CenLamar | Est. 2006

  • My Grandmother, Joanne Lyles White (1929-2011)

    In the next few days, I know I will want to share a few more things about my grandmother, but for now, I just wanted to share her obituary, the most challenging and most humbling thing I have ever had the honor of writing in my entire life: “I slept and dreamed that life was happiness. I awoke and saw that life was service. I served and found that in service happiness is found.” – Rabindranath Tagore Prominent Louisiana humanitarian, philanthropist, educator, and social justice pioneer Joanne Lyles White of Alexandria died peacefully in her home, surrounded by her family,…

  • “It Creates The Appearance That He (Jindal) Is Being Bribed.”

    From The New York Times, this is a must-read. The Gold Standard, really? Louisiana’s biggest corporate players, many with long agendas before the state government, are restricted in making campaign contributions to Gov. Bobby Jindal. But they can give whatever they like to the foundation set up by his wife months after he took office. AT&T, which needed Mr. Jindal, a Republican, to sign off on legislation allowing the company to sell cable television services without having to negotiate with individual parishes, has pledged at least $250,000 to theSupriya Jindal Foundation for Louisiana’s Children. Marathon Oil, which last year won approval…

  • Simple Answers to Simple Questions

    Q: When the local government fires someone and then presses charges against them for theft, how is this reported in the yearly audit? A: Regardless of the rank or the responsibilities of the employee and regardless of the amount of money allegedly stolen, a qualified and professional auditor would include alleged or actual theft in their findings. Theft of public money is, perhaps, the most clear-cut example of government fraud, and a good auditor would cite it as such, even if the crime is only still alleged. Q: So, how does the legislative auditor respond? A: They have a ranking…