| UPDATE: Found out some VERY interesting information about All Children Matter, courtesy of YRHT.
Today, the House passed HR 69, which sought to ban all tobacco products from the State Capital Building that was allocated to the House. In other words, if the space belongs to the House, y'all can't use any tobacco products. The Advocate had an article about the vote today, and while they mentioned that Governor PBJ's Chief of Staff, Timmy Teepell is a tobacco chewer, they missed the whole story:
Another tobacco chewer who has drawn notice is Gov. Bobby Jindal's chief of staff, Timmy Teepell, who sometimes totes a cup with him while watching House proceedings.
"You know, we have some chewers up on the fourth floor," said Rep. James Armes, D-Leesville, a reference to the floor in the capitol that houses many of the governor's offices.
You see, this was a move by the House to tell Teepell to go f&^% himself. The interesting thing about this bill is that not only did Karen Carter Peterson pen the bill, but Speaker Jim Tucker is listed as a co-author of the legislation. This was payback, pure and simple. For what, you ask?
Keep on reading!
Last week, there was a controversial radio ad that was on the air in New Orleans that attacked Democratic State Rep. Karen Carter Peterson for not supporting Governor PBJ's ill-advised support for school vouchers. The ad was put on the air by All Children Matter, a national advocacy group that is anti-public education in that they support "school choice" iniatives. Pray tell, who is behind All Children Matter? Oyster over at YRHT outed it last fall, and Jeremy Alford sums it up quite nicely:
Besides the group's support of Jindal in 2007, Phillip Stutts, a consultant to ACM's Louisiana chapter, managed Jindal's gubernatorial campaign in 2003. Richard DeVos, the retired president of Amway who created ACM, donated nearly $20,000 to Jindal's campaign last year - with the help of family members.
Interestingly enough, the Louisiana chapter endorsed Mrs. Carter Peterson for re-election last fall. Yet last week, they aired this doozy:
"Almost every New Orleans leader is working for our recovery. But one politician is trying to block a plan to give our kids a better opportunity for a quality education. . . . Call Karen Carter Peterson today . . . Tell her to stand up for our kids and support the scholarship plan."
That's how they are selling this to black voters - a scholarship program. What they don't tell you is how taking money away from public education improves the public school system. Then again, proponents of school vouchers never do.
But that's beside the point ... Mrs. Carter Peterson believes that the Governor, and Teepell, are behind the ad:
Peterson blamed the ad on Jindal and his chief of staff Timmy Teepell, and got some support from other lawmakers who say the administration is using strong-arm tactics to win passage of the controversial House Bill 1347 by Rep. Austin Badon, D-New Orleans
Those strong-arm tactics? The News Star reported on them last week:
"It's vouchers disguised by the scholarship name," [Democratic State Rep. Bobby] Badon [D-Carencro] said. "I was told that if I don't support the governor on this, I may not bring projects home."
I am reminded of that old cliche ... the more things change, the more they stay the same!
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