Scott Angelle and His New Job?

Photo source: The Hayride 

It has come to the attention of Cajun Conservatism that the Trump administration is considering the appointment of Scott Angelle to the Dept. of Interior, either at the head of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management or Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.

This possible position has been reported on in the past several weeks on outlets such as Business Report and LAPolitics and has come with what seems to be the blessing of both Congressman Clay Higgins, who defeated Angelle in a highly contested 3rd Congressional District race this past fall to replace Charles Boustany, and Attorney General Jeff Landry.

This move will push Angelle out of the spotlight in Louisiana politics and into the swamp of DC. The only positive thing that can result from this decision is that Angelle can promote himself as a champion of oil and gas and an ally of the industry in either of these positions and Louisiana can move on without him.

In either case, we, in Louisiana, are better off.

One of the Establishment Endorses Scott Angelle

Many may remember Joel Robideaux. He's the member in Louisiana's legislature that decided to raise taxes on the citizens of Louisiana without going through the the proper legislative means a few years back. 

Well, establishment supports establishment.  

Per his Facebook page tonight, Robideaux is now supporting Scott Angelle for his bid for a seat in the House of Represenatives.  

 NEWS: MAYOR-PRESIDENT JOEL ROBIDEAUX ENDORSES SCOTT ANGELLE FOR CONGRESS.

Focuses On Need for Expertise, Leadership On Oil & Gas Issues.

As Mayor-President of Lafayette Parish, I have seen first hand the difficulties faced by our families who rely on jobs in the oil and gas industry. The energy sector is, by far, our biggest economic driver. Once we get beyond campaign rhetoric, it's critically important that we send an industry leader to Congress who will help shape energy policy for the new administration. Our Congressman must have the ability and experience to counsel the President and other members of Congress on the impact of federal regulation affecting energy markets and production. A highly knowledgeable and effective Congressman is essential to ensure the success of the President's plans to reduce barriers to responsible energy production. This initiative will generate significant investment and bring back quality oil and gas jobs here. Scott Angelle has worked on oil and gas issues for decades. He thoroughly understands the industry and has proven to be a powerful advocate for the production, refining, distribution and oilfield services jobs that are so important to our region. We're blessed to have one candidate with the stature as a recognized leader to advise President Trump and the new Congress on these issues. With our future in mind, I'm pleased to offer my strongest possible endorsement for Scott Angelle to serve Lafayette Parish and the entire third district as our representative in Congress.

Highlighting Scott Angelle's Desperation

In a desperate attempt to grab onto the seat in the House of Representatives, Louisiana's 3rd District, Scott Angelle has stooped to new lows in attacking Capt. Clay Higgins' family. In a rebuttal, Higgins released the following, which is self explanatory.  

CHILD SUPPORT?

Divorced in 1999, Higgins' ex wife... the mother of his living children... is a highly recognized, skilled paralegal. She was a senior paralegal in the Jindal Administration.

She worked with... and is friends with... Scott Angelle.

Her lawsuit about child support was filed last week, the very day after the November 8th primary.

These reported allegations date back 11 years.

Although an accomplished paralegal, she never pursued civil action until now, 11 years later.

The lawyer who filed the suit is the law partner of Jindal's attorney.

Captain Higgins consistently paid $1289 monthly, plus health insurance, and also assisted with incidental expenses, in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004.

During this time frame, Captain Higgins had 5 employers... yet the Texas State Attorney Generals Office served court ordered child support withholding only one time...the initial filing in 1999.

Every subsequent employer was advised of the withholding at commencement of the new job by Captain Higgins himself.

Captain Higgins moved to St Landry Parish in 2002. In November of 2004, at the conclusion of what was to be his final job in the car business, he changed his life drastically and began his career as a street cop, earning far less money.

Higgins had the child support case moved from Texas to St. Landry Parish whereby a proper review and reassessment of child support amounts would be adjudicated by a Louisiana judge. (According to the Louisiana formula, Captain Higgins child support would have been adjusted to $400 dollars monthly, with credit applied to that amount for health insurance.) This is why payment records in Texas stop early in 2005.

Court documents in St. Landry Parish clearly verify this filing.

His wife, a clever paralegal, maneuvered the case away from St. Landry Parish into EBR Parish, where she had complete control of the case. She immediately had the case filed as "Pass Without Date", meaning it was "shelved" with no review and no new adjudication.

With no resolution, faced with no ability to seek righteous adjudication, Higgins continued to comply with what would have been the Louisiana adjudication. He did so for well beyond the 18th birthday of his 3 living children.

Captain Higgins remains a loving father, and still provides support for 2 of his now adult children.

His 2 younger children were each provided a car during their senior HS year.

His 24 year old son... a street cop... currently lives on his own in Clay's paid for single wide trailer, rent free. The Captain also helps his son with incidental bills.

Clays youngest daughter is a junior in college. Her vehicle note, all maintenance and insurance is handled by the Captain. He also provides extra help for her as he is able.

Captain Higgins has hoped his children would be left out of this campaign.

Scott Angelle remains a career politician.

The Official Litmus Test of the True Conservative

'A House Divided' Revisited - A Letter to Authentic Conservatives of Louisiana

Photo source: Louisiana.gov

In 1858, a young America found itself on the verge of disintegrating into the annals of history to join the likes of Rome. Knowing well the stakes were of the highest sort, President Abraham Lincoln, resolved as ever, prevented the eternal downfall of our country by turning to - among other things - a simple truism that was (is) paramount, timeless and universal in nature.  In an historic speech, President Lincoln warned the people of the United States exactly as Jesus once warned his disciples, telling the nation, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”  We all know the rest of the story (or at least we all should).  Now, 157 years later, we Louisiana conservatives find ourselves cast in the lead roles of our own collective story of a house divided amongst three conservative gubernatorial candidates and their respective supporters.  Because our current scenario is also one with vast implications, my fear is that, at the individual level, idealism could carry the day over pragmatism.  This would result in – by default - the handing over of victory to the true opposition by way of a silent minority.  I find that possibility unbelievably unsettling.  Therefore, I challenge anyone dwelling in this political purgatory to act out of reason rather than dogma in this critically polarized run-off.

To ensure victory for Senator David Vitter in the upcoming run-off is to ensure victory for every conservative stakeholder in Louisiana.  Yet - in light of recent news - I have deep concerns that the simplicity of this observation could potentially be lost on enough primary supporters of Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne and Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle to indirectly elect as our next Governor a man who actually nominated Barrack Obama for a second term...after witnessing the train wreck that was his first term! Take a moment to let that sink in...

If there is one thing that, in theory, all conservatives have in common, it is the recognition that President Obama’s agenda has sought to erode the foundation of our country and systematically destroy the American way of life.  Therefore, it should be a foregone conclusion that conservatives will do whatever is within their powers to counteract any and all further proliferation of the Obama agenda up-to and including serving defeat to any candidate for high public office who had any part in giving this man the Presidency the first time (much less the second!).  So why are we left with questionable uncertainty as to whether Dardenne's supporters and Angelle and his voters will now be backing David Vitter with an official public endorsement and at the polls? I believe, for many, the answer to this question is rooted in a fallacious allegiance we, as humans, tend to have towards our individual idealisms.  To our dismay, however, idealism only succeeds outside of our current reality and at the expense of real-world solutions.

One need not be Dr. Ben Carson to see that some portion of Dardenne and Angelle backers are disenchanted with the outcome of the primary.  That is to be expected, but such a reaction among voters in this cliché scenario certainly is not exceptional. After a competitive primary where candidates routinely tear each other down, there is always to be expected negative emotional aftermath.  Rejection has occurred for some people at the “expense” of a selection which has been made by the selectors. The selection almost instinctively becomes the negative outlet for the suffering felt by the rejected (See: Dardenne officially endorses Edwards). It is at this very juncture where we as conservatives must lead from that part within us which makes us the complete opposite of liberals to begin with: reason! Perhaps Thomas Sowell better captures the sentiment in which I am here trying to impart when he wrote, “Wishful thinking is not idealism.  It is self-indulgence at best and self-exaltation at worst.  In either case, it is usually at the expense of others.  In other words, it is the opposite of idealism.”  I think we can guess as to what Sowell would say of Dardenne's recent betrayal...  Still, I wonder: what portion of voters who pulled the lever for Dardenne or Angelle last month could be caught up in a similar state of self-indulgent idealism to the point they become, in the eyes of their own party, "traitors?"  I pray that number will turn out to be 0% after the election returns are in... 

Some may retort that my entreaty to every single one of Dardenne’s and Angelle’s supporters (and to Mr. Angelle himself) is null because I am a primary supporter of David Vitter for Governor.  Even in that sense, they would be largely mistaken.  I give my word that, if our current scenario were altered whereby I voted for Vitter (which I did), but either Dardenne or Angelle became the nominee, I would not only vote for whichever gentleman was the nominee, but would go to great lengths to ensure that I convinced every primary Vitter supporter I could find to vote for our party's nominee.  Reason, again, dictates that success is achieved by focusing on solutions rather than “problems.”

I present one final alternative way of looking at this situation in general:  most of us (including myself) can easily lose site of the actual “who” and “what” for which we are voting in the first place.  It’s easy to think that we are voting for a person – a candidate – alone.  Yet the reality is that we are voting for each other concurrently.  When I think of all the candidates whom we've elected who is (also) “voting” for us, I think of Senator David Vitter.  I could be no more pleased with the representation he has made for us in the Senate with his solid, consistent record of representation of his constituency.  How rare is that? Still, I am completely confident that he will make an even better Governor.  We have yet to see the best of Vitter.  I have no doubt!

For anyone still left with a sigh at this point, here is the hard line in the sand, which William F. Buckley, Jr. gave me the words to draw:  “Idealism is fine, but as it approaches reality, the costs become prohibitive.”  Despite our individual ideal outcomes for this race, we are now – like it or not – standing on the ledge of reality.  Since we know what that reality is, we then know the cost of Dardenne, Angelle and their respective supporters not rallying behind David Vitter for Governor because they hoped for a different primary outcome.  That cost would indeed be prohibitive. For one, by withholding support for the sake of making a point will be self-sabotaging for all who do so (join Dardenne at your own risk).  Do I have to even enumerate the myriad of ways in which this is true to my fellow conservatives?  Another - and arguably far worse - reason why not lending full support to Vitter is inherently prohibitive is that such a position (or lack thereof) would be held at the expense of others whom do not deserve to be subjected to such victimization over what is, now, irrelevant (but destructive) political posturing.

I think I speak on behalf of the conservative majority – silent and/or vocal – in applauding the Public Service Commissioner and all of his and Dardenne's supporters for adjusting their sails and pointing the bow of their ships northward.  Louisiana will be all the better for it!  Let's not lose this big-league election because of a small (but still large enough) part of our extended conservative family spent too much time majoring in the minors.  The time for grieving has passed.  It's time now to look toward our future.

Sincerely,

Spencer Drury, MBA

St. Francisville

Why Media Won't Report on Scott Angelle Skipping Public Appearances

Photo source: NOLA.gov

The media loves to point out if Sen. David Vitter misses a forum gubernatorial forum. Vitter has far more reason to miss forums and debates than anyone because of his job in the U.S. Senate requires him to be voting and present in DC most weeks and he has a far more grueling schedule in the state holding town hall meetings, running seven offices, and representing the entire state. 

Scott Angelle, however, has no such excuse. By our count, he's missed at least four gubernatorial forums in the last few weeks. Alliance for Good Government, Campaign for Healthcare for Everyone Gubernatorial Forum, Northshore Old Fashioned Straw Poll and Caucus, and the Region 1 Republican Women Gubernatorial Forum.

But why is he skipping so many and why won't the media cover it?

For one, the more he is out in public, the more questions he is getting about his record. Most people didn't know until recently that he was a lifelong Democrat until 2010 and voted in Obama's first Presidential Primary. And hardly anyone knew about his role in the Bayou Corne Sinkhole or how he quit five days after it collapsed. Voters like to know these things, and Angelle clearly doesn't like to answer. 

The reason the media won't cover it is simple. They have an unhealthy obsession with attacking Sen. Vitter.  We aren't blaming the media for protecting Angelle. We are blaming them for being lazy and only reporting biasedly what they want, which is to attack Vitter. 

Fund For Louisiana’s Future Still Playing Nice

Photo source: The Advocate 

Recently, Cajunconservatism.com reported on the Super PAC’s influence in the race to be Louisiana’s next Governor. There are at least five Super PAC’s trying to impact the race, and four of the five have already been on TV. 

The Louisiana Water Coalition PAC is by far the most aggressive, which is somewhat of a surprise to observers who expected former Bill Cassidy Campaign Manager and the Fund for Louisiana’s Future (FFLF) Executive Director Joel Digrado to use their millions taking Vitter’s opponents to the woodshed. After all, Digrado is the one I’ve heard was behind Vitter’s vicious 2010 ad on illegals. Their ads to date have been tame or non-existent so far. 

The Water Coalition, who says they are not affiliated with any individual campaign, continues to attack U.S. Senator David Vitter. Most recently, they are going after a former staff member who has since been fired but pled guilty to charges regarding an attack on an ex-girlfriend (even though the charges were dropped and the staff member was fired).

The Water Coalition PAC claims to be impartial, although they are promoting the candidacy of John Bel Edwards, Scott Angelle and Jay Dardenne on their website betterthanvitter.com. 

The FFLF appears to only be running an ad depicting Angelle and Dardenne as used car salesmen for the use of state cars. Cajunconservatism.com would give this ad a “C+”. We’ve also seen an online ad from the FFLF hitting Scott Angelle for his role in the Bayou Corne Sinkhole. The ad shows Angelle as negligent and a quitter in regards to the Bayou Corne Sinkhole. This ad seems to be very strong and we would give it an “A,” however it does not seem to be up on television in the major TV markets and FFLF isn’t going to move Angelle or Dardenne numbers with online email buys.

We will continue to monitor the advertising traffic for each of the candidates as well as the Super PACs as we enter the final month of the primary. 

Scott Angelle’s $380,000 Sunoco Job He Doesn’t Want You to Know About

Why won’t Angelle tell anyone about his job with Sunoco

Scott Angelle has been receiving huge sums of compensation, $380,000 a year, for services he provides to Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. since 2012, yet Louisianians know nothing about this job. Recently, when questioned about his involvement with this company, he dodged the questions, even going so far as to provide falsified information to conceal the facts.

• Angelle was asked about his $380,000 job with Sunoco:

ANGELLE: “I don’t have a job, I’m on the board of directors for a company called Sunoco Logistics.”

• Angelle was asked if he got the job while serving as DNR secretary.

ANGELLE: “No.”     

• Angelle was asked if the company he works for did business with Louisiana.

ANGELLE: “Not that I’m aware of.”

• Angelle was asked if he thought his Sunoco job was a conflict of interest to his jobs in Louisiana.

ANGELLE: “No. I do not.”

                                      
More information below.

SCOTT ANGELLE SUNOCO’S INSIDER

Scott A. Angelle has been receiving huge sums of compensation for services he provides to Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. since 2012.

Recently, when questioned about his involvement with this company, he dodged the questions, even going as far as to provide falsified information to conceal the facts.

ANGELLE dodges on compensation:

FACT: Scott has made well over a half a million dollars in compensation for his work at Sunoco.

• Starting in 2013, Angelle’s Annual Compensation From Sunoco Was $380,705. (Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P., Form 10-K, Annual Report, United States Securities And Exchange Commission, Filed 2/27/14)

ANGELLE denies Sunoco recruited him for the job while he was Secretary of DNR:

FACT: During a late 2011 trip to Dallas, while serving as the head of DNR, Scott’s official itinerary states that his official business that day was to meet with “Energy Transfer Company,” Sunoco’s parent company. He stayed less than a mile away from Energy Transfer’s Dallas office and was reimbursed $329.67 by Louisiana’s tax payers.

Scott stepped down from his position at DNR in late 2012 and before the year was finished was sitting on Sunoco’s board of directors.

In October 2011, Angelle Expensed A DNR Trip To Meet With “Energy Transfer Company” In Dallas, TX

Angelle’s Travel Itinerary Shows He Traveled To Dallas In October 2011 To Meet With “Energy Transfer Company.” (Scott Angelle, Travel Itinerary, 10/13/11)

ANGELLE lied and said Sunoco did no business with the state while he was at DNR:

FACT: Scott’s assertion that Sunoco, and its parent company Energy Transfer, had no business before the state during his tenure as Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources is a lie. 

ETP has been a publically traded company since 2004.  Beyond Scott having an official meeting in 2011 while holding the position of DNR secretary at their Dallas office, Sunoco, ETP, and ETE own multiple significant energy related assets in the state of Louisiana and have to file thousands of reports with DNR.

Sunoco Has A Financial Interest In A Pipeline System That Runs Through Louisiana

Sunoco Has “A Controlling Financial Interest In The Mid-Valley Pipeline System Which Owns Approximately 1,000 Miles Of Crude Oil Pipelines” That Passes Through Louisiana.  “We have a controlling financial interest in the Mid-Valley pipeline system which owns approximately 1,000 miles of crude oil pipelines that originate in Longview, Texas and pass through Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio, and terminate in Samaria, Michigan.” (Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P., Form 10-K, Annual Report, United States Securities And Exchange Commission, Filed 2/26/15)

In 2014, Sunoco Reported Owning 1 Active Terminal In Louisiana, With A Storage Capacity of 161,000 Barrels. (Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P., Form 10-K, Annual Report, United States Securities And Exchange Commission, Filed 2/26/15)

ANGELLE Denies there is a conflict of interest with his current LPSC position and his job at Sunoco:

FACTS: The LPSC is a public utility regulatory agency that also describes itself as having the jurisdiction to regulate pipelines.

http://www.lpsc.louisiana.gov/aboutlpsc.aspx

Angelle was elected to the LPSC late in 2012, at the same time that he was appointed by ETP to serve on Sunoco’s executive board “SUNOCO LOGISTICS PARTNERS L.P. Form 10-K." 2012. (Pg. 118). Coincidence? http://www.sunocologistics.com/SiteData/docs/SXLForm10K/998b1e2034c4a878/SXL%20Form%2010-K%202012%20FINAL.pdf.

Sunoco has some major pipeline projects expected to come online in Louisiana in the very near future. These projects were announced in August 2014.

http://www.foxbusiness.com/industries/2014/08/07/permians-oil-surge-creates-need-for-pipelines/

http://www.sunocologistics.com/pela/

In February 2015, the LPSC voted to expand its authority over all entities engaged in the transportation of petroleum by pipeline, like the ones that ETP and Sunoco utilize in their business endeavors. Angelle was serving on the PSC board when Sunoco announced the new projects and when the PSC gave themselves more authority. Was Scott Angelle making backroom deals to get this done?

 http://lpscstar.louisiana.gov/star/ViewFile.aspx?Id=a909fc03-9b1f-42c9-bdad-2b807c049bb5.

Scott Angelle avoided this vote by conveniently being absent from the room as the votes were taken, returning shortly after completion to continue the commission’s business. If it’s not a conflict of interest, why didn’t he vote? If it is a conflict of interest, why is he still getting paid by Sunoco while serving on the PSC?

http://www.lpsc.louisiana.gov/_docs/_Minutes/2%2026%202015%20BE%20Minutes.pdf                                    

WHY IS SCOTT ANGELLE ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AT SUNOCO: Is Scott Angelle Sunoco’s Louisiana insider to get them sweetheart deals through his elected position on the LPSC? Did Scott Angelle help get Sunoco’s new projects for Louisiana approved in any way? Why would ETP, and the top executives of the company, be pumping $80,000 of campaign contributions into his campaign for Governor?

Fund for Louisiana's Future Releases "Salesmen" Video

The Fund for Louisiana's Future has released another video, this time highlighting the spending habits that Scott Angelle and Jay Dardenne have had regarding vehicles bought and maintained by taxpayer money. 

Fund for Louisiana's Future Releases "Common" Video

The Fund for Louisiana's Future released a video highlighting Jay Dardenne's and Scott Angelle's support for higher taxes today. 

MARBLEPORT POLLING RELEASES REPORT ON POLLING IN LOUISIANA RACES

MarblePort Polling and Ethan Zorfas, general consultant for Bill Cassidy’s Senate campaign, released the following polling report today.  The survey was conducted Monday March 17th, 2015. In total, 1071 interviews among likely voters were completed. The margin of error is +/­‐2.99%.

One of the biggest questions in the poll was for candidate for Louisiana Governor.

The poll highlights the strength of Vitter’s support, which is mainly among Republican voters in the state.  John Bel Edwards is enjoying considerable support in both Democrat and African-American voting areas.  Jay Dardenne’s support mainly comes from within the Baton Rouge area, while Scott Angelle’s support is coming from the heavily Cajun area of the state, Acadiana.

The second part of the poll deals with the political mood within the state.

Voters were also asked which party they trusted more to lead the state legislature.

Jindal’s job performance was questioned, which could possibly be a referendum in the fall election.

Regarding education, Common Core remains wildly unpopular here in the Bayou State.

When asked about the state’s deficit, 66% of voters state that they agree that the state spends too much money on wasteful projects.

Due to the fact that the state is in such a financial bind, many of those polled support a hike in the amount taxed on cigarettes in the state.

The report can be read in entirety here.

Source: MarblePort Polling – Ethan Zorfas