19 February 2007

sb14 treasury sec'y kennedy needs your help

louisiana old boy network action alert!

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louisiana's state treasurer john kennedy does a good job in exposing and preventing waste, fraud and abuse in louisiana state government. however, instead of doing that what is right because louisiana politicians being what they are; prefer to play the "get even" game. so, predictably state senate president donald e. "doc" hines and state house speaker joe r. salter have schemed together to file a self serving (and probably unethical) sb14 (see link) to remove treasurer kennedy from his constitutionally mandated role as chairman of the state bond commission to make it a rotating chairmanship between senator hines and representative salter (or the senate president and speaker of the house) "and then the state treasurer." if you notice sen. hines and rep. salter have fixed it up so that the treasurer would have to wait 3 years to be chairman. additionally they set up an "executive committee" made up of the president of the senate and the speaker of the house and the state treasurer. this executive committee will set the agenda for the bond commission meetings. they did this so they can outvote 2-1 treasurer kennedy.

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new orleans times-picayune writer ed anderson wrote a great article about this called "bill would weaken treasurer's power." heres some excerpts:

Under existing law, the treasurer is permanent chairman of the commission, the panel that approves spending for capital construction projects and bonds to finance statewide and local projects.

State Treasurer John Kennedy said Friday the bill is aimed at diluting his power because he has been an outspoken critic of a sugar syrup mill Hines wanted the commission to approve for his Bunkie district, and because he has been a vocal opponent of some of the administration's spending priorities and the lack of progress in rebuilding the hurricane-hit areas of the state.
governor blanco gives us yet another reason to vote her out.
Blanco spokeswoman Marie Centanni said [...] "the governor said she thinks it's a great idea."

"I am going to fight this with everything I've got," Kennedy said. "This is an attempt to stop a statewide official from doing his job. . . . I am not a member of their club. I make the right people mad. If we had this in place you wouldn't have one sugar mill (in Lacassine); you'd have six."
please contact your senator and representative NOW! and ask them to oppose this bill -- senate bill fourteen currently assigned to the senate and governmental affairs committee.


EXTERNAL LINK

Posted by wst... at 00:08

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