Garey Forster
Encyclopedia
Garey Forster is an American radio
host who served in District 98 as a Republican
member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
from 1982–1997, when he resigned to become the state secretary of labor under Governor Murphy J. “Mike” Foster, Jr.
in New Orleans, then known as St. Aloysius High School
. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts
degree from Tulane University
in New Orleans and has been a fellow of the Institute of Politics at Loyola University
in New Orleans. He is a past district chairman of the Boy Scouts of America
. Forster is married to the former Stephanie Price.
Forster formerly owned a direct mail company. He completed a specialty training course sponsored by the interest group, the National Federation of Independent Business
.
in a special election called because of the resignation of Republican Representative Lane Anderson Carson
, who joined the administration of one-term Republican Governor
David C. Treen
. Forster prevailed thereafter in the regular elections of 1983, 1987, 1991, and 1995. His party conversion came in 1984, and the district was renumbered to 98. In the 1987 nonpartisan blanket primary, also known as the jungle primary, Forster defeated Democratic opponent C. Joseph "Joe" Murray, 7,709 (54.6 percent) to 6,415 (45.4 percent). In 1991, Forster won the primary outright by defeating three Democrats and an Independent with 57.7 percent of the vote. In 1995, Forster polled 52.6 percent in the primary against a Democrat, Norbert Rome and a Republican challenger, Joyce S. Sackett.
On several occasions during the 1990s, Forster was honored by the interest group, the Alliance for Good Government. He also received the Monte Lehman Award from Louisiana Civil Service
and was honored by the French Quarter
Business Association for legislative achievements in promoting business. His district included the French Quarter. New Orleans businessman Rob Couhig
, a leader in the efforts to revive the Orleans Parish Republican Party, was an early campaign manager for Forster.
As a legislator, Forster was a member of the nonpartisan
and conservative American Legislative Exchange Council
.
A defender of cockfighting, then Representative Raymond "La La" Lalonde, then a Democrat from Sunset
in St. Landry Parish
, but who later switched parties, said that the practice is ingrained in Cajun
heritage: “This is part of their culture and heritage, and they're not going to give up on this issue without a fight."
Cockfighting started in ancient Persia and was introduced into North America
in the 18th century. In 1836, Massachusetts
became the first state to ban the breeding and training of such birds. Louisiana was ultimately the last state in the Union to ban the practice, and the measured did not take effect until 2008. Only one House member dissented on the 2007 vote to ban cockfighting. The first raid in Louisiana against an alleged cockfighting operation occurred in March 2009 in Sulphur
in Calcasieu Parish
.
, who in 1991 was elected to a single term as lieutenant governor
. Schwegmann thereafter lost a bid for governor in 1995 and an attempt to return to the office of lieutenant governor in 2003.
. Forster worked with Governor Foster to pursue the “one-stop” concept; that is, having different government offices in a centralized location to accelerate access by those needing services. A prototype
of the concept was unveiled in Slidell
in suburban St. Tammany Parish in 2001. Forster explained, accordingly: "All of the services that we offer in our regular offices, like computer training, placement services and Internet access, will now be available at the East St. Tammany Job Center. This is just another way that we are making things as easy as possible for anyone needing assistance."
Employers visiting the location can list job openings, recruit and interview applicants, and receive tax credits. They can also gain knowledge about subsidized training programs.
Forster and Foster came under fire from organized labor for having allegedly selected judges for the workers compensation program who were inclined to favor business over employees. The pair denied the charge. Governor Foster said: “All I've ever asked the department to do – as far as anybody we appointed – was just to get good, fair judges, not biased on either side.”
In a typical year at the time, Louisiana had some six thousand disputes over whether employees merit worker’s compensation. Forster portrayed the dispute as the result of labor’s opposition to changes that he launched when he became secretary: “Wake up and smell the coffee... This place is no longer run by the AFL-CIO
. It's no longer 'just cut the check.'"
Forster said that he had quickly filled vacant worker’s compensation judgeships without regard to the political views of the candidates. Under Louisiana law, employers must pay all necessary medical costs for injuries sustained while at work. The injured can also obtain two-thirds of their regular salary but with a limit which changes over time. In order to pay such claims, employers either purchase insurance
or pool resources with other companies to create a special fund.
, co-host a radio program on New Orleans FM
station 99.5 FM
. The website lists few details.
In May 2010, Forster substituted for several days for the statewide conservative radio host Moon Griffon
of Monroe
while Griffon was on a cruise in Hawaii
.
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
host who served in District 98 as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
from 1982–1997, when he resigned to become the state secretary of labor under Governor Murphy J. “Mike” Foster, Jr.
Murphy J. Foster, Jr.
Murphy James "Mike" Foster, Jr. served as 53rd Governor of Louisiana from January 1996 until January 2004. Foster's father was Murphy J. Foster, Jr., but Mike Foster uses "Jr." even though he is technically Murphy J. Foster, III. Foster is a businessman, landowner, and sportsman in St...
Early years and education
Forster, a Roman Catholic, graduated from Brother Martin High SchoolBrother Martin High School
Brother Martin High School is an all-male, Catholic, university preparatory school located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States operated by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart. It was established in 1869 by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, establishing the school as St. Aloysius College...
in New Orleans, then known as St. Aloysius High School
Brother Martin High School
Brother Martin High School is an all-male, Catholic, university preparatory school located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States operated by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart. It was established in 1869 by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, establishing the school as St. Aloysius College...
. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
in New Orleans and has been a fellow of the Institute of Politics at Loyola University
Loyola University New Orleans
Loyola University New Orleans is a private, co-educational and Jesuit university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Originally established as Loyola College in 1904, the institution was chartered as a university in 1912. It bears the name of the Jesuit patron, Saint Ignatius of Loyola...
in New Orleans. He is a past district chairman of the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
. Forster is married to the former Stephanie Price.
Forster formerly owned a direct mail company. He completed a specialty training course sponsored by the interest group, the National Federation of Independent Business
National Federation of Independent Business
The National Federation of Independent Business is a lobbying organization with its headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee and offices in Washington, D.C. USA, and in all 50 state capitals...
.
State representative
In 1982, Forster won the House District 99 seat as a DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
in a special election called because of the resignation of Republican Representative Lane Anderson Carson
Lane Carson
Lane Anderson Carson is the head of the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs in the administration of Governor Bobby Jindal. Carson is also a licensed building contractor and real estate broker, and an attorney in private practice. He resides in Covington, the seat of St. Tammany Parish...
, who joined the administration of one-term Republican Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
David C. Treen
David C. Treen
David Conner "Dave" Treen, Sr. , was an American attorney and politician from Mandeville, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana – the first Republican Governor of the U.S. state of Louisiana since Reconstruction. He was the first Republican in modern times to have served in the U.S...
. Forster prevailed thereafter in the regular elections of 1983, 1987, 1991, and 1995. His party conversion came in 1984, and the district was renumbered to 98. In the 1987 nonpartisan blanket primary, also known as the jungle primary, Forster defeated Democratic opponent C. Joseph "Joe" Murray, 7,709 (54.6 percent) to 6,415 (45.4 percent). In 1991, Forster won the primary outright by defeating three Democrats and an Independent with 57.7 percent of the vote. In 1995, Forster polled 52.6 percent in the primary against a Democrat, Norbert Rome and a Republican challenger, Joyce S. Sackett.
On several occasions during the 1990s, Forster was honored by the interest group, the Alliance for Good Government. He also received the Monte Lehman Award from Louisiana Civil Service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
and was honored by the French Quarter
French Quarter
The French Quarter, also known as Vieux Carré, is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. When New Orleans was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city was originally centered on the French Quarter, or the Vieux Carré as it was known then...
Business Association for legislative achievements in promoting business. His district included the French Quarter. New Orleans businessman Rob Couhig
Rob Couhig
Robert Emmet Couhig, Jr., known as Rob Couhig , is an attorney, businessman, entrepreneur, Republican political activist, and a former radio talk show host from New Orleans, Louisiana. His last political foray was into the 2010 New Orleans mayoral election.A former partner of the Adams and Reese...
, a leader in the efforts to revive the Orleans Parish Republican Party, was an early campaign manager for Forster.
As a legislator, Forster was a member of the nonpartisan
Nonpartisan
In political science, nonpartisan denotes an election, event, organization or person in which there is no formally declared association with a political party affiliation....
and conservative American Legislative Exchange Council
American Legislative Exchange Council
The American Legislative Exchange Council is a politically conservative 501 non-profit Policy Organization, consisting of both state legislators and members of the private sector. ALEC's mission statement describes the organization's purpose as the advancement of free-market principles, limited...
.
Cockfighting
Forster was an early vigorous advocate of a ban on cockfighting in Louisiana. In 1990, with the support of animal rights activists, he proposed two bills, one to ban the practice outright and the other to reclassify fowl as “animals” so that they could gain protection through laws banning animal cruelty. "We've been trying to get this thing passed for years, and we'll probably try again ...," Forster said.A defender of cockfighting, then Representative Raymond "La La" Lalonde, then a Democrat from Sunset
Sunset, Louisiana
Sunset is a town in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,897 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Opelousas–Eunice Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Sunset is located at ....
in St. Landry Parish
St. Landry Parish, Louisiana
St. Landry Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is at the heart of Acadian/Cajun culture and heritage in Louisiana. The parish seat is Opelousas. According to the 2010 census, the population of St. Landry Parish is 83,384.St...
, but who later switched parties, said that the practice is ingrained in Cajun
Cajun
Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
heritage: “This is part of their culture and heritage, and they're not going to give up on this issue without a fight."
Cockfighting started in ancient Persia and was introduced into North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
in the 18th century. In 1836, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
became the first state to ban the breeding and training of such birds. Louisiana was ultimately the last state in the Union to ban the practice, and the measured did not take effect until 2008. Only one House member dissented on the 2007 vote to ban cockfighting. The first raid in Louisiana against an alleged cockfighting operation occurred in March 2009 in Sulphur
Sulphur, Louisiana
Sulphur is a city in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 22,512 at the 2000 census. Sulphur is a suburb of Lake Charles, and is part of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
in Calcasieu Parish
Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana
Calcasieu Parish[p] is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Lake Charles. As of 2010, the parish population was 192,768...
.
Successor
On leaving the legislature, Forster was succeeded by another Democrat, who later turned Republican, but one more liberal than most Louisiana Republicans, Melinda SchwegmannMelinda Schwegmann
Melinda B. Schwegmann was the lieutenant governor of Louisiana from 1992–1996 – the first woman to hold the position. She made an unsuccessful run for governor of Louisiana in 1995...
, who in 1991 was elected to a single term as lieutenant governor
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...
. Schwegmann thereafter lost a bid for governor in 1995 and an attempt to return to the office of lieutenant governor in 2003.
As labor secretary
As secretary of labor, Forster’s assistant was Raj Jindal, mother of current Louisiana Governor Bobby JindalBobby Jindal
Piyush "Bobby" Jindal is the 55th and current Governor of Louisiana and formerly a member of the United States House of Representatives. He is a member of the Republican Party....
. Forster worked with Governor Foster to pursue the “one-stop” concept; that is, having different government offices in a centralized location to accelerate access by those needing services. A prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
of the concept was unveiled in Slidell
Slidell, Louisiana
Slidell is a city situated on the northeast shore of Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 25,695 at the 2000 census. The Greater Slidell Community has a population of about 90,000...
in suburban St. Tammany Parish in 2001. Forster explained, accordingly: "All of the services that we offer in our regular offices, like computer training, placement services and Internet access, will now be available at the East St. Tammany Job Center. This is just another way that we are making things as easy as possible for anyone needing assistance."
Employers visiting the location can list job openings, recruit and interview applicants, and receive tax credits. They can also gain knowledge about subsidized training programs.
Forster and Foster came under fire from organized labor for having allegedly selected judges for the workers compensation program who were inclined to favor business over employees. The pair denied the charge. Governor Foster said: “All I've ever asked the department to do – as far as anybody we appointed – was just to get good, fair judges, not biased on either side.”
In a typical year at the time, Louisiana had some six thousand disputes over whether employees merit worker’s compensation. Forster portrayed the dispute as the result of labor’s opposition to changes that he launched when he became secretary: “Wake up and smell the coffee... This place is no longer run by the AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
. It's no longer 'just cut the check.'"
Forster said that he had quickly filled vacant worker’s compensation judgeships without regard to the political views of the candidates. Under Louisiana law, employers must pay all necessary medical costs for injuries sustained while at work. The injured can also obtain two-thirds of their regular salary but with a limit which changes over time. In order to pay such claims, employers either purchase insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
or pool resources with other companies to create a special fund.
Radio program
Forster and Anthony Patton, listed as a marketing entrepreneurEntrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, co-host a radio program on New Orleans FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
station 99.5 FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
. The website lists few details.
In May 2010, Forster substituted for several days for the statewide conservative radio host Moon Griffon
Moon Griffon
Blane M. Griffon, known as Moon Griffon is a conservative radio talk show host who broadcasts statewide through station KMLB FM in Monroe, the seat of Ouachita Parish in northeastern Louisiana. He has sometimes been called the "Rush Limbaugh of Louisiana" though his program reflects his distinct...
of Monroe
Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 51,208, but 51,636...
while Griffon was on a cruise in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
.