The issue of creating a single board of higher education for Louisiana is back in the news, thanks to a proposal by State Treasurer John Kennedy. I remember this debate well from the days of the Buddy Roemer administration two decades ago. Kennedy served as special executive counsel to Roemer.
In fact, Roemer actually named such a board in anticipation of the passage of legislation creating it. As an appointed member to that board [coming from the LSU Board of Supervisors], I attended a reception at the mansion to meet the other appointees. It was an exciting time for reform.
Unfortunately, politics [and in this case, racial politics] played out behind the scenes and killed the bill, which got 25 votes. It needed 26 to pass.
Many folks who were wed to the status quo—or simply liked having their “own turf” and the power that went with it—opposed the move. Some were surprised that Roemer would give up all the gubernatorial appointments to these higher ed boards, which were normally looked upon as “plums.” But he believed one new superboard—instead of the Board of Regents and three system boards—could deal with higher education and the role, scope and mission of each institution, as well as prioritizing the money available.
But back in the shadows sat former Gov. Edwin Edwards, who teamed up with then-Sen. William Jefferson [yes, the former Congressman with the “cold cash” who was just found guilty]. Jefferson did legal work for Southern University, whose board wanted to maintain control over the Southern System and all the jobs involved. Supporting that agenda was a natural for Edwards, for whom minorities were always a strong base. The tag team of Edwards-Jefferson won the day and barely beat the single board proposal.
This twosome also campaigned to kill the fiscal reform initiative to move us away from a reliance on regressive sales taxes. That’s correct: These two so-called champions for minorities put their own politics first and screwed their constituents, leaving them to suffer. Ironically, their short-term success in defeating Roemer’s fiscal and higher ed reforms [which could have had a major impact over the past two decades], put them back in power—which led to Edwards’ ultimate indictment, conviction and 10 years in federal prison, where he sits today. It also allowed Jefferson’s election to Congress, where he too continued a life of corruption and finally got tagged by the Feds. He’s now awaiting sentencing for his trip to the big house. Justice prevailed.
Let me also point out one other bit of our political history. These political power moves by Edwards and Jefferson to limit the success of Roemer’s reforms helped doom him to a third-place finish in his re-election bid, setting up the infamous run-off between Edwards and David Duke. [Remember the bumper sticker? “Vote for the Crook, It’s Important.”]
Those were Louisiana’s darkest days during my lifetime. Thanks to the FBI and brave U.S. attorneys, all three of these corrupt politicians ended up behind bars. [At least Jefferson will be soon.] That’s right, Edwards, Duke and Jefferson—men who fooled many of us as they led our state—all ended up as federal convicts. How sad. Does anyone wonder why we must fight hard to shed our political past and repair all the damage done over decades by these three?
Good triumphed in the end. As for sympathy for any of them, I have none. While that might seem harsh, you and I have no real idea of the price that we, our children and our grandchildren have paid and will pay for their actions.
Oh yeah, back to the single board idea that caused this “flashback.” It was a good idea 20 years ago when Roemer proposed it, and it’s still worthy of debate and consideration. The real truth is, while the model can make a difference, a board, a government or a business are really only as good as the people involved. Edwards, Jefferson and Duke proved that point.
They say if you fail to learn from history, you’re doomed to repeat it. So next time you witness strong opposition to reform, take a look behind the curtain and see who’s pulling the strings.
Think about this
We all hear a lot about the pace of “change” and how it affects our lives. It’s true.
Ten years ago, were you watching high-def TV or reading blogs? Had you heard of GPS, Google, Facebook or Twitter? Times do change—and fast.
Here’s a fact I heard at a recent IBM presentation. There are 15 petabytes of information created each day. [A petabyte is 1,024 terabytes, and a terabyte is 1,000 billion bytes.] They said 15 petabytes is equal to five times all the information found in all U.S. libraries combined. That’s per day. Wow, that’s a lot of reading to catch up on.
The Bob & Jim Show
When you understand the pace of change and the power of technology, you realize the world really is getting smaller, flatter and smarter. Doctors can now use telemedicine and make “e-visits” instead of house calls. Banks will let you deposit checks right from your desk. You can shop around the world from your home. And your car will give you directions and tell you when it is time for an oil change.
So what will the world be like in five or 10 more years? Will our children need less education and fewer skills to compete? Or more of both? With a smaller and flatter world, forget other states. We’re competing against other countries and our students must be prepared.
I believe in alternative routes to a common destination—becoming educated and prepared for the workforce. But the devil is in the details, and Rep. Jim Fannin and Sen. Bob Kostelka, proud authors of the new “career diploma,” want to rush this along and even water it down further. Shame on them for wanting to hold Louisiana back.
First, who declared them education experts? Second, since they are both from northeast Louisiana, do they have some “model district” with high scores where they can prove they know what works? I think not. Finally, the fact that they are in a rush and have kids dropping out may say more about their own district, teachers, students and parents—and the way they run their schools. So, why do they want to come to the Capitol [or BESE] and tell the rest of us how they can fix it? What proof do we have they know what the hell they are talking about?
Sen. Kostelka and Rep. Fannin don’t seem to agree with, or even like, State Superintendent Paul Pastorek. But he’s the Superintendent of Education and they are just two of 144 legislators. Kostelka says he doesn’t believe anything Pastorek says. Who cares? Pastorek has fans in the state and across the country bragging on what he is doing here in Louisiana—and others are studying it. Kostelka and Fannin want to screw it up and risk losing millions of federal funds? Why? Because a few parents in their district are complaining that “school’s too hard for my Johnny boy.” Well, Bob should tell that parent to either make Johnny study or send him off to pump gas and forget it. Because if he gets one of “Bob & Jim’s Career Diplomas,” that’s right where he could end up.
Mr. Bob and Mr. Jim can mess with their own district all they want and pretend the world is spinning backwards. But for the rest of our kids who want to compete for good jobs in the future, leave their education to Pastorek who’s committed to excellence—not an easy way out.
