Who's the Real Crook?

While it is quite obvious that the latest push by Democrats to find our esteemed president guilty of impeachable crimes will most likely result in failure, it is interesting to note that President Trump didn’t always think he was immune from prosecution and “above the law” as Democrats might lead you to assume.

Most recently he was ordered to authorize the payment of $2 million dollars in damages for illegally using funds from a charity organization he set up for tax purposes.  President Trump used money from the Donald J. Trump Foundation to buy portraits of himself, payoff his businesses’ legal obligations, and help finance his 2016 campaign.  When the investigation was begun into these illegal actions, President Trump immediately curtailed its operation.  The court ruling also demanded that he distribute the remaining $1.8 million in the foundation after its curtailment to eight legitimate national charities. 

In a second high profile lawsuit, filed by New York state, and California, President Trump was accused of defrauding  6,000 college age students with his Trump University, which promised to reveal Trump's real estate investing "secrets" to people who enrolled in the courses.  Those cases cost Trump over $25 million in damages.

Additionally, there is a pending racketeering lawsuit against Trump, his three oldest children (Eric, Ivanka, and Don, Jr.), and the Trump Organization alleging the Trumps promoted a get-rich-scheme that defrauded vulnerable investors, and that the Trumps would have known this to be the case. It also accuses the Trumps of receiving payments not disclosed to investors.

Finally, there are over 100 lawsuits working their way through the courts over allegedly owned unpaid taxes to states and municipalities  that Trump has directed his companies not to pay.

Space does not permit mentioning all the cases involving our president, which according to USA Today, totaled over 3500 before Trump became president. These include, but are not limited to, the defrauding of investors, the failure to pay subcontractors, violations of fair housing regulations and defamation of character. In comparison,Trump's litany of court cases makes 'crooked Hillary' look like a member of a church choir.

So you see Democrats are only partially correct when they claim President Donald Trump thinks “he is above the law.”  Private citizen Donald Trump was never above the law.   He was very familiar with prosecution.

It’s only recently, since he’s found a new heaven in the office of the president, that he has masterfully become shielded from prosecution. He owes this gift to the conclusion that originated in 1973, in the midst of the Watergate scandal, engulfing President Richard Nixon.   At that time the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel adopted in an internal memo the position that a sitting president cannot be indicted.  The department reaffirmed the policy in a 2000 memo, saying court decisions in the intervening years had not changed its conclusion that a sitting president is “constitutionally immune” from indictment and criminal prosecution.

Guess that’s why Trump wants to continue as president.

Another Duck in the Swamp

Well I knew it would just be a matter of time before President Trump became infected, and he finally has.   He caught the dreaded politician plague.   For those unfamiliar with this disease it basically slowly consumes all those who enter the field of politics destroying all of their lofty promises for change. 

One can start out as a candidate for a political position in government as an honest, dedicated individual intent on best serving his/her constituents, and promising to change the corrupt system that politics has become.   These individuals may even pride themselves on the fact that they come from a nonpolitical background and therefore won’t be controlled by the powerful lobbyists and PACs that control others within the system.

However, these newly elected individuals will soon learn that they are now a member of an elite society which requires compromises and deals to be made in order to get anything accomplished.  Basically they will have to begin to “sell their souls” and become indebted to others within the political system who expect payback in return for those individuals’ support of any agendas these newly elected individuals wish to accomplish.

Additionally, there is always the looming reality that, if they want to keep their elected position, they will have to scale back any changes they may wish to make in order to ensure they can muster up enough votes for re-election.

Sadly, the longer you remain within the political system, the more likely it becomes that eventually you will be consumed by its disease.  It’s really only a matter of time until all those deals you make with others come to fruition.

To President Trump’s credit he held out a long time, but some of his recent actions indicate he is now infected.  This media excerpt regarding his handling of the recent vaping epidemic, and other events, seems to indicate the seriousness of Trump’s infection:

“Everything seemed ready to go.  President Trump’s ban on most flavored e-cigarettes had been cleared by federal regulators. Officials were poised to announce they would order candy, fruit and mint flavors off the market within 30 days; a step the president had promised almost two months earlier to quell a youth vaping epidemic that had ensnared 5 million teenagers. 

One last thing was needed, Trump’s sign-off.

As he had done so many times before, Trump reversed course.  This time on a plan to address a major public health problem because of worries that apoplectic vape shop owners and their customers might hurt his re-election prospects, said White House and campaign officials. He also believed job losses tied to the ban would cost him as he sought to trumpet economic growth.

It was the latest example of the chaotic way policy is made, and sometimes unmade in a White House where the ultimate decider often switches gears after making a controversial vow, whether on combating gun violence, pulling troops from Syria, promising to deliver an Obamacare replacement,"or the announced Chinese tariffs, which were subsequently rolled back to favor smart phone (Apple) and other electronic manufacturers.

Guess the old idiom about a duck now aptly applies to President Trump:  If you look like a politician, walk like a politician and quake like a politician; you are a politician.

He is now no better than the rest of the swamp. It’s always about re-election.  A typical politician at heart, and firmly established as a 100% member of the club.

You see the political system that exists within our country today is just too big to change, and it will not lend itself to change by its very nature.  It eventually consumes all who attempt to do it.

So long President “Drain the Swamp” Trump. When, as has been prophesized, you are re-elected, you will simply be another member of the swamp. Congratulations!

Mayoral Candidate Violates Voters' Trust

Sometimes one can learn a lot from a newspaper ad.  A recent ad in the Ponchatoula Times claimed that one of the candidates running for mayor of Ponchatoula was the subject of Lee Zurik, Fox News, investigative reporting.  I had forgotten about this investigation, but this ad reignited my interest.

The news cast broke about the same time that our illustrious former governor, Bobby Jindal, was in the middle of presenting one of his “smoke and mirrors” state budgets.

Basically, Jindal was proposing raiding dedicated state funds earmarked by Louisiana voters for use for specific purposes.  He wanted to use these funds for a different purpose, namely, to help balance the state budget and avoid a deficit.  These money raids included the following:

1)      The Medicaid Elderly Trust Fund that totaled over $830 million.   The money was dedicated for providing supportive home health services for the elderly and disabled.  The intent of these funds was to never touch the principal amount and use only the accrued investment dividends, but Jindal depleted the principal amount with a vote of approval by state legislators in the Louisiana House and Senate.

2)      The retirement funds for probation and parole officers totaling over $3.7 million. Funds were instead used by Jindal and our legislators to offset state general budget expenses.

3)      The Blind Vendors’ Trust Fund, totaling $1.6 million. This fund was established to set aside money from vending operations in courthouses and other state or federal properties and use it to help the legally blind run snack stands, cafeterias and vending machines. By allowing the raiding of this fund, our esteemed legislators were literally assisting Jindal in taking money from the blind.

4)      The State Employees Health Insurance Plan, Office of Group Benefits.  The plan had $500 million before Jindal, with our state legislators’ approval, spent $472 million of it to plug a hole in the state budget.

All of these actions were a clear violation of the voters’ trust, namely, that these monies would be used for their intended purposes.

However, another blatant violation of the voter’s trust was the subject of the Lee Zurik investigation of Ponchatoula mayoral candidate Steve Pugh. It reported that some of the money, donated by loyal supporters to his campaign fund with the expectation that it would be used to finance his re-election bid, was used instead, by him, to wine and dine some of his favorite constituents.

This action not only smacked of behavior similar to Jindal’s, but also provided insight into Pugh’s voting record as a legislator in the Louisiana House of Representatives.

He voted in support of, and never publically voiced opposition to any of Jindal’s budget proposals draconically impacting education and health care in our state, and eventually leading to a $2 billion state deficit.

Furthermore, as evidenced by his legislative votes, he, along with most of his legislative buddies, assisted Bobby Jindal in the previously cited questionable, unethical spending of taxpayers’ money for purposes contrary to the mandates of the voting public.

I always wondered why Steve Pugh, our state representative, supported these actions, but now I think I understand thanks to the power of a newspaper ad.

Brown Water Facts

The Jaycees-Meet the Candidates forum last week highlighted the fact that the mayoral election in Ponchatoula  is really heating up.  Three of the new candidates have jumped on the issue of the dreaded ‘brown water’ as part of their campaign mantra.

The brown water in the Ponchatoula water system is caused by a chemical reaction between the pipes’ inner surfaces and the higher levels of the chlorine additive that were mandated by the state after brain eating ameba was discovered in three of its parish water systems.   Additionally, the brown water problem is not unique to the Ponchatoula system but also plagues other water systems throughout the state.

Contrary to the delusional beliefs of some Ponchatoula residents, which are being fueled by political misinformation, the brown water is not the result of outside contaminates entering the water system through breaks in the pipes.   It is a pressurized system and that is not possible.   New Orleans is a perfect example of that proof considering over 60% of its water does leak out through broken pipes and their water is still safe to drink.  Again, the Ponchatoula problem is caused by a chemical reaction within the pipes themselves not breaks or cracks.

Additionally, none of the mayoral candidates has a magic wand that will undo the actuality of the chemical reactions inside the pipes and permanently solve the problem.

The only sure permanent solution would be to replace all the water mains in the system; the cost of which is prohibitive and realistically not possible.  Some have also suggested the use of some sort of filtration system; the cost of which is excessive coupled with little guarantee that it will actually solve the issue.

In fact, most experts agree that the present action of periodically flushing the system is the most cost effective and realistic approach to the problem.

If the residents of Ponchatoula really want to get serious about improving their drainage and water system infrastructures maybe they should consider generating more funds for these projects by paying for the amount of water they actually use.  They should request the city council to authorize the installation of water meters at each small business location and homeowner’s residence.

 

However, that fantasy idea does not seem very likely.

It’s time for a reality check for Ponchatoula residents.   Any of the three aspiring mayoral candidates that claim that they can totally eliminate the sporadic incidents of brown water are purposely deceiving their supporters to get votes.   Just ask any chemistry teacher you know why total elimination cannot be guaranteed.

Be Wisw Not Petty

Well it’s crunch time for the voters of Ponchatoula.  They have to decide if they are going to vote for the benefit of the overall city or vote adhering to what I term the “I’ll show you” self-interest paradigm.

Ponchatoula is one of a very few cities and municipalities state-wide that has no budget deficient.  Its police force has law enforcement facilities and equipment that are leaps and bounds ahead of some of its surrounding communities.  The same can be said about its maintenance department, fire department and EMS responders.

It is truly noteworthy that Ponchatoula is still able to get grant monies for infrastructure improvements from the Feds and state with all the recent cutbacks in that type of funding.  This was mainly due to its ability to attract large tax generating businesses like Walmart, RaceTrac and the new Jani King expansion which all help provide enough matching funds to secure such grants.

Now voters must decide who will continue to guide the city.

Unfortunately some will choose to ignore the broad picture and cast a “I’ll show you” vote because they or someone they know had a personal experience with one of the candidates in which they felt patronized , or partially ignored in a request for service.  Basically they weren’t treated like they expected or didn’t get what they wanted.

 As a knee jerk response they will now cast a vote for another candidate as pay back, ignoring that candidate’s lack of abilities to successfully manage the city.

  

Voting is not a personality or popularity contest.  You are not voting for the king and queen of the senior prom. You are not voting for someone who is just always a ‘nice guy.'  It encompasses a far greater boundary than just you.  It is about the greater good for all who live in Ponchatoula.

All the residents need to decide who will successful guide Ponchatoula for the next four years in terms of continued fiscal responsibility and infrastructure management coupled with the pursuit of a high quality of life?  Which candidate possesses the credentials to succeed at these? 

 

It will take a lot of maturity  to rise above your personal biases and objectively evaluate each candidate’s mayoral qualifications, but there is too much at stake not to!