It was appalling to learn that in the State House Appropriations Committee last week, Rep. Joe Harrison recommended, and the committee voted by a wide margin, to strip full funding for the state Office of Inspector General.
Although Gov. Buddy Roemer established the office in 1988 to ferret out corruption and abuse, it was Gov. Bobby Jindal, when he became governor in 2008, who sought to make the office permanent by establishing the office of the state OIG in state statute. This is the only state office where citizens can make complaints about waste, fraud and abuse in state government
In 2008, Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans worked with a broad-based statewide coalition of civic and business organizations, as well as reform-minded elected and appointed officials to secure this office in state statute, and to support the governor’s reform package
We call on Gov. Jindal and the state legislators to reinstate the full funding for the office. Only if this happens will the citizens of our state be assured that the reforms in place will have any meaning at all.
Ruthie Frierson, founder and chairwoman
Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans
New Orleans
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