Francis ‘The Fee’ Thompson Awakens

Like a North Louisiana version of Rip Van Winkle, Louisiana Senate District 34′s Francis ‘The Fee’ Thompson has awakened from a forty year slumber to discover that Grambling State University (GSU) has financial issues and has been getting bad audit reports, and now he wants the state to take a more hands-on approach with financial oversight.

Where in God’s name has this man been?!?!

For thirty-five years, John Hays (the cranky old bastard that publishes the Morning Paper) has been writing about this issue. He’s documented, interviewed, examined and investigated time and again, but Baton Rouge always chose to look the other way. Now The Fee is interested and we’ve got to do something.

Give me a break.

Here’s the story in The (Monroe) News-Star.

Thompson: State should look at GSU

And while we’re on the soapbox this morning there is this whining editorial complaining about all the bad publicity Monroe is getting as a result of alleged criminal activity among the local political class.

Speedy trial best for all

We suggest the folks at the News-Star need look no further than the nearest mirror to find who is partly responsible.. Had they bothered to do proper investigative reporting and kept watch over the politicians, much of this type stuff would have been nipped in the bud.

But they instead prefer to publish puff pieces about politicians deifying them as “problem solvers” and “statesmen.” Can’t risk endangering that “official journal” status and the corresponding government revenue, doncha know.

Ruston Mayor’s Race Already at Full Blast

Although no candidate has qualified, the race for Mayor of Ruston is already hot to go. Several full-page ads have appeared in the local dead-tree newspapers from incumbent Dan Hollingsworth and challenger Allen Herbert.

A cynic might suspect that Morning Paper Publisher John Hays and Ruston Daily Leader Publisher Rick Hohlt got together and talked Herbert into running so as to gin up advertising. Whether or not they did that, the advertising dollars are flowing.

Qualifying for the election is July 7-9 and the election is Saturday, October 2.

Hays’ Morning Paper: V Vehicle the New Henry J

John Hays’ Morning Paper (email or snail mail subscription only) has an interesting take on the ongoing story about the new V-Vehicle plant in Monroe. Hays draws parallels between the V Car and the ill-fated Henry J, and the Allstate – a Sears mail-order/department store version of the Henry J. Kaiser-Frazer manufactured both vehicles. More on the Allstate can be found here.

Of historical interest, the Henry J also included government loans to the company. The project included a lot of government “designing” as various provisions of the 1949 loan to Kaiser-Frazer specified various particulars of the vehicle. Coincidentally most of the start up capital for the V-Vehicle Company will be from government in the form of AVTM loans and state grants.

John Maginnis’ LaPolitics Weekly (subscription only) has a story titled Monroe Car Plant Financed by Government. That is right to the point and deadly accurate.

Also, The (Baton Rouge) Advocate continues to follow the story.

Readers might ask why we cite Hays’ story after what we wrote earlier about him. Regardless of our disagreements on taxes and the role of government, the cranky old bastard is the best investigative reporter we’ve ever known anywhere, anytime. And we both agree government NEVER should be used to benefit a select few politically connected people – regardless of their political persuasion.

UPDATE: 3:50pm

Great intentions meet the real world

Local weekly shopper

Thanks are due to John Hays’ local weekly shopper for the shout-out.  Indeed, we have known and admired John for over 30 years.  His investigative reporting skills are legendary and he’s exposed a lot of rot that needed excising.

But, God bless him, he loves government.  The more taxes that are levied and the more deadheads that are on the government payroll, the better he likes it.  Tax and spend, spend and tax.  To hell with the folks who are toting the freight, the private sector taxpayers.  They just need to shut up and pay their taxes and be grateful they have such fine public servants to spend all that money for them, he believes.

He hasn’t the first clue about how wealth and prosperity are created.