The LSU Board of Supervisors will recast votes today for chairman-elect, but members still remain equally divided.Tensions filled the room in August when the vote ended in a tie between Alvin Kimble of Baton Rouge and John George of Shreveport. Eight members voted in favor of Kimble, who was expected to become the new chairman-elect. But the other eight members voted for George, whose candidacy began only three days before the election.Board members accused Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration for interfering with the voting process by persuading members to vote for George. Kimble unanimously had the Board’s support for chairman-elect since March, but days before the election Jindal decided he wanted George as a candidate.Timmy Teepell, Jindal’s chief of staff, said he contacted members trying to gain support for George, Kimble said. He said board members want to be reappointed, so they feel compelled to do what Jindal wants.”We expect it to be eight to eight until someone misses a meeting or until someone blinks,” Kimble said. “But no one in their right mind picks a fight with the governor of Louisiana. He’s one of the most powerful governors in the United States.”Kimble said George and himself are both well qualified for the position, but Jindal supports George because of the future of health care in New Orleans. The University has recently been in a disagreement with Jindal’s administration over the new LSU teaching hospital.”At LSU we need to get along with the governor,” Kimble said. “But it’s a no win situation for us. If we fight for independence for the Board, we might lose funding for LSU.”Kimble said pulling himself out of the candidacy would give into Jindal’s “dirty politics.””It’s so disheartening to see a new governor get involved in dirty politics so quickly,” he said. “It’s a weird puzzle that someone who seems as moral and ethical as Jindal would get involved.”Kimble believes the Board will move forward and will work to make good decisions for LSU.”The ongoing controversies make us look very unprofessional, and we’re setting a very poor example for the students,” Kimble said.
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