re: Ascension leaders spend over $10k on hotels, fees for taxpayer-funded conference to Vegas

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Then I guess I'm behind the times because the last time I was traveling on an employer's dime was about 15 years ago and we had 2 employees to a hotel room back then.

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Yea. Most HR departments have gone far away from that to avoid any kinda liability. Even two guys or gals. If you're in a hotel on business and wake up with your co-worker's pecker in your mouth, you got a big fat negligence lawsuit against the company for imposing a "two to a room" policy.
My first job out of college in 1999 encouraged two males or females to room together but didn't enforce it.

I mean unless you liked the pecker and stuff.

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Typical Donaldsonville good ole boys system at the head of the table in this parish. This is what happens when Donaldsonville guys are given power. They’re worse than Chicago politicians. Y’all watch and see if anything changes if Painter wins. NOTHING will change if he wins. Anyone and everyone in Donaldsonville who has money is in Murphy Painter’s back pocket. He’s going to be held hostage by them. To be fair, Cointment will have the east bank in his back pocket so it just becomes a question of who do you want influencing the new leadership. I, for one, am tired of a Donaldsonville having such a large influence in the entire parish’s going’s on.

Can you go into more detail? I'm only familiar with the Gonzales Mafia of Berthelot's, Marchand's etc.
Murphy is a good guy, btw.

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I'm sure Murphy is a good guy at heart but do not think for one minute that his wealthy Donaldsonville buddies won't be influencing a large chunk of the show if he wins. Painter is extremely close to the Donaldsonville wealth (mostly old money with check writers who feel entitled as a mother fricker) and they will almost certainly be asking - ahem - demanding favors. I will not name names because that won't be fair to them since they're not the ones on the ballot and most of all I'm actually pretty close to some of them and am at least familiar with all of them but believe me, they will be in his ear and back pocket if he wins. If you don't like the way Matassa (another Donaldsonville baw) handed out contracts to friends then you will not be satisfied with the way Painter would run the show.

The entitled Donaldsonville wealth has had a hand the parish leadership off and on (more on) for decades and it's time that stops.

Painter, I'm sure, has good intentions but he will be corrupted by those around him. I'm still very undecided how I will vote because I am not a fan of Painter or Cointment to be honest. I may skip that part of the ballot because I just can't bring myself to vote for either one of them.

People need to quit bitching at the politicians for this. They attend these things more or less because they have to or are asked to.

The conferences are held at lavish places because no one wants to go to the NAC conference in luxurious Shreveport or Amarillo Texas etc.

Unless they spent the money on alcohol or anything outside the parameters of legal restraint then they are in the clear

As the poster above stated. People are only bitching because it’s vegas. That storm was of little threat and the dude could have flown home at a moments notice.

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Who knows, it may have been one of the hotels offering discounts for the conference, or even the host hotel.

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WAFB 7/15

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The Ascension entourage stayed in the Caesar’s Palace hotel. In fact, they remain in the hotel as of Monday. The 9News Investigations have learned that the hotels associated with the conference do not include Caesar’s Palace. The host hotels for the conference include the Bally’s Las Vegas, listed at $149 a night and the Paris Las Vegas, listed at $179 a night.

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The pic in the OP’s link show a charge of 149.00 but it’s dated March?

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Murphy "The Stalker" Painter for Parish President.

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Right man, right place, right time, right outside your window gurl!

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The Ascension entourage stayed in the Caesar’s Palace hotel. In fact, they remain in the hotel as of Monday. The 9News Investigations have learned that the hotels associated with the conference do not include Caesar’s Palace. The host hotels for the conference include the Bally’s Las Vegas, listed at $149 a night and the Paris Las Vegas, listed at $179 a night.

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So they paid the same amount as the lowest preferred hotel. I have no issue with this and dont know why anyone else would. Now, I DO AGREE that it was obviously bad timing but as mentioned before, it doesnt seem like a lavish trip at all (unless future expense reports show otherwise).

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In an investigative report earlier this week, Ascension Parish councilman Doc Satterlee slammed the timing of the trip which fell at the same time that Hurricane Barry was set to impact south Louisiana. In fact, Matassa chose to catch a flight just one day after declaring a state of emergency for the parish. "I just cannot fathom how anybody can declare a state of emergency for the entire Parish of Ascension and then step on a plane and go to a conference in Las Vegas," said Satterlee.

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10k for 11 people at a conference, if that’s the total doesn’t seem that crazy.

I went to a conference with a cost of over 1k for the fees and all in on hotel, airfare and food was over 6k at the end (6 days).

I think the bigger problem is still going after declairing a state of emergency. He should have stayed home for the response.

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Right man, right place, right time, right outside your window gurl!

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I chuckled! Maybe even chortled.

YouTube Video of Old Time Mafia "made" guy - talked about corruption with Joe Kennedy and Mafia who knew his dad. Said corruption in politics today is MUCH WORSE than in the past. Beyond our imagination.

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The pic in the OP’s link show a charge of 149.00 but it’s dated March?

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I'm guessing they had to register/pay [non-refundable amount] in advance.