Fed up with Gov. Bobby Jindal and his lack of transparency, a state Senate panel called an unusual vote Wednesday to subpoena information from the Jindal administration concerning proposed privatization of a state health insurance plan. The controversy over the secret financial analysis of the Office of Group Benefits and its $500 million surplus, prepared by New Orleans-based Chaffe & Associates, also has the attention of the national media; The Independent has obtained a public records request from political news site TPM dated June 8:
Custodian of Records
Division of Administration
P.O. Box 94095
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9095
RE: Public Records RequestDear Custodian of Records:
Pursuant to the Louisiana Constitution and to the provision of the Louisiana Public Records Act, I am hereby requesting access to and copies of the following documents:
1. Any and all reports prepared by Chaffe & Associates regarding the Office of Group Benefits.
2. Any and all drafts, preliminary reports, revisions, and working documents associated with any report(s) prepared by Chaffe & Associates regarding the Office of Group Benefits.
3. Any and all communications within the Division of Administration regarding any report(s) prepared by Chaffe & Associates regarding the Office of Group Benefits. 4. Any and all communications between the Division of Administration and Chaffe & Associates regarding any report(s) prepared by Chaffe & Associates regarding the Office of Group Benefits.
5. Any and all communications within the Division of Administration and between the Division of Administration and Chaffe & Associates regarding whether or not to release to the public or any other outside parties any report(s) prepared by Chaffe & Associates regarding the Office of Group Benefits.In accordance with Section 44:32(D) of the Louisiana Public Records Act, I request a response to this request within three business days. If my request is denied in whole or part, I ask that you justify all deletions by reference to specific exemptions of the act.
I agree to pay reasonable duplication fees for the processing of this request.
Thank you for your assistance.
The request is signed by TPM reporter Eric Lach, who today filed a story on the rare legislative subpoena.
“The Chaffe report is precisely the type of information that the public and lawmakers have a right to see under the Louisiana Constitution and state law,” says TPM Managing Editor/Washington Bureau Chief David Kurtz. “With a half billion dollars at stake, this report needs to see the light of day.”
The Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee, which voted 21-0 for the resolution to seek the records, gave the administration 24 hours to comply, believing the report will shed light on how much it will cost to privatize the plan, which insures about 60,000 people. Some 150 state employees could lose their jobs if the plan is privatized.
The Office of Group Benefits provides health and life insurance to about 250,000 current and retired state workers and their families.
The Advocate reported Thursday that drama has surrounded the office since the Jindal administration proposed the privatization.
Some legislators are concerned that the privatization is an attempt to free up the office’s substantial surplus. The Jindal administration contends outsourcing will produce an upfront infusion of cash for the state as well as save money.
Earlier this year, Jindal fired the office’s chief executive officer, Tommy Teague. Teague’s replacement, Scott Kipper, recently tendered his resignation after less than two months on the job following a contentious confirmation hearing that largely focused on the report at the heart of the subpoena.
Read more here.
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MAY 23 Stephen Sabludowsky blogs on Bayou Buzz about auditor requests here. Recently the state GOP started crowing about a request from the Legislative Auditor, claiming they were being targeted because of their anti-tax stance. (Uh, your what?) Denial and hyperbole aside, the state Democratic party blew holes in that theory with an email announcing they'd received the same request, Sabludowsky writes here.
MAY 23 Jim Brown blogs about the senate race in this post. He says that, given Bobby Jindal's "lack of traction" on the national stage, it might make more sense for the governor to consider running against Mary Landrieu for the senate seat. Since Tim Teeple left the Cassidy team, it makes sense he might land on a Jindal for Senate team, Brown opines.
MAY 23 In this Louisiana Voice post, blogger Tom Aswell writes of rumors that his nemesis, state Superintendent of Education John White, may be soon departing Louisiana for a federal post. It's hard to believe, given his performance, Aswell says, but stranger things have happened. An anti-White BESE member says that, if true, White is quitting before he can be fired.
MAY 23 In this post on American Zombie, blogger Jason Berry writes about the Mother's Day shooting. Mayor Landrieu said that "this is not who we are," but the fact is, this is New Orleans, Berry writes. The violence infused in the city is the result of a culture created by "sins of omission or sins of commission," Berry writes. It's not a problem that can be solved by legislating, policing, praying or publicizing, he says: Someone's got to understand what's happening first.
MAY 23 This post in the Westside Journal tells us what Port Allen Mayor Deedy has been up to lately: vetoing ordinances, apparently. This story is most interesting, however, when it delves into a petition that has been circulating around the city lately. It accuses the former mayor of a lot of nasty things; the former mayor says it is full of lies and "broken syntax" which may be a larger offense in his eyes.
MAY 23 This editorial posted in The Advocate is a bit confusing. The writing is poor - definitely not up to the usual editorial writing standard there - and the point is hard to grasp. Apparently, the writer is saying that privatization of state efforts is OK, as long as there is oversight and transparency, but Jindal's not good at that, and the legislature shouldn't over-react. Okey Dokey. Can't they get one of them Pulitzer-winning people to write an editorial?
MAY 23 This post on The Lens gives you links to a new Google Earth tool that allows you to see any spot on earth transform over the past 30 years. Bob Marshall, who covers the coast for the paper, says that in the case of Louisiana's coastline, it's possibly something you don't want to see, because it's not a pretty picture. There are several clips here, showing critical areas erode away. For Marshall, it was vindication for all those times he was met with eye-rolling when he talked about erosion.
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