Jindal budget critic removed from her job

Gov. Bobby Jindal has fired the head of his Office of Elderly Affairs, a day after she staunchly criticized his budget plans for the agency. Frank Collins, a spokesman in the governor’s office, confirmed that Martha Manuel, executive director of the office for a year, has been removed from the position. In a statement released today, Collins simply says, “We decided to move in a different direction.” He also defends the budget proposal that was the subject of Manuel’s criticism. Manuel told lawmakers Tuesday that the governor’s plan to merge the Office of Elderly Affairs into the health department would damage services for Louisiana’s senior citizens. Jindal’s chief budget adviser, Paul Rainwater, says the move wouldn’t reduce services, would make operations more efficient and could generate additional federal health care money for senior citizen programs. You can read a story from The Times-Picayune on Manuel’s remarks to lawmakers Tuesday here.