Letter: Get off governor’s back

Well, you have finally pushed me to respond to your Jindal-bashing stories. To wake up on a Sunday morning and see the headlines reporting how many times Gov. Bobby Jindal was out of state was disgusting. How dare he engage in his Republican politics?

Did any of you ever count how many days our president was not in Washington, D.C., during the last year while campaigning to and for Democrats. Maybe it would be easier to count how many days he was in Washington.

Oh, and did you ever total the cost to the taxpayers for all of his trips?. Just his golfing fling to Florida and his family’s fling to Colorado for skiing this past weekend far surpassed all of Gov. Jindal’s spending for probably all his years in office.

This country has so many problems that need fixing and need to be reported on, but this newspaper focuses inordinately on negative Jindal stories.

We have seen Barack Obama’s efforts to totally trash the Republican Party, and your newspaper falls right in line in trying to do the same thing. Whether you realize it or not, Gov. Jindal was elected twice in a state that votes predominantly Republican. Your efforts would better serve your readership if all major news stories were reported in an unbiased manner.

linda caillouet

homemaker

Baton Rouge

Comments

1) Comment by gjnyc - 23/02/2013

Linda you are an Idiot. Bush took more vacation days than Obama. Stick to your homemaking skills please

2) Comment by GardenVariety - 22/02/2013

And writing an accusatory letter for mass publication filled with rhetorical fallacies is civil. Oh, yeah, being patronizing is civil discourse, too. Whatever, dudes. Civil discourse would be great, but it requires everyone agreeing to follow the same rules and operate in good faith. This is 21st-century America--a society that really isn't one, much less a civil one.

3) Comment by whodat70816 - 22/02/2013

So Linda is entitled to her opinion, write it in a letter to the editor for publication.....and everyone else should keep their opinions about Linda to themselves....got it!

4) Comment by HerbF - 22/02/2013

Notauser: I think most agree with you. Let's keep it civil. The insults say more about the people making them than the target for which they were intended.

5) Comment by Notauser - 22/02/2013

Guys, there is no reason to insult Linda. She has her opinion and is entitled to give it. If you disagree then state your reason for disagreeing, but insults give no basis for anyone to disagree with her. I happen to think Linda is off base to say The Advocate is picking on Bobby because he is a Republican. Having observed the Advocate for decades I firmly believe they seek to pick on every governor. Edwards was a punching bag for them and he wasn't a Republican. On the other hand they did tend to be a bit soft on Treen, but I suspect they picked on him as much as they could.

6) Comment by 1ryben - 22/02/2013

It's certainly more work for the principals. No doubt. But for the teachers, not so much. At least not for me.

7) Comment by HerbF - 22/02/2013

Tryben: What you say may be true, but the evaluations are both new, and much more work. One vice principal told me her first one took six hours, but she had since gotten it down to four hours. That's a lot of extra work on an already heavy workload. There is seemingly always an extra hours school event that they must attend. Then they added the teacher evaluation hours.

8) Comment by whodat70816 - 22/02/2013

I don't think Linda heard Jindal when he said they had to stop being the "stupid" party. If she had, she never would have written this letter.

9) Comment by unevahno - 22/02/2013

President Obama and the majority of American citizens (remember who won the election, Linda?) don't try and trash the GOP or make them look a bit slow. We just watch and laugh as they do it to themselves. Please stop getting your "news" from the Onion.

10) Comment by Warp7 - 21/02/2013

Wow, a big time Jindal supporter complaining about how he is being treated. Apparently the truth hurts!

11) Comment by 1ryben - 21/02/2013

@HerbF, not to get off topic, but the problem with the teacher evaluation system is not that it is more work for the teachers. (It's not, really) the problem is that it is deeply flawed. It produces wildly erratic results. It does not measure what it sets out to measure. It negates all that teachers do and puts all worth on one test. It forces a narrowing of the curriculum. Etc.

12) Comment by HerbF - 21/02/2013

President Obama doesn't have to do anything to trash the Republican Party. All he needs to do is not interrupt them. >>>> Govenor Jindal is very obviously building a national "recognition" with his travel. And, he's doing it at the expense of the state. >>>>>He has made two major blunders so far: 1. The teacher "evaluations" which require so much more work on the backs of teachers with an already heavy work load. This has resulted in a very large number of retirements of veteran teachers. It has been a disaster., and, 2. he has refused to allow Louisiana to join certain provisions of the Affordable Care Act, thus costing medical coverage for many people and federal funds which would help us greatly. And, he's doing it to make a political statement. Seriously, he puts the "stupid" in the "stupid" party.

13) Comment by wadep66 - 21/02/2013

What does Jindal's behavior and actions have to do with Obama's? Absolutely nothing. This brought to you by the same people who had to go back and bring up Kennedy at Chappaquiddick to justify Cheney shooting someone in the face. How infantile. How about a discussion based on facts and validated truths instead of the partisan name-calling that gets regurgitated over and over? I keep hoping I'll find it on here.

14) Comment by Protean - 21/02/2013

Since I'm boosting your ego so much, let me commend your cut- and-paste skills. You do it with such ... passion! But given the topic of your Wiki tidbit, shouldn't you worry that one of your ideological clones will begin squeaking some whackobabble about psychobabble? Well, since we're already deep into that territory, why shouldn't I play the cut-and-paste game as well. Here you go. Right-wingedness, distilled to it's essence: Authoritarian Personality Disorder -- The authoritarian personality does not want to give orders, their personality type wants to take orders. People with this type of personality seek conformity, security, stability. They become anxious and insecure when events or circumstances upset their previously existing world view. They are very intolerant of any divergence from what they consider to be the normal (which is usually conceptualized in terms of their religion, race, history, nationality, culture, language, etc.) They tend to be very superstitious and lend credence to folktales or interpretations of history that fit their preexisting definitions of reality (thus the Founding Fathers of the US are conceptualized of as supporters of white nationalism.) They think in extremely stereotyped ways about minorities, women, homosexuals, etc. They are thus very dualistic- the world is conceived in terms of absolute right (their way) Vs. absolute wrong (the "other" whether African American, liberal, intellectual, feminist, etc.) ----- Now it's your turn" "buh, buh, buh ... whaddaboudobama?" Go for it, little fella.

15) Comment by Protean - 21/02/2013

Whatnow, I'm pleased that I can make you feel at least somewhat useful and validated; you do seem rather needy. Conversely, with your ongoing tales of might and prowess -- anything from your boundless altruism and generosity (better watch it; you could become one of those who "tick you off" so much) to your ability to fend off marauding hordes and government ninjas with nothing more than a few mumbled magic spells and your trusty AR-15 -- you demonstrate that not everyone who calls himself a conservative is blessed with maturity and self-confidence. As for your favorite cliches, here we see "if you can't take it..." from the same individual who throws internet tantrums about "intellectual bullying" and "big words". The irony is rivaled only by the pathos.

16) Comment by twinkie1cat - 21/02/2013

Thank you sqpr. And not only may he never be president, but he must be kept out of ALL federal offices and Congress as well. We need to be working hard as individuals and groups to spread the word about him NOW, before election time so he doesn't pull a slick. Let the real people of Louisiana roar like a tiger.

17) Comment by twinkie1cat - 21/02/2013

Our dictator needs to be held accountable because he is a terrible governor who is destroying Louisiana. And if the media does not hold him accountable, who will? Certainly not the department heads and legislative committee members he fires for daring to disagree with him. John White who is helping him destroy the schools? Not at $250,000 per year and not even a real teacher. Not BESE which he packed with his clones so he could destroy education. How about his overpaid staff. Nope. They are too afraid of losing their jobs. The state legislature is infested with Republicans who will protect him without consideration to the damage he has done. It is the job of the media to tell the truth about Jindal since he won't be honest himself. Bobby Jindal is a Republican snob who cares about nothing but himself and his political future. I wonder if his wife and kids even like him. Go Advocate Go!

18) Comment by Scrooge - 21/02/2013

A charge of elitism means you have lost the argument and really have nothing of significance to add. I absolutely agree, this is a waste of time. Goodbye.

19) Comment by Scrooge - 21/02/2013

Ph.D.'s "can't even hold a conversation" Maybe there was recognition of cognitive problems regarding a certain party's said attempts at conversation, rendering the attempt futile since "making sense" is quite subjective, depending on the mind of the beholder? If conservative social Darwinism is a model and the proverbial "picking oneself up by one's bootstraps" is true, than laziness might be a reason and excuse, causing the intellectual class envy. Wouldn't resentment of wealth and financial achievement be the same categorically? Converse with this.

20) Comment by Whatnow - 21/02/2013

Protean, I have never felt inferior in my life. Heck, you liberal jump on my every statement and it makes me feel honored that I must tick you off. That's my purpose here, so I must be succeeding. LOL! My philosophy is this..."If you can't take it, don't dish it out" and "If the shoe fits, wear it." And one thing I noticed about liberals is this, while they are accusing someone of something, they are guilty of the same thing or worse. Superiority complex refers to a subconscious neurotic mechanism of compensation developed by the individual as a result of feelings of inferiority. The feelings of inferiority in this specific complex are often brought on by social rejection, possibly as a result of the individual's inattentiveness to hygiene, appearance, or lower intelligence as compared to others. -Wikipedia

21) Comment by crabby - 21/02/2013

I am totally with you Linda, I shudder to think how screwed up this state would be if Boobie showed up to work evey day. The more he's not around the less damage he can do.

22) Comment by billynurse - 21/02/2013

I remember vividly the Banana-Republic of the Eddie Edwards regime. Of course he was given a pass , being a democrat....Reminds me of someone else nowadays...hmm.

23) Comment by prbeav - 21/02/2013

I'd like to know what Ms caillouet expects from the newspaper. I am grateful for every fact the Advocate publishes, because without it, I would have no basis for forming opinion, which I must form in the absence of the objective truth. And goodness knows, if I asked for the facts, I'd face the response, "On what authority do you ask." My response, "I am a registered voter would not suffice.">>>>My only complaint about the article is that I had to do my own math to get the percentage of time Jindal has been AWoL. It is 84 of 250 days, or 34%. At that rate, when his 8 years are over, he'll owe us--Louisiana--2.7 man-years. Hopefully, he will not try to repay it.

24) Comment by chem - 21/02/2013

Piyush has never had an original idea. Everything he “comes up with” is based on bills drafted by ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council), funded by large corporations, many of whom have left ALEC over public pressure, and the extreme right wing Koch brothers. Every thing he has pushed in Louisiana came directly from the ALEC playbook. The same has happened to several states where the GOP right-wingers have taken over state governments. Piyush is bringing LA to its knees and LA may be down and out for the count by the end of his second term. As far as his national aspirations, he hasn’t a chance. For Piyush to tell the GOP to stop being stupid is truly like the pot calling the kettle black. National media have, and are continuing to run stories about how Piyush has ruined Louisiana. Everything from vouchers to gutting public education, to draining the resources for higher education, and now this stupid tax proposal.

25) Comment by Protean - 21/02/2013

Whatnow, you really are stuck with the "wuh, wuh, wuh ... whaddaboutobama" whine, aren't you, even though the same thoughtless inversions can easily and just as effectively be applied to any of your lords of the right wing. I'm curious. Why are you so jealous towards those who are smarter than you. Is it because there are so many of them, or is it because anyone who can carry on a conversation that isn't pre-approved by your media authorities gives you ... what is it called ... an inferiority complex?

26) Comment by DMJ - 21/02/2013

Jdk, you don't hear me complaining about the media whenever I see a story I don't like either, now do you? Right. And I only bring up Jindal when appropriate and relevant. Try again.

27) Comment by Whatnow - 21/02/2013

GardenVariety, the same thing could be said about Obama and for those who voted for him twice. Thanks for less than nothing, GV. I have worked with dozens of PhD's who do not have a lick of common sense, Scrooge. They can't even hold a conversation. I have also talked with people who try to flaunt their intelligence with big words, but only make sense to themselves. It's called a superiority complex.

28) Comment by phil - 21/02/2013

Yes, we have politicians going all over the place, including Mayors who go to China, etc. It is really confusing who is really running what and who pays for all of the trips.

29) Comment by jdk944 - 21/02/2013

@DMJ, you have a lot of room to talk. Your Democrat National Party platform slant, that you promote and provide every chance you get, leaves you hardly one to be called non biased or objective!!

30) Comment by DMJ - 21/02/2013

Typical conservative whining. If you don't like the story, just claim bias. And if your party is made to look bad (by their own actions or by the "biased" media) just bring up Obama...blah, blah, blah... So much for the GOP not being the stupid party anymore.

31) Comment by postscript56 - 21/02/2013

Idi Amin? Is that a reference to Obama because, uh... well, I guess because they're both black? 'Cause they have nothing else in common. RGW, what the heck are you talking about? A dictatorship? Oh yeah we all got together the other night and the first thing someone said was "We want a dictatorship!" and everybody else said "Right On" and "Groovy." Then we all smoked a blunt and whined about not getting our government checks. RGW, you shoulda been there. We misssed you.

32) Comment by [e-mail] - 21/02/2013

Poor, poor Democrats; never happy. No matter how much they get to spend and what they rule it's never enough and nothing is ever their fault; they're always running and fighting against evil forces that are so nebulous that they take on different forms from one crisis to another. What they really want is a dictatorship with their own Idi Amin.

33) Comment by Marvin6 - 21/02/2013

What does Jindal's neglect for the people have to do with Obama? If you are making comparisons George W. Bush holds the record for most time off among the presidents. Did you complain about that?

34) Comment by Bouncer - 21/02/2013

Who was it that said something about his party being "the stupid party"? The "party" is no more than the sum total of its leaders and constituents.

35) Comment by spqr - 21/02/2013

Soryy, Linda. We're staying on the governor's back until we break it. And Piyush will never be president.

36) Comment by Hello Baton Rouge - 21/02/2013

Apples to apples would have been "... how many times Obama was out of the country".... not sure how she doesn't realize that.

37) Comment by potkcalb - 21/02/2013

And do you agree Ms Caillouet with Governor Jindal's initiative to infuse religion into science classes thereby making a mockery of both religion and science?

38) Comment by Bighug - 21/02/2013

I didn't vote for Obama, but when it comes to trashing the other party, the GOP wins hands-down. Obama has been accused based on what his Christian minister said one day, and accused of being a Muslim the next. Now they are saying he is bad because he played a round of golf with Tiger Woods, and Woods cheated on his wife.

39) Comment by Scrooge - 20/02/2013

Why do so many Jindal advocates express their written thought at an adolescent high school freshman level? Why does a self professed conservative and GOP mentality have a rigid, inherent need to blame scapegoats to justify the the absence of scrutiny? Shouldn't all elected officials be subject to public scrutiny and criticism? Coherence is a stretch, surely it is not the fine Louisiana educational system's fault which is getting worse with the ministrations of reformers, see, reform doesn't necessarily mean better.

40) Comment by swinham - 20/02/2013

Ms. Caillouet has the right to express her opinion, but unfortunately her assertion that " this newspaper focuses inordinately on negative Jindal stories" is simply false and her comments about President Obama make no sense.

41) Comment by healthbudget - 20/02/2013

Looks like Ms. Cailouet needs to go back and take Civics 101. last I checked, a Governor was a state elected position that represents the constituents of their state. The president is elected nationally to represent their nation in both domestic and international affairs (not the District of Columbia).

42) Comment by 1ryben - 20/02/2013

Non-biased does not mean equal treatment. You see, just because The Advocate, or any news organization prints something about one candidate, or one party, does not obligate them to print something about the other. If one side says or does something newsworthy it is journalistic responsibility to report said news. Nothing in the Advocate's reporting seems to be false. The letter writer does not debate the truthfulness of the reporting. Only claiming bias because they didn't also point the finger at the other side. The topic of the article had absolutely nothing to do with Obama. I'm fairly certain if you were to comb through the archives, the Advocate has been critical of Obama as well. Lets not forget that The Advocate is a local paper. Shouldn't they allocate resources to local news? Republicans and the Conservatives may lend themselves to greater credibility with the moderate crowd if they'd look inward and quit trying to blame the media for their ills.

43) Comment by GardenVariety - 20/02/2013

Still doesn't justify Jindal's abysmal, destructive tenure as governor. Does indicate the sort of mentality of those who'd vote for Guvvy Bubby twice. Thanks for less than nothin', Linda.