Up and down week for the Advocate

This week the Baton Rouge Morning Advocate was the only Louisiana newspaper to report that Governor PBJ was defying the wishes of the just recessed legislature as well as the advice of his own consultant to move ahead with his dubious scheme to privatize the State Office of Group Benefits.

Three firms are vying to advise the Jindal administration on the possible privatization of a state employee health plan.

Michael DiResto, spokesman for the state Division of Administration, said Wednesday that the firms are: Barclays Capital, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Keegan.

The governor said earlier in the day that the administration is a couple of weeks away from choosing a firm.

The possibility of a private company running an insurance plan that covers thousands of state workers, retirees and dependents is spurring fears of increased premiums and decreased benefits.

Meanwhile the Times-Picayune managed to send a reporter to a Jindal photo op in New Orleans where he signed two non-controversial bills extending historic renovation tax cuts.

Will no one else pick up the still developing OGB story? Because honestly we don't trust the Advocate to keep at it by themselves. It looks like they've already got their hands full covering the Baton Rouge chain restaurant scene right now.