Louisiana's Governor Bobby Jindal And The Stupid Factor

Jindal like conservatives who serve in congress continue to express their brain dead ideology when it comes to taxes.  As the leader of the stupid party in Louisiana, Jinda's latest tax plan of eliminating personal and corporate income tax in favor of raising the sales tax is full of stupid holes and statements that Jindal has made himself.

In an editorial dated 3/22/13 in the Times Picayune Jindal says the obstacle to creating jobs in Louisiana is a tax code that is complex, unstable and unfair with more than 460 loopholes.  Jindal was silent why he has done nothing to close those loopholes in his first term in office.  He also said we need a system where powerful special interest groups will no longer be able to rig the system.  However, Louisiana has a budget of approximately $8 billion of those special interest groups and their tax breaks, many that came about during Jindal's term in office.

Jindal says his sales tax plan is neutral but it is the same old failed trickle down economic ideology of the stupid unAmerican party.  His economic policy in Louisiana has been a failure and his budget cutting has been a disaster.  The greatest problem for Louisiana is a declining revenue base brought about by years of doling out corporate welfare and tax breaks for business.  That is exatly what has happened on the federal level under Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 and what contributed to the second great republican depression.

The unemployment rate in Louisiana when Jindal took office was 3.8%.  In January of this year it was 5.9% up from December's 5.6%.  His commentary in the Times Picayune is a rerun of the stupid party's failures.  If Jindal had any courage he would work to cancel the 25% of the budget that is devoted to corporate welfare for business and put business on a equal basis to compete.  As Warren Buffett says, taxes are no obstacle for a successful business to operate and make a profit.  The little boy governor has to abandon his stupid leadership of the stupid party.

The bottom line to make the tax code fair and eliminate the rigging of the system is for Jindal and the legislature to repeal all loopholes and special tax breaks.  This debate would not be taking place if Jindal and elected officials just show the special interest groups the door when they come calling for their special tax loopholes and other tax goodies.

What is lacking among elected officials is character and courage in their dealing with the special interest lobby and those that fund elected official's campaigns.  That says it all.


This commentary written by John Lucia.

It Is Time To Prohibit Smoking At Louisiana's Casinos

Democratic Senator David Heitmeier and Republican representative Frank Hoffman have sponsored two bills, senate bill 36 and house bill 111 which would prohibit smoking on most public college campuses and smoking within 25 feet of state owned buildings as reported in the Times Picayune of March 24, 2013.

Hoffman says second hand smoke is a real health issue and his bill would also add an additional clause to the state's anti-smoking law which acknowledges the mounting evidence of second hand smoke's negative health impacts.  House bill 111 if passed would add the clause, "due to abundant and mounting scientific evidence indicating that there is no risk-free level of exposure to second hand smoke."

So here we have evidence of the harmful effects of second hand smoke on people's health and a burden on the state's health cost system so why is it that smoking is permitted in Louisiana's Casinos where non smokers and smokers sit next to each other in a closed environment.  What is more harmful, being exposed to second hand smoke within 25 feet of a building or being exposed in a closed building with people on top of each other. 

Heitmeier and Hoffman and the rest of Louisiana's delegation in the legislature should bite the bullet and find the courage to prohibit smoking in Louisiana's Casinos where the health of people is more at risk.  If any elected official has been at a Casino they will leave with the smell of smoke on their clothes and know full well smoking is a real problem.  The state and its lawmakers have an obligation to protect the health of its people and forget about the Casino's power of campaign contributions.

Operators of Casinos usually have non smoking areas but that is laughable since smoke travels all over the building and is even spread by the air conditioning and heating systems.  What Heitmeier and Hoffman should be doing is introducing legislation to prohibit smoking in Louisiana's Casinos if they are really serious about protecting the people from second hand smoke.  Heitmeier is an eye specialist and says in information he passes out to patience they should avoid smoking as a means of preventing macular degenaration.  He of all elected officials should be pushing to prohibit smoking in Casinos. 

Elected officials are once again playing games with the smoking issue as health cost continue to rise.  It is past time for the legislature to act on this matter.


This commentary written by John Lucia. 

Why Democrats Should Not Seek Or Accept A Grand Bargain That Would Include Social Security Or Medicare

Being truthful about federal spending will never set the conservatives free because they can not tell the truth about the subject matter.  They say federal spending is the problem so entitlements have to be cut.  Of course the news media falls for that lie and it becomes the topic of their shows, especially the Fox News Network. 

As pointed out many times here in "politidose" federal spending has increased a hell of a lot more under Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 than it has under Clinton or Obama in the past 32 years.  The real story of the conservative republican lies concerning budget matters is that they now want the middle class to pay for their 20 year deficit spending spree and their obscene increase in federal spending that happened on those three republican President's watch.

Republican Paul Ryan's fairy tale budget did not get any where in Congress last year and was rejected by the voters in the November Presidential race when he and Romney went down to defeat.  Now Ryan has reintroduced the same budget trash in congress again and will once again go down in defeat.  Which just shows how contempt they are toward the country and its people. 

The news media should be talking about how Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 put the nation on the path to the greatest fiscal failure since the great depression and how the lies of conservative republicans on the subject matter is a disgrace to the country and its people.  Boehner, McConnell and their gang of republican outlaws served in congress during the George W. Bush administration and squandered the balance budgets and surpluses of the Clinton administration and the people need to hold them accountable.

During the "cold war" there was a saying, " better dead than red".  Well now the saying should be, " better to sequester than balancing and cutting the budget on the backs of the middle class."

Commentary written by John Lucia

Note:  See past commentaries concerning federal spending.

It's Official: Louisiana's Next Governor Should Be A Democrat

Conservative writer James Varney for the Times Picayune in his column of March 6 probably did not realize that his commentary actually makes the case that the next Louisiana governor should be a democrat.

Varney points out that state Treasurer John Kennedy is looking to fill Jindal's shoes when he leaves office in 2016 and that Kennedy said Jindal uses a credit card to balance the state budget.  This writer has pointed out in politidose many times how Jindal has not really balanced any state budgets and why.

Jindal's team according to Varney shot back that Kennedy was keeping with the administration's earlier conclusions Kennedy's computations of Louisiana's bonding and debt service capabilities have been wildly erroneous.  I don't know where the treasurer gets his numbers from and also that Kennedy has a long track record of half baked gimmicks.

Other contents in the article concerns shrinking  state government as if that is the cure all for everything.  But Varney, Kennedy and Jindal never touched upon the $8 billion of tax breaks for business that is approximately 25% of the state budget.  That corporate welfare is off the table when it comes to cutting spending.

Former democratic governor Blance whom Jindal succeeded not only balanced the state's budget but left the Jindal administration with a $1 billion surplus and Jindal blew it big time just like George W. Bush did with the balanced budget and surpluses of the Clinton Administration.

The conservative ideology and talk of the republicans in Louisiana has never moved the state forward.  Unemployment was 3.8% when Jindal took office and it has never gotten back to that number yet.  Kennedy and Jindal's opinon of each other's performance in office sounds like a soap opera and Louisiana needs a good democrat to clean up their mess.  Gimmicks and credit card governing will continue as long as Jindal and Kennedy have their way.


Commentary written by John Lucia

February's Unemployment Rate and Job Creation

The Labor Department announced that the unemployment rate fell to 7.7% in February, down from January's 7.9% and that the economy created 236,000 new jobs.  Economic indicators also showed a sustained recovery.  This writer predicted that the democratic administration of Barrack Obama would move the country forward out of the second great depression in a commentatry published here in politidose on Dec. 14, 2009 titled, "An Economic Turnaround:  Job Creation and Fiscal Stability, There Is A Precedent".  And once again the republicans in congress are on the sidelines trying their best to hinder the economic recovery that is taken place. 

If the republicans in the U.S. House had passed the President's jobs bill that they have been sitting on for over a year, the nation just may have attained full employment by this time.  Their attitude of openly opposing the President's policies because they wanted to make him a one term President was and is an act of treason.  As I have written many times in the past, republicans obstruct because they themselves have no record on the economy that can compete with democratic administrations.

Yes America, the country and its people have always been better off with a democratic in the White House and if the people learn from the past their future is bright.  Never forget that if President's Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 had balanced the federal budget like President Clinton did, deficit spending and the national debt would not be a problem today.  And if you listen to the republicans talk today they want the middle class to pay for the deficit spending and debt those three republicans ran up during their 20 years in office.

Commentary written by John Lucia

"POLITIDOSE' Was There From The Beginning

"Politidose", your daily dose of political commentary was started by my grandson during the 2008 Presidential campaign.  He did so because he believed there should be a source of political expression outside the  main street media and the beltway so the average person could comment on the campaign and make their thoughts known.  He invited me to write political commentary because he knew I loved and followed politics and I have been sharing my thoughts in politidose since.

If one takes the time to read politidose all the way back to its inception you will find political commentary that talks about events that are in the news today and were predicted as far back as 2007.  The transfer of wealth from the middle class to the wealthy, republicans inability to balance the federal budget, federal spending, the national debt, deficit spending, job creation, the Iraq war, the economy, the unAmerican ideology practiced by the leaders of the republican party today and corporate greed are only a few examples. 


Those in the major news media and cable TV have been late in their reports to the people on the subject matter that was already published here in politidose and in many cases have been just plain ignorant.  The Sunday talk shows could learn a lot about facts and would be better prepared if they read politidose to answer the false charges their guest make on their shows.

There are many firsts for politidose that the readers are familiar with especially concerning the economy and unemployment while the pundits were predicting unemployment to stay above 9% all of 2011 and 2012 politidose was on target and pointed out it would be closer to the 7% range by election 2012.  It was also pointed out how the Obama administration would move the country and its people out of the second great republican depression.  Yes, for those who really care, understanding the past is still the key to the future.

This commentary written by John Lucia

U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu And The Oil and Gas Industry

It is a known fact that republicans support the policy of "trickle down economics" which represent tax cuts that benefit the wealthy the most with the policy statement that it creates jobs.  Of course it has failed to do that and does not even advance economic growth.  Just ask George W. Bush.

Senator Landrieu, a native of Louisiana as I am supports tax breaks for the major oil companies that is really corporate welfare and has never produced one extra barrel or oil or a gallon of gasoline.  Those tax breaks given big oil are used to give large bonuses to the elite executives.  It started out with the 12-1/2% depletion allowance in the 50's nd 60's and like today, those tax breaks never helped America become less dependent on foreign oil. 

Landrieu is also a supporter of opening up more land to drilling even though big oil owns, leases or rents thousands of acres of land where they have yet to spud the first well.  The idea that large corporations such as big oil who make handsome profits needs tax breaks to stay in business and make money  represent the conservative ideology of the republican party and in this case also Senator Landrieu.  However Warren Buffett, a person who knows a lot about making money and business says taxes are not a hinderance to a company making money and staying alive. 

This writer has been a supporter of Senator Landrieu at the voting booth ever since she entered politics and I believe her positives outweigh her negatives but she is dead wrong on the subject of this issue and she was dead wrong on her position during the BP oil spill when President Obama was trying to get to the bottom of that tragic accident that took the lives of 11 rig workers.  The moratorium was the right thing to do, but the Senator did not like the idea even though the cause of that tragic accident was not know and of course no one connected with the BP explosion would admit guilt.

This writer worked in the service end of the Oil industry for over 34 years and I can tell you big oil needs no tax favors to stay in business or find and produce oil.  I have seen the environmental disaster inflicted on Louisiana with on shore drilling for the past 40 plus years and the oil industry has yet to be held accountable for the damage.  On shore drilling is controlled by the state and many of Louisiana's representatives who serve in congress also served in the state legislature when big oil was doing their environmental damage, including Landrieu but the legislature never held them accountable.

If one reads between the lines it seems like Louisiana's political leaders in congress and also for the state of Louisiana now want to apply any BP settlement to cure all past environmental problems caused by the oil industry.  BP should be held accountable for the damage they caused and the oil companies in general who have destroyed our wetlands, marshes and etc., with their on shore drilling should be held accountable, not BP and they should be held accountable by the state of Louisiana.



This commentary written by John Lucia

How President Obama Should Handle The Sequester Issue

If congress does nothing to end the sequester that they themselves are responsible for President Obama should start the cutting process with the defense budget.  He should immediately cut the billions of dollars to the defense budget that was over the amount that he asked congress for and the joint chief's of staff said they did not need but was added on and passed by congress any way.  No harm done there since those added billions are pure and simple "pork".

Then the President should use those same guide lines to cut every department.  Every one knows that congress adds billions of dollars to every department's budget simply because that is how congress works to protect itself and do favors for those campaign contributions they receive.

The President should then use his powers of the Presidency so that other cuts he makes do no harm to the economic recovery, job creation, the middle class, social security, medicare and medicaid.  The President has that inherit power to protect America and its people even if it goes against any sequester requirements.

Obama needs to stand tall and use his powers to over come the obstruction of the unAmerican ideology that is bent on self indulgence.  Yes America, the President and his ideas and policy positions won the November elections and that is the way the country needs to go for his final term in office.  It is also a time for the voters to stand tall and support the President.


This commentary written by John Lucia

Louisiana's Little Boy Representative Steve Scalise Continues To Lie About Federal Spending

Times Picayune staff writer Bruce Alpert in a story dated Feb. 27 reported the following statement by Scalise and I quote:  President Obama has reached a new low by using our military, first responders, food inspectors, and school teachers as shields to hide his continued wasteful government spending that has exploded over the last four years.

Little boy Scalise's statement that government spending has EXPLODED is one big hell of a lie and Scalise knows it.  It takes a man to tell his constituency the truth and he has failed the test.  His unAmerican conservative ideology will not allow the facts to get in the way when it comes to telling the truth.

In the same article Scalise said the President should be working with the republicans on the sequester.  That is laughable since it was Scalise's party leaders who said they would not work with the President from day one and like a good ditto head conservative Scalise has jumped when they tell him to do so.

The fact of the matter is that federal spending has not EXPLODED on the President's watch.  Obama's fourth fiscal year ends September 30, 2013 and when the numbers come in for the first four fiscal years total federal spending during that period will show an increase of less than 10%.  Total federal spending at the end of George W. Bush's first four fiscal years increased 28%.  The EXPLOSION the little boy Scalise was talking about happened on the watch of George W. Bush.  But the bad news does not stop there.  It started with the Reagan administration where total federal spending at the end of Reagan's eight fiscal years increased 75%.  It continued with Bush 41 four fiscal years in office when his four fiscal years ended total federal spending increased 28%.  Then democratic President Clinton brought sanity to the nation's fiscal health.  In Clinton's eight fiscal years total federal spending increased 28% a even 14% for each of his terms.  In George W. Bush's second fiscal term of four years total federal spending increased 33% which brought his two term increase in federal spending to 61%.

Is it any wonder why Scalise is so familiar with EXPLOSIVE  spending.  And the people of Louisiana, which I am one of should remember that Scalise, Jindal and Vitter all served in congress during the Bush 43 administration and were well aware of their EXPLOSION.  They all rubber stamped Bush's policies

Its hell when you can not tell the truth that is supported by fact and turn around and outright lie.  And to top it off their unAmerican conservative ideology want the Obama administration and the people to pay for the 20 years of record deficit spending and debt created by Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43.  Does the stupid party have any one capable of obtaining wisdom and the courage to stand up and tell the truth?

Maybe, and just maybe the next time republicans lie about federal spending staff writer Bruce Alpert will put a note at the bottom of his article and point out the facts.

Note 1:   Federal spending for the 20 years under Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 increased 164%.  Under Clinton in his eight years it increased 28% and is estimated that under Obama when his first full fiscal term is completed it will be less than 10% (that 10% is based on my calculation of what is known for his first three years.)

Note 2:  See my previous commentary titled Federal Spending:  Facts vs. Myth dated 10/31/09 which spells out the source of the above numbers.

This commentary written by John Lucia