Gaming Control Board Chairman Ronnie Jones
In today’s Sound Off Louisiana feature, founder Robert Burns provides insight on an email he received on Tuesday, March 6, 2018 from someone professing to be a pretty big fan of his blog and who offers to mail cash to Burns to defray operating expenses. That proposed act of kindness, however, was followed with a polite but less-than-subtle request that Burns refrain from any more negative references to Gov. Edwards’ Chairman of his Gaming Control Board, Ronnie Jones. The feature follows:
Burns covers the email exchanges between him and the kind prospective benefactor.
Hayride article referenced above wherein publisher Scott McKay was offered $10,000 to refrain from
any more negative articles on last year’s 18 cent-a-gallon gas tax (which failed to even come to a vote in the Louisiana House of Representatives).
Advocate article outlining proposed legislation for the 2018 Legislative Session to expand land-based gaming in Louisiana wherein it’s referenced that “the changes for the riverboats come from recommendations offered by a task force co-chaired by Ronnie Jones, chairman of the state board that regulates gambling.”
Sound Off post # ONE on Ronnie Jones.
Sound Off post # TWO wherein Ronnie Jones is referenced in the opening paragraph.
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Sure looks like someone wants to downplay any role Jones had at LSPC and it’s interesting the timing of that email with the session about to start and gambling expansion being a major item under consideration.
Well, I would submit that his role may be more than is portrayed given that he was even in on this little pow-wow of the upper echelon of the Edwards administration in deciding how to handle the issues Derbonne was addressing.
You can’t have it both ways. You can’t be in on the “big-time power meetings” (even if by conference call) but then later say, “I was not an integral player in the whole ordeal.”
Also, Jones has been identified as the longest-serving member of the “Edmonson breakfast club,” as well.
Finally, the profile picture on YouTube highlights Ronnie Jones as a key presenter at the April 13, 2017 meeting of the LSPC wherein they discussed modifications to the promotional test for LSP troopers (he’s provides his commentary during the 12:00 – 17:00 mark of the video):
https://youtu.be/SL_0XLHVXGw.
Perhaps they merely needed Jones’ intellect for that particular topic, but it’s interesting he was called upon for whatever reason given how strong the desire now is to downplay any role he had with the Louisiana State Police Commission.