The buck stops with the voter

After the horrendous BP oil spill, BP ponied up $10.5 million to fund a seafood safety program that was administered by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to monitor the seafood caught off the Louisiana coast to ensure it was safe for consumption.

A recently completed state audit of that program focusing on 2010 through 2015 found that not only did the department fail to sufficiently sample fish for contamination, but it also made questionable purchases and engaged in “free-wheeling spending with no oversight.”

The BP money was spent on boats, fishing and sports equipment, vehicles, groceries, cameras and camera equipment.  The department officials spent over $18,000 on the camera supplies, although no photos were required for fish testing and no photos were ever taken of the fish.  iPads were also a favorite item.  The department spent $8,000 on them although none were used in the testing.

Additionally over $55,000 of fishing rods, reels, coolers, and other sporting equipment are missing.

This behavior simply reaffirms the 2014 Fortune magazine poll which listed Louisiana as the second most corrupt state nationally.

Ironically, all this buffoonery occurred during the Bobby Jindal tenure, a governor who pledged to end the corruption which previously existed within our state.

Sadly, this is not the only recent audit to further blacken our state’s eye.  The Angola prison mess involving the Cain family was also a disgrace. 

Apparently the “good old boys” just can’t resist the temptation of misappropriating public monies.  And why should they because most never go to jail for doing so.  The fix is in all the way up the line.

However, now we are in the need of financial assistance once again for the 2016 Flood and we want the U.S. Congress to help fund our recovery.  Objectively, based upon Louisiana’s previous track record would you vote to assist? 

If Louisiana doesn’t get the monies we have our esteemed leaders to thank, but Louisiana voters keep electing the same ones every four years.

This is not to imply that Louisiana voters are totally responsible for this continued cycle of corruption.  Sometimes, as in the case of the national election,  good candidates simply don’t choose to run for office and we must choose the lesser of two evils.

Nationally, we must choose between a liar, who has trust issues and a con artist who swindles individuals, tough choice.  Why is it honest, sincere individuals no longer seem to desire the field of politics, and what does that say about our political system and nation as a whole?