Your Right Hand Thief

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David Ignatius writes in the Wapo:

Constant repetition of anti-government rhetoric in our political echo chamber has dulled Americans into overlooking an important and perhaps surprising fact: We have just lived through one of the more notable successes of government intervention in modern times -- the auto and bank rescues that almost surely saved the country from another Great Depression.

The current state of the economy, to be sure, is nothing to celebrate, with unemployment stuck at 9.6 percent. That's why President Obama was right this week to renew his call to invest $50 billion in creating jobs, present and future, by repairing the nation's transportation infrastructure.

But in the gale of anti-Washington sentiment, where any mention of government "stimulus" or "rescue" draws attack, this infrastructure-spending plan sadly has no chance of success. That means the Federal Reserve will have to use its less-potent tools for stimulating the economy.

What accounts for the public rage toward Washington?

It's one thing to denounce government when it fails to achieve its goals. But to ignore government's achievements in times of crisis is willfully stupid. Especially when, as in the auto and bank bailouts, government was coming to the rescue of private companies that had endangered the country.

Dear Blogger:

With former Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard's apparent sordid backroom misdeals and maledictions coming to the forefront as numerous as backyard crayfish boils on Good Friday, little has been said or discussed regarding a sweetheart giveaway to the sons of Aaron Broussard’s fellow world traveler and prayer partner -– 13 count confessed federal felon, and former Kenner council president -– Nick Baroni.

In a giveaway sweeter than a Lawrence’s Bakery chocolate-rum doberge cake, Broussard’s former consigliere, excuse me, chief administrative officer, Tim Whitmer, e-mailed, on March 25, 2009, Antoinette Scott instructing her to include in the capital budget $340,000 for road and drainage improvements for the site occupied by Mr. Bubbles Carwash.

If the image of Jefferson politics is to ever recover, the highly questionable expenditure of $340,000 to Mr. Bubbles Carwash needs a thorough cleansing.

So the writer hereby requests that any member of the current Jefferson Parish council, seeking or aspiring to another office, in Jefferson Parish explain, and come clean, on how, and why, $340,000 of improvements -– made to the politically connected Baroni Klan -- on a silver platter of apparent “who do you know/good ole boys club” politics was allowed without objection under their stewardship.

And for more regarding Nick Baroni’s adoration for Aaron Broussard, check out:  http://righthandthief.blogspot.com/2010/04/yrht-is-proud-to-publish-another.html


David C. Bellinger

(404) 762-8779
E-mail: davidc53@juno.com

Atlanta, GA

Labels: Flaming Liberal

Re: “Legislative auditor finds evidence of alleged payroll fraud in Aaron Broussard administration,” by Richard Rainey and Paul Rioux, New Orleans Times-Picayune, October 7, 2010 -- 

Dear Blogger:

How interesting , and perhaps tragic, that Dane Ciolino, attorney for Tim Whitmer, the former Broussard chief administrative officer, said that Whitmer did not believe it was illegal to share in commissions from the Clerk of Court because it is a "separate and distinct" legal entity from the parish government.

However-- as politicians such as former Congressman William Jefferson and Mandeville mayor Eddie Price have recently learned the hard way-- accepting bribes, money laundering, depriving citizens of honest service, and using public office as a racketeering enterprise are illegal activities.

Generating my suspicions is that Cherreen Gegenheimer, wife of Jefferson Parish Clerk of Court Jon Gegenheimer, has been “conveniently” employed, raking in $106,000 a year, as Chief Administrative Assistant in Jefferson Parish. This position is a mere one level below the top appointed office of none other than Dane Ciolino’s client -– the former Jefferson Parish chief administrative officer Tim Whitmer -- who was an Aaron Broussard appointee and most probably a focus of a federal grand jury investigation! Additionally, Aaron Broussard has been a beneficiary of Whitmer’s largesse, collecting legal fees from Whitmer while directing business to Whitmer’s insurance firm -- Lagniappe Industries.

Interestingly, after my January 23, 2010, post (see below for link) the FBI subpoenaed the payroll records of Cherreen Gegenheimer and Aaron Broussard put through a Jefferson Parish Council rubber stamp pay increase -– which would have made a Wall Street investment banker blush and hear “Owe to Joy” -- for Tim Whitmer which, not for Whitmer’s premature retirement while on a “paid” administrative leave, in a matter of weeks would have placed Whitmer living on “Easy Street” at age fifty shopping at Saks and a French Riviera vacation at least once a year.

“And he raised Whitmer's salary 76 percent over a 15-month period, setting up his embattled top aide up with a $177,000 annual lifetime pension.” -– Source:
http://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2010/01/jefferson_council_votes_over_p.html

But don’t break out the crying towels and fear not for Tim Whitmer, since Tim Whitmer will be able to soak the taxpayers as he beats a path to the bank in less than five years at age fifty-five to cash in the chips of his annual $177,000 lifetime pension bestowed with the support of his “benevolent” boss, Aaron Broussard – the disgraced former President of Jefferson Parish.

And while Aaron Broussard was busy as a beaver dispensing generous goodies -– likely making the city fathers of Bell, California green with envy -- to his pals, such as sticking the taxpayers with $340,000 of improvements to private land owned by the sons of Broussard’s fellow world traveler and prayer partner, the now confessed thirteen count federal felon -- Nick Baroni, the Jefferson Parish council was eliminating funds for the elderly and disabled enrolled in the Meals on Wheels program!

"There are people who are alone and they just don't eat," she said. "I feel like some of these people will just accept whatever happens and I worry because they don't have someone to fight for them." -– Source: “Scores of elderly people stricken from Jefferson Parish Meals on Wheels program,” New Orleans Times-Picayune, By Bob Ross, December 31, 2009

And such greed rises to the level of the heartlessness of Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore) in “It's a Wonderful Life!”

Whether or not I have connected the dots of illegal wrongdoings, I cannot say, but if “back scratching” and incestuous relationships benefiting mentioned parties financially were a class A felony -– well, indictments would be flying in Jefferson Parish like beads and doubloons during Mardi Gras on Vets and Causeway! And as fast as Jon Gegenheimer could demean unemployed workers by accusing them of being disinclined to work and remain unproductive by holding out their hands to the taxpayers!

And for more on the Broussard/ Gegenheimer/Whitmer cabal, check out -- "Jefferson Parish Clerk of Court Jon Gegenheimer -– ‘Super' Hypocrite . . . . . . and Jefferson Parish is A Cauldron of Corruption and Cronyism and Aaron Broussard is a Bully!" at:

http://righthandthief.blogspot.com/2010/01/jefferson-parish-clerk-of-court-jon.html


And for more on the business dealings with Jefferson Parish by Broussard’s Baroni pals, the now combined twenty-six count confessed federal felons, Nick and Keith Baroni, check out -- “Broussard’s Call for Good Government Regarding Parish Business with Hubbard, and not for the Baronis is Inconsistent,” at:

http://righthandthief.blogspot.com/2009/10/commentary-by-david-c-bellinger.html

And to make a donation to the Jefferson Parish Meals on Wheels program, please go to: http://www.jcoa.net/


David C. Bellinger

404-762-8779
E-mail: davidc53@juno.com
Atlanta, GA

Labels: Flaming Liberal

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Remember: "W" stands for Winning ... (and wildcard).

Hi Five!

TARP Bailout to Cost Less Than Once Anticipated

[T]he $700 billion lifeline to banks, insurance and auto companies — will expire after Sunday at a fraction of that cost, and could conceivably earn taxpayers a profit.
...
But the once-unthinkable possibility that the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program could end up costing far less, or even nothing, became more likely on Thursday with the news that the government had negotiated a plan with the American International Group to begin repaying taxpayers.

A.I.G. Reaches Deal to Repay Treasury and Fed for Bailout

Treasury officials said that as long as A.I.G.’s stock remains above $28.75, they will consider the taxpayers to be in the black on the company’s bailout. The stock closed Thursday at $39.10.

From a T-P obit of Dr. Herbert Longenecker, former Tulane President:

As it turned out, Dr. Longenecker and Gordon shared a Tulane stage with President Gerald Ford on the night in April 1975 when Ford proclaimed, during what was expected to be a routine speech, that the Vietnam War was "finished as far as America is concerned."

The 5,300 people who had crowded into the muggy fieldhouse burst into sustained applause.