Orleans board caves to anti-Christian bigotry

It’s official: white progressivism and its anti-Christian bias has infected the Orleans Parish School Board, creating an ugly incident of bigotry.

Last week, the body held elections for this year’s officers. In an unusual move, it suspended its own rules to allow holding over last year’s officers. This brought about the unanimous reelection of Democrat John Brown, and a 4-3 vote returning Democrat Leslie Ellison as vice president.

Plenty of controversy preceded the move. Originally, Ellison had wished to move up the ladder one place, following tradition, as Brown could not succeed himself after two yearly terms. Then, publicized past remarks Ellison made concerning students who identify themselves as something other than their biological sex stirred up opposition to her.

Insurance ban needed in proposed coop rules

The spirit of the law backs efforts by the Louisiana Public Service Commission to place significant limits on directors of electric cooperatives, including the prohibition of coop-paid insurance.

Last year, controversy erupted over reports that many directors received large emoluments from coops. The entities provide electricity under a membership model as Internal Revenue Service 501(c)12 organizations, meaning they must operate as nonprofits in order to secure tax-free status and directors serve part-time.

Originally, the federal government launched the coop concept in 1935 through presidential executive order. At the time, while most urban households had electricity, few did in rural areas due to expense. The U.S. government hoped that states would pass legislation establishing a framework for organizations with low overhead that could make power affordable to member/owners.

Barras puts LA needs ahead of Edwards'

Nothing has changed, so nothing should change, despite the histrionics of the Gov. John Bel Edwards Administration.

Last week, Louisiana’s Revenue Estimating Conference met again with an attempt to update forecasting numbers on revenue. The figures produced get fed into the budget process, with Democrat Edwards’ executive plan for state spending in fiscal year 2020 due in about ten days.

Currently, recognized revenues reflect estimates of nearly seven months ago. Two months ago, with the group mandated to meet no later than the end of the year, it gathered to consider an increase because of higher-than-expected oil prices. It had predicted throughout this fiscal year a price of $59.42 per barrel, but the two sources used by the political appointees – the Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne, Republican House Speaker Taylor Barras, GOP Senate President John Alario, and university economist James Richardson – representing the Administration and Legislature thought that should increase to the $61-64 range.

Report reminds of group's leftist ideology

In case you’ve forgotten, a recent announcement by the Louisiana League of Women Voters reminds that the organization that claims nonpartisanship nonetheless marches in lockstep with Democrats of the progressive stripe.

Last week, the group at its annual convention released a report noting that charter schools potentially sap education dollars from traditional public schools, calling for changes in charter school board composition and transparency, and wanting greater state stringency in regulating such schools. In effect, the increased, unneeded regulatory details that would follow would hamper the ability of these schools to operate as intended. This adheres to a liberal agenda of protecting the one-size-fits-all model of education that empowers special interests over children.

Not that the study’s quality commends policy-makers to pursue such recommendations. Both the organization that represents the state’s charter schools and the state Department of Education panned the effort, each observing it to relay numerous corrections to the drafters of an early version and subsequently received no feedback. The report’s lead author herself has spoken often and publicly against the concept.

The Advocate column, Jan. 20, 2019

A low-rent king of deadhead jobs at Tax Commission 
https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/jeff_sadow/article_c03e4718-19e3-11e9-a42b-ffa3779265f9.html

Links:
https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/crime_police/article_8e984096-15b6-11e9-950e-5f48353a7e8b.html
https://www.livingstonparishnews.com/former-assessor-faces-more-dwi-charges/article_a34e5872-6441-5e97-b8bf-31c2ad776c49.html
https://www.livingstonparishnews.com/former-assessor-takes-job-with-state/article_ae8cf20a-033a-5461-9951-b236feb77b28.html
https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/communities/west_feliciana/article_96ef5c0e-b68b-54d8-a8fa-89c8579e1688.html
https://wwwcfprd.doa.louisiana.gov/boardsAndCommissions/viewEmployees.cfm?board=536
https://wwwcfprd.doa.louisiana.gov/boardsAndCommissions/viewMembers.cfm?board=536
https://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/news/courts/article_c34b41a6-f633-11e7-9b4d-33fec3a1f8a8.html
http://oig.louisiana.gov/assets/docs/searchable/Zinna%20Lawyer%20Pleads%20Guilty%20-%20Bloomberg.pdf