, "if the decision to accept delivery and deploy the portable levees was made after 6:00 a.m. on Monday, September 26, 2005, then Mrs. Randolph was without authority to act."

That's the guts of the opinion. Of course, it raises new questions and leaves some old ones unanswered, which will be the subject of further analysis here.

Most curious about the opinion, Cam appears to gloss over the question of whether a "contract" with US Flood Control was formed. He never answers the question directly. But, from the overall tenor of the opinion, apparently, the answer is yes. A contract for what and for how much is an open question.

This opinion should be published on the internet so that you can read the entire thing for yourself. Sorry, I can't spare the space here.

Stay tuned!

FEMA Fraud - unused hotel rooms
A Texarkana hotel manager was indicted in May for hurricane related fraud. She was charged with five counts of wire fraud in connection with her job as the general manager of the Ramada Inn in Texarkana, Texas.

A Victim of Love?
CNN is reporting that New Jersey Attorney General Zulima Farber has resigned after a special prosecutor concluded she violated state ethics laws by intervening in a traffic stop involving her boyfriend.

Hell, fixing tickets here is what gets some people reelected. Those darn Yankees, ain't they cute!

Tings Is Hot And It Ain't Cuz Of Da Sun!
WHO-LA! Rumors are swirling out of Thibodaux and I ain't sharing none until I get some paper. Super Big-Shots expressing their discontent. Meetings, meetings, meetings! Lots of facts being developed. Important people wanting to know when the water started going down after Rita and when the tubes were placed. Hope to have some more enlightening stuff soon.

I can't use Public stuff for personal purposes?
Here's an interesting article out of Idaho. A former city clerk is charged with nine felonies for using a city credit card to purchase personal items from Walmart.

Here's another one. A former superintendent of the Dallas Independent School District pled guilty to misapplying thousands of dollars of district funds. She got a new bedroom set.

In this one, an Idaho police chief pled guilty to misusing public money for personal purposes.

In Orange County, Cal., a fired Assistant Sheriff is being prosecuted for misusing a county helicopter; using his subordinate officers to research and visit convalescent living facilities for his mother; directing officers to help him at a family member's graduation; and having on-duty officers develop personal photographs.

In this one, a Utah city official pled guilty for misusing public revenue. She used public funds to cover lawn care services on personal property.

This one out of Compton, Cal. probably resonates the most with what we have learned about the Randolph Administration - credit card, airline tickets for family, reimbursements, etc. The prosecution resulted in convictions.

SSHHHH!

The Public mustn't know the secrets of the $5.3 million cow protection devices, Ollie!

God Has Blessed Americans
One of the things that has made the United States of America a great country is the right for any of us to criticize OUR government. It ain't like that in many other countries on this globe we live on. In Iran, their government is trying to shutdown bloggers according to this AP story.

CHARLOTTE FEELING OUT FOR STATE REP RUN?!?!
Are we even in the same universe? If Charlotte runs for State Rep, Carl A. Chauvin runs for State Rep and, I'm sure, lots of other people will too. Wouldn't debates be fun???!!! My attack ads copy is ready, but likely incomplete since more scandals are sure to emerge.

Somebody, please talk to her straight! Apparently, she has lost touch with reality or she surrounds herself only with people who tell her what she wants to hear. If she is on meds, her doctor should seriously evaluate changing the dosage.

What you need to think about Charlotte is getting a job, any job. Finishing your term is far from assured. How can you win without the 10th Ward? You are dead there. Thibodaux is not in the district and those people are fixing to cut you loose soon anyway. (Remember the old axiom: If you ain't from Thibodaux, you'll never be from Thibodaux. I know a number of people from down-the-bayou who had to learn that truth the hard way.) And, Charlotte, COWS DON'T VOTE!

Thinking you have a political career after the debacle of the last year may be a sign of severe mental illness. Professional help is available.

I know first-hand that some of the big movers and shakers in Lafourche First would prefer to see you gone today. You are an embarrassment, not State Rep material!

Too Many Unanswered Questions
There is a Comet article about the $5.3 million tube deal discussed at the Tuesday night Council meeting in Wednesday's paper. (Doesn't this story call for an indignant editorial from the angle of the Council not being informed?)

There are still too many unanswered questions on the $5.3 million tube issue. Now we hear that 250 to 300 of the tubes were actually deployed. (In the October 11, 2005 minutes, Ray Cheramie stated 102 were deployed.) However, invoices show we owe rent of $175K per day for thirty days for 500 tubes. Is this an attempt to defraud FEMA? When were the tubes deployed? Who deployed them? What did Charlotte know and when did she know it? What was Ray Cheramie's involvement? Why did only two Councilmen, Callais and Gouaux, know about the tubes? Why 30 days? On what date did the water in Bayou L'Eau Bleu begin to recede after Hurricane Rita? Why was so much money spent in Valentine when the area below the floodgate at Golden Meadow DID flood and the Parish appeared to be not too concerned about those people? Is the fact Ms. Randolph resides within two miles of where the tubes were allegedly placed have any bearing? What exactly has FEMA agreed to reimburse for the expense of RENTING the tubes? Where were the tubes stored before Hurricane Rita? On Parish property? Did we charge U.S. Flood Control rent for the storage? Are the tubes being presently stored on Public property?

What was the North Lafourche Levee District's involvement? If none, why not? Did they know about the tubes?

Why was there no written contract on a deal involving $5.3 million, 9% of the 2005 budget? Why were Councilmen not informed of the deal in 10 months? Why are there not more than three pictures of what $5.3 million got us? (Ray Cheramie sure likes to show pictures of his other handiwork. Why not this time?) Did Charlotte have authority to enter this deal without Council input? Was the deal legal? Will Cam Morvant whitewash this scandal?

Did the Charlotte Randolph Administration lose its collective mind after Katrina? Overtime to salaried employees, which still has not been recouped notwithstanding the fact the DA has said it must be. Ray Cheramie lending generators to his family and leaving others unused. Now, $5.3 million dollars for tubes that may or may not have been deployed!!! Heads need to roll! There is no forgetting or explaining away this magnitude of screw-up.

Oh, I forgot, this new government replaced the evil "Council 5". Nevermind.

George Randolph Memorial 150th Day Blog Stats
55 Average Unique Visitors per Day
8286 Unique Visitors
Highest Day 198 on 26 Jul, Wed, 2006
1381 Average Visitors per Month
117.5 Average Unique Visitors Last 20 days

If you want to see more of this stuff, click that little globe to the right below archives.

Doing a little extrapolation, if this blog had state-wide interest, we would have an average of 7,520 unique hits per day. (117.5 X 64 Parishes) If it had nation-wide interest - 376,000 unique hits per day. (7,520 La. hits X 50 States)

In June, 2006, the New York Times website averaged 1.266 million visitors per day by comparison. Wal-Mart 833,333.

But, since the market is mostly Lafourche and some Terrebonne, I quess 117.5 hits per day ain't so bad.

Thank you, Charorge for providing me so much inspiration to write stuff people want to read. Keep screwing-up, not that you can help it!

George Driving
Here's the narrative part of the State Police accident report for George's wreck of the Lafourche Parish Emergency Preparedness truck on August 24, 2005:

"STATE OE LOUISIANA
UNIFORM MOTOR VEHICLE TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT
NARRATIVE/DIAGRAM

Vehicle 1 was Traveling W/B on LA 182. Vehicle 2 was S/B on LA 316. Vehicle l was a Lafourche Parish Vehicle (Non- Emergency) that was being operated with emergency lights and sirens. Vehicle 1 was attempting to enter the Intersection when it was struck by vehicle 2.

Driver 1 stated that he was in a convoy that was following the LA. Governor. When traffic got stopped, he tried to keep the convoy moving by entering the Intersection with emergency lights and siren. He stated that he never saw vehicle 2 prior to entering the Intersection. All of a sudden he was struck by vehicle 2.

Driver 2 stated that he was S/B on LA 316 when he was struck by vehicle 1. He stated that when he saw vehicle 1, he didn't have time to stop."

That narrative is contained in report number 8557077. George was Driver 1 and charged with careless operation. Wonder if the ticket was paid? By whom? The Parish?

The Council authorized the payment of $15,805.37 for the other driver's vehicle damage. Prescription has not run yet. So, the other driver may sue for personal injuries. The damages to our vehicle was around $2,000.00 according to the Comet.

Below is a diagram of the accident from the report:

IT'S GEORGE RANDOLPH DAY!
Big shout out to the first husband of Lafourche Parish, George Randolph!!!! George, because you are such a loyal reader of this blog and have done so much to make this blog a success, we dedicate today to you!! IT'S ALL GEORGE RANDOLPH, ALL DAY!!!

What better stage husband a politician could have!? He makes Brooke Shields' mom seem like a shrinking violet. Charlotte recently said she needed a wife instead of a husband.

You da man, George! Just think George, many of your wife's problems as Parish President are directly attributable to your interference! We may never know whether Patsy Ramsey played any part in JonBenet's death, but we know you had a hand in ending your wife's political career. Most other husbands would have had enough respect for their wives to let her make the decisions she was elected to. But not you. You was important now and you were not going to let a woman get in the way. You Da Big Pimp! Right?

As part of George Randolph Day, we'll look at George's driving record and a few other things and blog statistics! Aren't ya'll excited!?!?

The Public Wants Drainage
But Ray's Friends, Family and Cows Plan Soaked Up All The $
Preliminary reports from tonight's Council meeting reveal that a number of the Public spoke about their drainage needs and the lack of responsiveness from the Charorge Misadministration during the Public comments part of the meeting. Ray revealed that "budget cutbacks" are making it hard to do any maintenance. The meeting through that portion consumed approximately two hours and that is the first thing on a 50 plus item agenda.

I don't think the Public will be happy with Ray's answer considering all his friends in the cattle business, his family, neighbors and the cow pastures he owns and leases have had their drainage requirements fulfilled.

Check back Wednesday. It'll be our 150th day keeping track of this blog's statistics. I'm dedicating it to one of TPRTK's most loyal readers, George Randolph. Lots of exciting things in store!

Why is Customs and Border Patrol Monitoring This Blog Or Is It?
I have noticed that the Customs and Border Patrol, or at least one of its ips, has been monitoring this blog at least once a day each weekday. This is the ip: nwg001-ce2.cbp.dhs.gov. Today, they hit three times. Don't federal employees have better things to do with their time? Is it really someone with that agency or is it someone not employed by that agency misusing federal services?

May be just a coincidence, but qualifying for the Port Commission election is this week and Emperor Ted Falgout has had some of his lackeys monitoring my criticism of his protege Charlotte Randolph, believing the Port will be scrutinized next. (Yo, Ted, was that on company time or are they doing it free? In other words, are some of the taxes I pay to the Port being used to monitor me?) By the way, there just so happens to be a Customs office next door to the Port Commission offices.

I can't stop you from speculating whether there is a connection. This is a country of free speech and free thought.

Wanted: MORE PICTURES and leads
Come on guys and guyettes! I'm still looking for digital pictures of flooding in neighborhoods and of the rented $5.3 million "inflatable flood protection devices" at work. Also, I would like any digital pictures of damage to parish passenger cars or pick-ups and parish vehicles traveling outside Lafourche Parish. It would help if the pictures contain a date stamp. I'm not interested in flooding situations that have been remedied.

I can always use some more deep throats. Do your part. Anybody know about some recent damage to a Parish sedan?

No money for Court AC?
An interesting item appears in the agenda for Tuesday's meeting. Councilman Mark Atzenhoffer has a proposed Ordinance for a supplemental appropriation. Seems as though there is not enough money in the capital projects funds of the budget to pay the $100,000 it will take to replace the chiller for the Courthouse Annex air conditioning unit. (We reported the failure of the unit on June 22 in the article "Nero Fiddles While Rome Burns!" A large, noisy portable unit has been servicing the building since. I wonder what the rent is on that big sucka.) So, the administration wants the Council to use $100K from the general fund in order to pay for the repairs.

Hell, why doesn't Charlotte just declare an emergency in the Court system in Lafourche and just add it to the Civil Defense fund? After all, don't five angry Judges glaring menacingly at you constitute an emergency? (All it takes is one for me.) If the risk of storms developing in the Caribbean and the Gulf after Rita was enough to justify $175K a day for the period after Rita, certainly this could be too. Is this evidence that cows are even more important than Judges in Lafourche Parish? I rest my case, Your Honor.

Cancer on the Presidency?
"Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." George Santayana

To get a context on the travails of the Charlotte Randolph Administration, you may want to check out the National Archives' Nixon Watergate transcripts. There is alot of discussion in that material which resonates with what is happening in Lafourche Parish, especially the $5.3 million "flood control devices" scandal and cover-up and the Ray Cheramie albatross around Charlotte's neck. John "Dean tells the President that the cover-up" of his Administration's connection to the Watergate burglars "is 'a cancer on the Presidency' that must be excised or his Presidency would be in danger." Is there no John Dean in the Randolph Administration? It seems somebody, maybe one of her big-shot patrons, needs to give her a reality check.

There is a cancer on the Lafourche Parish Presidency and it has metastasized.

Charlotte, it just gets worse from here. Sorry, we can't rewind the tape and start all over. Too many wheels have been set in motion over which we have no control. You have a chance to leave with a little dignity. But, that hourglass is running down very quickly.

CHA CHA CHANGES!
Stunning changes are happening in the mortally-wounded Randolph Administration. Informed sources tell TPRTK that the Administration has adopted a policy whereby before any drainage project may be undertaken, President Randolph must exercise final approval. Prior to this change, DPW chief Ray Cheramie had full discretion on such projects. (Has Charlotte castrated le toro du couteau?!?! Did criticism by this blog on the issue have any impact on the change? Does it really matter now that friends and family have been taken care of and there is no more money?)

Informed sources also tell TPRTK that the Administration met with Parish employees this week to find out how the Adminstration could "make things better". Few had much to say. (I guess they'll just stand on their comments in the survey and wait this gang out. See "Parish Employee Survey, Comment 1-8" beginning Wednesday, July 19, 2006.) One employee asked whether employees could expect any future checks being shorted a week. As is common practice with Charlotte, she declined to answer the question and stormed off in a huff.

What other exciting changes are in store in the world of Charorge? Will Charlotte make more frequent visits to her desk in Thibodaux? Will Charlotte read the parts of the Charter other than those limiting the authority of the Council or having to do with her pay? Will drainage projects be done that affect people instead of only cows? Can we expect any more hysterical spending similar to the $5.3 million for cow protection devices (CPDs)?

Comments:

Anonymous said...

Drainage projects:
Presidential approval wow!!!
Did they run out relations to do freebee projects for?

3:45 PM

Anonymous said...

Too little! Too late!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3:53 PM

Anonymous said...

What I can't understand is that Terrebonne Parish employees got a $1 an hour raise, the school teachers get a $3400 raise, which they desperately needed. Both of these entities get their money from taxes which is how the Lafourche Parish Council operates. I guess the raises for the employees went to save the cows down in Lockport huh?

5:32 PM

Anonymous said...

This admistration came into power with public support,a new council, a new charter, and a 40 plus million dollar surplus.

That,Was,THE BRINK OF GREATNESS.This administration, through it's fiscal IRRESPONSIBILITY, is IN THE TOILET!

It will take a lot more than "CASTRATION OF THE BULL" to turn this circus of scandal around.

Furthurmore,IF the bull is castrated ;the "proceeds" should be offered to some COUNCILmen. There seems to be a need!

10:51 AM

Truck Wreck Suit Filed
I filed a petition for declaratory relief against the Council on August 1. Following is the meat of the petition:

"On or about August 24, 2005, at approximately 3:00 P.M., George Randolph, husband of Lafourche Parish President Charlotte Randolph, was driving a Ford F250 owned by the Council, with President Randolph in the front passenger seat. At the intersection of Louisiana Highway 316, or Couteau Road, and Louisiana Highway 182, or old Highway 90, Mr. Randolph caused an accident when he failed to properly yield the right of way to a Dodge Dualy pick-up truck being driven by Mr. John Cooley.

By resolution number 05-289, adopted December 13, 2005, the Council authorized the Lafourche Parish Finance Department to pay $15,805.37 for vehicle repairs and rental expenses to the victim of the accident.

At the time of the accident, George Randolph was neither a Parish official nor employee nor did he otherwise possess authority from the Council to drive the vehicle.

Plaintiff is entitled to a declaratory judgment declaring that the authorization by the Parish Council to pay property damage and rental expense of the victim of the accident, John Cooley, caused on August 24, 2005 by George Randolph, a driver who was not properly authorized to drive a Parish-owned vehicle, is null and void since the authorization constitutes a prohibited donation of public property, and, accordingly, unconstitutional under Article VII, Section 14(A) of the Louisiana Constitution of 1974 and/or a violation of Councilmen's obligation to administer public property entrusted to the Council for public purposes and as a fiduciary in violation of LA R.S. 42:1461."

The case has been allotted to Judge John LeBlanc. The Parish has 15 days to answer.

The Comet has an article on it in today's paper.

Maybe we can find out why the Randolphs were using the Emergency Preparedness truck and not the Parish sedan assigned to Charlotte. George, ready to testify? CROSS-EXAMINATION! I like it!

Charlotte wants your forgiveness
We Americans are a forgiving people. We like to give people a second chance. However, in return for that forgiveness, we expect a full confession, sincere contrition and a resolution not to repeat the same mistake again.

The problem with Charlotte's request is that it is a one-way street. We are expected to forgive, meanwhile Charlotte expects to be allowed only a minimal confession and the right to continue to screw-up, COVER-UP and trust Ray Cheramie's judgement.

Sorry, baby, that ain't how it works. You can start by paying back the $15,000 you got the Council (when they still trusted you) to approve for the payment of George's wreck. Generally, we need to know everything about everything. The $5.3 million tube blunder just ain't going away. It would help if you confess that it was a mistake of the highest order, especially the part about allowing the meter to run for 30 days and not informing the Council for 10 months. (Earth to Charlotte: FEMA ain't going to swallow 100% of those invoices. Looks like 75%, if that.) That would go far in disarming some of your most vocal critics.

Furthermore, you need a new DPW director. Ray has a tendency of creating too many negative headlines and I have gotten one too many communication from a citizen complaining about his gruff and rude manner. Unless you devise a drainage plan that removes some of the DPW director's unbridled discretion, the Public will continue having suspicions about the value of all the drainage work you like to take credit for, especially when their neighborhoods continue to flood any time it rains.

Additionally, stop playing the mistreated and helpless woman card, it makes it appear women are not as capable as men to lead. If you can't drive a car or make a Parish decision without your spouse's input, you can't be Parish President.

Although doing these things will not save your administration, it could take some of the heat off and make you feel better.

Comet Lead Story
Today's Comet lead story is entitled "Complaint targets public-works head". The article concerns Ray Cheramie's use of a public employee and equipment to perform drainage work on his property in June, 2005, which I reported here first on June 19, 2006 in a post entitled "Parish Equipment And Employees Performed Work On DPW Chief's Private Property, Part 1". (Part 2 ain't complete yet.)

In the article, Mr. Cheramie admits my allegations, but claims a public purpose was served by drainage being provided him and his family. See my June 20, 2006 "A Public Purpose" post. I predicted this would be his defense. I introduced you to my client who shot the crack dealer, remember. He performed a public service; he took a public menace off the streets, at least for a while. Yet, he was still held responsible by a jury and has about 5 more years of his sentence to serve.

Furthermore, "a public purpose" is not a defense found in the Louisiana criminal code.

Other Lafourche Parish employees have been fired by this Administration for doing the exact same thing - they used parish equipment on their property. Is Mr. Cheramie above the law?

SAMPLE PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST
As part of our continuing effort to keep the public informed, we provide the following sample public records request:

Carl A. Chauvin
145 Louviere Lane, P.O. Box 653, Golden Meadow, Louisiana 70357
Phone: 985-475-XXXX, Fax: 985-475-XXXX
Email: cchauvin11@yahoo.com
August 2, 2006

Charlotte A. Randolph
President
Lafourche Parish Government
P.O. Drawer 5548
Thibodaux, Louisiana 70302

ATTN: Cullen Curole

VIA FAX and U.S. MAIL

Dear Ms. Randolph:

Please provide me a copy of any and all documents evidencing any plans you have in place to evacuate cows in the event a hurricane threatens Lafourche Parish.

Sincerely yours,


Carl A. Chauvin

Edit the letter according to your individual needs. Since you are not Carl A. Chauvin, you would substitute your personal information. If you want to know if the cow protection devices (CPDs) were stored on public property before and after their use, whether any storage rental was charged by the Parish, you would ask for documents satisfying that question, etc. It's simple, it's fun and it only costs 25 cents per page!

Wanted: Digital Pictures of Charlotte's $5.3 Mil. Tubes
Except for the two pictures of the mysterious inflatable flood control devices, or cow protection devices (CPDs), below, we are having a hard time finding any tangible evidence these things were actually deployed. Anybody have any digital pictures of these expensive things actually working? $5.3 million dollars and only two stinking pictures!?!? I guarantee, had I spent that much money, I would do the fond chock about it and not try to cover-up.

Please share.