Ethics Reform
Posted at 4:03pm on Jun. 24, 2008 How dare John Cornyn demand ethics and disclosure from sitting Senators?
By Jeff Emanuel
Texas Senate Ethics Committee ranking member John Cornyn (R-TX) will introduce an amendment to the controversial mortgage/lender bailout bill that would require Senators to list their residential mortgages as liabilities on their financial disclosure forms.
The amendment, which would take effect next year, would require Senators "to disclose the date the mortgage was acquired, the rough amount, the interest rate, the term and the name and address of the creditor."
According to Roll Call, the proposed amendment, which has reportedly garnered support from at least five other Ethics Committee members, "appears designed to address the fallout from the revelation that Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Chairman Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), the housing bill’s sponsor, and Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) received favorable mortgages from Countrywide Financial."
As reported here before, Dodd, the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, had suspicious dealings with Countrywide Financial, the mortgage lender Sen. Barack Obama -- for whom Dodd has been a pledged Superdelegate since February -- has been railing against on the campaign trail even while appointing another beneficiary of the organization to help vet his potential Vice Presidential candidates.
Despite his shady dealings and preferential treatment from the lender (or perhaps because of it), Dodd's name is on the landmark mortgage-bailout legislation now pending in the Senate, which will bail out Countrywide, among others, using an obscene amount of taxpayer dollars.
Posted in Chris Dodd | Congress | Countrywide Financial | Culture of Corruption | Ethics | Ethics Reform | John Cornyn — Comments (12)/ Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 9:58am on Feb. 27, 2008 Jindal: Special Ethics Session "An Absolute Home Run"
By Vladimir
Now that the legislature has dealt with the unthinkable -- the loss of freebie tickets to sporting and cultural (read: sporting) events -- they get to roll up their sleeves and deal with the governor's fiscal package in the regular legislative session set to begin March 9.
Louisiana desperately needs to s**tcan its disastrously punitive corporate tax system that does nothing other than impede business formation and job growth. If Estonia can do it, so can Louisiana.
Jindal seems to get it. Go, Bobby, go!
The Legislature adjourned Tuesday after handing Gov. Bobby Jindal victory on the core pieces of his ethics agenda.
“This Legislature has hit an absolute home run for the people of Louisiana,” Jindal said at a session-ending news conference.
“I’m looking forward to signing these bills into law.”
...more...
Posted in Ethics Reform | Louisiana | State Politics — Comments (17) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 9:52am on Feb. 11, 2008 Go, Bobby, Go! Chapter 1: Ethics Reform
By Vladimir
Promoted by Neil. Go, Bobby, Go!
Bobby Jindal has made comprehensive ethics reform Agenda Item #1 of his administration. A Special Legislative Session convenes today that will consider only ethics reform issues. Judging from their agenda, it, uh, looks like they have their work cut out for them.
The one item here that has received some pushback in the press is including the judiciary in the scope of the reforms. The judiciary has its own ethics structure, and the concerns raised are on a constitutional separation of powers basis.
Entire agenda below the fold...
Posted in Ethics Reform | Louisiana | State Politics — Comments (22) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 8:50pm on Feb. 10, 2008 Speaking of symbolism...
By Vladimir
Louisiana's state bird, the Brown Pelican, is a candidate for removal from the Endangered Species List. Rose from the ashes, so to speak.
And in other news, Gov. Bobby Jindal's Special Legislative Session on Ethics Reform opens tomorrow in Baton Rouge.
Posted at 12:46am on Feb. 7, 2008 Quotes which Float my Boat
By Vladimir
"We're going to move some hogs away from the trough, and they'll be squealing."
- Gov. Bobby Jindal, quoted in the Alexandria Town Talk
H/T LANewsLink.com
Posted at 11:18am on Jan. 27, 2008 As if on cue, LA Dems call for Jindal's Chief of Staff to resign
By Vladimir
As previously blogged here.
I'd call them scumsucking slimebags, but that would be unfair to scumsucking slimebags everywhere.
Posted at 12:33pm on Jan. 26, 2008 "Jindal Faces Ethics Charges": Say It Ain't So, Bobby!
By Vladimir
Jindal Faces Ethics Charges (B.R. Advocate)
Jindal Faces Questions Over Campaign Expense Report
Governor says it's innocent mistake (N.O. Times-Picayune)
Watch for the Forces of Darkness to try to make this POS into a story: Act I in "Jindal vs. The Machine".
Posted in Bobby Jindal | Ethics Reform | Louisiana | State Politics — Comments (13) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 11:13am on Jan. 16, 2008 Jindal Shakeup Begins [UPDATED]
By Vladimir
The Jindal era begins with the new governor executing a hiring freeze. It seems the Blanco administration created some 1,250 new jobs in an already-bloated state government.
Jindal Freezes Government Hiring
Perhaps more significantly:
Jindal said his Cabinet members — Davis and the heads of state agencies — will file financial disclosure reports on their income, holdings, liabilities and investment transactions.Posted in Bobby Jindal | Ethics Reform | State Politics — Comments (51) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 10:23am on Jan. 14, 2008 Bobby Jindal Inauguration Day!
By Vladimir
Republicans looking for a) something to celebrate, and b) something to unite around, need look no farther than Baton Rouge at noon CST today.
From the New Orleans Times-Picayune:
Jindal Era Begins With High Hopes
From the Baton Rouge Advocate:
Jindal To Take Reins
Posted in Bobby Jindal | Ethics Reform | Louisiana | State Politics — Comments (14) / Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 11:23am on Jan. 12, 2008 LA's New Dem AG Flips "Ethics Reform" the Bird - Before Taking the Oath!
By Vladimir
On the eve of Bobby Jindal's pending inauguration (Monday, January 14!), it's still the same ol' same ol' for the state's new Attorney General.
Buddy Caldwell (D) replaced one-term AG Charles Foti (D) in last fall's election. Caldwell and incumbent Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu are the only statewide elected Dems these days. Apparently, Caldwell didn't read the memo from the voters about their desire to change the way business is done in this state.
Three deeply experienced gaming regulators known to be tough on video poker operators have been let go by incoming Attorney General Buddy Caldwell.
Assistant attorneys general informed this week that their services in the Gaming Division will not be needed after Monday's inauguration are: Tom Warner, a 17-year veteran responsible for writing gaming regulations; Mike Daniels, with 10 years experience, the division's prosecutor in administrative hearings; and Rand Dennis, a 10-year veteran, who headed the appellate section.
"Buddy Caldwell felt that those attorneys, though they are great attorneys, didn't meet the level of efficiency and goals of his administration," said incoming press secretary Tammi Arender. Assistant attorneys general are not protected by Civil Service.
One riverboat casino executive, who wished not to be identified, said he saw "video poker's fingerprints" in the dismissals. A number of video poker operators contributed to Caldwell's campaign.
[emphasis added]
Buddy, even this city boy knows bulls*** when he smells it. The three guys you fired may be the biggest doofusses (doofi?) ever to draw a state paycheck, but just from the fact that they're not on the video poker industry's Christmas card list, I like 'em. Maybe our new governor can find them a job...
More...
Posted in Bobby Jindal | Ethics Reform | Louisiana | State Politics | Video Poker — Comments (2) / Email this page » / Read More »
