LOUISIANA CUTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION Jindal’s Version of Change

On April 27, the legislative session begins to work out the state’s new budget. Once again, with reduced state revenues the Legislature plans to cut funding for higher education. After Katrina, based on declining state revenues the budget for Louisiana higher education was cut six percent. This time the cut in funding to higher education is estimated to be between eighteen and thirty percent. Can you imagine the financial impact of three-to-five Katrinas? That’s the dilemma of higher education in Louisiana. As parents, we expect the availability of quality higher education at an affordable price for our children. Are these realistic expectations when the state’s funding for higher education continues to be cut?

For long-time higher education officials in Louisiana, funding cuts have become a fact of life. Anytime an economic downturn occurs in Louisiana, our state lawmakers race to higher education for funds. Our legislatures treat the funds in higher education as their “piggy bank.” And just like we did as kids when we took money out of our piggy banks – when good times return, they don’t put the money back!

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal explains, “College graduates, educators say, are seeking refuge from the economy in the relative tranquility of higher education, hoping that the job market will improve by the time they graduate.” Historically during economic downturns, college enrollments grow. Some people return to school to retool after losing their jobs, others pursue masters’ degrees, while others return for more education. Regardless of the reasons, college enrollments traditionally grow during times of economic stress. So this is where our state universities find themselves – more students, less faculty, less money, fewer programs, and charged with providing higher levels of quality education.

Exactly how will our universities handle their existing and the “new students” in their already over-crowded classrooms? Funding cuts mean cuts in programs, faculty and support staff. What happens to the overall quality of education when class size skyrockets from 25 students to often more than 100? Can meaningful education and mentorship occur when the entire university system lacks the required proper resources?

So exactly what can our state universities do to help offset these funding shortfalls? For state legislators, their standby answer is always the same “raise tuition and other fees.” The potential impact of higher tuition and additional fees is not always additional but rather less revenues. Higher costs may eliminate the ability of our students to afford college. With fewer courses available, it can be harder and take longer for our students to graduate. The outlook for higher education in 2010 and 2011 is even bleaker. State legislators keep making the “cuts” and higher education officials continue to be responsible for finding the “band aids” to hold the system together.

For the citizens, business leaders, and legislators it is truly time for higher education in Louisiana to become a priority. We talk about preparing our students for high skilled, well-paying jobs, and we then cut funding for higher education. We set a state goal for growing as the “go to state” for high-tech industries, and then we cut funding for higher education. As parents, we question why our children are forced to move out of state for career opportunities. Certainly continued cuts in higher education will not change this trend.

We can all agree that we are in challenging economic times. Politicos at the federal, state, and local levels are in a frenzy looking for new revenues and ways to cut costs. In Louisiana, the easy and first target always seems to be higher education. Little do they seem to recognize that money spent on higher education during troubling economic times offers one of the best hopes for sustaining the state economy. The employees of most universities are well educated and receive above average pay. They are key financial participants in the local economy. Funds that are allocated to the universities will be used to buy equipment, put up new buildings, and hire new workers. Increased spending on universities offers a positive movement in an overall down economy.

Investment in our universities offers the greatest potential for economic recovery in Louisiana. When monies are invested in our universities, the investments offer hope for both business and individuals in the state. For businesses, a well-educated workforce provides the strategic advantage required to compete in the 21^st century. Rather than using Economic Development funds to “pay-off” companies to relocate to Louisiana, these funds can be used to attract organizations requiring a highly educated workforce. Investments in higher education offer hope for parents that both they and their children will have sustainable, dependable jobs in our state.

It’s time for Louisiana to develop a long-term sustainable strategy, recognizing higher education as a key ingredient for success. Year after year, decade after decade, we have allowed our politicians to go to their “education piggy bank” when they run short of funds. If we as voters, parents, students and caring citizens truly want it to stop, we all have to get involved and be heard. When the legislators attempted a 240% increase in their salaries, an outraged citizenry refused to let it occur. If we don’t use the cuts in higher education as a call to action, we can expect the legislature to continue “stealing funds” from higher education. For legislatures, “stealing funds” is all about convenience. Others might call it a method to compensate for their lack of leadership.

I often discuss with my students the age-old definition of insanity – continuing to do the same old thing and expecting things to change. With the Jindal administration, we voted for change. It’s time for true change to occur and together we can stop the educational insanities of the past. Call or email your representatives and senators and let them know your indignation. Let them know you are tired and refuse to accept their continued pillage of the universities in Louisiana. As citizens of Louisiana, we can make a difference “One Vote at a Time!”

 

  

 

Governor Jindal: Less Rhetoric, Less Travel and More Economic Recovery

Rocked by Hurricane Katrina, corruption, and “good ole boy” politics, Louisiana elected Governor-elect Bobby Jindal in 2007. He promised change in the way Louisiana politics had historically been run. Governor Jindal’s platform promised ethics, accountability, fairness, and an open government truly transparent to the voters of Louisiana.  The voters of Louisiana overwhelmingly voted for and elected him based on these promises. As voters we were excited about the changes our new governor would produce. We would finally have an ambassador of the people in Baton Rouge. Our new governor would be focused on our needs rather than those of big government and big business.

It’s now Spring 2009 and time for the Louisiana legislature to meet. Our dreams for change have somehow turned to reality. It’s the reality that campaign promises are just that, promises. Promises that lost their way once exposed to the realities of government in Louisiana. Realities, if not addressed will crush our dreams of a new Louisiana.

As the 2009 Louisiana legislative session opens, rather than setting a tone for a new Louisiana, it looks like the same old broken down contraption. The session will be nothing more than a crisis driven fire-drill. Louisiana is facing an almost $2 billion 2009 budget shortfall. To solve the deficit problem our legislators do what they’ve always done: Cut costs, cut employees, reduce funding for healthcare and education. Our legislators assure us with these changes Louisiana will be a better place to live. From 2000 – 2008, Louisiana had a net loss of 325,395 residents. It is obvious those residents that left the state didn’t share this same level confidence.

Now is a time when our state desperately needs leadership. The type of leadership we thought we elected last term. We all know Governor Jindal has the ability to lead the charge to a better Louisiana. This is a time for him to step forward and become the “Boy Wonder” we elected. As voters, we’re tired of being seen as the “half-empty” state, when in reality we have unlimited potential. Recovery in the State of Louisiana is not all about deficits, layoffs and cuts to vital areas such as healthcare and education. It’s all about economic recovery. Governor Jindal if you don’t step forward now, we’ll just fall into the same old politics of Louisiana.

Congress understands, businesses understand, and most importantly the citizens of Louisiana understand – we are in an economic crisis and immediate help is desperately essential. President Obama’s final economic stimulus package probably wasn’t what he envisioned. Even his pundits agree that when implemented it will provide desperately needed money to kick-start our economy. Spreading out money that will be spent is what economists call increasing the “volatility of the dollar.” In other words the dollar has to keep changing hands. When its changing hands, jobs are created, taxes are generated, and good things begin to happen. Everyone benefits.

We need Governor Bobby Jindal to share this same sense of urgency for economic recovery. As Louisiana’s legislative session begins, Governor Jindal wants to talk through the use of his renowned “bulleted list” of things he hopes to accomplish. The governor’s bulleted items include: reducing the size and improve the efficiency of government, creating another “new commission” to provide leadership in restructuring state institutions and programs, balancing the budget, and doing all of this with a new refreshingly open transparency. Where’s the talk about jobs, training, help to our state’s businesses. Where are the plans for economic recovery?

Hello Governor! The ship is sinking and you are busy planning the next cruise! You’re attempting to fix an old broken down boat. Making this junk more efficient and effective is a waste of time.  Pardon our naiveté, but exactly how does this stimulate the economy in the short-term? How does it provide a sense of security and optimism for the average citizen of Louisiana? Exactly which part of this gives us the “warm & fuzzy” feeling of economic security we yearn for? Does this give us the sense of relief that our jobs are secure? We don’t have the luxury of thinking long-term right now.  We’re worried about today and tomorrow. We need immediate help.

Senator Mary Landrieu recently announced the closure of the Weyerhaeuser Co. plants in Simsboro and Dodson. She indicated another 200 people in northern Louisiana could be without jobs in the near future. By Senator Landrieu’s estimation as many as 3,000 jobs had the potential to be lost in the north and central parts of the state. So Governor Jindal, as you head to Boston for your next presidential gig, please find a little time on the plane ride to sketch out an economic recovery plan for Louisiana. This economic plan should not just include New Orleans and Baton Rouge but in all parts of the state. Everyone in the state needs help.

Governor Jindal it’s time to stop the rhetoric and get to work on economy in Louisiana. If you want national front-page grapping attention then it’s time to do the things in Louisiana that will get their attention. Let them talk about our cranes in the sky and our shovels in the dirt. Let them envy economic development activities. Show them how you can drive collaboration with the legislature and local officials to achieve unbelievable accomplishments. Understand that if you don’t have a success story in Louisiana, then you don’t have a presidential launching pad in 2012!

Governor Jindal, we want you to have national fame and fortune. We want you to be the Boy Wonder that changed Louisiana for the better. We want the whole world talking about. That’s why we elected you. We believed that you could do the things to turn our beloved state around. We all ask you delay your national agenda, focus on our needs and show the citizens of Louisiana that you are indeed the governor we elected. Show the leadership the state so desperately needs. Take care of this economic crisis and your higher aspirations will all take care of themselves. We’ve got millions of dollars left-over from Katrina, HUD in New Orleans, and the surplus from last year’s budget. Combine those funds with President Obama’s stimulus package and together let’s get Louisiana moving. The jobs, families, and future of Louisiana are in your hands. Please don’t disappoint us.

Keeping Groceries on the Table: Louisiana’s Answer to the Economic Downturn

We can’t turn on the TV, open a newspaper, or listen to the radio without being bombarded with what our politicians call the “Economic Downturn.” They use this crisis as stage time to posture, pontificate, point fingers and in general look for someone to blame for this economic nightmare. If we talk to the Republicans, it’s the Democrats fault. And yes, just as you guessed, if we talk to the Democrats, it’s the Republicans fault. Do you really think the 2.6 million who lost their jobs in 2008 are concerned about who’s at fault? Since January 2009 we have added another 651,000 to the unemployment rolls. So while our federal, state, and local “leaders” fine-tune the Stimulus Plan that will solve all economic evils, how do we survive? How do we live until help (i.e. stimulus package) arrives? How do we, as they say in Louisiana “keep groceries on the table?” We certainly can’t pay for them with political rhetoric.

In Louisiana, we do things just a little bit different than everyone else. History has not been kind to us when others examine our politics, ethics, education, healthcare, and crime. In practically every measure of quality of life Louisiana maintains its position as last or near the bottom in most categories. It would therefore seem we would be the most unlikely State to have the wherewithal to handle the challenges these times bring.
The researchers, surveyors, and expert pollsters who put Louisiana last in all those categories may understand numbers, but they don’t understand people. Warren Buffett, the investor, venture capitalist explains that we should “beware of Geeks bearing formulas.” These are the “Geeks” that don’t understand the culture of the people in Louisiana. They don’t understand the love we have for God, family, and country. They don’t understand how we come together, share, and support each other in times of need.

I teach Entrepreneurship and each semester on the first day of class, I define entrepreneurship for my students. I ask them to consider it’s late at night and they are coming home from a great date. On their way home as they smile to themselves and relive the great time, they drift off the side of the road into a bayou. The bayou has been there for hundreds of years and is composed of layer upon layer of water and silt. Legend has it that cars and trucks have run in there before and never been found. As their car slowly begins to sink they reach for power window switch. Unfortunately once the battery is submerged in water it doesn’t work. The doors won’t open. Now reality sets in. Do they sit back and wait for the inevitable or does their true entrepreneurial spirit kick in? As a newly minted entrepreneur they kick the front window, the side windows, the back window, and the doors. They keep pulling, kicking, and doing everything possible and refuse to give in. Finally when the doors are covered with water and the pressure is neutralized they are able to open the door and escape. This is who we are in Louisiana. We find a way out and never consider giving up.

That’s sort of where we are today. We’re all inside the car and the economy is sinking around us. Even if Washington sent Louisiana relief monies tomorrow, could we survive until the state got it to us? Remember almost four years ago the state received around $74 million to build “Katrina Cottages.” They got the money and s till haven’t gotten it to those who need it. No one has moved in one yet. So what do we do, how do we survive, and how do we make sure this never happens again? What do we do when we finally realize the politicians we elected are clueless and really don’t have our best interest in mind?

We begin by looking in the mirror. The person you see is responsible for the survival and well-being of you and your family. It’s time to look deep into that mirror and remember what’s most important to you: God, family, and country. There’s no time for blame, there’s no time to point fingers, you can’t, time is of the essence. Now is the time to take the actions that have the greatest potential to keep the things near and dear to you safe and secure. Family, friends, relationships are what make Louisiana so unique. Now is the time to let them help.

Renew your faith, make commitments, not deals. Bring your family and friends closer together. Let them know things are tough. Let them know you are all in this together. Take those part-time jobs, cut the non-essentials, and throw nickels around as though they were manhole covers. If your job is not stable, network with friends, competitors, and other potential employers. Networking is always the best source for new employment opportunities. Know deep in your heart that although these times are tough, they will end. When they end you, your family, and friends will be stronger and better people for the struggle.

Finally do the things to ensure this never happens again. Hold your federal, state, and local leaders accountable. Write them, call them, email them and let them see and hear your frustrations. If on the other hand you are one of the fortunate ones not going through tough times, reach out for a friend, let them know you understand and will help in any way possible. Together we will get through these tough times. That’s what Louisiana and its people are truly all about.

New ULL President and a Time to Look Forward

During the search for a new president at ULL I stepped forward and said the things I felt needed to be said. These same thoughts were on the minds of many at the university and in the community. For me, it was not about the individual candidates, but rather about the process. I, like many others felt it was a foregone conclusion that T. Joe Savoie would be the next President of ULL. On Thursday, the UL System Board of Supervisors made it official. T. Joe Savoie will be the 6^th university president in the long history of our university.

While many of you may not know, I was born and raised in Louisiana. When I graduated from high school in 1968, my college of choice was USL. Although I did not get my undergraduate degree from USL, returning to ULL as a faculty member in 2000, for me was like a homecoming. I was coming back to a place I truly admire and appreciate. A place that I want to be a part of the evolving process that makes ULL more than just a regional campus, but one with National and International prominence. My small role as a member of the CajunBot team reaffirmed for me and others our ability to compete on the national level.

The decision has been made, the process is complete, and the time has come for us all to come together and provide incredible support for our new president, T. Joe Savoie. President Savoie will need this level of support to successfully lead us into the challenges of the 21^st century. These challenges will also require tremendous, unconditional support from faculty, students, and the community.

So, let me be one of the first to congratulate and welcome our new President. And let this be a call to arms for all our alumni and supporters. Together we can lead ULL to heights never imagined. It’s time for us as in a version of the words of President John F. Kennedy, “ask not what the university can do for us, but rather what can we do for the university.” Welcome back to our family, President Savoie.

Ron G. Cheek is an associate professor at ULL and welcomes your comments at rongcheek.com

Demand a Future for Our Children – In Louisiana

As a college professor, I teach primarily graduating seniors and graduate students. In my first class each semester I have students introduce themselves, tell the class where they are from, their major, and finally since graduation is just around the corner, “What will they do when they grow up?” While there are a few nervous chuckles, the underlying fact is rather frightening for everyone concerned, they really don’t know!

It is amazing how few have a plan for their future. But what they all have in common is anger and fear! They’re “angry” that they have spent four years (often more)of their lives, gone to class, studied, and done the right things to get their degrees. Now that it’s finally done, there aren’t any opportunities available in Louisiana that will reward them for their hard work. They “fear” that they will graduate and have to answer well-meaning family and friends when asked the invariable question, “Congratulations on your graduation, now what are your plans.”

This is my 8^th year a ULL and I spent over 5 years at UNO. For my 13 years at Louisiana universities (I spent 5 years out of state) I’ve heard this same story over and over! Actually twice a year, once from the Fall graduates and again from the Spring graduates. Most of you probably have sons, daughters, family or friends who have a loved one graduating from college either this semester or somewhere in the future. Whether or not these graduates and soon to be graduates tell you, they all have this same fear. From their perspectives they have two choices: take a job in Louisiana that pays considerably less or move to Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, or even Mississippi. Once they leave the state and establish new friends, start families at their new homes, and become secure in their jobs, the facts are clear, they won’t ever come back.

We as parents also feel a sense of failure. We promised them that if they would go to school, do the work, get the degree, a wonderful future would be there for their taking. We’ve made the sacrifices, they’ve made the sacrifices, and we are all faced with the fact – the great American dream for the educated in Louisiana has failed! The alternatives aren’t very good for either the parents or the kids. We don’t want them to move back home and they don’t want to move back home, but the move becomes a reality. Without a job they can’t afford health insurance or the payment on their student loans. So the financial tension increases for the entire family. Finally, out of frustration, they take a job far beneath their “presumed” qualifications. The jobs they are “forced to take” offers little future, little satisfaction, and a great deal of frustration.

So where did “We” go wrong? Why aren’t there jobs here? Who do we blame? Quite frankly, there is a direct correlation between opportunities and the reputation of our state. How many of us, based on the state’s reputation would move to Louisiana if we weren’t already here? How many of your friends from out of state have called and asked “What in the world is going on down there?” Our reputation for crime, corruption, and “good ole boy” politics has finally caught up with us. When companies stop coming and others begin to leave they take their jobs and ultimately our children with them.

My next three articles will be an expose titled “Saving Our Kids.” One will discuss Education, the second will discuss Economic Development and the third and final will discuss Government. I will describe in detail the steps that can be taken in each of these three areas to drive the changes necessary to keep our kids home and bring back those who have left.

ron g. cheek is a college professor and syndicated columnist. You comments are welcome at rongcheek.com

We’ve “Let the Good Times Roll” – Now We Pay the Price As Our Kids (& Grandchildren) Live Elsewhere

I was born in northern Louisiana, raised in southern Louisiana, and now work in southwest Louisiana. So for all practical purposes, I guess you could say, I am a “good ole Louisiana boy!” Last week my youngest daughter came into town from California for a wedding shower. She was one of eight bridesmaids giving a shower for her lifelong friend and former sorority sister from LSU. The shower was coordinated at the Thanksgiving holidays for a reason. All eight bridesmaids and the bride live and work out of town!

All these young ladies bleed Purple & Gold and proudly carry their Louisiana and LSU pride wherever they go. For my daughter, living in Los Angles and dealing with the Southern California crowd hasn’t always been easy. But in the good times and bad, everyone knows she is a LSU graduate, born and raised in Louisiana. When the football season is over, the day-to-day realities of life for her set in. Louisiana does not today and can’t for the foreseeable future offer the opportunities that will allow her, her friends, and her future family to live here. None one of these eight bright young ladies wants to live outside of Louisiana. They were born and raised in Louisiana and were spoiled with the wonderful cultures, cuisines, histories, and just great, real nice good people. And yes, they truly love their families!

We all know what family means in Louisiana. We all know with any hope whatsoever and only as a last resort would anyone leave Louisiana. Our young have no alternative, the opportunities are not here. For all you Mothers, Fathers, Grandmothers, and Grandfathers, this should ring a loud resounding alarm. Your kids and ultimately your grandkids won’t live here! They will live far away, maybe come home for holidays and maybe not. As they and their children get older, they will have established friends and lives in some place other than Louisiana. Someplace where you don’t want them to be and they don’t want to be. But once anchored there, sadly they will never return.

Unless you are from Louisiana, no one truly understands what it means to be from Louisiana. Try listening to Randy Newman’s song “Louisiana” without coming to the verge of tears. Sit down for a minute and try to write a short paragraph explaining to someone from somewhere else what makes Louisiana and its people so wonderful. Words and songs just don’t do us justice. If you haven’t lived here, “you just don’t understand!”

Some of our best friends who live North Carolina grew up in New Orleans and St. Bernard Parish (their families lost everything in Katrina). They left us 15 years ago. When they left, they promised to come back as soon as things got better in Louisiana. Fifteen years later, their kids and their kids’ friends are all in North Carolina. One is a law school graduate of Notre Dame (we won’t hold that against him) and the other works in the pharmaceutical industry. Their “friends” are not from Louisiana, but rather from North Carolina. When they get married and settled down, they will settle down in North Carolina. We have finally faced the inevitable, they are not coming back!

Our children and grandchildren are leaving Louisiana. Not merely for better opportunities, but in many cases, just opportunities. While we laugh about the “Good Ole Boy” politics in Louisiana, yet we continue to recycle the same old politicians. Many of these Good Ole Boys are forced by term-limits to put on new “hats.” Perhaps we should pause for a moment and think about what we’re doing. Look in the mirror and understand the hard facts: we are last in everything that counts – education, healthcare, and ethics. We are first in all the things that don’t really matter – crime, corruption, ethics, and everything else that makes us the laughing stock of everyone else. What was once a joke is no longer a laughing matter!

Disgusted with our past, we’ve elected Bobby Jindal and put him in charge of straightening this mess out. Bobby is coming into town on his white horse driving change in every part of state government. We don’t have to look very far back for our last savior, Buddy Roemer. He also was a bright young man trying to accomplish the honorable and right things that would make Louisiana a better place. After four years, his final scorecard was pretty ugly: Good Ole Boys – 100, Buddy Roemer – 0. He didn’t get a second chance. With Jindal, we’ve got a second chance. He can’t do it alone. When the Good Ole Boys raise their ugly head, and they will, Jindal cannot fight the battle alone. It will be each and everyone’s responsibilities to write the letters, send the emails, make the phone calls and hold these Good Ole Boys accountable, accountable for the fact that you will have to travel to see your kids and grandchildren, accountable that there are not jobs and opportunities here for them, and finally accountable for the overall mess in which we find ourselves. We’ve lost one generation, let’s don’t lose another!

ron g. cheek is an entrepreneur professor and welcomes your comments and questions at rongcheek.com

ULL President Anointment Time – The Bright Lights Come On, Search Committee Runs for Cover

Let’s see if we can get the timeline straight – that is from the UL System perspective. Governor Blanco announces in March she will not seek reelection. In late April Dr. Ray Authement, longtime ULL president announces his retirement. The UL System begins a nationwide, intense search to find the new, innovative leader for ULL. (*Note* – Faculty, staff, and others connected have a little different perspective – hell or high water, the “new” president will be a longtime insider, anointed by the “Good Ole Boys.” Everyone agrees it will be either T. Joe Savoie or Steve Landry.)

UL System President Sally Clausen decides to employ an “innovative approach” where everything is fully transparent. This approach publishes complete personal and professional information for each candidate on the system’s website. The public can go to the website and review each candidate’s letter of application and their complete academic vita. Folks, let’s get real here! Was this an effort towards transparency or merely a stunt to ensure that no truly qualified candidate would apply? Sure enough, September rolls along and 28 people have applied for the position. But, shock of all shocks, no insiders! Just as the deadline draws to a close, out comes the white horses and capes and in comes the saviors – T. Joe Savoie and Steve Landry charge to the finish line and apply just as the curtain closes! Everyone is shocked – not really, remember, ULL is in Lafayette, LA.

Not to fear, five finalists are selected. Back to the shock factor – two are insiders, Savoie and Landry. When the interviews are held on campus Savoie explains that he is not completely sure that he doesn’t want to keep his old job rather than this new one (sounds like a hedge to keep his safety net in place). Landry when asked if he would try to keep his current job (Academic Vice President) if he doesn’t get the president’s job, gives some explanation about not closing doors (back to the hedging techniques).

Finally, its decision time for the UL System, they have to submit a name to the UL System Board of Supervisors. Two of the five finalists made the search committee’s job a little less complicated, they removed their names from consideration. But by now, something strange is going on, faculty, business leaders, alumni and others in the Acadiana region are beginning to question the entire search process. Has this been a farce all along, was it merely an anointment process, or is there a legitimate search going on? In one of my earlier notes, I explained how many often say the worst thing about Lafayette is that it is in Louisiana. Well, it appears some of the folks in Lafayette don’t seem to want to go along with the “Good Ole Boys” approach to a ULL presidential search. Just as others in our state bleed Purple & Gold, the UL supporters truly bleed Red! The decision on this new president will impact their lives, current and future students, and others for years to come.

This was the situation facing the search committee when having to make a decision on their nominee to the UL System Board of Supervisors. And like many other appointed public bodies in Louisiana, when facing a controversial decision, they made the hard call – they did nothing! They merely passed the “hot potato” on to the UL System Board of Supervisors by sending the last three candidates standing – one outsider and two insiders on to the “big guys.” If Las Vegas was taking odds on this “race,” where do you think the odds would be?

Let’s get real. In April everyone knew the outcome of the “search” would result in the anointment of an insider. Months later, after wasting a tremendous amount of time and money, we find ourselves right back where we started, anointing an insider. Governor-elect Bobby Jindal talks change, accountability, and ethics. Bobby, this is your first opportunity. Stop this farce, demand a legitimate search and let’s get a world class leader and launch ULL into the 21^st century.

First Anoint the University President – Then Conduct the Nationwide Search, Just Making Gumbo in Louisiana

Louisiana has its own unique way of doing things. Historians describe Huey Long’s eccentric activities as the “Louisiana Hayride.” The 21^st century version of Huey’s Louisiana Hayride at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL) is called a nationwide search for a university president. ULL (remember it’s in Louisiana) has taken the gumbo approach in its “search” for its next president. For those non-Cajun chefs, here’s the recipe: Just as in any great Louisiana gumbo, you put in some specially selected spices (insiders), add the typical ingredients found in normal kitchens (outsiders) and begin the cooking process.

Just to make sure the truly qualified outsiders don’t apply, you let everyone know that their resumes will be posted online for the entire universe (and their current employers) to see that they have applied. Unlike most gumbo recipes, the ULL president search uses the “fast cook” approach. Here’s the gumbo cooking timeline:

• March 2007, Governor Blanco announces that she will not seek reelection.
  
• April 27^th ULL President Ray Authement announces he will retire (many question as to whether he was “nudged/encouraged” out by the governor).
  
• June 21^st, the Board of Regents (we’ll discuss them later) ask for the public’s input for ULL’s president search.
  
• September 12^th another public hearing is held for input and a deadline for applications is set for October 1^st.
  
• Early December is established as the target date for the selection of the new president of ULL.
  
• It is important to note that Governor-elect Bobby Jindal takes over in mid-January and gets to make the final decision on the ULL presidency if he or she has not already been anointed by Governor Blanco.
  
• With this timeline, Dr. Authement, the nation’s longest serving president of a public university (34 years) will be replaced with a selection process that takes approximately 75 days from the application deadline.
  

The Governor is the chef and her Board of Supervisors are charged making certain the gumbo is cooked just right! The members of the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System (ULS) are responsible for interviewing and selecting the presidents of universities in their systems. The members of the Board of Supervisors are appointed and serve at the pleasure of the Governor. Governor Blanco and her husband Raymond “Coach” Blanco are lifelong residents of Lafayette and the Acadiana region. It is generally understood that the Blancos plan on retiring in Lafayette. It is also acknowledged that they plan on maintaining an active role at ULL. The governor’s husband, Coach Blanco, is the long-time vice president of student affairs at the university. He received a tremendous amount of attention during his wife’s run for governor. Former Louisiana Governor Mike Foster explained “that he (Coach) is a driving force behind his wife’s political life and would be the most powerful man in the state if she won.” If they are able to play a role in the “anointing the future president of ULL,” the Blancos will without a doubt retain considerable influence at ULL.

Several faculty members and others in the community raised their concerns as to whether there would be a genuine search for a new president. As early as April, rumors began to circulate about of three “insider” candidates were rumored for the president’s position. The three insiders were T. Joe Savoie, Steve Landry, and Jimmy Clarke. The first, T. Joe Savoie, currently the Commissioner of Louisiana’s Higher Education grew up in the Acadiana region, received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from ULL, and before taking his current job, was a long-term employee in administration at ULL (1978 – 1996). Steve Landry, currently Vice President Academic Affairs at ULL has a Masters and Ph.D. from ULL. He has been at the university for over 37 years. The final “insider,” Jimmy Clarke, after many years in administration at ULL, currently serves as Governor Blanco’s chief-of-staff. While he chose not to apply for the position, he is rumored to have a position in the administration at ULL should either of the two “insiders” be selected. All three insiders have worked at ULL under Coach Blanco and are informally known as “the Blanco boys.” If chosen as the new president of ULL, it is commonly agreed that they will be coming back, once again to work for Coach!

In a state renowned for political corruption, the entire process has the smell, feel, and legitimacy of just more of the “good ole boy” Louisiana politics. In the last few days before the deadline for applications, two insiders (Savoie and Landry) submitted their application packages. Two days later, when the Board of Supervisors met, it took them a mere two hours to narrow the field of potential candidates from 38 to 5 (with 2 insiders). The question on minds of faculty, staff and members of the community was fairly simple, “Is a genuine search being conducted, or is this just the crowning of a predetermined anointed insider?”

Governor Blanco, President Authement, Coach Blanco, T. Joe Savoie, Steve Landry and many others have dedicated their lives to making ULL a fine university with unlimited potential. Together, they have positioned the university with the structural and financial resources required to lead us into the 21^st century. But true innovation requires fundamental change. Merely anointing an “insider” based on past performance ensures “in-breeding” or in other words, more of the same. Let’s celebrate their accomplishments but also recognize the need for fresh, innovative leadership.

When Governor Blanco was elected, she took most of the “Blanco Boys” with her to Baton Rouge to run the State of Louisiana. Only time will be the judge of their efforts. But now, as she retires to Lafayette, the perfect recipe for her gumbo would be the anointment of her “Blanco Boys” as the new leaders at ULL. The price of this gumbo is much too high for students, faculty, staff, and members of the ULL community.

Governor-elect Bobby Jindal based his campaign on change. Jindal and one of the “Blanco Boys,” T. Joe Savoie worked together in former Governor Foster’s administration. In spite of their past relationship, it’s time for Jindal to make the hard choices and remove the cloud of an “insider” anointment at ULL. A new truly qualified president at ULL has the potential to position the university as a leader in education, technology, and innovation into the 21^st century. Voters in Louisiana elected Jindal on a platform for change, ULL is one of his first opportunities to put into practice his promises. Will he step up, take a leadership role and stop this charade? Or was his campaign just more of the same old Louisiana recipe for gumbo?

ron g cheek is an associate professor in the department of management at ULL. Your comments are welcome at www.rongcheek.com

 

Jindal Elected on Platform of Change: Does He Define Change as Loading His Administration with Good Ole Boys, Term-Limited Legislatures, & the Rich

Seems like it was only a few weeks ago that we heartily endorsed Bobby Jindal’s platform of ethical reform and change from the old ways in Baton Rouge. His platform promised change in the way Louisiana politics have historically been run. Yet as he puts together his organization, it appears that his model for change begins with “good ole boys, term-limited legislators, and wealthy well-connected insiders.

One of his first moves, to get the pulse of the legislature, he has consulted with former House Speaker Charlie DeWitt, D-Alexandra. DeWitt, term limited, searching for ways to stay “inside the circle” in Baton Rouge, seems to have found a willing ear in Jindal. DeWitt is the same legislature that was an outspoken critic against the passage of ethical reform in the state legislature. He personally paid a $5,000 fine to resolve an ethics problem he had with the ownership of race horses. Is Jindal naïve enough to think he can “out politic” these long-term Baton Rouge insiders?

Another early selection by Jindal was Dennis Stine, Commissioner of Administration from 1988 – 1992.  Stine served as the Commissioner of Administration from 1988 to 1992. He also served two terms as a state legislator, was a former member of the Louisiana Health Care Authority, and was a Port Director for the Port of Lake Charles. Stine will serve as chair of Government and Fiscal Reform Transition and Advisory Council. Obviously, Jindal sees this background as providing a “new approach” to government in Baton Rouge.

Jim Brandt was chosen as the vice chair. Does Brandt’s 30 years of governmental experience in Baton Rouge make him uniquely qualified for Jindal’s “new” ethical reform incentives?  Will his experience as the president of Public Affairs Research Council (PAR) and CEO of the Bureau of Governmental Research in New Orleans (another ethical center in Louisiana) really offer a map for change? We all realize the tremendous shortage of attorneys in Louisiana. Perhaps this is why Jindal chose to “recycle” Chaney Joseph, Jr. to help setup the Governor’s Executive Counsel Office. Chaney held the same position in the Mike Foster administration. Does this mean change occurs when you skip four years or one administration?

So, we could go on and on, but the trend seems somewhat familiar for longtime Louisiana voters. Isn’t the definition of insanity – “keep doing the same thing and expect change?” Bobby, we are all on your side, give us the actions that support why we voted for you. Do the things that will truly drive change in Louisiana. Let’s just do the opposite of what these insiders have done in the past and change will take care of itself.

Come back next week for an update on the ULL President’s Search (anointment)

Ron g cheek is a college professor of Entrepreneurship, your comments are welcome at www.rongcheek.com

Honeymoon Over for Jindal

For newly-elected Governor Bobby Jindal, getting 54% of the popular vote for an unprecedented first primary win was the easy part. The tough job will be convincing the state legislatures to buy into his vision of for change. Jindal’s vision should be fairly easy to accomplish. Driving change will be fairly simple. All that will be required is to just do the opposite of what we’ve been doing for decades and change will occur. In my Entrepreneurship classes we often talk about change in terms of “insanity.” Our definition of insanity is fairly simple – “keep doing what you’ve been doing and expect things to change!” “Insanity” does a fairly good job of describing our state government in Baton Rouge over the past few decades.

When the voters of Louisiana embarrassed our state politicians into passing the term-limits legislation, voters naively assumed that the “good ole boy” network after a few election cycles would take care of itself. With term-limits, they could hang around for two terms but would then go back to their day jobs. This would eliminate lifetime politicians and keep new fresh thoughts in Baton Rouge (think change!).

But just as water finds cracks to slip through, many of the state politicians found the “cracks” to slide through. Rather than considering term limits as the end of their careers, they merely used it as a mandate to change positions with their cronies. It became a “you take my place, and I’ll take yours.” Same “good ole boys,” just different chairs and different hats! They didn’t change their politics, just their titles. Voters didn’t see this as an issue and continued voting for the “same good ole boys.” Why wouldn’t the “good ole boys” see this as an endorsement to continue their same old ways (insanity)? Now, faced with the possibility of having no place to go after the next two terms, perhaps their goals become short-term. Do they focus on change or merely continue legislation whose impact is the enrichment of their families and cronies.

How many of our “new state senators” were our old “state representatives?” Could it be we have just recycled the “good ole boys” in new positions? If we take into consideration the non-term limited and add in the recycled we can then understand Jindal’s challenge. Historically in Louisiana, voters cast their ballot, get out of the way, complain about politics in Baton Rouge, do nothing and then cast their votes for the same guys four years later. If we truly want change, Governor Jindal can’t do it by himself. The voters of Louisiana, can’t wait four years, they have got to get involved on a day-by-day, issue-by-issue basis. They have got to hold the “good ole boys” feet to the fire. The voters embarrassed them into term-limits, it may take the same tactics to “embarrass them into change!’

Ron Cheek (ron@rongcheek.com)

You comments and thoughts are welcome