Are Charorge Next?
My boss emailed me the following:

"By Damian Tatum
The Levee staff writer


Brad, Angie say they'll take Ray:

New Orleanians breathed a collective sigh of relief last week, as celebrity super-couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie confirmed they are in late-stage negotiations to adopt New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin.

The couple had been frustrated in their recent attempts to adopt a Vietnamese child, due to international legal restrictions preventing unmarried parents from adopting. No such restriction applies to Nagin, according to Ann S. Williamson, Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Social Services.

"Married, unmarried, gay, straight, space aliens, hell. They can have him," Williamson said at a joint news conference with Jolie, Pitt, and a scowling, towel-swaddled Nagin.

Although it is hoped that simply removing Nagin - or "Baby Ray," as Jolie has nicknamed him - from City Hall and remanding him to a nursery in the couple's renovated French Quarter mansion will dramatically accelerate the city's recovery, residents have not given up hope that the couple will also adopt District Attorney Eddie Jordan and New Orleans Police Superintendent Warren Riley.

"Well, you know, those two do tend to fight a lot, and they're sneaky," Jolie said. "Let's see if we can get this one to play nice first."

Gov. Kathleen Blanco announced that citizens can apply for adoption by Pitt and Jolie through the governor's new "Road to Someone Else's Home Plan." Delays began immediately, and the program is expected to make its first awards no later than 2013."

Maybe this is the solution to our Charorge problem. If we can't get them a job, maybe we can get them adopted!!!!!

New Parish President Poll

I put up a new poll on the Comet forums, with choices this time.

The results page.

DA BAGS!

The Lafourche Parish Council considered a proposal by Councilman Mark Atzenhoffer at tonight's Council meeting to offer $925,000 to settle the BAGS controversy, down from the $1.2 million the Council previously approved. Lindel Toups attempted to amend the proposal up to $1.2 million. The amendment failed. A vote on the original Atzenhoffer motion also failed to secure a majority of the Council. Therefore, negotiations are apparently at an end.

Your move, Mr. Vickers.

Golf, Anyone?

While dumpster-diving at a business establishment in Larose late last night, I uncovered the ducat I reproduce below. It appears to be a "complimentary" "team application ($400)" to a Charlotte Randolph Invitational South golf tournament for April 13, 2007 at the Tideland Country Club in Galliano. Evidently, it was an oversight that I was not included on the mailing list. Oh, you didn't get one either? Dude, I don't think printing it out will work.

In any event, I can't attend. Mineral Law Institute in Baton Rouge and all that, you know? I'm sure a delightful time will be had by all. Ta! Ta!

By the way, would ya'll, per chance, have any of those etched drinking glass sets remaining?

The Other Side Of Republicans Eating Their Own?

By now, if we care to, we know the story of Alberto Gonzales's Justice Department firing Republican U.S. Attorneys because they were not "Bushy" enough. For instance, David Iglesias, the U.S. Attorney for New Mexico was fired, he claims, because he did not submit to pressure from Republican U.S. Senator Pete Domenici to expedite the prosecution of a Democrat prior to last Fall's Republican Congressional massacre. Others were fired while in the process of prosecuting Republicans. (Remember the big deal they made when the Clintons fired the White House travel office staff? The difference: A travel agent can't send anybody to jail!)

On the other hand, Jim Letten and David Dugas, the U.S. Attorneys for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Louisiana, respectively, and George W. Bush appointees, were not fired. Those guys have gotten alot of headlines for nailing low-lifes who riped-off FEMA for $2,000 a pop post-Katrina. However, there is no evidence that the Federal government is even investigating the $5.3 million portable levee scam, notwithstanding a request by the Lafourche Parish Council. Does the fact Parish President Charlotte Randolph is a Republican have anything to do with the inaction by the Feds on this issue?

Coming Soon To A Theatre Near You
REIGN OF RUIN

Hollywood brings to the big screen the new Southern Political classic - Carl A. Chauvin's Scarlette's Reign of Ruin, winner of the 2008 National Book Award for Fiction. Even Outwack of the New Jersey Times called Reign of Ruin "a staggering masterpiece of modern literature...a cross between A Confederacy of Dunces, All The King's Men and All the President's Men, but more better than all three put together... Reign of Ruin casts a tall shadow over All The King's Men, a classic it updates to modern times... Scarlette Ranoff makes Willie Stark, Richard Nixon and Ignacious Riley look like Curly, Larry and Moe. ...probably what would have happened had Lucille Ball married Charles Manson and gone into politics instead of acting... Chauvin dwarfs Robert Penn Warren in his take on Southern politics. It reads like the Twilight Zone filtered through a reality TV show without the creative edits."

The novel and the movie, as screen written by Chauvin, tell the story of a naive and unprincipled Southern politician who is promoted one rung above her abilities and the chaos which ensues once a blogging malcontent begins investigating her corrupt regime.

STARRING:

Kirstie Alley as Scarlette Ranoff, a politician who reached beyond her abilities and got her hands lobbed off .

Nick Nolte as Gerard, Scarlette's conniving, ne'er-do-well, manipulative husband, without whom she can't make a decision.







Clive Owen as Charles Hotwine, blogging malcontent and the protagonist, whose search for the truth helps bring down Scarlette's corrupt political machine.





Scarlett Johansson as Emmy Lou Lounge, TV reporter and Hotwine's brainy and buxom
love interest.

Billy Bob Thornton as Samuel Quiche, Hotwine's colorful political ally.

Mel Gibson as Camden Lesvant, the Hamletesque local District Attorney who agonizes over whether to enforce the law against the corrupt Ranoff political machine






Robert Deniro as Raj Dearfriend, Scarlette's enforcer, over whom she loses control, which leads to dire consequences in the dramatic climax

Robin Williams as Mr. Ink Pens, Hotwine's shadowy spiritual guide and patron.






Directed by Oscar Winner Martin Scorsese
Soundtrack by Nine Inch Nails and George Jones

DA BAGS, Were They Worth It?

"You bet! Finally a Parish President who understands the needs of us Cows! Thanks for all the pump stations and all those outfall canals too! Our hooves haven't been damp in months! Never mind that asshole Chauvin and those whiny 10th Warders who flood everytime it rains. We're votin' fer ya Charorge!" - Elsie

paid for by Charorge2007

Are We Leaking?

I have posited this question before, but based on what I witnessed at the special Council meeting last night, I am compelled to ask it again. Is someone, either on the Council, in the Adminstration and/or someone closely related to the Administration, secretly communicating with any principal and/or agent of U.S. Flood Control concerning the ongoing BAG negotiations? In other words, is someone on this side sharing inside information with someone on the other side?

I hammer on this question because there are some serious consequences which may flow from such a leak. First, both sides are represented by attorneys. In such a case, the attorney from one side may not communicate with a party on the other side without that side's attorney being present or unless that attorney expressly waives his presence. Violation of this rule by an attorney can lead to sanctions by the Bar Association. Secondly, the leaker, if he is a public official, is likely committing malfeasance, a criminal offense.

Last night, there appeared to exist a serious disconnect between the Council's and U.S. Flood's expectations of what could be accomplished at the meeting. On the table was the Council's offer of $1.2 million. The U.S. Flood team appeared to believe that the Council would offer a higher amount without U.S. Flood countering the Council's offer. It is customary in any negotiation that when one makes an offer, the other side is expected to accept the offer on the table, propose a counteroffer or the negotiation is at an end. Did anyone lead U.S. Flood to believe that a higher settlement offer would be forthcoming from the Council last night without a U.S. Flood counteroffer?

I have personal knowledge and involvement in a dispute with the Randolph Administration that is reminiscent. It concerned my public records requests. The Administration refused to turn over uncensored documents. I filed a public records lawsuit. The Council held an executive session concerning the suit. Before, I was informed the Council's position on the suit by their attorney, George Randolph, the President's husband, attempted to communicate to me through one of my friends that the documents would be provided as demanded in the suit. So, we have a precedent for a leak by George Randolph.

If George Randolph is in fact similarly leaking information in the present matter and if President Randolph has knowledge of the leak, is she committing malfeasance by failing to stop her husband?

Mr. Morvant, please investigate.

Polygraph? Anyone?

We Beseech You!

She won't listen to us, but, to you who truly care about Charlotte Randolph as a person, and not simply as a political entity that can be used for your personal aggrandizement of some sort, please ask her to withdraw her candidacy for reelection as Lafourche Parish President. It worked with Kathleen Blanco. She saw the handwriting on the wall.

If anyone has seen her lately, it is readily apparent the physical toll the revelations of the last year have taken on Charlotte. How is she going to make it to the finish line this Fall after one of the most grueling political races this Parish has ever seen, much less through four more years? If you, who claim to be her friends, have any humanity and sense of compassion, you will put this dog down.

Robert Raymond, U.S. Flood Attorney

U.S. Flood Rejects Council Offer
Matherne: "Company A FEMA Whore"




Lafourche DA Cam Morvant (left)
U.S. Flood Pres. Paul Vickers (right)

U.S. Flood Control officially rejected the Lafourche Parish Council's $1.2 million offer to settle the ongoing portable levee controversy at a special meeting held at the Barrios Center tonight. U.S. Flood attorney Robert Raymond, who also happens to be St. Charles Parish Government's attorney, stated the company had not come to the meeting to negotiate, but rather to explain the merits of their story that the company and the Parish had an agreement. Raymond revealed that the initial contact on behalf of the Parish was made by Chris Boudreaux, Parish Emergency Preparedness Director, contradicting Parish President Charlotte Randolph's recent statement that it was she who ordered the BAGS.

Raymond placed great weight in a FEMA Project Worksheet as the Parish's commitment to pay the entire amount claimed by the company since, he claimed, the Parish had completed the form. He was forced to change his position when Councilman Brent Callais asked who in the Administration had completed it. Raymond's new answer was that FEMA had completed it. (A third possible scenario previously suggested by this blog is that the form was, in fact, completed by a contractor for U.S. Flood who was a former FEMA employee.)

Councilman Mark Atzenhoffer raised a question as to U.S. Flood's pricing policy, as stated on its website, which provides a different pricing structure depending on whether the BAGS were actually deployed or on stand-by. Paul Vickers, President of U.S. Flood, stated that if you accept delivery, that is the same as deployment. This statement led Atzenhoffer to pose the hypothetical question - if St. Charles Parish needed the BAGS Lafourche did not use but Vickers proposed to charge it for, would Vickers charge Lafourche for St. Charles' use. Vickers evaded the question by stating that that scenario never occurred.

Atzenhoffer also questioned how many bags could have been deployed in the 18 hour period U.S. Flood claims 500 were placed in service.

Councilman Mike Matherne echoed the refrain of FEMA's Jim Steele when he stated it is the Council's responsibility to determine what a reasonable price for the BAGS was. Matherne summed up the general sentiment of the Council when he stated, to the surprise of many in attendance considering his normally reserved manner, that "[t]he company is a FEMA Whore."

The Council will decide whether to up their previous offer or cut off negotiations at the next regularly scheduled Council meeting.

You Can Take It To The Grand Jury!

If I had the time, I would ask the currently impaneled Lafourche Parish Grand Jury to look at DA BAGS deal. But I don't, so I won't.

The Code of Criminal Procedure provides that the grand jury "may inquire into other offenses triable by the district court". By other offenses, it means offenses other than capitol offenses, which the Code provides it "shall" inquire into. That's right, the grand jury can investigate matters independent of the District Attorney.

What I would do is call the Clerk of Court and find out who the foreperson of the grand jury is and contact that person. I would inform them that DA BAGS deal smells fishy, present them with the 3 documents in the previous post and ask they investigate the matter. The grand jury has authority to subpoena witnesses and documents.

Good Luck! If you want any more documents, I got a banker's box full. Just ask.

Boy, I wish I had time!

BAG Docs

Following are various documents critical to understanding and evaluating DA BAGS deal:

This is one of several invoices. Note the date - Sept. 27, 2005. That was a Tuesday. Remember, Rita hit Friday/Saturday, the 23 & 24. Charlotte claims bags were deployed on Sunday, the 25th. Look at the number of days the invoice is for - 22 days. How did they know we needed DA BAGS for 22 days four days into the billing period?

Next is an email from Veronica Fraser of U.S. Flood to Donna Toups, Ray Cheramie's assistant. The date of the email - Sept. 27, 2005. The subject is the invoices attached to the email.

Finally, we give you the now legendary "Jim Steele email" wherein FEMA questions the reasonableness of the cost of DA BAGS


We could have gotten them for 1/10 the U.S. Flood price had we shopped around!?!? "...superior product in both material and function." (Scratch head here.)
Just click on the document to get a more readable version.
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER! NO MORE NEGOTIATIONS! LET'S LITIGATE!

Go to http://www.pulitzer.org/ to learn how you can nominate The Public's Right To Know for a Pulitzer, if you deem our efforts worthy. Here's the address for the Peabody awards, another journalism award.

Louisiana's Fallen

The Advocate has a page with the names and dates of death of the 76 Louisianians we have lost in George W. Bush's Iraq War through today. How many more widows and orphans? How many more hopes and dreams destroyed? END THE WAR NOW!

New Galliano Library Cited By State Fire Marshal

TPRTK has obtained a document which appears to be an inspection report by the State Fire Marshal dated March 14, 2007 of the new branch library in Galliano. The report seems to provide that the sprinkler system at the library is deficient. The report also states that the facility was previously cited for the same violation August 4, and December 19, 2006 and that the library has failed to comply subsequent to those citations. The report states that "[a] fail to comply order has been issued. This matter is being turned over to the New Orleans District Office for further actions."

The report form cites LA R.S. 40:1621 which provides that whoever fails to comply with a Fire Marshall order will be fined not more than $500 or imprisoned for not more than six months, or both. "Each day's violation of an order constitutes a separate offense..."

Other problems with the new library, not in this report, include light fixtures that are on a six month back order and no electrical outlets for a concession area having been included in the project design.

Furthermore, a very nice coffee shop was constructed at the facility, but Parish President Charlotte Randolph has yet to secure a contractor to operate the facility, nothwithstanding the fact the library has been opened for months.

The architect for the project, Jay Caillouet, was handpicked by Charlotte Randolph. He is the brother-in-law of Randolph's Economic Development Director Gretchen Caillouet and brother of Thibodaux Mayor Charles Caillouet, a contributor to Randolph's campaign.

Here's a copy of the document. Click on it for a more readable version.

CHARORGE ANNOUNCES REELECTION CANDIDACY!?!?

“I truly enjoy doing this job,” she said. “There are a couple of valleys that have been mixed in with the peaks, but I truly enjoy doing government work.”

That is Charlotte's quote from the article in the Comet today announcing her candidacy for reelection.

What is this "I" stuff? What about George? It should have read "[w]e truly enjoy partying on your dime", she said, as George hovered a few steps away. "We bit off more than we can chew and Carl Chauvin totally destroyed our credibility, but we have no shame and believe the people of Lafourche are ignorant enough to reelect us. Plus, we really need a job, ya'll!"

What did she mean by valleys?
- The Ray Cheramie yoke around her neck? She could have fired him after the generators.
- DA BAGS? That was her doing.
- Allowing George to drive a parish vehicle? She let that happen.
- Plane tickets for George? She made the charges.
- Shorting Parish employees a week's wages without adequately informing them? She can blame that on her old Library Board padna Shannon and her wonderous new software package. (Ya'll ever found those missing Board meeting audio tapes from back in the day?)
- Overtime for salaried employees? Hey! It ain't her money!
- Failing to get contracts signed in a timely fashion? She can't always be in the office.
- That screw-up in the Fire District above Thibodaux member appointment process? (Poor Mr. Andras. Wonder who his family is going to vote for?) She can blame that on Cullen.
- All those pesky voters complaining about their calls not being returned? Let them eat unbaked bread dough.
- No insurance on the Golden Meadow Library? That's the 10th Ward. They don't matter.
- Trying to pass a general obligation bond so she could have an election year slush fund, then having to withdraw it? Nice try!
-Watching cluelessly while Jerry "Truck" Gisclair and his army of volunteers helped people in need after Katrina, then criticizing their efforts because they made you look bad, at the same time Ray was loaning the generators to his family and you were paying salaried employees overtime? OOPS! That's definitely a valley. More like a gorge.
- Seeing 65% of your tax base excluded from Cat 5 levee protection and being unable to read the maps to figure that out? I guess there is a value to actually getting a college degree.
- Being unable to stop your main election opponent from being elected Council Chair during election year, and Daniel Lorraine, Vice-Chair, and then getting NOGO to try to remove the Chair for failing to cooperate with your administration with the vote going 6-1 against? That's what happens when one has your record of failure.

But only two valleys, Charlotte? Which should we chose?

Now, for the peaks. What exactly are the peaks, Charlotte?
- Being able to deliver drainage work for all those campaign contributors, friends and family?
- Dining on fried soft shelled crab in the air conditioned comfort of the Barrios Center, while thousands suffered without electricity in the sweltering heat after Katrina?
- Finally being able to convince the Corps of Engineers of the wisdom of including the 10th Ward in their Cat 5 levee re-alignment? (Sorry Charorge, that will be Windell & your mentor Ted's doing, if it in fact happens.)
- Being able to introduce your daughter and husband to a U.S. Senator in DC as if you were visiting Disney World?
- Saving Larose and Lockport from the waters of Rita with your $5.3 million bags rental when the water was receding, and for 20 + days after?
- All the trips and all the parties?
- Was it finally being able to consider yourself a big shot?
Sorry, I guess we'll just have to wait for you to list your accomplishments, because, other than all the work you did in your District, the rest of the Parish is still waiting to find out. You can always point to all you did for Grand Isle after Katrina. Oh. O.K. That isn't Lafourche Parish.

Now, ya'll sure ya'll want to do this and survive with any amount of ya'll sanity intact, because it will get ugly, Charorge?
-Lafourche First and their bucks and moral self-righteousness is gone.
-The Public has lost confidence in you. (Your auction items sure ain't attracting the interest they used to, are they?)
- Those 40, or so, middle managers and literate retired folk who read this blog daily do so for laughs because you are far too depressing to take seriously anymore. And they all vote and influence their families.
- Some authority outside Lafourche Parish possessing subpoena power, and a whole lot more, will likely get interested in your administation's actions during this year.
- Your $14,000 war chest won't get it. You'll need to spend over $100,000 to "re-educate" the Public and be reelected. How are you going to raise that?
- Plus, I got alot of material, it will be used and I will spend money to disseminate it.

I will likely form a Political Action Committee to oppose Charlotte's reelection. Don't send checks yet. There are certain legal time requirements that I don't want to have to honor until I got all my ducks lined up. What about the Carl A. Chauvin Political Action Committee, CAC-PAC for short, or The Charlotte Randolph Truth Squad Political Action Committee?

Also, I will likely set up a blog or website separate from this one. I neither intended, nor foresaw, that Charorge would come to dominate the Public's Right To Know as they did. It just happened, kind of like an accidental pregnancy. Some names for the new site: George's Liver, Charlotte's Pearl Necklace, The Charges Against Charorge, The Charlotte Randolph Truth Squad. There is lots of information of a personal nature I have withheld, because I thought it went beyond the mission of this blog, that will be unleashed in the new one. (That's right, this was the restrained version of the Charorge story!)

Let the games begin!

What?

There was an item in the agenda for the Council meeting of March 13, 2007 that is being kept hush, hush. The Council went into executive session, behind closed doors, on "prospective litigation after formal written demand - C-Port 2, LLC, et al vs. Lafourche Parish, et al." The Council went into this session without its counsel in attendance. Yet, counsel for the prospective plaintiffs were permitted into the session. Very odd, but not illegal, from what I know.

After the session, the Council came out and adopted a resolution authorizing the President to refund the amounts claimed due. That's it!

But, can anyone tell me what this is about? I hear that it concerns a demand for the refund of overpaid taxes. No suit has been filed, so we can't read it in the Clerk of Court's Office. But, what taxes? What fund is the refund coming from? How much money is involved?

What's going on? You see, this is the kind of crap that gets you in trouble. It is likely all on the up and up, but it certainly looks shady.

DA: A Bridge Is Not A Road

In an opinion dated March 13, 2007, Lafourche Parish DA Cam Morvant writes "[t]he word 'bridge' is not listed in the tax call. Therefore, it is the opinion of the District Attorney's Office that RSTD2 monies cannot be used to repair the Cote Blanche Bridge." (I think it should be "may not", not "cannot". But, I ain't no expert on grammar, me. Other than that little quibble, I have NO problem with that opinion. In fact, you may have already read it on this blog.)

Any questions?

Apparently, Consistency Ain't His Strong Suit

NOGO (that's Phillip Gouaux for you newbies) called into KLRZ's Talk On The Bayou show today. He felt compelled to defend his criticism of the Library Board. He said part of his problem with the Library Board is that he hasn't yet been shown any long range planning, no 5 year plan, by them. That if they "came forth" (NOGO's signature over-used phrase that, to my ears, is like running your finger nails down one of those old chalk boards) with a plan, his needs would be satisfied.

But, NOGO, have you seen Charlotte Randolph's Adminstration's long range plan for drainage? What about her 5 year plan for drainage maintenance? Building maintenance? The legendary "Master Plan" we heard so much about her first six months in office? Has she "come forth" with any of these? No, because they are nonexistent. Why does this not trouble you, NOGO?

By the way, need any more ink pens? And another thing, modern veterinary medicine provides successful treatment for the chronic hoof in mouth condition from which you suffer.

Charorge Need Dentures?

Charorge displayed how politically toothless they are tonight with NOGO's proposal to remove Council Chairman Tommy Lasseigne going down to a resounding defeat by a 7-1 vote, with Brent Callais absent. (Correction: vote was 6-1, with Tyrone Williams abstaining.) Besides showing how politically weak they are, the pratfall also shows how politically ignorant the couple is. Scheduling the vote in the first place, without first assuring they had the requisite votes for passage, violates a cardinal rule of politics - you got to make sure you got the votes first. Apparently, the deluded duo are more interested in beating on political opponents than actually beating them. They call that a pyrrhic victory, or moral victory, some places. Unfortunately for Charorge, pyrrhic victors always lose in the end.

Chairman & Hat Removal & The Cote Blanche Bridge

The headline contains three issues up for discussion at tonight's Lafourche Parish Council meeting.

Charorge got their flunky NOGO to place an item on the agenda to remove Chairman Tommy Lasseigne for not cooperating with the Administration. Why does Charorge insist on risking political capital on a matter like this, when they didn't have enough muscle to keep one of their announced opponents in this fall's election out of the Chairman's seat in the first place? Let's see what happens.

The Hat issue. I hope ya'll all have your medical coverage up to date, cuz some of you may have a heart attack. I'm a nonconformist. Although I follow the law and obey certain unwritten rules that make sense to me, I hate rules. If Ray wants to wear a cowboy hat where ever he wants, I don't care. We have bigger problems with Ray. This matter is trivial. Let's move on, Tommy & Daniel. (See, unlike OxyRush "Viagra" Limbaugh, I can be objective. Getting a BJ is not grounds for impeachment, but starting a war under false pretenses that has cost 3000 + American lives is.)

Cote Blanche Bridge. Charorge placed an ordinance on the agenda for a supplemental appropriation to use funds from Road Sales Tax District # 2 to pay for $2 millions of repairs. I say, it is illegal because that sort of use was not contemplated when the measure was placed before the voters of the 10th Ward for their approval and subsequently approved. Councilman Daniel Lorraine has requested opinions from DA Morvant and the bonding attorney Lonnie Bewley on the issue. Let's see what happens.

Stay tuned!

Are We Invisible?!?!

Steve Theriot, the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, is at it again. This time he audited the Alexandria Housing Authority. He found the director had violated the authority's check authorization policy of any check greater than $25,000 being co-signed by a member of the board by having the checks cut for lesser amounts. The audit found that the Housing Authority can't justify more than $400,000 it paid to a New Orleans consulting company, SMART Inc., from May 2002 to January 2006.

Small potatoes, Steve! I'm not impressed. Come look at what we have for you in Lafourche Parish. Can you see us, Steve? We're like between Terrebonne and Jefferson Parishes. You got to go through us to get to Grand Isle. Yeah, you know, its the long skinny Parish that is disappearing into the Gulf.

Here's Steve contact information if you have any complaints you want him to consider:

Mailing Address: Louisiana Legislative Auditor
P.O. Box 94397
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70804-9397

Phone: (225) 339-3800
Email: complaint@lla.state.la.us
ComplaintFax: (225) 339-3870

While you at it, here is the contact info for the Attorney General's Criminal Division, since our local "law enforcement" establishment appears to have blinders on when it comes to anything relating to Charlotte Randolph's Misadministration:

Julie Cullen, Director
Voice 225-326-6200
Fax 225-326-6297
1885 North 3rd St.
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
P.O. Box 94005
Baton Rouge, LA 70804
Email: CriminalInfo@ag.state.la.us

Here are a few talking points for your convenience:
- spouse driving Parish vehicle, wreck, no authority from Council, Council pays for wreck
- plane tickets and meals for spouse charged to Parish credit card
- DPW director using Parish equipment on his private property and property he leases
- DPW director loaning public generators to his family
- President keeping $5.3 million expenditure for rental of portable levees for remote cow pastures secret for 10 months
- a disportionate amount of contracts and public work improvements going to President's campaign contributors
- what about that hole we filled in Larose

After Amply-Endowed Redheads,
I Love Wikipedia The Most!!

If you haven't discovered it yet, you need to check out Wikipedia. It is an online encyclopedia created by users. Here is the entry for one of my favorite topics - Political Corruption.

"All forms of government are susceptible to political corruption. Forms of corruption vary, but include bribery, extortion, cronyism, nepotism, patronage, graft, and embezzlement."

The article also talks about conditions which encourage it. Some include lack of tranparency, weak accounting practices, including lack of timely financial management, a weak rule of law, and self-interested closed cliques and "old boy networks".

This is just an example of what's available at this site. Unfortunately, I ran a search for "amply-endowed redhead" and it came back "No page with that title exists."

Is Craig Webre Vulnerable?

Besides voting for Parish President this year, the voters of Lafourche will also have to chose a Sheriff in the October 20, 2007 primary election. Conventional wisdom is that Charlotte Randolph can only win if a neutron bomb is dropped on the 6th and 10th Wards and the big shots, still in her camp, get a heads-up on what date the bomb is detonated.

But what about the second leg of the triumvirate running Lafourche Parish, Sheriff Craig Webre?

Someone ran a poll in the Comet fora beginning October 25, 2006. A total of 35 people voted. The poll consisted of five questions.

Here are the results:

What is your opinion about Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office?
13 (37%) The LPSO dept is run well
18 (51%) The LPSO dept is not run well
4 (11%) Undecided

How do you feel about Sheriff Webre's performance?
7 (20%) He is a great Sheriff
7 (20%) He is a good Sheriff
15 (43%) He is not doing very well as Sheriff
5 (14%) He is a bad Sheriff
1 (3%) Undecided

How do you feel about Sheriff Webre's re-election?
10 (29%) I would vote for Craig Webre
19 (54%) I would not vote for Craig Webre
5 (14%) It depends on who else is in the race
1 (3%) I am undecided

How do you feel about the Deputies?
14 (40%) They are well trained and do a good job
2 (6%) They are well trained and do a bad job
0 (0%) They are not well trained and do a good job
6 (17%) They are not well trained and do a bad job
3 (9%) There are more bad than good deputies
6 (17%) There are more good that bad deputies
4 (11%) Undecided

If the election were held today I would vote for?
10 (29%) Sheriff Craig Webre
4 (11%) Rep. Warren Triche
9 (26%)Chief Bud Dill
5 (14%) Attorney Butch Naquin
0 (0%) Mr. Healis Duplantis
1 (3%) Chief Craig Jacuzzo
4 (11%) Mr. Brett Theriot
2 (6%) Mr. Scott Silveri

Those Sneaky Little Bastards!

The Lafourche Parish School Board is trying to sneak a tax by you by placing it on a July ballot. Call or email your school board member and ask him or her, politely, to place it on the Fall ballot.

Here's what I wrote:
"Al,
Placing a tax proposal on a July ballot makes it seem like the School Board distrusts the Public to do the right thing. Please vote to place the Phase III tax on a Fall Ballot.
I don't need a response.
Thanks,
Carl"

It's Sunshine Week!!!

Sunshine, George, not Moonshine!!! It's a week to celebrate one of the basic tenets of our democracy - the idea that the best government is a government that is transparent, one that doesn't hide public business from public view. You know, like hiding the fact you obligated $5.3 million for the rental of portable levees for protecting a cattle pasture for 10 months. When you pull back the curtains and let the sun shine in, the cucaratchas scatter. Here's the website.

But, if you have been following this blog the last year, you are an expert on the public records and the opening meetings acts. Remember about this time last year when I was battling Charorge's Misadministration over access to uncensured copies of Charlotte's expense records? The Public's Right To Know and the public's right to know was victorious in that matter - we got the records we wanted and the cost was reduced to 25 cent from 50 cent per copy.

HOORAY for the Sunshine laws!

Parish President Poll, Summary

I posted this poll in the Comet fora on March 4, 2007 at 09:45 AM:

Thumbs up or thumbs down.

Results (28 votes counted so far):

If the election for Lafourche Parish President were held today, would you vote to reelect Charlotte Randolph?
10 (36%) Yes
18 (64%) No

I think a scientifically conducted poll would show her to have a lower approval rating. Why? Cuz the votes favoring her don't jib with the typical pro-/anti- Charlotte sentiment ratio on any given issue in the Comet fora. In other words, anytime a Council issue comes up, Charlotte gets hammered 80 to 90% of the time. It's rare when anyone actually articulates a good reason for reelecting her.

But, still and all, it is clear, the Public doesn't want Charlotte Randolph as Parish President.

Is It A Conspiracy!?!?

O.K. All the hits from China on a daily basis is one thing, but hits from Germany, Italy, Mexico and the City of Thibodaux too? Is there an international conspiracy to bring down another blog? Bloggers worldwide are under siege by insecure governmental entities.

Are my phones tapped? Is George lurking in a deer stand across the bayou from my office in Golden Meadow? Is there a camera in this room? Did someone tamper with the vodka and green tea I purchased from WallyWorld yesterday? Should I be concerned for my physical well-being? Should I return to the mountains of north central Arkansas? Can ya'll wait for the snow to thaw so I can make my escape to the Rockies for the Spring and Summer?

Why is someone with the City of Thibodaux interested in what I wrote about in the Charlotte at the DC Mardi Gras post? HMMM!

Come On, Gorman!

Ain't the fact Charlotte Randolph received campaign contributions from Parish contractors news? Don't you think it's the Comet's duty to inform the part of the Public that doesn't read this blog of this fact? It's not like I'm asking you to research whether any of the beneficiaries of one-time right-of-ways are also contributors!!

Charorge: No Money For Cote Blanche Bridge Repairs

The Cote Blanche bridge needs $2 million of repairs, yet Charlotte says there is no money in the budget to finance those repairs. So, what she wants to do is take the money from Road Sales District # 2, which is financed through a tax assessed only in the 10th Ward. Sounds familiar?

Whenever the 10th Ward needs public improvements, we have to pay for them ourselves. Whenever the rest of the Parish needs public improvements, the 10th Ward subsizes 65% of it. And there always seems to be enough money for parks in Thibodaux, a walking track in the Thibodaux Walmart, boat launches in Lockport and $5.3 million for portable levee rental for cattle pastures in Valentine.

Road Sales Taxes are intended for "Road" repairs. That is the tax call voters approved. Bridges are not roads. They are more akin to buildings. Why not take the money from the Building fund? You know, the fund that is financing the acquisition of Cam's Taj Mahal in Thibodaux?

What has Charlotte done for the 10th Ward? No money for flooding problems in Larose, Cut Off and Galliano. No money to repair the Annex. No money to complete Parish offices in the new Galliano library. The 10th Ward courtroom closed.

10th Ward business owners, why contribute money we helped ya'll earn to Charorge's reelection when they shaft us at every turn!?!?

The primary election date is October what?

Negotiate or Litigate DA BAGS Scam?

In the poll I placed in the Comet forums, Litigate has it by a solid, or should I say overwhelming, majority - 1 vote for Negotiate, 13 votes for Litigate. Will the Council majority take heed? The Public wants answers to DA BAG scandal before its willing to turn over any rent.

I Ain't Got Time To Do It

There are a coupla stories that need to be researched and written up, but I simply don't have time to do the work. I know I have some retirees out there who are fully capable of getting the jobs done. Show yourselves.

These are the two projects:

1. Is there a link between campaign contributions to Charlotte Randolph since 2003 and projects that were performed by the Parish, for instance outfall canals, or contracts that were awarded for professional services?

Work required: Pull all one-time right-of-ways and professional services contracts and all her campaign finance reports, and, maybe, conduct some clerk of court conveyance records research, and connect the dots. I can instruct you specifically how to do it. We even have copies of many of the one-time right-of-ways. The finance reports are online.

2. A landowner in Larose above the Intracoastal off Hwy. 1 sold dirt some time back. This business caused a big hole on the property that the Parish is now filling, at your expense.

Work required: This is a bit more involved. We'll have to talk about it. This could be the next headline grabber.

Charorge Big In China?!?!

What up wit' all the hits from China? We're getting like 2 hits a day from there. Don't their government block the USA?

This is a blog containing constant criticism of government actions on a local level, my Chinese friends. Stop coming here. You could get in alot of trouble! I don't want it on my conscience that any of you are sent to prison or are "re-educated" cuz you read ideas here that are forbidden in your country.

Or is it something else? Charorge?

The Return Of Hubig Pie Mania!!!

O.K. This may crash the Comet forum server, and get me kicked off, but I went and did it anyway.

That's right, I put up a "What's your favorite flavor of Hubig Pie" poll on the Comet News forum.

Maybe that'll get ya'll to VOTE!

If you don't vote, you are just validating the terrorists!

Results

(Update: March 9, 10:35 A.M. 10 votes for Lemon, 5 votes for sweet potato, 3 vote each for Coconut and Apple, 1 vote each for Banana, Cherry & Chocolate. No votes for Strawberry. Lemon has finally pulled even with Charlotte's votes in the Parish President poll. Look out Charorge, we may have found a second viable opponent - Savory Simon. )

Disclaimer: Neither the proprietor of this blog nor the Hubig Pie Company are responsible for injuries caused as a result of fights due to arguments over what is the best flavor of Hubig Pie.

Disclaimer Disclaimer: Although the proprietor of this blog has posted this poll solely because he loves Hubig Pies and not because of any commercial inducement offered him by the Hubig Pie Company, he would not decline some sort of "REWARD" such as a lifetime supply of a variety of lemon, apple and sweet potato pies, know what I mean? ;)

Parish Presidents Gone Wild!

A compliance audit released yesterday by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor reveals that Iberia Parish President Will Langlinais ain't much different from our very own Parish President Charlotte Randolph - neither can keep their head when faced with power and money. The audit shows that Langlinais “double-dipped,” receiving $7,796 in meal per diems and receiving reimbursements for the same meals. Thirteen of the 22 itemized meal receipts the audit looked at, totaling $1,429, included $354 in alcohol purchases, which is prohibited by the Louisiana Constitution according to the audit.

That's not all! Like Lafourche DPW Head Ray Cheramie, Langlinais took care of his family at Parish expense too. Langlinais's daughter received "approximately 265 feet of 24-inch polymer pipe and 40 feet of 18-inch corrugated metal pipe" which were "installed in ditches surrounding" her property. "[T]he 40-foot installation was for a driveway and the remaining installation was for beautification purposes. The total cost to the parish was approximately $4,870 ($3,667 for pipe; $897 for dirt; $165 for 7.6 yards of gravel; and $141 for labor.)" (Yo, Ray, what was the price tag for the work behind your house and in all them cattle pastures?) The audit concluded this was illegal and recommended the Parish seek reimbursement "for past services". (OH! OH! Ray, I think we have a problem.)

Yahoo!! Where do we get us one of them compliance audits for our Parish? Hey! Steve Theriot! Lafourche Parish is only 3 or 4 Parishes to the East of Iberia Parish. How about plane tickets and meals for the Parish President's spouse? And the Council paying for that spouse wrecking a Parish vehicle, with a siren and flashing lights, being used without authority? And a DPW Director doing lots and lots of work on his and his friends' property without any apparent public purpose? We done done most of the work for ya'll already, us. COME ON DOWN!!!

Charorge's Campaign Finance Report Available

Here is the link for Charorge's latest Campaign Finance Report. The most interesting part of the report is not who is on the list, but who is not. On the list are alot of Parish contract holders who really don't have a choice whether they contribute, right George?

We'll do a more detailed analysis as time permits.

DA BAGS Negotiate or Litigate Poll

I put up another poll. This one is on DA BAGS. Question: Negotiate or Litigate DA BAGS deal.

Apparently, Charorge hasn't discovered it yet cuz the vote is 0 for Negotiate and 7 for Litigate as I write this.

(Update: March 8, 8:30 A.M. The vote thus far: 1 vote for Negotiate, 13 votes for Litigate.)

They must have been working the phone lines since yesterday and getting their department heads to vote on our time, cuz the votes in favor of reelecting Charlotte are catching up with those against. (Can Ray work a computer?) Don't worry Charorge, that poll is going to be up for a while and, as usual, things get worse for ya'll as time passes. It does appear odd, at least to me, that while Charlotte seems competitive in the vote count, it is rare when anyone comes to her defense in the comment parts of the various Council topics in the forums. Seems logically consistent that if she gets the vote, then she should get comparible positive comments from those trumpetting all her "accomplishments". Or are the votes solely from her party pals or those with vested interests? Hey! May be just be me. I don't know.

In any event, it certainly seems to prove that Charorge monitors this blog pretty closely and often.

All you Parish workers who read this blog daily, ya'll need to vote, even if its after you get home.


More polls to come! Anybody got any requests? The request lines are open! They certainly have given us enough issues to pose.

Parish President Poll

I can't justify spending the $3,000 or so on a poll to determine Charlotte Randolph's approval rating. So, I did the next best thing. Go over to the Comet forum. I placed a poll there. The question: Yes or No, If the election for Lafourche Parish President were held today, would you vote to reelect Charlotte Randolph?

Your vote is anonymous, by the way.

Here's the results page.

It ain't scientific, but it's something.

Today Is TPRTK's Birthday!!!!!

The first post for this blog occurred one year ago today. What a quick year it has been. We didn't know where this thing would take us. But now we have a better idea. Lots of stuff happened. We investigated, found wrongdoing, reported on it, gave our opinion and introduced a new word and concept to the vernacular - Charorge.

The first post was our report of our investigation, and findings, of Lafourche Parish President Charlotte Randolph's Parish credit card misuse. We found she had charged plane tickets and meals for her husband, George. And away we went.

Along the way we came up with the term Charorge. That term has meanings on different levels. On one, it's simply a mashup of Charlotte and George's names, sort of like Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez being known an Benifer. But, beyond the simple goofball pop culture implications, the term has a more troubling meaning - we elected a woman who can't make decisions without the input of her husband. For women aspiring to a life of public service, Charlotte Randolph is a disaster since her administration reinforces that longstanding, and unfair, stereotype of women. I know alot of women who are strong, intelligent, ambitious and self-reliant, and some of them were even passionate in really nice ways. Charlotte does not represent them.

One of the many problems uncovered about Charlotte's administation is that she could not control the men she relied upon. When George was not bullying Councilmen or vendors, he was wrecking parish vehicles or flying, sleeping and eating on the Parish tab. Ray Cheramie seemed to believe he had hit the lottery. All Parish equipment was at his disposal to do with as he pleased. So, when Cameron Parish loaned us generators after Katrina, Ray used them for his family. Ray's cattlemen buddies needed drainage for their pastures, there Ray was with an excavator. Ray's homeplace needed some drainage work, no problem. Councilman Daniel Lorraine criticizes Ray, he gets chest bumped. After all these revelations, what does Charlotte do? Did Ray get fired, like other Parish employees have for doing less during this administration? No! Ray gets Charlotte's vote of confidence. And she attempts to retaliate against Daniel by getting George to lie about the Councilman doing the same thing to him.

Early on, Charlotte accused us of conspiring to bring down another administration. No, Charlotte, all we did was report the facts and gave our opinion. If anyone conspired, it was you and those you trusted. Ya'll brought down your adminstration through ya'll arrogance and belief all that big shot support you got in your election insulated you from accountability. Your problem is in your mirror.

It's been a year full of enlightenment, fun and disillusionment for this writer. With all the wrongdoing we have reported, we were hoping that those with authority to do something about what we had found would do something about it. Thus far, the only one holding Charlotte Randolph and her gang accountable is you, the Public. The word on the street is that Charlotte's political career is over. We gave that opinion over 6 months ago. She might have been able to recover from the wreck and the misuse of the credit card and the overtime to salaried employees. But, as more scandals came to light, particularly the misuse of the generators and DA BAGS scam, it was all over but the crying. Regaining Public confidence is difficult, especially when the Public is faced with the cumulative effect of scandal upon scandal, all within one year.

The local media coverage the last year surprised the hell out of us. It's one thing for the Comet to fairly cover Council meetings. But, the Lafourche Gazette's coverage was astounding, considering the prior editorial policy of that paper not to print anything shedding a bad light on public officials. KLRZ was useful in an ironic way. The station gave Charlotte every opportunity to make herself look good. But, everytime she went on the air, she had to defend one screw-up by her administration after another. So, in the end, her radio appearances did her more harm than good. I almost forgot, Vision Communications did a workman-like job bringing the Council meetings into our living rooms. We take them for granted.

As a new form of local media, we saw part of our job as supplementing, pushing, prodding, cajoling, informing, and criticizing the traditional media. I guess, George, you could say we also "managed" the press. And it appears, we did a lot better job of it than you set out to do.

While almost all the words posted to this blog have been written by me, alot of that writing would not have been possible without a number of "deepthroats" providing me reliable information, perspectives and photos, and catchy and humorous song lyrics and ink pens. You know who you are and I thank you, you bunch of lowdown bastards.

17346 unique visitors came here over the last year. That is an average of 49 per day.

This is an election year and, while the lack of action by law enforcement has made me a little disillusioned with the system, this could be a really exciting second year of life for this creature I have brought to life, The Public's Right To Know.