Interesting column from Dildeaux: http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080707/SPORTS0402/807070334/1001/SPORTS
First off, that statement is an oxymoron. Secondly, there surely is more at play here than Jindal firing the strongest member of this board just to shake things up. I wonder what the other side of the story is.
A friend of mine is a law partner of Weems. I sent him the link and his response was that the firing was "stupid...just plain stupid."
I read the Advocate and Reveille articles on this news, and I think that Jindal made a poor decision. There were two members of the board whose terms expired, Weems and Hinchliffe. Hinchliffe had only been on the board for two years, so it's not a big deal that Jindal replaced him with one of his friends. But Jindal should have left Weems on the board instead of replacing him with another one of his friends. Weems has been on the board for 17 years, almost TWO DECADES. As one of the comments to the Advocate article put it: And this is what the Chairman of the Board had to say about Jindal's decision to replace Weems: This is what Weems himself had to say: Finally, here are the two new members that Jindal appointed to the LSU Board of Supervisors: 1) Blake Chatelain -- LSU grad, an Alexandria bank president (Red River Bank), vice chairman of the Cenla Advantage Partnership, a regional economic development group, a maximum Jindal campaign contributor, giving at least $5,000, served on Jindal's Health Care Transition Advisory Council. Quotes: 2) James Moore -- not an LSU graduate (he graduated from Northeast Louisiana University), a Monroe oilman (owner of Moore Oil Co.), an owner and developer of Marriott and Hilton hotels, was a maximum Jindal campaign contributor, giving at least $5,000, served on Jindal's Ethics Transition Advisory Council. Quotes: ---------------------- Baton Rouge newspaper -- 2 on LSU board replaced http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/22799089.html LSU student paper -- New members say money not factor in appointments http://media.www.lsureveille.com/me...oney.Not.Factor.In.Appointments-3388760.shtml LSU student paper -- Jindal replaces Board members http://media.www.lsureveille.com/me...s/Jindal.Replaces.Board.Members-3387775.shtml
Jindal is making a classic mistake of inexperienced politicians--he's hiring enthusiastic campaign staffers into executive appointments whether thay know WTF they are doing or not. 1. The pay raise fiasco was exceedingly bad advice to Jindal and someone got canned for it. Jindal suffered a permanent political scar and his public trust plummeted. Rookie error. 2. The Weems firing was bad handling by Jindal staffers, too, I expect. I mean he didin't even get a personal call about it. Bush league. 3. Jindal needs a new press officer and staff quickly. His relationship with the press is pathetic. They are smoke screening things that need to be transparent, insulating the governor from reporters, and Jindal is going to be treated harsely by reporters in response. Amateur plan. 4. He needs to chit-can the national republican bandwagon and attend to Louisiana business and quickly. Fix the damn roads, Piyush! Not one governor since Huey has realized the public popularity of having a first-class highway system. Wise up!
Didn’t Buddy Romer and his staff make some of the same mistakes? Maybe they all think the state’s problems are psychological and the public are just a bunch of whiners.
