When will legislators take responsibility for fiscal mismanagement?

Just how dumb do our Baton Rouge legislators think we are?  Republican House speaker, Taylor Barras, is titillating the media with the claim that our legislators are going to propose some meaningful tax reforms that will permanently solve Louisiana’s budget crisis.

For eight years under Jindal and two more under Edwards these same legislators lacked the spine to enact any worthwhile tax reform.   They basically let the LABI, oil, chemical, and gas lobbyists, and the nursing home lobbyists run the legislative sessions without opposition.

Our Republican legislators created the fiscal mess and now we are to believe that they will suddenly shun all these large election campaign donors and work for the citizenry.   I repeat, how stupid do they think we are?

However, an example of their perception of our degree of stupidity was made quite evident in a recent meeting I attended with one of our state representatives.  Let me share it with you.

Apparently our legislators’ new media by-line is that Louisiana’s entire fiscal mess was the result of the Jindal administration, and is currently continuing under the Edward’s administration.  Our Republican legislators take no responsibility for the fiscal deficit.

Perhaps they all need to review the state constitution, for it clearly states that ALL revenue generating bills must originate in the Louisiana House. The governor can propose whatever he/she wants regarding such measures, but the legislators have the final say in proposing, and passing such bills for implementation.  Even  if the governor vetoes some of their fiscal legislation our Baton Rouge reps  have the power to over-ride that veto by calling a special session; a procedure which they have NEVER  implemented since the Louisiana constitution was adopted in 1974.

In the case of Bobby Jindal, our esteemed legislators allowed him to raid and deplete dedicated state-funded accounts for the elderly, handicapped, and retirees, privatize state hospitalization care, increase corporation tax breaks, give state police a 23% raise, and continually slash funding for education and health care.  They approved 99% of his agenda and never blinked an eye.

  

Likewise with Edwards, our legislators never voted to undo, what they now claim, are unjust revenue raising measures.  Why would they?  The Republican controlled  house acted upon some of his desires by creating legislative bills and voted to implement them.

Sadly, even the many editorials that appear in our various media outlets bashing our latest governor have bought into the smoke screen erected by our legislators.  Journalists have forgotten who is mandated by the state constitution as having the ultimate control over, and responsibility for revenue raising measures in Louisiana. 

Our Republican legislators created this fiscal mess and don’t be surprised if their only solution to solving it is simply to make all temporary tax measures, set to expire in July, permanent.  The highest combined local and state sales tax in the nation!

According to them, I guess this will all be the fault of our latest Democratic governor.  It is imperative that the public continually remind themselves and our Republican legislators who is truly responsible for the fiscal woes in our state and hold them accountable.  Don’t fall for the legislators’ PR!

Our Representatives Couldn't Care Less

After Thursday’s marathon political circus it is clear that Obamacare will still remain as this nation’s healthcare provider.  However whether you’re joyous or sad regarding this outcome is irrelevant because out of this dysfunctional episode called health care reform one glaring aspect of our political system stood out.

Basically many of our representatives couldn’t care less about the quality of life of the constituents they represent.  After Friday’s early morning vote media outlets reported the following, “Even some senators who voted for the ‘skinny bill’ conceded that its enactment could have been disastrous.”

One can only conclude from this reporting that although the measure failed by one vote, it was perceived by many senators that the bill would have been detrimental to those it served.  Apparently several Republican senators seemed relieved that it failed.  Three took the heat and had the courage to vote their conscience of what they thought was best for their constituents, given the alternative, rather than perform as spineless sheep, Louisiana’s two senators included in the latter group.

Even in the beginning of the healthcare reform movement, after the House passed by four votes its version to replace Obamacare, many Republican House members appeared to be glad punting the bill to the Senate, where they acknowledge it would be changed or stall.  One was quoted as saying, “We had a vote over here, but the Senate will fix whatever we did wrong,” again opting to follow as a sheep rather than assume any responsibility in clearly voting what he perceived would be best for this country.  After its passage President Trump, in his limited vocabulary, even called the House bill “mean,” expressing hope the Senate bill might have a bit more “heart.”

Republicans had seven years to devise a health care replacement or reform for The Affordable Care Act.   During that interval all they did was complain, and when the time came to produce their plan had none.   Consequently they were forced to rapidly throw one together in both the House and the Senate in less than a month without review or debate.  In the Senate the plan was developed by 13 Republican male senators in totally secrecy behind closed doors.  Six of those Senators’ largest campaign donors were health insurance providers or pharmaceutical corporations.  Talk is cheap, meaningful action is difficult.

Our Republican leaders claimed they wished to serve their constituents by repealing Obamacare, but when given the chance voted for something they doubted was any better and felt might be worse.  Yet, they voted for it anyway. Today’s Democrats are no better.  Clearly there is something morally wrong with this picture. 

However, if anyone had any doubts about whether or not our political system is broken, the healthcare reform attempt should resolve that question; it’s broken from the Congress up to the Commander- in- Chief. 

Everything is a Contest

Why does the media have to perpetuate the political divide in this country by continuing to portray every political action of our state legislators as some type of sporting event?  They always report political actions as some “win or loss.”  Monday’s Advocate front page headline “House Republican leadership dealt first major loss” was a perfect example of this sport-contest mentality.

We have a Republican majority in Baton Rouge, and whenever there is debate about a proposed bill, House and Senate members huddle to make sure that passage won’t appear like a “win” for the Democratic governor, or as a “loss” for them. And the press reinforces this behavior by headlines like the one that appeared Monday.

Maybe it’s just an over-abundance of male testosterone but the extent of this desire to always appear as “the winner” is destroying this state.

The media needs to lose the sporting event mentality by changing its focus from identifying “winners and losers,” and instead report about how these legislative actions will benefit our state and its citizenry.

Maybe then our legislators will get the message that there are no “winners and losers” at the State Capital, but only long term effects for Louisiana.

Everyboddy hates Everbody

Occasionally someone just writes something so profound that it can’t be expressed any better.  Please read and reread slowly what Mark Z. Barabak of the Los Angeles Times wrote about the tragedy that occurred Wednesday:

“The targeted shooting of Republican lawmakers at play yielded a kaleidoscope of emotions Wednesday — anger, revulsion, horror — but little in the way of surprise.

The attack almost seemed a natural, if sick, extension of the virulence that surrounds the country’s increasingly tribal politics.

As if to prove it, events quickly settled into a familiar pattern: finger-pointing, blame-laying, partisan positioning.  People today don’t just disagree.  They’ve grown to hate the other side, from President Donald Trump on down.

Not necessarily over issues or ideology, which can be debated or leavened by compromise, but rather as an outgrowth of a deeper pathology, a contempt toward people for merely existing.”

We have now become a nation where people hate Democrats for simply being Democrat and hate Republicans for simply being Republican.

Hopefully, we as a nation will learn from this tragedy and stop the lunacy.

However, if past history is any indication, when representative Gabby Giffords was shot we, as a nation, pledge to change our ways.  Unfortunately it was short lived.

We again stand at a serious crossroad in our country, and hopefully this time around, we choose the correct path by permanently eliminating our politically-charged hatred.

When will Trump's supporters admit they were scammed?

In full discloser I have no love for Hillary Clinton or for President Trump.  I voted for neither.  However, Trump wooed many Americans with the fact that he was not a politician.  Americans embraced this idea because politicians talk big during their campaigns but don’t seem to follow through once they’re in office.  Let’s look at how our new non-politician President is doing in keeping his promises.

Campaign promise to build a Mexican border wall at no expense to U.S. taxpayers - Intends to build wall on U.S. taxpayers’ dime.

Campaign promise to undo Obamacare and cover everyone with health care - Failed to accomplish this, but his proposed plan would have provided no coverage for over 24 million citizens.

Campaign promise to wipe out U.S. debt - Proposed new tax plan would add trillions to national debt, which is now ok for Republicans in congress after complaining for years about increases in the deficit under Democratic presidents.

Campaign promise not to be gatekeeper of the world and not to intervene in Syria - Dropped 59 bombs on Syria, dropped the MOAB in Afghanistan and increased troop allotments there.

Campaigned on the evils of China as a currency manipulator that needed to be brought under control - Now China is ok and great alley, no sanctions yet.

Campaigned on being more frugal with tax payers’ monies than Obama when it came to the operational budget for the office of the president – Trump’s personal travel and security spending is on track to be eight times higher than Obama’s, which was ridiculously high.

Campaigned on promise to offer a new direction in fighting ISIS - Trump is instead pursuing Obama’s plan.

Campaigned on promise he was for the “forgotten men and women” of America -  Trump’s latest tax plan benefits the super-rich the most and is being funded by cuts to education, farm assistance, the CDC, research on preventing deadly diseases, recovery aid for natural disasters, and health care assistance for the disabled and the poor.

Campaigned on importance of being friends with Russia - Now no longer wants to be.

Campaigned against crony capitalism and pledge to” drain the swamp’- Trump has staffed his administration with millionaires, billionaires, and swamp creatures from Wall Street.

Campaigned on his ability as a “great deal maker” - Trump can’t even make deals within his own party.

Campaigned on his ability as a great manager - His first 100 days have been consumed with administration in-fighting and many administrative positions have yet to be filled.

Campaigned on promise to pull out of NAFTA - Not going to pull out.

Campaigned on the evils of the World Bank and how U.S. shouldn’t support it – Trump now states it is a worthwhile venture for the U.S.

Campaigned on promise to appoint new conservative Supreme Court justice – Trump did keep this promise.

Campaigned on the promise to stop paying monies to the United Nations unless other countries anted up – He is fulfilling this promise but not as he proposed.  In Trump’s 2018 Budget he proposes cutting the United Nations’ budget by 50%, but 36% would be directed to cuts in humanitarian aid programs, not the peace keeping programs that Trump advocated were a waste of money.

If one reviews some of Trump’s actual accomplishments many seem to be contradictions to “Make American Great Again,” but instead appear to simply serve as political appeasements to his largest campaign donors.  These include:

An executive order relaxing national educational academic standards.

An executive order relaxing the rules on clean waterways.

Issued a mandate to repeal an Obama administration rule that would hold many financial advisers to the fiduciary standard of care, meaning that they must provide advice that is in their clients' best financial interest. Currently most advisers are held to the suitability standard, meaning that they can recommend "suitable" products that may cost their clients more.

Issued a mandate relaxing air pollution standards on coal, methane gas, and carbon dioxide.

Signed the Congressional Review Act that gives coal companies greater freedom in dumping mining debris into fresh water streams.

Issued a mandate for EPA to relax pollution standards for automobiles.

Recently, when I pointed out these unfulfilled promises and inconsistencies to a friend and Trump supporter, he dismissed them with the statement, “What do expect from a politician, they never keep their word.”

My response to him was, “But Trump ran as a populists, vehemently denied he was a politician, and promised he would drain the swamp from the influence of the rich and Wall Street types in government.  That is why you and others voted for him.”  Sadly, the silence from my friend was deafening.  He had no come back.

Let’s stop the excuses and justifications for Trump’s actions. He may be crude, impulsive, narcissistic, flamboyant, sometimes clueless, and a have a keen understanding of how to play to our citizenry’s fears and biases, but he’s not the purported populist who is concerned with “the forgotten men and women” in our country. He’s just another politician and ultimately, Trump is failing because he has little knowledge of the world and no guiding star of moral principle.   Just admit it and stop complaining about those that disagree with his policies.