Comments for Massage therapists in knots over bill at http://www.theind.com , comment 1 to 4 out of 4 comments http://www.theind.com Sat, 25 May 2013 00:11:46 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.theind.com/news/indreporter/10190-massage-therapists-in-knots-over-bill#comment-26311 The legislation was spurred as a result of the December 21, 2011 report issued by the Louisiana Inspector General’s Office detailing its investigation of the State Board of Massage Therapy and its former executive director, Kayla Aymond – and not due to some misperceived “power grab” by the physical therapy community as Ms. Coussan inappropriately alleges. The physical therapy community is not behind this legislation, nor does it want to have massage therapist under their licensing board. The investigation and report by the Inspector General found that the massage therapy board either misspent or failed to account for spending, public funds totaling $201,200. The investigation specifically reached the following conclusions: • Between 2006 and 2010, Ms. Aymond prepared checks payable to herself in excess of her standard salary, resulting in an additional $113,000 of income. The $113,000 is a combined total that represents: - Approximately $23,500 attributed to the apparently unjustified reduction of payroll taxes and health insurance premiums. - Approximately $27,000 attributed to overtime hours paid at the rate of $70.85 per hour. Investigators have been unable to find supporting documentation for the overtime hours. - Approximately $62,500 in travel and reimbursement of expenditures for which the Board has been unable to produce supporting documentation. - Our investigation also found mismanagement during Ms. Aymond’s tenure that spanned a wide array of issues, including: - Failure to obtain a properly executed building lease renewal. - Unauthorized repairs to the Board’s leased building that cost approximately $59,000. - Failure to obtain written contracts and approvals for building repairs, legal services, and accounting services. - Failure to submit federal withholding taxes, resulting in the Internal Revenue Service assessing the Board approximately $40,000. - Failure to properly document approximately $72,000 in per diem payments to Board members during the period of this review. - Failure to seek Board approval for, and supply justification for, cellular telephone service of at least $16,500. - Failure to account for approximately $22,700 in payments to local vendors such as Wal-Mart and Lowe’s. - Failure to maintain public records as required by state law. The Massage Therapy Board discharged Ms. Aymond in March 2010 after it began questioning expenditures and office practices. As noted in the report: “In 1998, an Inspector General investigation revealed serious problems with the Board of Massage Therapy and the use of public funds by its Executive Director, Kayla Aymond," said Inspector General Stephen Street. "At that time, the individuals serving on the Board and Aymond were wholly uncooperative with that investigation, and ignored its findings The present investigation found that Aymond’s mis-management appears to have continued unchecked until those serving as Board members in March of 2010 finally put their foot down.” To obtain the full report, follow this link: http://oig.louisiana.gov/assets/docs/reports/CID-10-029.pdf I hope this information clarifies the situation for Ms Coussan and the real motivation behind the proposed legislation. I hope that in future she will obtain all the fact before jumping to incorrect conclusions, and maligning and denigrating the physical therapy profession. - Justin Elliott Thu, 29 Mar 2012 10:12:20 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/indreporter/10190-massage-therapists-in-knots-over-bill#comment-26290 Many thanks to Mr. Walter Pierce of The Independent, who contacted me when I sent him this letter. I appreciate the help, and I will happily continue to promote the Independent, as I have in the past, since certainly it is Lafayette's best paper. However, prior to the publishing of this letter, the bill has since been assigned to review by the Commerce, Consumer Protection, and International Affairs Committee Committee Members. The Lafayette member is: **Senator Page Cortez 101 W. Farrell Road Bldg. 5, Suite 100 Lafayette, LA 70508 (337) 993-7430 cortezp@legis.la.gov Senator Daniel "Danny" Martiny (Chairman) 131 Airline Highway Suite 201 Metairie, LA 70001 (504) 834-7676 martinyd@legis.la.gov Senator Rick Gallot (Vice-Chairman) P.O. Box 1117 Ruston, LA 71270 (318) 251-5019 gallotr@legis.la.gov Senator Conrad Appel 721 Papworth Avenue Suite 102A Metairie, LA 70005 (866) 946-3133 appelc@legis.la.gov Senator Norby Chabert P.O. Box 2417 Houma, LA 70361 (985) 858-2927 chabertn@legis.la.gov Senator A.G. Crowe 201 Crowe's Landing Pearl River, LA 70452 (985) 643-3600 crowea@legis.la.gov Senator John R. Smith 611-B South 5th Street Leesville, LA 71446 (337) 238-2709 smithj@legis.la.gov Senator Francis Thompson P.O. Box 68 Delhi, LA 71232 (318) 878-9408 thompsof@legis.la.gov Senator Mack "Bodi" White 808 O'Neal Lane Baton Rouge, LA 70816 (225) 272-1324 whitem@legis.la.gov - Regan Coussan Wed, 28 Mar 2012 07:28:09 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/indreporter/10190-massage-therapists-in-knots-over-bill#comment-26289 Now, this bill has since been assigned to the Commerce, Consumer Protection, and International Affairs Committee Committee Members, the Lafayette member being: **Senator Page Cortez 101 W. Farrell Road Bldg. 5, Suite 100 Lafayette, LA 70508 (337) 993-7430 cortezp@legis.la.gov Senator Daniel "Danny" Martiny (Chairman) 131 Airline Highway Suite 201 Metairie, LA 70001 (504) 834-7676 martinyd@legis.la.gov Senator Rick Gallot (Vice-Chairman) P.O. Box 1117 Ruston, LA 71270 (318) 251-5019 gallotr@legis.la.gov Senator Conrad Appel 721 Papworth Avenue Suite 102A Metairie, LA 70005 (866) 946-3133 appelc@legis.la.gov Senator Norby Chabert P.O. Box 2417 Houma, LA 70361 (985) 858-2927 chabertn@legis.la.gov Senator A.G. Crowe 201 Crowe's Landing Pearl River, LA 70452 (985) 643-3600 crowea@legis.la.gov Senator John R. Smith 611-B South 5th Street Leesville, LA 71446 (337) 238-2709 smithj@legis.la.gov Senator Francis Thompson P.O. Box 68 Delhi, LA 71232 (318) 878-9408 thompsof@legis.la.gov Senator Mack "Bodi" White 808 O'Neal Lane Baton Rouge, LA 70816 (225) 272-1324 whitem@legis.la.gov - Regan Coussan Wed, 28 Mar 2012 06:57:04 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/indreporter/10190-massage-therapists-in-knots-over-bill#comment-26288 I would like to emphasize that I bear no personal rancor against physical therapists, or physical therapy as a science. As I said in the letter, I have great respect for them, as do most LMTs; and most of us only wish the work together on common ground. It is rather sad that the same respect is not being returned by the political powerhouses of that science. Yet, if such is the case, one cannot allow one's business licensure and regulation to be controlled by people who obviously consider us competitors. - Regan Coussan Wed, 28 Mar 2012 06:55:42 +0100