Folks the topic of the ongoing boondoggle at the Jefferson Parish (non)Performing Arts Center is one that has been mentioned a time or two on these pages and even more offline but it is also a topic I have personally avoided delving into here on Slabbed because despite the fact the subject matter of a construction project gone bad is right up my alley professionally I could never wrap my arms around the topic. That changes today.
I noticed the emails coming in Friday that the subject matter was topical in the press beginning with Rich Rainey’s report for the T-P and the Wino even sent me a bat signal first thing Monday morning the Legislative Audit Report was up on the web. The conclusion of tax season 2010 prevented me from boning up on the latest until yesterday and it was the legislative auditor that finally cleared things up for me and in turn I hope to now advance the discussion but first a hat tip to my brother CPAs at the Legislative Auditor’s office:
The short version of the press accounts is the end result of a major study on the development of the LaSalle Tract of land owned by the Parish resulted in the determination that its best use would include the inclusion of the Performing Arts Center on the site. An architect was hired to design the facility, the project was first bid in 2005, ground broke after Katrina and in 2011 with over $18MM in cost over runs the project remains unfinished and there is lots of finger-pointing to this day. But the devil lies in the details and man o’ man have we accumulated details here on Slabbed (without completely knowing) since 2008. Let’s start with a snippet from the Legislative Auditor Report:
On April 1, 2002, the Parish signed a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement (CEA) and subsequent amendments with the State of Louisiana (State) under which the State would provide $20 million in funding for the Performing Arts Center (Center) project, which resulted in an original overall budget for the project of $32,944,519. Following this CEA, the Parish signed contracts with Wisznia to design the Center, Carothers Construction to manage the Center’s construction, and FM Squared for Center operations consulting.
Carothers is a name I know well and lifers here on Slabbed should also remember that name too. In fairness to the folks at Carothers Construction there is no indication of any wrongdoing on their part as they were replaced early on in the game as we continue:
The Parish’s first public advertisement for construction bids was in 2005, and resulted in the Parish’s rejection of all bids since the lowest bid exceeded the budget by $1.7 million. Rather than funding the difference with local funds, the Parish chose to cancel all bids and request Wisznia to conduct a redesign of the Center to lower the overall construction cost. During the redesign period, the State agreed to pay $8 million more toward the Center (a total of $27,990,000). The Parish publicly advertised for construction bids again in 2006, which resulted in the selection of J. Calderara & Company, Inc. (JCC), who bid $26,565,000 to build the Center. The Parish did not renew the contracts of Wisznia and Carothers Construction and replaced them with Perrin and Carter, Inc. (P&C) in December 2006 to provide construction management and resident inspection for the construction of the Center.
Now this should have been the first indication there were major problems coming. Professionally I’m not much on the use of Construction Managers despite the popularity of the concept. Governments like to use them in lieu of a salaried in house project managers though I doubt it saves tax dollars. Some of that popularity related to the fact that most states consider construction management a professional service (properly I’ll add) which also means their procurement are exempt from public purchase laws. You see a variety of business provide construction management including general contractors such as Carothers and in an ironic twist on the Mississippi Beef Plant saga Carothers acted as the builder while the now imploded Facility Group acted as Construction Manager meaning there were two layers of project management, which also explains why I’m not a fan of the concept. In the case of the Performing Arts Center that duplication of services ultimately ended with the engineering and architecture as Perrin & Carter took Carother’s place. IMHO understanding that basic fact also explains where the problem is in the project is located that when coupled with the use of a disreputable contractor to construct the project explains the taxpayer clusterfuck. I’ll add that I completely agree with Clancy DuBos that DoJ Public Integrity needs to take a very close look at JPAC.
Clancy DuBos??? Yep, of all the people in the media no one except Garland Robinette and the Toolman have attracted so much of my Slabbed attention as the Gambitman/WWL TeeVee Pundit. You see folks my smart phone started going off immediately after I watched the 6PM news on Channel 4 last night and Clancy DuBos finally acknowledged something we’ve known at Slabbed for a very long time, “Something is definitely rotten in Jefferson.” I think poor ‘Gate was so rattled by the conversion of DuBos he literally shook while recording the piece for the world to see on Youtube. For the record I still think DuBos bites but do give props on the progress. But I digress because the media was so wrong on where the blame lies and still is misguided in the myopic focus on the original architect Marcel Wisznia. But before I get to that I must add that Calderara and the LaSalle Tract have a long history as the construction of Zephyers Field is listed as one of their projects on their website. Sources tell Slabbed that project was infamous locally for the massive change order involved with the installation of seats, which were supposedly left out of the plans by the stadium architects Populous. As we’ve recently seen with Aaron Bennett and Benetech, change orders have been a very popular avenue for corruption and such has recently been topical in Jefferson Parish in connection with the massive political corruption scandal.
So why do I think Marcel Wisznia only deserves part of the blame? We had a second set of architects and engineers hired to act as Construction Manager and they must have initially found no problems with Wisznia’s design and blueprints because ground was broken without any alarms being sounded. The legislative auditor makes it clear that the project was rammed through by Tim Whitmer at the behest of Elton Lagasse, including expedited payments to Calderara without any paperwork. Doesn’t this sound exactly like how the River Birch Contract was let? And those expedited payments, wasn’t it just revealed Aaron Bennett paid a $10,000 bribe to Jiff Hingle in Plaquemines Parish for same? Doesn’t this all sound familiar folks despite the differing subject matter? I mean hell, even finance director Gwen Bolotte again acts the role as doormat to Tim Whitmer and folks John Young does himself no favors by retaining her but I’m getting ahead of myself. The entire legislative Audit report is well worth the read but let’s let them tell the story I’m referencing:
P&C was contracted on March 20, 2007, to provide construction management and inspections services for the Center under two contracts. According to Mr. Carter, as part of their role as construction manager, they began to review the Center design plans for errors. However, according to Mr. Carter, they were not able to fully review the plans and further stated that once the multi-level concrete issues regarding the foundation began, P&C relied heavily on Mr. Caldarera to identify design and engineering issues in the Center plans. Mr. Carter further stated that, since a thorough review of the Center designs for engineering issues would take a year, they did not request the Parish to hold up construction on the project and relied on Mr. Calarera to identify design and engineering issues as construction progressed.
This is amazing folks as Perrin & Carter have been paid over $3 million dollars to sleep on the job but I’ll give Carter props for at least manning up and admitting as much. The bottom line is that after Carothers was let go there really wasn’t a construction manager for this project as the taxpayers were left to the tender mercy of Joe Calderara and his construction company, who ironically got some great free positive publicity courtesy of the Times Picayune on this very boondoggle and it gets worse as the taxpayers are being stuck for the design work a second time as we continue:
Mr. Carter stated that, in his opinion, the Center project had become a design-build project. He further stated that when an issue arises, P&C will produce drawings to keep the project moving forward, effectively redesigning the project as construction takes place. When a single entity is working as the designer and contractor, the circumstance can allow for the designer/contractor to run the project in a way that would benefit them and not necessarily the government. According to Mr. Carter, P&C is currently being paid a specified amount on a monthly basis and not on a percent of work completed basis. Because P&C receives payment for services on a monthly basis rather than on a work completed basis, there is no incentive for P&C to expedite the construction process.
Sleeping on tower has its benefits huh folks. In a footnote the Legislative Auditor correctly notes that Design/Build jobs combine the architecture and construction with one entity so that is not what JPAC has morphed into as much as it is a gaggle of politically connected piggies sucking the taxpayer teat with all their might. And with the massive internal control problems including duplicate payments to Carother’s Construction in play in a completely dysfunctional finance department this has certainly been like taking candy from a baby for folks like Joe Caldarera.
In fact this whole deal reminds me of some classic organized crime construction scams as this is a topic that well, remains topical. We are seeing it real-time here in USA v Fazzio and IMHO is in play with the Performing Arts Center and this brings us to Joe Caldarera.
That surname has appeared on Slabbed a time or two as Telemachus linked Anne Caldarera to the Ward family of River Birch infamy via former marriage. I still do not know exactly how Joe Caldarera fits in but googling to find out those relationships revealed a treasure trove of information in a different direction. Let’s visit again with the Legislative Auditor’s report as we consider the ridiculous specter of spending over $400,000 in legal fees to sue Wisznia for less than $2 million dollars over the project yet paying a specious delay claim of over $2.6 million dollars to Caldarera was approved by the Parish Council without question at the behest of Elton Lagasse:
Mr. Youssef further stated that change order five originally totaled $6.2 million, but after review by the Parish Engineering Department, was reduced to $2.85 million. This reduction was due to the removal of delay charges. The change order was then submitted to the Finance Department for payment. At this point, Mr. Youssef stated that Mr. Whitmer requested that he approve the payment for $5.6 million. Mr. Youssef stated that he did not approve the payment and decided that he would no longer approve change orders for the Center.
As in USA v Fazzio there had to be inside help to pull of the scam. In the case of Dominick Fazzio his partner in crime was Garner Services insider Mark Titus. In the case of JPAC we see Tim Whitmer and Elton Lagasse in that role as we continue examining the role of the outside conspirator Joe Caldarera:
According to Mr. Joe Caldarera, Wisznia Representative Jeffrey Cohen did not answer the majority of the questions asked by contractors at the October 2006 Center pre-bid meeting. Mr. Caldarera stated that Ms. Peggy Barton, then Parish Purchasing Director, advised the prospective bidders that all questions regarding the Center plans would be answered after the bids were received with Requests for Information (RFIs). Mr. Caldarera further stated that, because of this decision, all contractors interested in bidding on the Center were unable to submit as accurate a bid had their questions been answered prior to bidding. When asked about holding all questions until after the bids were received, Ms. Barton stated that she did not recall directing the prospective bidders to hold their questions until after the Parish received the bids.
The Parish sign in sheets do not indicate Barton was even at the meeting but Caldarera’s assertion is interesting as he is justifying the massive change orders his company has received. What I’ve found is that Caldarera is good at finger-pointing, really good at finger-pointing as he just doesn’t try to get work for his company via bidding, he also actively tries to take work away from other contractors as this post Katrina jewel from the City of Kenner indicates:
Joe Caldarera, owner of J. Caldarera & Company, a general contractor, gave an almost hourlong presentation to the council.
Caldarera said Kenner owes him $91,000 on a contract for debris removal. He also argued that another contract with Hard Rock Construction Co. for debris removal should be nullified because the city didn’t follow proper bid procedures.
Ramon said the city is disputing how much or whether the city owes Caldarera.
“I’m the only person who has a contract here — a valid contract,” Caldarera said.
He said the city broke state bid law a few days before the storm when it amended an existing $600,000 street-maintenance contract with Hard Rock to include debris pickup. He said the two endeavors are too different and should have been under separate contracts.
Hard Rock has billed the city for at least $13 million for debris pickup, which Caldarera called too huge a change to the original contract.
Ramon said FEMA and state officials have looked at and approved Kenner’s spending.
“This administration acted within its rights,” Ramon said. “Our prices that we paid were below what other communities have paid.”
After the council established an investigative committee this month, the administration gave the council 5,600 pages of invoices and a registry of checks.
Several council members said they had concerns after reviewing the information.
“It did bring up some serious questions, at least to me, in the way things were being done,” said Councilman John Lavarine III, asking about an almost $4.3 million contract to clean debris from catch basins.
Lavarine???? In Jefferson Parish, government is a family business as we have this from the Legislative Auditor’s report:
According to Department of Public Works Director Kazem Alikhani, the Parish does not have a central repository for the storage of evaluation committee records, including the SOQ score sheets. In addition, a former councilman, parish president, and chief administrative officer all stated that the Parish Council has an unwritten practice of choosing professional service providers based solely on the request of the Councilmember whose district will benefit from the services. The architect for the Center, Wisznia, was ranked fourth out of the five qualified architects; however, Wisznia was requested by John Lavarine, Jr., the councilmember for the 2nd district.
So we have multiple generations of Lavarines showing interest in public construction with Joe Caldarera being one commonality. Joe isn’t shy about trying to gain public contracts as the following is my personal favorite for on the record jackassery on Joe’s part:
On June 13, 1995, Gootee Construction, Inc. submitted a bid of $4,620,000 to Manhattan/Gibbs for subcontracting services on an East Jefferson General Hospital contract. This bid was submitted by Leslie J. Wells, Jr., Manager of the Mechanical Division of Gootee Construction, Inc. Mr. Wells testified that, although there were four general contractors, he only submitted a bid to Manhattan/Gibbs. Gootee Construction, Inc. was the low bidder to Manhattan/Gibbs.
According to Leslie J. Wells, Jr., the volume of work for the mechanical division of Gootee Construction, Inc. was $8 to $10 million for the year 1995-96.
During the late Spring or early Summer of 1995, Joe Caldarera filed a complaint with Contractor’s Licensing Board staff, complaining that Manhattan/Gibbs was in violation of the contractor’s licensing law. After conducting an investigation, the staff concluded that no violation of the law had occurred. When Mr. Caldarera was informed of the staff’s finding, he requested an opportunity to make his complaint directly to the Contractor’s Licensing Board at its next meeting. In accordance with that request, on July 20, 1995, Joe Caldarera appeared before the Louisiana Contractors Licensing Board to protest the bid made by Manhattan/Gibbs on the East Jefferson General Hospital project. Mr. Caldarera argued that since the separate juridical entity of Manhattan/Gibbs did not hold a state contractor’s license, Manhattan/Gibbs was in strict violation of the contractors’ licensing law, as well as the rules and regulations issued by the Louisiana Contractors Licensing Board. The chairman of the board stated that it was best not to render a decision as to whether the bid submitted by Manhattan/Gibbs was proper or improper but rather to leave the resolution of the matter to the courts. No motion was made so the board moved onto other business. Pat Gootee was not present at the July 20, 1995 meeting of the Louisiana Contractors Licensing Board.
On August 17, 1995, Mr. Caldarera again protested the bid made by Manhattan/Gibbs to the Louisiana Contractors Licensing Board. Mr. Caldarera argued that Manhattan/Gibbs was not a licensed contractor in the State of Louisiana since its name did not appear on the official roster of Louisiana Contractors Licensing Board.
Say what Joe???:
Joseph Caldarera testified that his company, J. Caldarera, Inc. bid as general contractor on the East Jefferson General Hospital job. He further stated that he had received a telephone bid of $4,900,000 from Ken Gootee of Gootee Construction, Inc. on the subcontract for mechanical work. Leslie Wells of Gootee Construction, Inc. testified that his company did not submit a bid, telephone or otherwise, to Mr. Caldarera.
Mr. Caldarera testified that it was the general practice in the construction industry for subcontractors to submit the same bid to all contractors.
Joe you are full of it. Subs know exactly which general contractors suck and often do not give the competing general contractors the same price. So how did Joe make out on this? He didn’t get what he wanted despite trying hard to get Manhattan/Gibbs kicked off the EJ Hospital Job.
Mr. Gootee was generally aware, at all times pertinent to these proceedings, that Gootee Construction, Inc. had prepared or planned to prepare a bid or bids on the East Jefferson General Hospital Project, but was unaware of the specifics of the bid or bids. Leslie Wells, Jr. did not discuss the bid with Pat Gootee prior to August 17, 1995. There would have been bid lists posted at various locations in the Gootee Construction, Inc. offices indicating a bid was made on the East Jefferson General Hospital Project. The list would not have indicated the contractors to whom the bid was submitted.
On October 20, 1995, Manhattan/Gibbs consummated an agreement to serve as general contractor for the East Jefferson General Hospital project. The agreement provided that, in exchange for general contracting services, Manhattan/Gibbs would receive $25,780,000.
On November 20, 1995, Gootee Construction, Inc. consummated an agreement with Manhattan/Gibbs to provide subcontracting services on the East Jefferson General Hospital project. The agreement provided that, in exchange for subcontracting services, Gootee Construction, Inc. would receive $4,690,910. On December 12, 1995, Gootee Construction began work on the East Jefferson General Hospital project pursuant to its agreement with Manhattan/Gibbs.
J. Caldarera & Company, Inc. has, on at least three occasions, sought a determination from a court that its position asserted before the State Licensing Board for Contractors was correct, with no success.
Given Caldarera’s past I do not expect he gets much love or respect from his competitors.
Finally the management response to the legislative auditor indicates to me Team Young is still chasing the rabbit of Wisznia when the vast majority of the problems with the JPAC disaster do not lie with them IMHO. There is so much in the report I did not touch upon including Chris Robert’s council aid Deano Bonano, who has a big hand in insuring the project stayed completely screwed up to the financial benefit of both P&C and Caldarera. The bottom line is management overrode internal controls, Perrin & Carter chose to keep silent on design problems as construction was literally given the bums rush to commence and huge amounts of money have been spent on specious delay claims without any questioning by the Parish Council.
So here you go folks, this is my initial take on the Performing Arts Center Boondoggle. Something tells me we’ll have more on this down the line as we join with Clancy DuBos in asking for help from the Department of Justice in unraveling the massive financial fraud that likely is contained therein.
sop
Holy crap, SOP. That was the mother of all corruption posts. It was like you have been backed up all this time (while you were doing your day job), then exploded on the tirlit after a dose of Metamucil at 5 a.m. in the morning.
I'll add this, as another example of poor construction oversight……..and ground fraught with the prospect for kickbacks. Take a look at the $1MM LSED is spending to bring the Alario Center into compliance with the ADA. Uhhh, shouldn't they have contemplated that when they built the fucking place? See item 14 on the agenda.
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Bonano … Bonano … Bonano …
No corruption story would be complete without the inclusion of Deano Bonano …
Read this NOLA comment posted some 3 years ago:
phantom666 August 10, 2008 at 1:15AM
Every time I read about Jeff Parish, Deano Bonano?s name pops up. One day he is CAA Bonano, the next Chief of homeland security Bonano and seems to be all over the parish. He is listed as CAA Bonano and apparently has nothing to do with this department. Parish official records indicate that Mr. DiGerolamo is in charge of these thieves. Mr. Bonano is over the animal shelter, that accidently killed a bunch of dogs, over the fire department that got in trouble for false reports about manpower and seemingly got his start with the parish as a garbage contract monitor, which apparently gave him the needed credentials to become one of Broussard?s aides. Surprised he hasn?t taken over as Chief of surgery at East Jeff Hospital.
Jefferson Parish employee investigation expanding
Published: Friday, August 08, 2008, 11:12 AM Updated: Friday, August 08, 2008, 11:24 AM
By Richard Rainey, The Times-Picayune http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/08/jeffer…
Good ole Banana, ever the faithful stooge.
What an absolute dumbass!
He may be a dumbass but he is knocking down 100K+ a year.
I'm just not that morally bankrupt.
Pompous know it all Joe Calderera has been bilking taxpayers and running up the costs of public works jobs for years. See the Alario Center, Baton Rouge Airport, and now the performing arts center. It's fraud and he will be bunking with Aaron Bennett very soon…
CLUE FOR THE FBI … follow the money into Eton Largeass’s Barry Bordelon’s pockets !!!…
This punked-out Letten ratfink BARRY BORDELON is at the bottom of almost every corrupt deal in Jefferson Parish from the time he was on the JP School Board up through his most recent stint setting up the IESI landfill deal … getting the votes in lock-step while Largeass’s Council Asst … then “retiring” to continue lobbying for IESI as he had done all the while he was employed by Largeass …
This is the same Barry Bordelon who introduced Whitmer to Pampy Barre for Langiappe insurance business … Pampy Barre went to jail and Bordelon should have shared a cell with him !!!
LET’S REVIST THESE TWO SCUMBAGS, BORDELON AND LARGEASS WITH THESE RE-POSTS::
“ … Well Pelican and I have been commiserating about the whole River Birch bullshit in lieu of this rather suspect turn of events, I mean really the guy at this never-heard-of-before consulting firm, MSW Resources, is Mr. Greisbach ! Honestly you couldn't make this stuff up if you tried. And believe me it's a tell.
deBrief, while pouring us another Rebel Yell, shouts, qu'est-ce qu'un baiseur de mère il est bon. Which one I replied ? Considering we have been talking about Lagasse's Barry Bordelon for the last two hours, it could be either one or both for that matter.
Where to start ? Well since it's late, we have decided to stick around Lagasse's Bordelon because it's seems his shit deals are smeared all over this corruption scandal, in fact he could be described as THE FACILITATOR of all time. Let me give you some examples:
1) According to a TP story written by Bruce Eggler, July 14, 2007, we
learn that Bordelon's good friend of some 20 years, Mike Evans
had earned a fee of some $500,000 as a consultant for JRL to
hustle a computer program identified as "I Can Learn Math" to the
JP School Board. Evans, who was Director of Streets in JP was
given the ok by Coulon, and so he then proceeded to lobby
is good buddy Bordelon, who was on the JP School Board at the
time, and Lagasse was then Superintendent. Bordelon was
quoted as saying that he and Evans lobbied each other over
the years, particularly when he, Bordelon, worked for Waste
Management ! Well the program was a flop, and Evans' coun-
terpart in Orleans Parish, Moses Jefferson, who took down
$900,000 as a consulting fee, paying a bribe of $140,000 to a
Orleans School Board member, is well, gone. It should be
noted that Evans' fee was 7x his yearly salary, and all his
buddies had no idea of how much he made maiden consulting
contract. Hmmmmmmmmm……..But then again Jefferson is
black from Orleans Parish, and Evans is white from Jefferson
Parish.
2) Bordelon again shows up lobbying Theriot, Lagasse's appoint-
ment to the Board of the WJHC in 2002, on behalf of none other
Johnson Controls, Inc. The deal was made with the assurance
and representations made that the Hospital would save millions,
but to date has only cost millions. This is the same outfit that
Bordelon's buddy, Pampy Barre scamed in Orleans Parish and
went to jail for. Is the same Barre whom Bordelon had
Whitmer propose insurance deals to, all this while eating
steak at where else but Pampy's Steak House? Hmmmm…….
Barre is black from Orleans Parish, Bordelon is white from
Jefferson Parish.
3) So when Bordelon's good buddy Theriot heads off to BR for some
other shill, Bordelon is appointed to the hospital Board in his
place by his boss Lagasse. If that isn't peachy enough the
Director's position becomes open, and voila, Coulon's good
close friend, Tom Wilkinson's sister-in-law, and Broussard's
partner in signing MILLIONS of dollars in checks to Hubbard,
Nancy Cassange, who is absolutely unqualified, is appointed
Director at a salary of about $400,000 dollars a year plus.
And it was Lagasse who motioned the appointment to be
approved by the other Council Clowns. Everyone involved in
this disgraceful act should be indicted, convicted and sent to
prison and be made to pay back this woman's fraudulently paid
salary. Bordelon in a TP story dated Oct.1, 2007 is quoted as
saying, "…the job will take the right person…"
4) And yes it was Lagasse's Bordelon, as chairman of the hospital
Board, lobbying for Pontiff to get the new insurance deal, yea,
Lagniappe. It was Lagasse again proposing to the other
Council Clowns to vote for Whitmer's "secret" deal, and of
course they did.
5) I will state with no uncertainty that an ethics opinion from the
La. Ethics Commission has given new meaning to the defi
nition of toilet paper. The fact that Bordelon can be a lobbyist
for a company doing business with JP while he makes $91,000
as Lagasse's council assistant defies common sense and
is just plain wrong. So he can lobby for Coastal Waste in north
Louisiana and in Gretna in JP and that' honkey-doorey. Please
I am insulted enough that we taxpayers have to put up with him
and his boss Lagasse.
And although there is much more we can illuminate on concerning
Lagasse's Barry Bordelon, deBrief feels that we should at least mention
a possibility that Bordelon and Greisbach may have crossed paths
considering their working for the same affiliated companies, Coastal
Waste, IESI and BFI. You peruse Lagasse's contributor lists and you will find some big numbers in support of trash (pun intended).
Assez says Pelican. I agree, I've had enough. Have you Mr. Letten ? … ”
NOW CONCERNING ELTON LARGEASS:
“ … Rich Rainey couldn't have done a better job with the use of his descriptive words like …"tirade"…"hobby"…"performance"…to set the tone of this article: condesending insults with the intent to kill the messenger, to marginalize and patronize these two intelligent, determined and brave ladies of the CFGG. And I quote:
"Seemann's tirade at Wednesday's council meeting was just the latest salvo in her long-running critiques. She and her sister, Margaret Baird, have made it a hobby of late to start every council meeting by reciting the campaign contributions reported by contractors vying for parish work to council members."
"Their performance, which has been going on for months, finally wore out Lagasse's patience at the April 6 meeting."
"When Seemann had finished, Lagasse took the high road."
Political activist suggests jail for Jefferson Parish Councilman Elton Lagasse
Published: Thursday, April 21, 2011, 4:35 PM Updated: Thursday, April 21, 2011, 4:37 PM
By Richard Rainey, The Times-Picayune http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/04/po…
In fact Lagasse is absolutely stupid, and fails or can't or won't understand that it is he who is responsible to reconcile his campaign contributions, not the public. Even with the half-ass amendment to the campaign disclosure requirements mandated in the JP Code of ordinances, this Council is still in violation, as it has been since 2004. The T-P's collusion in this 'oversight' in lack of reporting only adds cover to the corrupt and criminal conduct of these Clowns. We all know DA Connick won't do anything to jeopardize his firm's annual MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR contract to his personal law firm.
And aside from the issue above, the fact is that Lagasse did break the law by his interruptions and no one, not this reporter, not the DA and not the Council Clowns give a damn … these JP Politico Thugs simply do and say what they please for they surely know this fact… THERE ARE NO CONSEQUENCES AS A RESULT OF THEIR IMMORAL, UNETHICAL AND ILLEGAL ACTS !!!
And just one more observation as it concerns the lack of serious factual reporting by the T-P…NOT ONCE during the campaign election of mini-me Roberts, was he taken to the wall about his illegal spending of campaign funds in the HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS for such things as a Mardi Gras float, tractor $20,000 dollar custom 'Bad Ass' golf cart, and the ludicrous list goes on and on and on. This profligate's cavalier "bon marche" spending is a serious issue…as we found out that Sissy carried over his irresponsible behavior when redistributing monies from the streets and sewage departments to buy pretty light up signs..while Terrytown flooded…
This is kind of reporting we have come to expect from to Nancy Drew … and this is apparently what we will continue to get from reporters who bend elbows to the bone with this political trash…just think Stephanie Grace drinking Dom Perignon at Antoine's with Aaron Broussard on the T-P's nickel…I am surprised and disappointed at Mr.Rainey's bias in the report … assuming it was Rainey's …
Personally I believe that these Ladies deserve an apology, where Trout Point Lodge did not…
And as to Lagasse taking the high ground…hell this abhorrent oafs doesn't even know what ground he's walking on now since his comrade in corruption Barry Bordelon is not there to tell him where to go and simply shut up as not to sound out his stupidity and ignorance…what an abominable POS this troglodyte is !!! …"
THAT the CFGG, through Margie and Margaret, played a pivotal role in having the La State Auditor investigate this taxpayer nightmare is certainly POETIC JUSTICE … thank you Largeass for having diarrhea of the mouth … I pray that Margie and Margaret have more ‘performances’ and continue to have ‘tirades’ against corruption and waste by these Jefferson Parish Politico Mafioso …
LAGASSE AND BORDELON ARE MY NEW WHITMER AMD WILKERSON … I will hound and pound
till these two abominable corrupt reprobates, as with Timmy and Tommy, are publicly humiliated by an investigation and prosecution by the DOJ…
AND JUST HOW PATHETIC is the non-voting populace of Jefferson Parish … that this unadulterated oafs and thief Elton Largeass will sit as Councilman-at-Large WITHOUT ONE VOTE BEING CAST such a scenario is not only pathetic but immoral … an affront too all of those who have served our country in the military … and an assault upon our democratic political institutions … and just think that Aaron Broussard was this man's protege !!!
TO START WITH … THE FBI'S FIRST QUESTION IS SIMPLE: Hey Barry…where is the $2.8 MILLION DOLLARS that Largeass overpaid to Calderera ???
The BIGGEST WHITE ELEPHANT that ever sat in my blogging living room … DRUM ROLL PLEASE ….
TheRiot … STEVE THERIOT !!! TheRiot was the La. Legislative Auditor from April 2004 through Nov 2009 … all the while this construction cesspool of corruption IS IN HIS BACKYARD AND HE DID NOTHING !!!
Too make his inaction/failure even more egregious, TheRiot, having been illegally appointed interim Parish President, was on the forefront to have more money pumped into this ‘rotten boondoggle’ … as we read:
"There were many errors during the route," of planning the project, Theriot said….”
DUUUHHH … YA THINK ???
WHAT A FUCKING UNDERSTATEMENT FROM THIS REPROBATE … NO WONDER ALARIO ET AL WANTED THIS MORON APPOINTED LA. LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jefferson Parish Council approves $7.6 million price hike for Metairie arts center
Published: Wednesday, June 30, 2010, 11:46 AM Updated: Wednesday, June 30, 2010, 12:01 PM
By Mark Waller, The Times-Picayune http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/06/po…
AND AS A BONUS, these quotes from the two major players/principals in this corruption scam, Largeass and Bolette :
"This thing has become a real problem for us," said Elton Lagasse, the council member whose district includes the site next to the New Orleans Zephyrs baseball stadium. "We're in the process now of trying to borrow enough money to finish this project."
"The worst thing that can happen is for us to let that thing sit half-finished," he said. "That would be a real blight on us. …”
“… The parish is applying for the new loan from the Louisiana Local Government Environmental Facilities and Community Development Authority. Officials announced plans to seek money through the program in the fall and took the official step today. Finance Director Gwen Bolotte said the parish hopes to need only $6 million of the line of credit. …”
Jefferson Parish borrowing money to finish arts center
Published: Wednesday, January 13, 2010, 2:10 PM Updated: Wednesday, January 13, 2010, 7:47 PM
By Mark Waller, The Times-Picayune http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/01/je…
TheRiot should be indicted for Criminal Malfeasance; and Largeass and Bolette need to be prosecuted for the thieves they truly are … and please let’s not forget Barry Bordelon, Largeass’s ‘Jack in the Box’ corruption pimp !!!
And even NOW….
WTF is JOHN YOUNG doing?!
Planning the next Yat HAT DAY?….hahahahha
Debra FOSHEE is an expert on ETHICS?
What has changed since JY was elected?
Let's see…Chris Cox is appointed ~
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/08/ch…
An accountant and federal prosecutor by trade, Cox had exactly zero experience in politics, or running an organization from the top, when he signed on with Young in November.
"We got very lucky," said Public Works Director Kazim Alikhani, who, besides working for Jefferson Parish for three decades, briefly served last year as the interim chief operating officer for Young. "He's on solid ground."
When the time came to fill a subordinate position in the Finance Department, for example, Finance Director Gwen Bolotte recalled being appreciative that Cox asked for her input. It was a departure from the hiring process she encountered in Broussard's administration, when decisions often were relayed to her rather than discussed with her.
Cox "involves us more, yes," she said. "It's refreshing."
When recalling Bolotte's reaction, Cox expressed surprise. "What's the point of bringing in a good team when you're not going to rely on the team members?" he said.
Ambassador to council
Perhaps Cox's greatest asset is keeping politics at arm's length. It's an ability that has turned him into a kind of ambassador to a Parish Council often frustrated by what some members called poor communication with Young.
Cox manages the finer points of avoiding politics in what is an increasingly charged atmosphere, especially with the upcoming election season. He is often the go-between for the council to the administration, the first phone call council members make to raise concerns or ask questions. He also meets regularly with members to hammer out issues slated for the council's public meetings.
"As long as Chris is there, I feel comfortable that the train is not going to go astray," council Chairman Chris Roberts said.
"It was a challenging job made more challenging by the turnover of the administration," Councilwoman Cynthia Lee-Sheng said, adding that she had a lot of respect for Cox and his work so far.
Whitmer was kind of the catch-all on everything, regardless of the hour of the day," Roberts said. "As it relates to Chris, Chris is very structured in the sense that of making sure of getting it down right. It might not be as fast a response, but it's going to be an accurate response."
Cox said he hasn't reached out to Whitmer for advice, acknowledging that he might have been able to pick up pointers or "institutional knowledge." Amid a federal criminal investigation into Broussard's administration by his former colleagues in the U.S. attorney's office, Cox said he didn't think it the best idea.
"It's very unfortunate because, by all accounts, he was good at what he did," he said.
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Yah…he was a REAL WHIZ that guy!…TALK ABOUT ELEPHANT in the ROOM!
They're ALL OVER THE BUILDING. Cox is PRAISING Whitmer, working with BOLOTTE, & the JP Council CRIMINALS & WHITMER is STILL COLLECTING MONEY.
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LUCKY JP CITIZENS?
DISGUSTING & EMBARRASSING ~
By clicking on the website referenced above we read on J.Caldarera Construction's website, "…we are often able to extend suggestions to our clients that result in substantial savings of both time and money". HellsSpeed to you Joe and when you get there ask for our Flamin Napalm drink to cool your lying lips.
Is anyone in Jefferson Parish Government responsible for any of their actions?
They would have you think that Whitmer was like some kind of Svengali who put a spell on the rest of them and they were powerless to stop him.
According to these newspaper articles and the auditors report, some were just more succeptible than others:
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/10/je…
the state legislative auditor describes how Finance Director Gwen Bolotte, without ever checking an invoice, cut a check for $5.6 million — doubling Youssef's figure — at Whitmer's request on June 24, 2009. That was the same day the Parish Council unanimously approved the change order, the fifth since breaking ground in 2007.
Whitmer told legislative auditors that he had Bolotte cut the $5.6 million check for concrete revisions because Councilman Elton Lagasse asked for it. Lagasse told auditors he didn't recall but that if Whitmer said it, it likely was true, according to the audit.
According to the State Legislative Auditors report:
Mr. Whitmer further stated that, although he had instructed Ms. Bolotte to process the payment on the day it was approved by the Parish Council, his request did not relieve her or the Finance Department oftheir duty to obtain and review the documentation supporting change order five prior to processing the payment.
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/01/ri…
Jefferson Parish Finance Director Gwen Bolotte was "startled" in June of 2009 when her supervisor assured the Parish Council it could save about $20 million by closing the parish dump for 25 years and sending trash to the private River Birch landfill, according to a sworn deposition.
. . .
Bolotte acknowledged in her deposition that despite her sense that the River Birch deal was being rushed through, she didn't question why.
"Couldn't figure that out. Didn't want to figure it out," said Bolotte, who serves at the pleasure of the parish president. "You know what I'm saying?"
Sop, Elton Largeass's written response made on October 20, 2011 to the Times-Picayune regarding the La. Auditor's Report on JPPAC's cost over runs stunk like BS so much today's written copy of the TP had headlines by TP reporter Sparacello of " Lagasse responds in writing", however the written text below such headline commented on other JP political things and never once mentioned anything about Largeass's written response.
Or did the political powers that be call the TP after the internet story , http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/10/el… Friday and the written story was pulled by the editors but they forgot to also pull the headlines in Saturday's printed copy.
Whatever TP's reasons for the omission the real stinky part of Largeass's written response was that he was not present and did not vote for the 5.6 MILLION cost over run. It has been reported Largeass told Whitmer to issue the 5.6 MILLION DOLLAR check. Largeass even produced to TP a copy of the Council vote that day and sure enough Largeass was not there.
Well first Largeass, in my mind you not being at the June 24,2009 Council meeting doesn't add any truth to your statements, but actually cast more suspicion on your involvement cause you were chicken shit that some folks at the meeting might want to ask you some questions.
Second Largeass, as you well know Cynthia Sneed was not present for the Council's vote on the infamous River Birch contract either but that does not prove she had no involvement or backroom influence.
Let's face it Largeass you are full of more gas now then you were on June 24, 2009 and Obama should give you a 500 MILLION green grant to research your perpetual, gas regeneration technology.
Is there anyone that can put and end to the racketeering that Largeass, Sissy and the rest of these miscreants continue to perpetrate at the expense of the citizenry?
How long would a jury have to deliberate before coming to a guilty verdict against these obscenely obvious buffoons.
I knew that SACK OF SHIT Largeass was lying when I read his statement:
"I have never been Mr. Whitmer's supervisor," he wrote. "He reported directly to the parish president."
Elton Lagasse weighs in on Jefferson Performing Arts Center
Published: Friday, October 21, 2011, 5:00 PM Updated: Friday, October 21, 2011, 5:48 PM
By Richard Rainey, The Times-Picayune http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/10/el…
THE TRUTH IS OF COURSE that Whitmer worked for the Council of Clowns for six months as we read:
“…Whitmer ended up transferring to a less-stressful job heading the Parish Council's research and budget office in March 2006. … ”
But just six months later, Broussard enticed Whitmer back to his old job with a $37,000 raise after his replacement, Nancy Cassagne, resigned to take a job with West Jefferson Medical Center. …”
Tim Whitmer has spent whole career in Jefferson Parish departments
Published: Sunday, December 06, 2009, 5:51 AM Updated: Monday, December 07, 2009, 8:10 AM http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2009/12/po…
THIS DUMBASS OAFS IS AN EVIL MAN … AND A LARGEASS LYING CLOWN … HE AND HIS CORRUPT SIDEKICK BARRY BORDELON SHOULD BOTH BE PROSECUTED AND SENT TO JAIL FOR A LONG, LONG TIME !!!
Elton Lagasse Cheering on the JP Non-Performing Arts Center
Sha' Lil Elton…He so cute.. http://www.eroticazelda.com/_PIGGIES/_ELTON_LAGAS…
I took on Elton "LargeASS" back in 2009 when I sent him nine (9) emails asking for detailed information related to the spending habits of the J.P. Council as regards the non -Jefferson Performing Arts Center. I constantly traced him as I was ignored on all nine of the emails that I sent to him.
Finally, I called him out at a J.P. Council meeting about his not answering or even acknowledging any of the emails I had earlier sent to his office. He stonewalled me in the meeting. I advised him I was preparing a formal complaint to the State's Attorney General's office in Baton Rouge on him for deraliction of his J.P. Council duties. When he realized that I wasn't going to sit down and shut up, he told me a letter would be coming from his office answering all of the questions I had outlined in my nine earlier emails. Consistent with his inept and ineffective work ethic standard, I never heard a word from his office. I filed my formal compliant with the State Attorney General's office.
LaGasse continues to exemplify the lack of distrust that Jefferson Parish citizens have for the J.P. Council. He is the poster boy for disfunctional insofar as the J.P. Council is concerned.
oops, obviously in my above post I meant to say "LaGasse continues to exemplify the lack of trust that Jefferson Parish citizens have for the J.P. Council."
I have to simmerdownnah..when I think of "Large-Ass" my blood pressure goes up…along with any thoughts of the J.P. Council.