Bobby Jindal: The Conservative Progeny (Barf Alert!)

Guv Jindal did this??? That's OK, because most of the money is coming from the "Federal" Gummint....OMG, that means all of the FReeper fans of Jindal.

Jindal has almost as much charisma as Tim Pawlenty.

Sadly, even McCain has more that both of them.

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Just what the GOP needs — a lackluster VP nominee to prop up a lackluster P nominee.

The Dead Pelican is not a credible source in the least. They are the ones who distributed the phony voter guides during the Louisiana caucuses tricking people into voting for Ron Paul’s slate when they thought they were voting for Newt or uncommitted. This isn’t the first time they have pulled stunts like this.

Bobby just git'n some of dat Obamah stash!

/s

In this case, Chad Rogers of The Dead Pelican is spot on.

http://www.thedeadpelican.com/2012/jk1.htm

A Poster Child for Government Waste

by State Treasurer John Kennedy

May 15, 2012— 9:19 PM CDT

Do you live in a home or apartment that costs $329 per square foot? Me neither.

Thanks to your tax dollars, however, 112 New Orleanians will have the opportunity, with subsidized rent, to boot.

At its last meeting, while the legislature was busy across town trying to balance the budget, the newly formed Louisiana Housing Corporation (”LHC”) voted to spend $33,252,033 in taxpayer money to redevelop the 17 story New Orleans Texaco building at 1501 Canal Street, which has been vacant for 15 years. The project will create 112 900 square foot apartments for low-income seniors at a cost of roughly $300,000 per apartment, or $329 per square foot. The current average Louisiana home price is $109 per square foot.

According to the LHC board booklet, the project will include “energy-efficient appliances (including a range/oven, refrigerator, dishwasher, and microwave oven), modern window coverings, ... a professionally-designed fitness center, ... common rooftop patio with breathtaking views, spacious lobby with contemporary furniture, original art, music, wireless internet, lounge/community room with large flat-screen TVs and seating, business center with computers and printers, ... and gated service parking lot with direct access to building for an additional fee.”

It would have been cheaper for taxpayers to buy each of these seniors a home in the expensive Country Club of Louisiana or English Turn subdivisions.

What’s the LHC? It’s the state’s “streamlined housing agency” created last spring by Governor Jindal “to unite dozens of housing programs previously spread across five state agencies.” (Governor’s website). Its mission is to create “affordable housing” for low-income Louisiana citizens. The governor appoints most of its board members.

I sit on the LHC board as State Treasurer. Mine was the only vote against this wasteful project. In hopes of at least slowing down this runaway train, I asked the LHC board at least to reduce its cost by 20%. The board refused.

Louisianians are compassionate, generous people. We will gladly give a hand up to our less fortunate neighbors. But building a small number of expensive units is unfair to the hundreds of other low-income seniors in New Orleans who could also have been provided safe housing with the same amount of money if the LHC had chosen to rehab some of the 47,000 blighted properties in the city, which would not have cost $329 per square foot and would not have concentrated poverty in a new housing project. It’s also unfair to taxpayers who foot the bill.

My critics will argue that some of the $33 million is just “federal money.” “Federal money” is still taxpayer money, including Louisiana taxpayers. It should be treated with the same care and diligence as state tax dollars, especially when our federal government has run up a $15 trillion sovereign debt that our children and grandchildren will have to pay back, probably through higher taxes.

The LHC’s mission is admirable. It should be fulfilled by using common sense to weigh costs and benefits. $329 per square foot flunks that test. As a smart person once said, doing good does not mean doing it at any cost.

Bobby just git'n some of dat Obamah stash!

/s

Give John Kennedy a call, or look at what Mr. Rodgers posted on the Dead Pelican http://www.treasury.state.la.us/Lists/SiteArticlesByCat/DispForm_Single.aspx?List=c023d63e%2Dac65%2D439d%2Daf97%2Dda71d8688dff&ID=708&Source=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Etreasury%2Estate%2Ela%2Eus%2FLists%2FSiteArticlesByCat%2FAllItems%2Easpx

Do your home work, and don’t be a Kool-Aid drinker.

More here.

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/05/state_treasurer_blasts_jindals.html

State treasurer blasts Jindal’s proposed budget cuts
Published: Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 2:31 P
By Jeff Adelson, The Times-Picayune

BATON ROUGE — State Treasurer John Kennedy on Tuesday accused Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration of using scare tactics as it lays out proposed cuts to Louisiana’s budget. In a letter to the governor, Kennedy said the administration should focus on areas of waste rather than considering cuts to health care and higher education, the two areas that have been the focus for cuts since the House ordered the governor to strip $267.7 million from the state’s $25 billion budget.
State Treasurer John Kennedy.jpgBrett Duke, The Times-Picayune archiveState Treasurer John Kennedy has been outspoken in his ideas on how to cut the state’s budget.

“It is not necessary to make the draconian reductions to the health care and higher education budgets you and your staff have suggested in order to achieve the fiscally responsible goals of the House,” Kennedy wrote.

The new round of budget cuts was set off last week, when the House approved a version of the state budget without the use of one-time money that to pay recurring expenses. Together with another budget measure giving the administration authority to cut $43 million to help make up for revenue shortfalls, more than $300 million in cuts are now in the hands of the governor’s office.

The administration has warned that those cuts would fall hardest on health care and higher education, the largest sources of discretionary spending in the state budget. Officials told the Senate Finance Committee on Monday that drastic cuts, including services for the disabled, would be needed to make up the gap.

But Kennedy proposed his own list of 10 areas that he said are ripe for savings or new revenue, including state contracts, vacant positions that are still funded, management in executive offices and collection of money owed to the state. Together, those suggestions add up to about $396 million in savings or new revenue, Kennedy said.

snip

While the ‘Dead Pelican’ is a shady liberal rag this is a disgrace and it is bad news for two reasons. First the cost to the taxpayer when the state is in a deficit position : ‘Part of the “Iberville Project”, the proposal will redevelop the 17-story New Orleans Texaco Building at 1501 Canal St. that has been vacant for 15 years. The project will cost taxpayers $33,252,033 and only build 112 900 sq. ft. apartments for low-income seniors in New Orleans, at a cost of roughly $300,000 per apartment, or $329 per sq. ft.’

Secondly and more important. New Orleans has finally rid itself of the huge dinosaur housing projects that kept thousands of the welfare class concentrated right on the fringe of the heart of the city. Now this POS project which will take a derelict business high rise spend a ton of money on it to warehouse a couple thousand of these awful people right in the middle of the convention and tourist district. Jindal has signed off on this and so has Hizzoner Mayor Landreu. The fix is in and there are a set of very connected somebodies who are going to walk away with a whole lot of money and leave a social land mind right on canal near the river. This is Louisiana politics at its absolute worst and it very seriously compromises any ‘reformer’ label Jindal might claim. This is the sort of garbage that drives people crazy here. The attempt to get the public hosing sewers out of the city has been such a long long battle and now after it is won this kind of backstab for the most mercenary reasons is done.

In passing I must say i suspect former Gov Foster may have his fingerprints on this deal somewhere. He almost seems to own Jindal and has intervened before to make Bobby ‘understand’ why he needed to reverse course or suddenly support certain issues. If anyone is Mr. Connected in the swamp state it is Mike Foster.

“Iffn we don git it, ‘nuther State will.” No sarc in Jindals case.

I think you have it about right, except for your characterization of “The Dead Pelican.” I know Chad Rogers and he is a Tea Party type.

As to the deal, it is Crony Capitalism to the nth degree, just like the V-Vehicle scam up in Monroe a couple of years ago.

I guess the excuse Jindal and company use is “It’s OK when we do it.”

I had forgotten about the ‘V Vehicle’ debacle. That was much less damaging than this atrocity. Seriously, we all know what crating high rise public housing leads to. Even Chicago and St Louis got rid of theirs. In short order no one can control the rookery of criminality and sociopathy that these places generate. Thugs will be able to prey on tourists, theater and restaurant goers and with a little ambition the business district lunch crowds. Then they can run back into their high rise slum secure in the knowledge NOLA’s finest are surely not going to try and follow them. This thing will be perched right on the end of Canal at the river.
There are some really powerful people who own people outright for this to pass muster at the mayor's office (even the incumbents awful predecessor kept the ‘demolish the housing projects train moving’, the city council and in baton Rouge. Some innocents are going to be murdered by the dwellers in this high rise slum. I guarantee it and some of that blood is on Jindal’s hands.

Thanks, abb and robowombat.

I look at thedeadpelican with the same view I look at drudgereport. They are clearinghouses for many news sources; it pays to dig deeper and backup what is reported.

robowombat:
“In passing I must say i suspect former Gov Foster may have his fingerprints on this deal somewhere. He almost seems to own Jindal and has intervened before to make Bobby ‘understand’ why he needed to reverse course or suddenly support certain issues. If anyone is Mr. Connected in the swamp state it is Mike Foster.”

The Louisiana Housing Corporation (Jindal Invention) has several businessmen from throughout LA on its’ board, plus Secretary Kennedy...time to follow the money. I’m starting with Frank Thaxton, III up here, Shreveport way. These are the board members:

Mayson Foster, of Hammond, is the Mayor of Hammond. Foster served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Citizens National Bank, and as Division Manager with Hancock Bank of Louisiana and with Parish National Bank prior to his becoming Mayor in 2003. Foster will serve as a resident of the 1st Congressional District who has at least five years of experience in banking or bonds.

Ellen Lee, of New Orleans, is the Senior Vice President of Programs at the Greater New Orleans Foundation and was formerly the Assistant Director of the Disaster Recovery Unit (DRU) within the Office of Community Development. Lee will serve as a resident of the 2nd Congressional District who has at least five years of experience in a nonprofit residential development or program of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Frank Thaxton, III, of Shreveport, is a self-employed attorney and a retired district court judge. Thaxton will serve as a resident of the 4th Congressional District who has at least five years of experience in affordable housing development.

Matt Ritchie, of Pineville, is the owner of Ritchie Real Estate, LLC. Ritchie will serve as a resident of the 5th Congressional District who has at least five years of experience in Real Estate.

Malcolm Young, of Baton Rouge, is the CEO of the Louisiana Realtors and has served in this position since 1987. Young served on the Fannie Mae Board of Directors and on numerous other housing boards. Young will serve as a resident of the 6th Congressional District who has at least five years of experience in banking or bonds.

Dr. Daryl Burckel, of Lake Charles, is a professor of accounting and former chairman of the Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics at McNeese State University. Burckel will serve as a member of the 7th Congressional District who has at least five years of experience in banking or bonds.

One or all of these folks are out fer gummint bucks!

http://www.gov.state.la.us/index.cfm?md=newsroom&tmp=detail&catID=2&articleID=3074
Oct 27, 2011
Governor Jindal Appoints Six to Louisiana Housing Corporation Board of Directors

http://thehayride.com/2012/05/louisiana-housing-corporation-backs-insane-texaco-building-renovation/
Louisiana Housing Corporation Backs Insane Texaco Building Renovation