Pinsonat Blasts 'Chamber of Government', LSU Board, 'Scam-D' and Pennington
by Bernie Pinsonat (Pollster- SMOR)

In the Baton Rouge Advocate’s Tuesday edition, LSU Systems Office (System President John Lombardi) proposes cuts to LSU’s main campus in Baton Rouge. The main campus of LSU would see budget cuts increase from $2.26 million to $5.14 million. Michael Martin, chancellor of the flag ship LSU campus, questions the legality of this funding cut. Chancellor Martin is correct to oppose cuts to his campus to avoid cuts to Pennington Biomedical Research Center. However, amnesia should be blamed on these proposed cuts to LSU’s main campus! The LSU Board of Supervisors and the Louisiana Legislature (our Baton Rouge area legislators seem clueless) forgot what LSU officials promised us when Pennington was open with lots of celebration and fanfare.

We were sold this bill of goods at the grand opening: Pennington is going to be self sufficient and not need state tax dollars. WRONG – Pennington is now bleeding away our tax dollars for it day to day operations! This is nothing new for the LSU Systems Office – anyone remember CAM-D – another project LSU claimed would revolutionize Baton Rouge’s economy. I immediately renamed CAM-D to SCAM-D! The Baton Rouge Chamber of Government was furious at my insinuation. The chamber got it wrong as usual. FACT - Taxpayers paid twenty five million dollars just for the land SCAM-D is located on. SCAM-D never produced anything of any consequence for Baton Rouge’s economy! SCAM-D is still bleeding us tax payers and should be closed.

Didn’t Governor Jindal give Pennington twenty five million tax payer dollars to Pennington Biomedical Research two years ago? Twenty five million dollars for Pennington was pushed by Stephen Moret, Governor Jindal’s Secretary of Economic Development. No surprise here as Moret was head of the Baton Rouge Chamber of Government and a big supporter of Pennington. Gee, I wonder if Moret mentioned to Jindal the promise to us tax payers – a self sufficient research facility! Pennington supporters and LSU officials ask for seed money from state government to open Pennington and federal government grants would pay for its day to day operations! Lots of luck on that promise as federal government deficit spending is now very unpopular with most voters. Any professor or employee at LSU’s main campus remembers Pennington’s promises – now Lombardi wants to cut their salary or their job for Pennington? Why are Louisiana tax payers funding these two spending holes while we fire professors at LSU!

Jindal is currently hitting a home run with us tax payers as he criticizes higher education officials in Louisiana for the lack of results! Maybe the LSU Board of Supervisors should pay attention to Governor Jindal demanding results for our tax dollars! Why is LSU running a charity hospital system? Why is LSU involved in Scam-D and Pennington Biomedical Research? The Board of Supervisor should protect LSU’s main campus from Lombardi – those students are Louisiana’s future. They (LSU Board of Supervisors) should hire someone to make Pennington self sufficient – keep your promise and stay out of Louisiana’s tax payer pockets!