Senator Doctor Bill Cassidy will be missed

Everyone just needs to stop picking on our Senator Dr. Bill Cassidy for his support of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as head of the Department of Health and Human Services.  It should be obvious to everyone that Cassidy’s endorsement of Kennedy was a political decision made by a politician, not a professional decision made by a knowledgeable physician.  Ever since Cassidy’s support of impeachment of President Trump, during his first term, resulting in his censorship by the Louisiana GOP, Cassidy has been on the chopping block as far as his re-election desires are concerned. 

However, Sen. Bill Cassidy was offered a ‘political golden goose’ when Kennedy was vetted by Cassidy’s Senatorial committee for appointment as Secretary of Health and Human Services.  Apparently from Cassidy’s perspective this was his chance for redemption in the eyes of the Republican Party and Trump, in particular. We learned later that if Cassidy had not given his approval, two or three other Republican committee members would have gone along with him and the Kennedy appointment would have failed.

However, the reality of this scenario was, it really didn’t matter how Bill Cassidy voted; he was already finished as a Louisiana senator. If there is one principle which President Trump does stand for, it is 'never forget or forgive.'  Cross him and you are done for!

Senator Cassidy has done more for our state than Rep. Johnson, Sens. Scalise and Kennedy combined, but he crossed Trump and that’s all that matters in today’s politics. It’s no longer about being a competent legislator serving your constituents in positive ways, but instead about unconditional, blind loyalty.

If one looks at Cassidy’s legislative track record, he has served Louisiana well, and he will be missed.  It is just a shame that he didn’t seal his legacy by protecting the health of our nation, by blocking the Kennedy, Jr.  appointment.

Budget smoke and mirrors

Am I missing something, or do President Trump and Elon Musk just think I am stupid, along with the rest of the public? With all this rhetoric about government waste and the need to decrease the out of control government spending, all of which is attributed to the Democrats, I am confused about recent budgetary developments within the Pentagon, specifically the Department of Defense, headed by Pete Hegseth.

Hegseth pushed out thousands of civilian workers, is reducing the ranks of top generals, and consolidating various commands all under the guise of saving money by eliminating what he deems as waste.  However, under Trump’s “one big and beautiful budget” the Pentagon will now receive a funding increase of $150 billion, for a grand total budget funding of over $900 billion.  Where is the savings in that plan? 

Additionally, while Elon Musk promised saving the government as much as $2 trillion, with President Trump claiming that even more than that figure would be saved by waste elimination through the DOGE program, the final figures don’t support either claim. The harsh reality is, according to Musk’s own testimony at an April Cabinet meeting, the savings would amount to $150 billion during the present fiscal year.  And that figure has just been wiped out by the proposed increased spending for the Pentagon.

And this fiscal smoke and mirrors game doesn’t just stop there, for the ‘one big and beautiful budget’ is now estimated, by the Congressional Budget Office, to increase the national debt by $3.8 trillion, peaking to $7.75 trillion by 2035.  This being the latest action from a party whose mantra has always been focused on reducing the escalated national debt caused by the Democrats.

Talk is cheap, but when it comes to tackling the runaway national debt, any actions to do so thus far has simply been composed of those peddling ‘snake oil’ to the U.S citizens.  Just how dumb do all these folks think we are, and when will we stand up and prove them wrong?

Empty Trump promise

The pledge:  “Starting on day one, we will end inflation and make America affordable again, to bring down the prices of all goods. They’ll come down fast.”

The reality:  America has become less affordable, prices for goods went up, and went up fast.  

The reason:  Trump imposed steep tariffs on consumer goods-claiming tariffs one of “the most beautiful words I ever heard.”

If President Trump had done a little historical research instead of blindly bulldozing ahead, he would have discovered that some 50 years ago President Nixon, a Republican, also imposed tariffs as a solution to our trade imbalance, and his implementation was successful.

Nixon’s primary goal was, to quote from EV Magazine, “not to protect US industries but to force key trading partners—such as Japan and West Germany—to revalue their currencies against the US dollar.  At the time, America's trade balance had shifted from surplus to deficit, raising alarms about global competitiveness. Nixon's tariffs, though temporary, had a lasting impact. They pressured major economies to abandon the fixed exchange rates under the Bretton Woods system, leading to the Smithsonian Agreement in December, 1971. The agreement allowed key currencies to appreciate against the dollar, making US exports more competitive."  Nixon's tariff plan was specific, actionable and transparent."

The key words in this description being “specific”, “actionable”, and “transparent.”  Trump has placed tariffs on almost all countries, the specificity varying from country to country.  The timetable for the length of the tariffs is unspecified. The transparency is questionable in that from one day to the next they are randomly reduced by executive order according to the push back from leading corporations and manufactures in the U.S.  And their action of implementation is one of brinkmanship, like someone involved in a poker game; betting on who will fold first.  This style has led to severe disruption in global trade, creating significant supply chain upheavals, as companies adjust to higher costs, which will be passed down to the consumer.

One might conclude from all this that President Trump and his advisors don’t have a clue as to what they are doing. I certainly hope that isn’t the case, but so far things are leaning in that direction.

So while many may think I am just picking on our President because he is dealing with illegal immigrants in our country and government waste, which by the way, according to Musk's own figures published on his social media  platform 'X' totals about $160 billion in savings rather than the $2 trillion Musk initially claimed he would find, I am more focused upon how my retirement check is impacted.  To me both pale in comparison to the cost of living issue.  And I admit that I want immediate gratification because I am advanced in age, on a fixed income, and desperately need some financial relief now.  

Additionally, I don’t have the patience to rely on some pie in the sky promise from Trump Republicans that this will all work out in two years or so, and that for now we need "to buy less dolls for our children."  There is simply no plan B if this doesn’t occur, and we all know how politicians lie.  My beef with President Trump is simple; just deliver on your campaign promise “on day one” regarding my cost of living.

Americans don't want the jobs Trump wants to bring back

In doing some research on a future commentary about the US economy, I came across some statistics that once again indicate the wide disconnect between the MAGA agenda and societal reality.  They centered on the battle cry of what our esteem president leader espouses, namely, “bringing back jobs to American factories.”  On the surface who would argue with such a noble idea?  In fact, in a recent poll, conducted by Cato Institute, some 80% of the respondents felt that the U.S. might benefit from this.

However, among this same group only 25% felt they would be better off working a factory job.   And only a slim 36% responded that they would be interested in pursuing such employment.

According to Fortune Magazine there are more than half a million factory jobs available.  However, while President Trump and his supporters seek to increase American factory jobs, in reality, facts indicate that there is presently no workforce interested in seeking such employment, with the exception of immigrants.  Over twenty-three percent of immigrants presently work these jobs.  And from this poll’s results, it is obvious that the Republican battle cry that immigrants are stealing factory jobs from native-born American workers is, to coin one of their favorite slogans, “fake news.” Good old Americans simply don’t want these jobs.

However, further complicating this issue, is the fact that 66% feel that the biggest boost to the American economy lies with international trade as opposed to increasing the number of factory jobs, and retaliatory tariffs hinder this. 

I am presently 80 years old, only two years older than President Donald Trump, and I am willing to admit that I have no business serving as president because I am ‘out of touch’ with our current society.  And while I might like to have a time machine so that I could go back to earlier times that I better understood, and thus give me a greater sense of security, I realize that this is just not possible. And it’s past the time for President Donald Trump and his supporters to realize that all the executive orders in the world (over 200 and counting) will also never be able to do this, for as the famous Bob Dylan song title so aptly puts it “The Times They Are A- Changin’.”

Sometimes reality is very scary because it breeds insecurity, and many attempt to regain their security by denying its existence and returning to the past.  And therein lays the present problem.

The Hypocrisy of our Esteemed Governor

Apparently Governor Landry talks out of both sides of his mouth in a hypocritical fashion. When his recent push for amendment changes, particularly Amendment two, failed he was very upset.  He attributed the loss to national outsiders such as political activist, George Soros, and liberals who had spent money on media advertisements and used strong arm tactics to influence voters. He emphatically stated that national groups had no business messing with our local politics and wanted it to cease. While this theory sounded good in the press, the amendments' failures were not due to outsiders' interference.  

However, now that a national outside group known as Club For Growth has started a media campaign and is using strong arm tactics to push his LA Gator Scholarship Program, our esteemed governor’s lips are sealed.  These outsiders are planning to run media ads encouraging voters to call their state representatives and tell them to support the governor’s requested funding for this initiative. Ads will air in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Shreveport, and Lake Charles.  This national organization will be spending some big bucks in Louisiana.

For review, the governor’s LA Gator Scholarship Program is basically a private school bailout endeavor using taxpayers’ money to fund tuition and school supplies for parents who send their children to private schools.  Additionally, it funds home schooling expenses like computers and tutoring.  By last count 40 thousand have applied, and Governor Landry wants $93.5 million this year to fund it.  Guess you public teachers and paraprofessionals can kiss that permanent raise goodbye.

Furthermore, it is predicted by many that within 5 years, as more and more apply, this program will bankrupt the state.  And what is odd is that this program being pushed by Landry, who prides himself as a conservative Republican, runs counter to his party’s mantra of fiscal accountability and budget restraint.

And let’s not even talk about strong arm techniques as it relates to these outsiders’ push for this program.  Last year the president of Club for Growth issued the following warning for any legislator bucking their agendas, “Make no mistake-if you call yourself a Republican and oppose school freedom, you should expect to lose your next primary.” 

Well, there you have it, Governor Landry’s blind eye and silence to outsider interference in our state politics when it advocates for his agenda.  Hypocrisy?  Judge for yourself.

Genius or Fool? - You Decide

Well, while many are calling President Trump’s latest 90 day tariff pause, which did not apply to China, a victory lap indicating a true sign of masterful deal making; after what happened last Wednesday it is anything but a victory. Quietly, and without fanfare, President Trump permanently exempted 20 product categories from the 125% tariff imposed by him on Chinese imports and the 10% baseline tariff on imports from other countries.  Included in this list were all computers, laptops, disc drives, automatic data processing equipment, semiconductor devices, memory chips, solar panels, flat panel displays, smart phones, and other consumer electronics.  Most made in China.

The U.S. electronics market serviced by these devices is estimated to be worth $510 billion, so how is the lost tariff revenue on these products, with Trump’s latest stroke of a pen, a victory?  It is in fact a complete capitulation on the very premise given for imposing the tariffs, namely, increased income for the U.S. economy, and the bringing back of manufacturing jobs to the U. S.

And true to form Fox News gave this latest tariff retreat a rather bizarre spin as they reported, “The bottom line is Donald Trump is back!” Fox Business cast the president as some sort of ingenious chess player, who was a prudent and heroic figure who had saved the world from an economic disaster; the very one he had created by his initial tariff plans. Fox also stated that, “and just when you think the hope is lost, that we’re going to go into a recession, that we’re going to have months, if not years, of down markets, something like this happens!” Again the only reason for the predicted recession and down markets was due to President Trump’s tariff plans.

So, I remain confused as to why this retaliatory tariff plan was initiated in the first place since now one of its biggest sources of income, the foreign made electronics industry tariff has been rescinded, and one of the largest manufacturing industries, again the electronics industry, no longer has any incentive to be brought back to the U.S.

I seriously question this being a plan by some master genius who fully understands how the world economy works.  But then again if one looks at some of President Trump’s other business failures, namely, Trump casinos, Trump resorts, Trump’s failed university, his failed airline, failed mortgage company, failed Trump steaks, failed Trump vodka, failed Trump magazine, etc., maybe one can get a better understanding of the present situation.  And ironically, Forbes Magazine predicts that Trump would be over $400 billion richer today without all his past failures. Now I understand what happened.

Governor Landry Has Little Respect for Voters

I hope all the Republican voters in our state caught the insult regarding their voting intelligence that Governor Landry recently subtly attributed to them.  With all four of the proposed amendments being soundly rejected by over 60% of the voters, our esteemed governor blamed the defeats on outsiders and state liberals.  He claimed this was particularly true for the defeat of Amendment #2.  However, the facts of the matter refute both claims for apparently many Republicans voted against these measures.

I guess Governor Landry feels that only he knows what is best for our state and that Republican voters in our state should just be little minions and follow his directives.  He also apparently thinks they possess no intellectual abilities to objectively judge the merits of legislative proposals which might directly impact them, nor does he feel they should have the right to make such judgments.  He seems to confuse the citizens in Louisiana with his sycophants in our state legislature.

Additionally, did you catch the insult the Governor paid to our state as a whole; the one he governs?  He stated, “We realize how hard positive change can be to implement in a state that is conditioned to failure.”   He just characterized our entire state as promoting “failure.”  That’s the kind of lashing out one might expect from some spoiled brat child when they don't get their way, but certainly not from the governor of our state.   Maybe he is just too immersed in the “white horse syndrome,” where the hero swoops in on a magnificent white stallion and saves the day; in his mind, from our state’s “conditioned to failure.”  And apparently he feels only he can do this, so everyone in the state must religiously follow his orders without question.  Sound familiar?

Sadly, our governor and legislators need to come to accept the realization that their present slew of proposed legislative amendments didn’t align with the wishes of their constituents, and they need to lose the defensiveness and get on board.  Party affiliation had little to do with these defeats, for without bipartisan support this would not have occurred.