we saw that...

la gop chairman roger villere is a hypocrite and a fraud

doofy rino hollis downs is a clown

on thursday, 28 april 2009, the house committee on ways and means met to consider two bills. the first bill that they considered was state representative hollis downs' HB 456, a bill that would require that the tax on gasoline, diesel fuels, and special fuels to be adjusted annually in accordance with the bureau of labor statistics consumer price index.

incredibly, it seems that everyone has already forgotten last years SB 672 the massive legislative pay raise fraud bill, which, likewise, tied the "legislators" pay raise to the consumer price index. see house floor amendments: amendments proposed by representative tucker to reengrossed senate bill no. 672 by senator duplessis.

this meant that the legislators would likely receive an automatic yearly pay raise of an unknown amount without any further debate or public input. out of sight, out of mind.

furthermore, since the cpi represents all goods and services purchased for consumption by the reference population like food and beverages, housing, apparel, transportation, medical care, recreation, education and communication and other goods and services for example tobacco and smoking products, haircuts and other personal services and funeral expenses.

also included within these major groups are various government-charged user fees, such as water and sewerage charges, auto registration fees, and vehicle tolls. in addition, the cpi includes taxes (such as sales and excise taxes) that are directly associated with the prices of specific goods and services. see cpi faq what goods and services does the cpi cover?

do you understand what a mistake it is in allowing the legislature to tie taxes, etc to the consumer price index? because the legislature either outright or working in concert with their criminal friends in city and parish government and congress can manipulate the consumer price index!

think of karen carter peterson's HB 75 dollar a pack cigarette tax.you might be a nonsmoker thinking that the tax wouldnt affect you but it does. every tax and fee affects everyone else.

any sane, rational person should be able to understand that if the legislators were willing to tie something as important to them as a pay raise to the consumer price index, then its not a good idea to tie a tax on all the people to the same thing.

in case you're wondering, yes, hollis downs voted for SB 672. see SB 672 house final passage vote of 13 june 2008.

anyway, we watched the committee meeting on the live stream and saw hollis downs make his ignorant statement criticizing the governor (you cant believe one word that comes out of the governor or his staff's mouth but in this instance he appears to oppose HB 456 and rightfully so) where he called on the governor and his team "to be leaders, and not just philosophers."

how dare this asshole, hollis downs, who claims to be a member of that party which stands for lower taxes, etc., etc., (you know the drill) and who brings this sham of a bill before the legislature criticize the governor for opposing it.

whats more, where is the republican party leadership at? where is roger "daffodil" villere with his scathing press releases at? why isnt he taking to task hollis downs for his very unrepublican bill?

and not only hollis downs there is also rino eddie lambert's HB 254 and rino's kevin pearson a jim tucker's HB 687. this is just two out of many bills that come to mind that an honest, respectful, authentic gop party boss (which roger villere is not) would be raising hell over.

villere instead of doing his job is off harrassing rep. karen carter peterson with a massive public records request. [click here for one page .pdf 18 kb]

roger villere is the sorriest excuse for a gop party boss ever. what he needs to be doing is getting a grip on his own party and calling out all the rino's that so infest it. but years have went by and he does nothing.

are louisiana republicans ever going to get a clue and realize that roger villere is working a plan to destroy the louisiana republican party? will they ever run his ass off and not only villere -- but the rest of the criminals who are killing the la gop? it sure doesnt look like it from here.

if you're a republican, grow a backbone. have some integrity for a change. speak out against these rino legislators and demand the removal of all these incompetent, corrupt criminals from the leadership. or turn out the light on your way out -- cos the republican party is going down -- the sooner the better -- simple as that.

HB 456 was voluntarily deferred that means that it can come back up again. so you better get on the phone and call your representative and tell him or her to vote no to HB 456 as well as HB 254 and HB 687.

dont bother emailing them because many of them just delete their emails unread.

la gop chairman roger villere: assclown

www.thedeadpelican.com

the tea party of louisiana is rethuglican controlled garbage

www.lanewslink.com

americans for tax reform knows how to call a rino a liar

on saturday 06 june 2009 the so called louisiana republican party central committee passed a resolution "opposing all increases in taxes and fees including the cigarette tax."

previously, karen carter peterson a new orleans area democrat had her house bill no. 75 which called for among other things a one dollar per pack increase in the cigarette tax. that bill died in committee.

not to be out done, rep. peterson reintroduced her cigarette tax as house bill no. 889 this time calling for among other things only for a fifty cents per pack tax increase.

both bills are called the "louisiana healthier families act" or as we prefer to call them " karen carter peterson's increase convenience store smash-n-grab robberies, clerk murdering and black marketeering enhancement act of 2009."

anyway, on 08 june 2009, two days after the aforementioned rscc resolution, HB 889 came before the house committee on ways and means where it passed this time by a vote of 8 - 7.

two of the eight favorable votes were cast by republicans - rep. stephen carter and rep. frank hoffmann. if these two so called republicans would have obeyed the resolution (not to mention the republican party platform as well as everything that republicans are supposed to stand for) or if the republican committee chairman hunter greene would have bothered to have voted and voted no, then HB 889 would have stalled in committee.

not long after the committee vote americans for tax reform released the below statement where they actually name names. atr further reveals that rep. carter's word is worth squat because he actually signed a "taxpayer protection pledge" which by this vote he promptly broke.

we guess rep. frank hoffmann is an honest liar cause atr makes no mention of his signing the pledge.

click here to download one page .pdf [262 kb]

contrast atr's statement to what bayou buzz is trying to represent as gop chairman roger villere's "stern response."

"On Saturday, the Republican State Central Committee passed overwhelming a resolution in opposition to tax and fee increases. Today, members of the House Ways & Means Committee, whether explicitly or implicitly allowed Speaker Pro-Tem Karen Carter Peterson’s tax increase to go to the floor. I’m disappointed by today’s vote, but I’m hopeful that Republicans and conservative Democrats will stand up for taxpayers and reject this regressive tax that will hurt Louisiana small businesses." ~ source

chairman villere's incompetence knows no bounds. he doesnt give the bill number, he doesnt name names. he doesnt take the committee chairman to task for not voting. from reading his statement you wouldnt even realize that any republicans played key roles in the bills favorable passage. wtf?

why is an out of state group issuing far superior statements on the workings of the louisiana republican party than the republican party itself?

when are louisiana republicans going to wake up and realize that roger villere is working a plan to destroy the party? when are news outlets like bayou buzz as well as the states conservative talking heads going to stop covering for villere's incompetence and start speaking out?

goofy gop chairman weighs in

chad over at dp is running a statement from louisiana republican party chairman roger f. villere, jr.

"With the end of the legislative session Democrat Governor Kathleen Blanco completes another chapter in her abysmal tenure."

sammy kershaw lieutenant governor political event at pineville la

www.thedeadpelican.com

dopey rino chris hazel has the stumblie-mumblies

geezo-crimey, is this guy pathetic or what? and to think that this guy is a lawyer and a former long-time assistant district attorney. no wonder he had to quit and become a politician -- he was probably tired of having his ass handed to him over and over again by mike small, george higgins and david stone.

we dont know about you, but we are sick and tired of these political hacks and fraudsters who in order to get votes claim to be conservative republicans because it's currently fashionable to say you're a republican, then when they get to baton rouge, or washington district of criminals, do the exact opposite.

this could all be easily stopped if the louisiana republican party had honest and respectable leaders. sadly, the louisiana republican party has one of the most incompetent, ineffective jokes of a chairman in roger villere. you never see "chairman" (and we use that term lightly) villere come out to criticize or censure louisiana republican politicians when they sponsor or vote for legislation that is totally opposed to republican party ideals as shown by its own written platform.

whats obvious, is that the louisiana republican party, starting with "chairman" villere and extending down into the local level, has been infiltrated and taken over by an organized crime gang.

make no mistake -- we are not taking up for nor promoting the democratic party either -- democrats are just another branch of the organized crime gang. when are louisianaians going to wake up to the fact that the republican party and the democratic party not are, but already have, destroyed this state and nation and quit voting for these losers?

link

another pro-tax fake republican sen mike michot sb245

La. State Senator Michael "Mike" Michot (R) Lafayette

gop chairman says blanco should step aside as governor

click picture to enlarge.

gop women outraged!

www.thedeadpelican.com

we salute these courageous republican women for standing up for traditional republican party values and for opposing every bit of flotsam and jetsam who switches over to the republican party knowing full well that so many of louisiana's dimwitted and deceived voters like good automatons will pull the lever for anyone with an (R) beside their name.

dont expect any help from louisiana republican party chairman roger villere though. hes useless. in fact we suspect that he is really a RINO.

click the link to read chad's story.

====
related posts:

fake republican watch: billy montgomery

fake republican watch: julie quinn

fake republican watch: mike michot

roger villere

louisiana now: jim mccrery accused of being a closet homosexual in new documentary

louisiana now blog, posts about a new documentary that "examines supposed gay politicians who live in the closet, yet support anti-gay policies." one such politician mentioned by the documentary is former louisiana congressman jim mcrery. ~ read more

this explains why lately we have seen an unusual increase in "jim mccrery + gay" googlers," to our post of 07 december 2007.

mccrery, a republican (naturally) did in at least one instance that we are aware of, support pro-homosexual federal legislation.

of course, none of louisiana's main stream media reported it. nor did la. gop chairman, roger "daffodil" villere issue any statement of condemnation.

just like in the recent case of pro-homosexual republican and quack doctor bill cassidy's as well as that flake anh cao's vote for H.R. 1913 the federal hate crimes bill a/k/a the pedophile protection act, villere and as far as we can tell the entire la. republican party "leadership" (if you can call them that) remained silent.

piyush "mr. ethics bobby" jindal caught being unethical - again!

less than a month ago, the piyush scam was caught and then admonished for using louisiana state university and the university of louisiana at lafayette's colors and logo's. now the piyush scam has been caught using fuzzy bookkeeping regarding his campaign finance reports, leaving us wondering what's going to come out next...

the baton rouge morning advocate explains:

By MICHELLE MILLHOLLON
Advocate Capitol News Bureau
Published: Sep 7, 2007 - Page: 1A

U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal is planning to amend his most-recent campaign finance report for the governor’s race in response to an ethics complaint.

The Kenner Republican, who is making ethics a cornerstone of his campaign, did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.

His spokeswoman, Melissa Sellers, said Thursday that Jindal campaign officials do not believe they violated state campaign disclosure laws.

“We will file an amendment out of an abundance of caution,” she said.

Another gubernatorial candidate, state Sen. Walter Boasso, also is the subject of an ethics complaint.

Republican Party of Louisiana State Central Committee member Scott Wilfong of Baton Rouge contends Boasso, D-Arabi, failed to detail which media outlets received money to air his TV commercials.

Wilfong confirmed that he filed the complaint Thursday but refused to comment further on it. He said state ethics officials told him not to talk about it.

Boasso did not respond to a request for comment.

Boasso’s campaign spokesman Brian Welsh said the campaign has reported and disclosed “every penny.”

The election is Oct. 20.

The complaint on Jindal claimed he should have reported $118,264.76 in mailers that the Louisiana Republican Party did on his behalf. The party listed the expenditures in its own campaign finance report.

Republican Party chairman Roger Villere said he is not sure Jindal knew about the mailers.

“If someone’s looking on his, that’s the wrong thing. He wouldn’t be responsible for reporting something we did,” Villere said.

The state’s acting ethics administrator, Kathleen Allen, said she could not confirm that complaints have been filed against Jindal or Boasso.

Complaints are confidential unless a violation is found, she said.

Speaking generally, Allen said a candidate might have to report direct mailers paid for by a political party if he or she helped coordinate the content.

New Orleans public high schoolteacher Chris Stow-Serge said he filed the complaint against Jindal after combing through the finance reports with friends.

Stow-Serge said he is not supporting any particular gubernatorial candidate. He said he was active with the College Democrats at Tulane University.

Stow-Serge said he has never before filed an ethics complaint.

He said he hopes Jindal is called out for the “hypocrisy of running a campaign about ethics.”

Governor Violates Election Law In Canceling Orleans Vote…Words Resemble Dictators of Old

if the louisiana legislature was worth a plug nickel they would call themselves into session and impeach blanco. the governor has sworn to uphold and to preserve the constitution. all citizens in louisiana and in the usa as a whole are guaranteed the right to vote. the only exception we can think of is someone who has been convicted of a felony forfeits his right to vote. sec'y of state al ater has alluded to a late september 2006 date for the nola elections - but thats not what the governors executive order says now is it. we did some googling and found executive order no kbb 2005 - 77 in this executive order issued by governor blanco she postponed by only 28 days the primary elections in allen,beauregard, calcasieu, jefferson davis and vermillion parishes from their original date of october 15th 2005 until november 12th 2005. she moved the general election again by 28 days from november 12 2005 until december 10th 2005.

you see our point? she set a new date. the governor cannot postopone an election indefinetly and in doing so she has committed an impeachable offense and should be indeed impeached. al ater should be removed from his office as well.
see also EXECUTIVE ORDER MJF 02-39 and EXECUTIVE ORDER MJF 98-44
now read this article by christopher tidmore:

By Christopher Tidmore

Governor Kathleen Blanco issued Executive Order KBB-2005-96 one week ago, delaying the elections in New Orleans indefinitely.

In a move curious to students of political history, the Governor’s choice of words so closely resemble the myriad of reasons that Latin American Dictators have rendered over the decades for canceling elections in their countries, that the parallels seem uncanny.

The Governor noted that she was driven to the decision “in order to minimize to whatever degree possible a person’s exposure to danger during declared states of emergency.” That sentence sounds strangely close to Getulio Vargas’ defense for postponing the 1937 Brazilian Presidential elections. His crisis, and his subsequent term in office, lasted until 1954, ending only the ultimate change in political environment--a bullet entering his brain.

Augusto Pinochet likewise said that recent, unsettling events created too many administrative barriers to execute a successful, free election. The Chilean General’s state of emergency also postponed a vote indefinitely--preventing a free presidential vote for over a decade.

In August 1980, Daniel Ortega, like Blanco, pledged “to protect the integrity of the electoral process,” canceling Nicaragua ’s scheduled vote. His democratic probity was demonstrated so well that Central American nation was treated to a decade of the Sandinistas’ Dictatorial rule.

While no critic of the Governor believes her a tyrant in the making, a former Democratic Secretary of State, the current Chairman of the Louisiana Republican Party, and state’s leading Independent Good Government advocate all contend that Blanco, in her words and orders, blatantly ignored state election law in a fashion that far exceeds her authority as the elected head of state government. Either deliberately or accidentally, and there is debate over Blanco’s motives, all agree that her actions display a “frightening disregard for constitutional protections,” as attorney Justin Zitler put it--and have no place in American Democracy.

The Governor justified her decision to postpone the vote, worrying that the logistics were not in place to hold an election in Orleans Parish for months to come. Roger Villere, Chairman of the Louisiana Republican Party countered though, “If we can hold an election in Afghanistan or Iraq , with people risking their lives to vote, why can’t we have a Mayor’s race in New Orleans ?”

The GOP Chairman, who in a spirit of bipartisanship had little critiqued the Governor in recent weeks, radically changed course on Tuesday. He called for Blanco’s immediate resignation. “Governor Blanco’s order to indefinitely suspend elections in Orleans Parish appears to be an abuse of power that makes her unfit to continue to serve as Governor of Louisiana …The anger in this state is at a boiling point. If the Governor wants to avoid impeachment or recall, she must immediately change her ways and begin performing the most basic functions for which she was elected.”

“Because of the tragedy of Katrina and my hesitancy to distract Governor Blanco from her duties,” Villere continued, “I was silent for a long time after the hurricane hit the state. But I am putting the Governor on notice that she has now crossed the line. We have tolerated her gross malfeasance in office, but her Executive Order to take away the right to vote from American citizens is another whole matter. On behalf of the citizens whose rights are being violated, I demand that the Governor hold these elections in a timely manner or face the most severe political consequences from the voters of this state and their elected representatives.”

The Republican Chairman pointed out to The Louisiana Weekly in an interview Tuesday that the Governor did not hesitate to call an election in St. Bernard Parish for April, but refused to do so in Orleans, despite the counsel of those that said that a two month delay is the maximum extra time the City needs, or legally has, to prepare for a Mayor’s race.

In theory, an April 1st primary and April 29th runoff is the last chance that one could hold an election under the City’s Home Rule Charter. The document requires that the new Mayor and Council take office on May 1st.

Blanco explained that the postponement came after acting Secretary of State Al Ater advised that logistically an election could not occur in Orleans . However, good government advocate C.B. Forgotston pointed out to The Louisiana Weekly, “This is the Al Ater that wants to become the next Chairman of the [State] Democratic Party…There could be a political motive here.”

Ater has recommended a September vote for Parishwide officials in New Orleans . His official reasoning cites the flooded voting machines, lack of citywide power grid, and disappearance of poll commissioners. Only by waiting until the statewide elections in September, reasoned Ater, could these problems be avoided.

Forgotston gave a more basic reason. “They’re worried their voters might be gone for good.”

With African-Americans slow to return to the Crescent City , a general perception exists that a February primary and runoff would favor wealthier white residents, whose homes in Uptown, the French Quarter, and Fabourg Marigny generally avoided the floodwaters. Some claim that the fear is so acute that a Republican like Peggy Wilson could sweep into the Mayor’s office, that any delay to encourage black voters would improve the situation.

Critics of the Governor, like Forgotston, point out that St. Bernard was one of the few parishes to take greater damage than Orleans , yet elections proceed there in April. Allies of the Governor respond that the special election vote will only take place in a few precincts, not throughout the parish, as in Orleans . They also add that the Governor has not indicated a specific date for a New Orleans vote. Blanco has, however, said she agrees with Ater’s general interpretations, leading most to agree that the Governor is holding out for a September poll.

While some ascribe political motives, others give a simpler reason as to why Blanco and Ater delayed the vote, perhaps for many months—laziness. Jim Brown, Louisiana ’s former Democratic Secretary of State, told the Weekly, “There is a fear on the part of some bureaucrats that it would be too much work…to put on a race in February…They think its just too hard.”

“When you look at the pros and cons of delaying this election,” the former Sec. State continued, “Well obviously the pros are that it is going to be a lot easier for elections officials. In a couple of months because you will have some more polling locations and maybe they can get the machines ready. They won’t have to work so much overtime, and there won’t be the logistics of getting people to the polls. So, we could do an election, but its going to be a lot more difficult. But…symbolically, it would be a huge mistake not to do it. What are the pluses of her delaying the election?…Unless it goes to the motives of political opportunism to allow more Democrats to get back into the city, and I would hate to think that would be a motive.”

Brown ultimately concludes that Blanco’s motives are not political—just logistical. “The Governor has just been badly advised…The public officials just made a bureaucratic decision. They don’t realize the backlash that is going to happen...Some public officials just want to take the easy way out…If you aggressively attack this problem, these elections could go on…The election code says that if there is damage or some problems in certain precincts, you can consolidate precincts. What that means is that we can go out in an area of the Ninth Ward, find a big warehouse or great big gymnasium, and perhaps put fifteen or twenty precincts in that one location, so people know that they can come to one location if their precinct has been destroyed.”

“We can get in touch with voters, and I know that that is going to be difficult, but if we can absentee vote with our soldiers in Iraq , we can certainly absentee vote with voters in Houston and Dallas.”

Lastly, the man who oversaw Louisiana Elections for eight years reasons that Blanco could have asked other parishes to lend Orleans their voting machines and resources. “There aren’t any other statewide elections dates on February 4th. Therefore, trucks can haul voting machines…Other parishes would be happy to help.”

Volunteer poll commissioners could be recruited from across the state, he reasons, and if necessary, generators could provide the electronic voting machines with power.

The observation ranks far from conjecture. The Louisiana Weekly has learned that Jefferson Parish Clerk of Court John Gegenheimer has volunteered to donate his undamaged voting machines and use his parish resources to aid New Orleans , as have several members of the Louisiana Clerk of Court association. Jefferson , whose post-Katrina population equals Orleans ’ pre-Katrina levels, could easily ship parish resources over the invisible line that separates it from Orleans , so Gegenheimer reportedly offers.

While Brown thinks Blanco’s motives might be honestly misguided, the former Secretary of State has no doubt that the Governor lacked the legal justification for indefinitely delaying the Orleans elections. “The law is very clear. There’s not a lot of leeway here in the law, and I know something about the election code, because I just happened to have written it. In 1984, when I was Secretary of State, my office sat down with people like former Secretary of State Wade Martin and key legislators like Peppi Bruneau. We put together this whole new election code, and I went over it line by line. I remember some lengthy discussions about what would be the circumstances where you would ever call off an election.”

“There are two reasons and two reasons only. The first reason is that there is threat of harm or danger to those voting. That someone voting would be in harm or danger, just like those poor folks in Iraq who get shot at and they still vote. Obviously if Katrina was imminently about to hit or just a few days after, that would certainly be a reason maybe to call off the election then. But, only then.”

“Number two, if the whole integrity of the elections process is in jeopardy or in some way just could not function properly, that’s the second reason. Those are the only two reasons that the election code allows. Not because it would be inconvenient. There is nothing in the election code about voters who are out of state who can’t make it back, and maybe disenfranchised. None of us want that, but the election code does not call for postponement in those instances.”

Brown plans to make these statements in court, testifying in the case filed by New Orleans attorney Rob Couhig, calling for the New Orleans elections to be held in April.

The press has labeled Couhig’s case as a GOP effort. While Couhig did run for Congress in the First District as a Republican and is well known in local and national GOP circles, what the media has ignored is how bipartisan the affiliations of his codefendants are. Several Democrats have joined in a suit against Louisiana ’s Democratic governor.

Deborah Langhoff is a long-time Democratic Party activist. Pres Kabacoff, the Chairman of Historic Restoration Inc. describes himself as a yellow dog Democrat who supported Gore, Blanco, and both the Landrieus. And, Tony Gelderman is well-known as one of the major fundraisers in the local Democratic Party. He was a key backer of Senator Mary Landrieu’s first race for office, and co-headed her opposition team when Woody Jenkins challenged the results of the contested election.

Couhig’s case is filed in State District Court, contending the Governor’s Executive Order violated the City’s Home Rule Charter and the State Elections Code. Less reported by the media is that an equal effort has been made in Federal Court—on constitutional grounds.

Attorney Justin Zitler believes that the cancellation of the elections is not a White or Black issue. It is not Republican or Democratic in nature, he maintains. It is born of the essential 15th Amendment protection of the right to vote.

“ It is an issue of extreme importance for New Orleanians, wherever they live...What we want to do is comply with the city Charter...There is a four year

term in the city charter...There is plenty of time to qualify by January 13...in time for a general election March 4.”

Zitler’s Brief before the court calls for a primary on March 4th, with a runoff on March 25th. Still, he maintains that the one month election difference in his case and Couhig’s ultimately is minor. The real difference in the arguments of the two cases is federally constitutional in nature. “The dispute seems to be how to hit that May 1st deadline...The Fifteenth Amendment that lets us vote in a timely manner...That is what the Governor’s Executive Order is denying us…We are asking the court to overrule the Governor and have the election.”

In what some of her critics have called “a tactical mistake”, Governor Blanco ended her hearings in Washington on Wednesday with the words, “If we can rebuild Baghdad , we can rebuild New Orleans .” All of her opponents have responded to The Louisiana Weekly with the same sentence, “If we can, then can’t we vote too?…Our boys are dying for Democracy in Iraq ; what about New Orleans ?”

Chairman Villere added, “If elections can be canceled arbitrarily in Orleans , they can be canceled anywhere in Louisiana .”

Christopher Tidmore’s radio show is broadcast on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 to 5 pm on KKAY 1590 AM in Baton Rouge and WVOG 600 AM in New Orleans . He invites your replies by email at ctidmore@louisianaweekly.com

ruston rino hollis downs would have opposed repeal of mandatory motorcycle helmet law

house transportation, highways and public works committee vice chairman, hollis downs after arriving late, informs the committee that he would have opposed HB 639 which seeks to repeal the mandatory motorcycle helmet law for those 21 years and older.

we cant find anything in the louisiana republican party platform to support rep. downs' position. can you?

hollis downs is just another criminal; con artist masquerading as a republican.

H RES 744 congress 'disapproves' of joe wilson's "you lie" outburst 240 to 179

Raising a question of the privileges of the House.

Whereas on September 9, 2009, during the joint session of Congress convened pursuant to House Concurrent Resolution 179, the President of the United States, speaking at the invitation of the House and Senate, had his remarks interrupted by the Representative from South Carolina, Mr. Wilson; and 

Whereas the conduct of the Representative from South Carolina was a breach of decorum and degraded the proceedings of the joint session, to the discredit of the House: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives disapproves of the behavior of the Representative from South Carolina, Mr. Wilson, during the joint session of Congress held on September 9, 2009.