... and Jefferson Parish is A Cauldron of Corruption and Cronyism and Aaron Broussard is a Bully!"
Dear Blogger:
Re:
“No concession to socialism,” by Jon Gegenheimer, New Orleans
Times-Picayune, March 03, 2009
With acts of political arrogance and disdain for the interest of the citizenry flowing out of the Aaron Broussard administration, and most evidentially criminal behavior as well, as if the 17th Street Canal levee breached on the side of Jefferson Parish and flooded the parish with hypocrisy and cronyism, along comes Clerk of Court Jon Gegenheimer with a fresh dose of supercharged chutzpah.
On Saturday, January 9, after I had telephoned the Gerry Vaillancourt talk
program on WRNO FM 99.5-- “Rush” radio-- Jefferson Parish Clerk of Court Jon Gegenheimer telephone the program to address a comment I had made regarding Mr. Gegenheimer’s wife, Cherreen, being a high level paid Jefferson Parish employee working at the pleasure of the now disgraced, and former-- thank “God”-- Aaron Broussard administration.
Mr. Gegenheimer -- as fast as Muhammad Ali could do the Ali shuffle-- asserted that his wife was qualified and was a hard worker (neither of which I disputed or questioned) and made an argument that his wife was hired based on her qualifications and ability. An assertion that I will most certainly dispute and call into question.
But, quoting from the above referenced
Times-Picayune letter to the editor, Mr. Gegenheimer’s feelings and attitude, or, to be more precise,
contempt for the working stiff needs to be made known.
Jon Gegenheimer: “The governor says no to expanding unemployment benefits because that strategy would expand unemployment itself by encouraging those disinclined to work to remain unproductive and to hold out their hands to the taxpayers.”
Mr. Gegenheimer, who has held the office of Clerk of Court since his predecessor Raoul Armando "Skip" Galan, Jr. was made an offer which he could not refuse (a mandatory all expense paid long-term residency in a federal jail, I believe, around the time of the Hula Hoop craze) has blended into the Jefferson Parish cronyism culture as well as rum mixes with a Pat O’Brien's hurricane.
Being highly,
highly critical of the behavior of Democrats as a frequent guest on the now off the air, but decades running Keith Rush talk program (the same Keith Rush who is a current member of the Louisiana Republican Party State Central Committee, as well as the person who campaigned and made speeches for the “Jew hater,” and Nazi uniform wearing “cross burning” “white power shouting” David Duke, and is on the
Southern Poverty Hatewatch blog, and the same Keith Rush who was warned by the U. S. Secret Service for inciting violence against President Clinton) well, should a Democrat have practiced what I feel is cronyism, at its worst, on the part of the Broussard/Gegenheimer cabal, Gegenheimer would have steam coming out of his ears like Donald Duck.
What Mr. Gegenheimer ever so “conveniently” omitted from his diatribe on the Gerry Vallincourt program while spewing his wife’s qualifications-- who holds the title of Chief Administrative Assistant, one level below the top appointed office of chief administrative officer -- was that Jon Gegenheimer and his wife, Cherreen, have heavily donated and contributed financially to their political “Godfather” –- the “disgraced” Aaron Broussard! And for an example, check out
“Correction: Gegenheimer’s Loan To Broussard Was Personal”
Given what has transpired on the part of the Broussard administration, drowning in apparent graft and corruption, and given that the Gegenheimers have been heavy financial lenders and donors to Aaron Broussard, “dinero,” (by far, I submit) played a much much higher role in securing a plum position for Cherreen than the hypocrite Gegenheimer would admit.
From my March 13, 2009,
response to Mr. Gegenheimer’s referenced letter to the
Times-Picayune: “For Mr. Jon Gegenheimer, Jefferson Parish Clerk of Court, to suggest more tax credits for business as a possible solution to the unemployment crisis and lend support to Gov. Jindal’s denial of $98 million enlarged unemployment benefits to workers in Louisiana victimized by voodoo economics and, further, demean workers by accusing them of being disinclined to work and remain unproductive by holding out their hands to the taxpayers is unconscionable and unimaginably cruel.”
And to read my full response, check out
this post at Your Right Hand Thief.
Mr. Gegenheimer’s bourgeois snobbish opinion of unemployed workers in Louisiana is particularly, and appallingly, disgusting since the Gegenheimers have likely “bought”-- excuse me,
secured Cherreen a cushion-comfy government job-- while "holding out their hands to the taxpayers.” An opportunity likely not open or a career option not available to the workers Gegenheimer holds in “let them eat cake” esteem.
And should Cherreen’s position carry the same, or similar, non-contributory retirement benefits of Broussard’s former CEO Tim Whitmer, who is under federal investigation, the Gegenheimer’s won’t be missing many meals, at restaurants with the culinary standards of an Antoine’s or a Galatoire’s!
Moreover, with Mr. Gegenheimer holding an influential public office in Jefferson Parish, with the unscrupulous, and likely to be indicted, former Parish President Aaron Broussard, having his re-election campaign fund being literally “financially indebted” to the Gegenheimer campaign fund, and Cherreen Gegenheimer being employed at the pleasure of the parish president, I whole-heartedly contend that little, or no, independence could exist between the office of parish president and clerk of court. A conflict which any reasonable and objective person would agree is an anathema to ethics and if parish government is expected to serve the people, not politicians, new laws need to be enacted.
Now, tighten your seat belt and put both hands on the steering wheel, because you are about to hear the biggest usurpation of power since Richard Nixon had a talk with John Dean.
In late 2008, being a weekly political columnist for
NewOrleans.com, having obtained documentation sending out an alarm as loud as Big Ben, and my suspicions of possible corruption in Jefferson Parish growing like crabgrass, I telephoned the office of Parish President Aaron Broussard seeking a comment regarding a column I was in the process of writing and was transferred to Deputy Assistant Bert Smith.
Days later, I was told by the person I submitted my columns to for publication at NewOrleans.com that either Aaron Broussard, or someone from his office, telephone the owner of NewOrleans.com and shouted and “threatened” the owner of NewOrleans.com not to publish my column! And none of my columns thereafter were accepted at NewOrleans.com.
Mr. Aaron Broussard, or Mr. Bert Smith, or whoever was responsible for an act of intimidation, attacking the 1st Amendment of the U. S. Constitution, and most likely causing me to lose a column that was dear and precious, my fervent hope is that there is a place in “hell” reserved for you wherein you will rot for all eternity.
David C. Bellinger
(404) 762-8779
E-mail: davidc53@juno.com
Labels: Flaming Liberal
11 Comments:
Mr. Bellinger,
Who would be responsible for paying for those Unemployment Benefits once the Federal Government's money ran out?
What mechanism would State Government be REQUIRED to do if they wanted to avoid the wrath of the Unemployed Citizenry of Louisiana?
What mechanism would businesses-as they always do-utilize in order to recoup their lost profit margins because of the inevitable payroll tax increase they would face?
Unemployed Citizens in the state of Louisiana were already allowed to collect MORE THAN DOUBLE the Unemployment amount than they were able to collect this time last year, & instead of a maximum of 26 weeks provided by the state Unemployment Mechanism, the Federal Government has provided for an additional 47 weeks of Unemployment.
This means that Unemployed citizens in Louisiana have qualified for a total of SEVENTY THREE WEEKS of Unemployment.
SEVENTY THREE WEEKS.
That's almost a year & a half straight of Unemployment.
It is impossible not to be offered an employment position if you utilize the state's employment services that are ONLY available to those who are signed up for Unemployment. Typically, a position can be found that will pay you over & above the amount of money you will receive in Unemployment within 30 days.
On top of that, every single unemployed worker in Louisiana that signs up for Unemployment can actually get Pell Grants paid for through the Workforce Investment Act that will allow them to attend school WHILE STILL RECEIVING UNEMPLOYMENT to improve their education.
The current utilization through WIA is at less than 1% of all qualified claimants in the state of Louisiana.
Before attacking anyone for their opinions regarding Unemployment, were you aware of ANY of those facts?
Don't let facts, figures, & cold hard math get in the way of your rhetoric, Mr. Bellinger.
Harrumph away, & rage against a machine you know nothing about.
Typical Republican: lots of loud talk about their idea of fiscal reform -- reduced taxes but also reduced services that benefit the working classes and, bottom line, of world of downward pressure on middle class salaries and wages as people would be forced to accept any work no matter how low the pay -- and accusations against a class of people but at the same time getting away with the same alleged crime. If Republicans really believed in what they preach about the sacredness of not accepting handouts and not ripping off the taxpayer they would never, ever run for office or accept political appointment positions at all but instead look to earn their keep strictly from private-sector enterprise.
"Now, tighten your seat belt and put both hands on the steering wheel, because you are about to hear the biggest usurpation of power since Richard Nixon had a talk with John Dean.
Really? Really? The kind of complaining and "threatening" that bellinger is complaining about goes on everyday in every major city. Where he should be aiming his anger is with his editor and employer for caving in. That is the tragedy here that Bellinger worked for a spineless jellyfish, not that someone complained.
They aren't 'Reduced Services'. They would've been in addition to to increases in services FOUR times over!
Yet another person who knows not of what they speak.
Don't let that get in the way of your talking point.
As if any sane person would accept $309 dollars a week for 72 weeks if I offered them a job that matched their skillset paying 2-3 times that, plus benefits for their children, & perhaps even free schooling & education that would further their skillset & open their employability in the future?
The 1st Anonymous is very, very fortunate he didn't attach a name to that response. It would've allowed me to call him out by name for such a foolish opinion.
BTW-Anon, I'm a Registered Independent.
Why this is diverting into a discussion of unemployment, I don't know (I know it was brought up but it is not the meat of the article).
However, I will point out that on my previous radio show on June 26th 2009, we had on Louisiana Rep Same Jones and we discussed the unemployment extension that Bobby Jindal rejected. Jindal claimed that once the federal funds ran out that Louisiana businesses would be required to pay higher taxes to make sure the unemployment fund was well funded (something that happens after the monies in the fund drop below a certain threshold).
According to Jones, our failure to accept those funds actually caused the fund to drop below the threshold and already has Louisiana businesses to pay higher unemployment taxes.
My wife has been searching very hard for employment and has not found anything long term. Just shift work if she gets called in and that has no guarantee. And when she did go into the office and put her name and contact info into one of the contacts found in the search... she wound up getting signed up for some fraudulent cell phone service. So it is not as easy to find a job.
Now, on the actual subject at hand, I have to say that David is right. This does not pass any sort of smell test.
DZ: "Why this is diverting into a discussion of unemployment, I don't know"
Well, GO wanted to discuss it, and since it was mentioned in one of the links, that was his springboard into claiming Bellinger is raging against a machine "he knows nothing about".
I venture to guess that Bellinger has forgotten more about the Jefferson Parish "machine" than GO will ever know, but let's leave that aside. Leaving aside the hypocrisy charge based on unemployment benefits, the charges of cronyism and pressure from Broussard to remove a columnist are most relevant and interesting.
Why didn't he rage against his employer for bowing to it? Why didn't he mention how heinous & reprehensible it was for his employer to forget about him...the little man?
BTW-The reason that the fund dropped below the thresh-hold is because we have 60,000+ people collecting UI Benefits compared to 30,000+ people collecting at this time last year.
We had also increased the weekly benefit amount available to the claimant. This-again-resulted in more people drawing more money for longer periods of time, & the fund dipped.
But, adding $98,000,000.00 would have been simply putting off pain temporarily until it was forced-at a much higher threshhold-onto businesses. Once it ran out, businesses would've been tapped-regardless-at an even higher rate.
Which gets passed down to consumers. Most of which are working for those small businesses that produce things that folks who are filing for benefits are consuming. So the net result is negligible to the claimant of benefits, while being deleterious to their pocketbook by increasing the cost of basic services, consumer goods, etc.
It also makes small businesses increases prices or take profit margin hits, which makes them less able to compete against larger corporate options in their area.
Makes. Zero. Sense.
My apologies for the thread hijack.
Go: But if it was gonna drop anyway, why not prolong the pain and allow businesses to NOT have to pay extra taxes in the short term?
Then people could have been making more money in the short term while looking for employment. And if, at the end of the day, the fund dropped below the threshold then they would have had taxes raised. But since taxes already got raised, the argument that not accepting the stimulus funds would raise taxes doesn't hold water.
Oyster: Yes, the cronyism and the removal of David for questionable reasons is very interesting and should be looked at further.
Because we have to take our medicine eventually.
Why not take 10 spoonfulls now, so we don't have to take 25 spoonfulls later? Especially when the 25 spoonfulls later will end up inhibiting businesses from rehiring folks?
While no one has insisted that slothfulness is a virtue it's simple and undeniable that if any kind of social safety net is dismantled then those who are most vulnerable will end up feeling the most pain. OTOH there's of course no guarantee of the working classes getting any benefit from tax cuts (which at the state level have to necessitate cutbacks of services) and especially from those as ill-advised as Jindal's recent tax cuts were. BTW since the Jindal what exactly has happened to the state's unemployment and job creation rates? However, if we are going to rage against the seeming slothfulness of some, let he who has not accepted a political appointment and/or is using political connections to help family members cast the first stone.
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