Sticking with the sell-off

Bobby Jindal will go to the mat for his scheme to privatize the Louisiana Office of Group Benefits.

Administration officials say privatization would bring in a one-time payment of $150 million and save $10 million a year in administrative costs through the elimination of 149 jobs. But a bipartisan list of critics say the numbers don't add up.

State Sen. Butch Gautreaux, D-Morgan City, has promised to hold weekly hearings of the Senate Retirement Committee until he gets certain questions answered. The Louisiana Democratic Party has taken a stand against the proposal, and House Speaker Jim Tucker, R-Algiers, said the sale likely would lead to increased premiums for beneficiaries as the buyer seeks to recoup its investment.

The administration is in the process of hiring a financial adviser to assist in the sale after negotiations to hire the Wall Street firm Goldman Sachs for that role broke down earlier this year.