Lafourche Parish Facts And Opinions

FACTS:

Congratulations Reggie Bush, we hear that you may get a guaranteed 26 million dollar contract for playing football for the New Orleans Saints.  You deserve it.
Congratulations school teachers, guess who will not get close to receiving 26 million dollars for a lifetime commitment of educating our children?  You deserve much better.

OPINIONS:

In my opinion, the people’s council (2000-2004 Lafourche Parish Council), the most productive Council, operated successfully with a low-salaried Parish President and no department heads.

In my opinion, the Charlotte Randolph administration has the highest paid Lafourche Parish president and department heads ever in the history of Lafourche Parish.  In my opinion, the more money that is paid to a public servant, the higher the level of arrogance and the lower the productivity for the public.  You cannot make silk from a sow’s ear, no matter how much you pay them.

INTERESTING DEVELOPEMENTS?
1.Will Larpenter run for Sheriff in Terrebonne or Lafourche?
2.Will Larpenter run for Parish President in Terrebonne or Lafourche?
3.If running in Lafourche, he may have to buck the “Mortal Trinity” of politics.

Visit with us again as we attempt to ride the wave of truth and possible political changes.

FACTS:

The 2002 Lafourche Parish Council Chairman, Darryl Marlbrough appeared as a guest on KLRZ “Talk on the Bayou” for the purpose of answering the public’s questions.  The show went well until Councilman Phillip Gouaux called in with the following comments:
    I didn’t hear the beginning of the show, but I understand that uh Councilman Marlbrough was a bit upset as we didn’t go to him on this issue on the audit, or at least a draft sent to me.  I would hope that in the future, anything that is drafted and is going to represent the parish governing authority, that we would get a copy prior to the mail out,  I mean the people of my district did not vote for Mr. Marlbrough, they voted for me.  All though he was elected by the Council, to represent the Council on certain issues, uh I did not vote to let him take care of my business.  I would hope that in the future he would at least give me the privilege to look at it and comment on it. (we haven’t figured out what “it” is)

OPINIONS:

Why didn’t this same Councilman, Philip Gouaux, make the Lafourche Parish Governing Authority aware that an alleged $5.2 million (10% of the whole parish budget) was being spent in his district?  Mr. Gouaux had over 10 months to call the radio station or place an item on the agenda, why didn’t he?  Why the alleged big secret?  Why are Phillip Gouaux and Brent Callais the only two alleged council members involved in this alleged $5.2 million moronic venture?  In my Opinion, this episode of alleged corruption is far from being over, how many will go down with the ship?  Could it possibly be two or more from the governing authority?  Five or more from the administration?  Three or more from the outside?  Will Councilman Tommy Lassigne ever get a straight answer from the administration on the alleged moronic venture?  In my opinion, the governing authority has the authority to investigate the issue, not other elected officials, but the issues.  In my opinion, the governing authority can subpoena the owner of the devices, FEMA, and non-elected personnel.  $5.2 million paid by Lafourche Parish or paid by FEMA is still tax-payers money, WHY THE BIG SECRET?  If it was needed and done properly, proove it.  If not, let the chips fall where they may.

FACTS:

The Lafourche Parish Council held its regular scheduled meeting on July 25, 2006. 

OPINIONS:

In my opinion, the spectacle of July 25th lacked professionalism, leadership, control, respect, information and knowledge.  In my opinion, it did have arrogance, petty barbs, non-answers and hostility.

A simple straight-forward question from Councilman Tommy Lassaigne, to Finance director Shannon Chiasson, produced criticism rather than answers.  Why weren’t we notified 10 months ago when the administration committed to spending 10% of the budget (5.2 million dollars) on rental equipment?  In my opinion, the finance director spoke many words without responding to the question. 

The Lafourche Parish Council as the governing authority was unaware of this alleged unauthorized expenditure of $5.2 million.  Who was aware of it, and why was it allegedly kept a secret?  It is now alleged that some of the people who knew about the alleged incident were Charlotte Randolph, Cullen Curole, Ray Cheramie, Phillip Gouaux, Brent Callais and a couple more from the administration.  Why didn’t anyone inform the governing authority? 

Cullen Curole, Shannon Chiasson and Charlotte Randolph all stated that they made mistakes because they are still learning.  How long will the tax payers have to pay these high salaried people for on-the-job training?

Visit with us as we examine the fine details of the last council meeting.

FACTS:

People who are elected as public servants in Lafourche Parish are expected to be qualified, honest and whose actions benefit the Parish as a whole.

OPINIONS:

The following fairy tale is 100% fiction and is not intended to reflect individuals or events of the past, present, or future.

There once was a princess who inherited a region within a kingdom to rule.  Knowing her limitations, she enlisted a group of advisers to assist her in decision making.  During a period of time when many natural disasters were occurring and because of the the geographical location of the princess’ region, a prince from another country visited with the princess.
PRINCE: I have devices that can protect your region from possible devastation.
PRINCESS: How much will this cost me?
PRINCE: It is much too expensive for your budget, but I have a plan.  Allow me to store the devices within your region and if there is a potential for another natural event, use them.
PRINCESS: How will I pay for them if I use them?
PRINCE: I have experts in my employ who once worked for the King.  They will fill out your paper work, and the King will pay for at least a large portion of it.
PRINCESS: Who will be responsible for the unpaid portion?
PRINCE: If this is kept a secret, I might forgive the balance and may share in the profits.
                                                 THE END

DISCUSSION: The Princess is alleged to have used the devices.
1. Was it because she was ill-advised by her advisers and the whole event was a blunder, so she kept it a secret?
2. Was she trying to help certain friends and family members and kept the event a secret?
3. Was it a get rich quick scam and kept the event a secret?

NOTE: The above fairy tale is fiction, the following is not.
The Lafourche Parish DA is alleged to have stated on public radio that the upcoming court of appeals hearing is based on the usurpation law, which is an old 1848 law.  Not knowing why my friend the DA eluded to the fact that the law is old, he must remember that the US Constitution is much older and he is sworn to uphold the constitution.

Visit with us soon, we enjoy your company.  We will examine facts, opinions, fiction and truth.  

FACTS:

The Lafourche Parish President Charlotte Randolph is not the first parish president to face emergencies in Lafourche Parish. 

OPINION:

In my opinion, it sounds as if Ms. Randolph does not cope well in a crisis.  There is nothing in the charter that says you have to understand, just follow procedures.

More local issues in the future, tune in.

FACTS:

The Lafourche Parish District Attorney addressed the Lafourche Parish Council on several issues at the June 27, 2006 Parish council meeting.  Referring to the parish charter and parish ordinances, Mr. Morvant stated that once a violation is brought to his attention, he(Morvant)will not put his head in the sand.  Once he finds out about it, he will do something about it.  He strongly urged the council to follow their ordinance.  Mr. Morvant spoke of serious criminal sanctions being in the charter for violation of articles.  Mr. Morvant spoke of violating the open meetings law and article-3, section-2 of the parish charter under “prohibitions”.  One specific prohibition is a mandatory duty for members of the council not to interfere directly or indirectly, not to give orders or directives to officers, departments heads, employees or independent contractors of the parish.  Mr. Morvant illustrated a point by asking a question and answering the question.  If I (council member) see an engineer or architect on the sidewalk, can I ask him about the project?  NO, that is interfering.  Mr. Morvant stated the definition of interfering according to Black’s law dictionary as being “to check with”.  Mr. Morvant also stated “if you don’t work with me, all bets are off”.

OPINIONS:

According to Webster dictionary, the definition of “we” is used of a group that includes the speaker or writer.

On July 25,2006, during the last five minutes of the broadcasting of “Talk On The Bayou”,hosted by Captain Kirk, a caller asked a question about a drainage project in Councilman Brent Callais district.  Naturally, Capt. Kirk couldn’t answer the man’s question, but Councilman Brent Callais just happened to drop in to the KLRZ radio sound booth in time to answer the question with what sounded like a prepared statement (damage control?).

The following are some of the statements made by Councilman Callais on public radio.  WE got the money for the project.  Drainage district number one (a public board ) hired ( contract ) J. W. P., Inc. to do the engineering work. Plans were completed in June and during the “review process”, “my-self” ( speaker-Brent Callais), Ray Cheramie and a bunch of other guys ( quorum of members of drainage district number one board?, Engineers?)………..pointed out that there were structures on the ground that weren’t picked up by the engineer.  So WE met with the Engineer on Monday, it was a week yesterday (July 17, 2006-violation of article 3, section 2 of the charter?), WE walked the entire subdivision and John (engineer) has “refinished it” (project plans revised to a councilman’s directive?) and will have it to US (us includes speaker Brent Callais) by the end of this week.  

The contents of the public display of boasting by this elected official was reported to the D.A..  It has now been brought to the attention of my friend the DA.  It is my opinion that the DA was addressing all nine council members when he stated, “once it comes to my attention, I am not going to put my head in the sand, once I find out about it, I will do something about it”.  My question to my friend the DA is WHAT will you do? 

Visit with us as we observe the WORDS or ACTIONS of our elected leaders.  When will the media take their heads out of the sand when it comes to this administration?     

FACTS:

July 24, 2006, KLRZ radio aired its “talk on the bayou” talk show.  The talk show was hosted by Captain Kirk, with guest Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre and Lafourche Parish President Charlotte Randolph.  My good friend Lafourche Parish District Attorney Cam Morvant was scheduled to appear on the show (according to Capt. Kirk), but pulled a George Jones and didn’t show up.

OPINIONS:

A citizen called in and asked a question of the sheriff in regard to sheriff deputies gathering in a parking lot with two or three patrol cars, with engines and a/c running, for hours at a time.  The response by my good friend the Sheriff, in my opinion, had much too much fluff and is too embarrassing to publish. 

In an effort to add a little satire to my good friend’s answer, I will publish the following scenario, which is 100% fiction.
A Lafourche Parish citizen walked into the sheriff’s office, breathless and shaking from fright, the citizen exclaimed to the sheriff, there is a bank robbery in progress across the street.
SHERIFF: How do you know it is a bank robbery?
CITIZEN: I saw a person run out of the bank, carrying a money bag, wearing a mask, shooting a gun and got into a car whose engine was running for a long period of time.
SHERIFF: How do you know the car was running for a long period of time?
CITIZEN: Because the A/C was on and the water dripping out covered the parking lot for the full length of the car.
SHERIFF: Well if it was me, hot like it is, I would let the engine run also.  I wouldn’t want to get into a hot car.
CITIZEN: Why was he running out of the bank?
SHERIFF: He may be a member of Lafourche on the Move (a government program for people who do not move).
CITIZEN: What about the money bag and the mask?
SHERIFF: Mask are worn by different cultures around the world and many of them carry their lunch in a bag.
CITIZEN: Sheriff, what about the gun?
SHERIFF: Oh, I am sure he has a permit for the gun, or he wouldn’t carry it with him.
CITIZEN: I am sure sorry I bothered you sheriff.
SHERIFF; No bother, that is why you elected me.  If you feel that a crime is being committed, contact anyone but me on Monday between 9:00am and 3:00pm.
                                                                   THE END

I am sorry I can not give Charlotte Randolph equal time because I am still trying to figure out why she was there. I guess she didn’t have anything better to do, after all she is on the tax payers payroll.

Visit with us, as we look into the fluff generated by our leaders.

FACTS:

Six years ago, the New Orleans Saints decided to hold training camp at Nicholls State University, in Thibodaux, Louisiana.  The city of Thibodaux and Terrebonne Parish donated money to the cause.  Nicholls State University is a state facility and the New Orleans Saints is a privately owned business.  The majority five on the Lafourche Parish Council voted not to donate Lafourche Parish tax payers money to a feel good venture.  Three of the Four Minority Councilmen appeared on KLRZ “talk on the bayou” talk show, hosted by Jeff Boggs, in an effort to solicit money from the general public.

OPINIONS:

In my opinion, sometimes elected officials make hard but intelligent decisions which generate immediate negative comments from the media.  In later years, the decisions are proven to be the right one and receive no press at all.
In my opinion, our tax dollars are aiding economic development in Mississippi.  Where are the Saints now?  They are not in Lafourche Parish, they are at Millsaps College in Jackson Mississippi.

We will examine this topic in more detail in the near future.  Sometimes I wonder if Jeff Boggs, Phillip Gouaux, Lindell Toups and Joe Fertitta reminisce about their alleged moronic behaviour on the talk show.  What about the private citizens who got taken in to the Moronic hype of the times and actually donated money (John, Joe, David, Rick, Ralph, Henry, Barbara, Larry and a few more out of a population of 90 thousand people in Lafourche Parish), where are they now?  Did the donations generate enough revenues to help Terrebonne Parish with their levees, Nicholls lower the tuition, Thibodaux maintain streets and drainage, or Lafourche Parish with anything?

I Have a list of names of people who donated to the “CAUSE” six years ago.  Perhaps Phillip Gouaux, Charlotte Randolph and Ray Cheramie can appear with Captain Kirk to solicit funds to pay for the Bladder (flood protection device), which saved so many lives (according to Phillip Gouaux).

Look out Shannon Chiasson, it is alleged that you may be the fall-guy/gal for this alleged failing Parish administration.  Where are you Lafourche First?  You are alleged to have failed in Lafourche Parish.  Perhaps you can go to the Middle-East countries and get the people to get along.  Don’t forget your Emily Post book, it seems as if  it is not working in Lafourche.

Visit with us as we answer the question; where are they now?

FACTS:

The following information are a few short passages extracted from a book titled “The Houma People of Louisiana A Story of Indian Survival” written by Greg Bowman and Janel Curry-Roper.  Information for this book was compiled under the direction of the Tribal Council of the United Houma Nation.

Stripped of its right to hold property as a tribe, the Houma people had to resort to private land ownership, depriving them of the federal protection which is limited to lands held in trust for recognized tribes.  While many Houma tribe families have lived continuously on the same property, today only a small fraction of the amount of land owned by the tribe just over a century ago remain in the families’ control.

Joseph Houma, sometimes called Courteau Houma, was the father of Rosalie, known during her lifetime and now as Rosalie Courteau.  AS principal land-holder, legal activist and socio-political leader for several decades in the mid-19th century, she occupies preeminence in contemporary tribal oral tradition.  Enhancing her historical figure is her genealogical significance as in-law, aunt or grandmother–with multiple “greats”–to everyone in the tribe today.

Her father was apparently a Biloxi medal chief who had married into the tribe.  The Houma frequently interacted with the Biloxi and Tunica nations, providing ample opportunity for such an event.  Similarly, they visited with their close neighbors on Bayou Teche, the Chitimacha.

The southern movements were marked by violence on several occasions.  Rosalie Courteau, after generously donating land for the first city of Houma town hall was forced by armed whites to flee the area.  Her home on lower Bayou Terrebonne was later burned by whites who wanted her land, forcing her to her final settlement on Bayou Barre just east of Bayou Terrebonne.

Rosalie Courteau purchased a large amount of “swampland” for her people in 1859 at the suggestion of Clement Carlos, a Spanish surveyor who had been associated with the Houma tribe for several years in the Civil War era.  The land in question had been public land up to that point and was designated “swampland” to vest the state with fee simple title, which could then be transferred through conveyance to an individual.  Because Rosalie purchased the land as a private citizen, it was not deemed eligible for federal protection as tribal land, even though Rosalie was the leader of the tribe.  Rosalie Courteau died in 1885, and is interred on the left descending bank of Bayou Terrebonne. 

OPINIONS:

Visit with us again as we examine why the Lafourche Parish President is attempting to “take our parish back”.                                                                                                     

FACTS:

Earlier this year, the Lafourche Parish President Charlotte Angelette Danos Randolph lost her calm and lashed out at Councilman Daniel Lorraine in a public Lafourche Parish Council meeting.  At the last Lafourche Parish Council meeting, Parish President Charlotte Angelette Danos Randolph lashed out at Councilman Tommy Lasseigne, simply for asking a pertinent question.

OPINIONS:

It is my opinion that the lack of professionalism and lack of calmness displayed by Mrs. Randolph raises concern of her leadership abilities during an emergency.  It is alleged that during Mrs. Randolph’s election campaign she said “lets take our parish back.”  In my opinion, she has taken the parish back 50 years.  It is alleged that Councilman Phillip Gouaux agrees with the parish president when she said we must move our parish forward.  In my opinion, Mr. Gouaux agrees to moving the parish forward somewhere between Valentine and Lockport.  It is alleged that Mr. Gouaux stated that the placement of the inflatable flood protection bladders saved lives.  Was it a tsunami or a predicted tidal rise?

It is alleged that the tidal rise was closer to over topping a section of the South Lafourche levee system than the section of the North Lafourche levee system where the alleged bladders were placed.  It is alleged that the levees were over-topped south of the Golden Meadow flood gates, in Councilman Daniel Lorraine’s district.  Did President Randolph place bladders on that levee?

During Mrs. Randolph’s scolding of Councilman Lorraine earlier this year, she is alleged to have said that she would not hurt councilman Lorraine’s constituants.  In my opinion, she will not help them either.

Tomorrow we will journey with a few Native Americans who never got their parish (land) back.