Louisiana's U.S. Representative Steve Scalise in a commentary published in the New Orleans Advocate of Aug. 27 showed just how phony he really is. Accoridng to the article Scalise was one of 80 republicans in the U.S. House who signed a letter that threaten to shut down the federal government rather than funding the ACA. Scalise then equivocated and said he opposes shutting down the federal government. One can not get any phonier than that.
Scalise is party to the republicans in congress who failed to address the health care issue even though they controlled the White House for 8 years prior to the election of President Obama. They failed to address the issue during the health care debate during Obama's first term and had no health plan or policy to present to the American people as an alternative to the ACA.
Now the little boy says the republicans have a study committee in congress drafting an alternative to the ACA that would be ready in September. (really) And republicans brag that they are best to govern. Scalise also did not speak the truth when he said, "the President admitted his own health care law has problems." The President did what a good public servant would do, delay the mandate for employers for one year. Unlike Scalise and member of congress who never ammend the legislation they pass, the President was willing to make a decision he felt would be better for health care in the long run.
The people should remember that Scalise and his party confirmed their phony ideology 40 times when they voted to defund the ACA. That is the type of substance they stand for. Four years and 8 months after the second great republican depression and Scalise and his party still have nothing to offer the country and its people. That really says it all.
This commentary written by John Lucia
Friday, August 30, 2013
Journalists E.J. Dionne and Michael Barone
Both journalists recently had a commentary published in the New Orleans Advocate of Aug. 26 and 27. Mr. Dionne's article titled, "GOP Threat Would Bring Armageddon" and Mr. Barone's article titled, FDR Could Teach Obama Effectiveness" were generations apart.
Dionne's Liberal philosophy and commentary showed his understanding of what is happening today in America and how the republican party is obstructing the ability of President Obama to move the country forward. It is a commentary of daily events to keep the people informed and accurately describes how the republican party today has been held hostage by a radical right tea party faction.
On the other hand, Barone with his conservative ideology trys to compare President Obama with FDR, a democratic President who Barone and conservatives never did support. Like conservatives in general today Barone can not comment about the daily events that are happening today as Dionne articulated. He can not talk about the real issues facing the country at the moment so he finds any excuse to avoid the issues.
Liberal journalists and the democratic party continue to be the best hope for America and its people because they believe they have a responsibility to face the issues and place those issues before the people.
This commentary written by John Lucia.
Dionne's Liberal philosophy and commentary showed his understanding of what is happening today in America and how the republican party is obstructing the ability of President Obama to move the country forward. It is a commentary of daily events to keep the people informed and accurately describes how the republican party today has been held hostage by a radical right tea party faction.
On the other hand, Barone with his conservative ideology trys to compare President Obama with FDR, a democratic President who Barone and conservatives never did support. Like conservatives in general today Barone can not comment about the daily events that are happening today as Dionne articulated. He can not talk about the real issues facing the country at the moment so he finds any excuse to avoid the issues.
Liberal journalists and the democratic party continue to be the best hope for America and its people because they believe they have a responsibility to face the issues and place those issues before the people.
This commentary written by John Lucia.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
The Jindal Pledge For Louisiana: No New Taxes Or Increase In Taxes. YEAH RIGHT.
Many past commentaries by this writer here in PolitiDose pointed out how the republican's ditto head pledge of no new taxes gets into the pocket of the average citizen 100 different ways. Just two of those many ways was highlighted recently.
The expiration of the tolls on the GNO bridge along with legislation that was passed and signed into law by Jindal that would ban the use of toll money for the ferries should the bridge tolls be extended is a prime example of getting into the pockets of the average citizen. In order to keep the ferries running the City Council in New Orleans approved a new fare schedule that will dramatically increase the charge to cross the Algiers-New Orleans ferry that will fall on the backs of the average citizen to use that service.
In a Times Picayune article dated 8/23/13 by Bruce Alpert concerning a speech given by President Obama about making college affordable it was pointed out that in the past 5 years state funding for higher education in Louisiana has been cut by almost $700 million and that 70% of funding now comes from tuition and fees. The increases in tuition and fees for student is just one more example of how Jindal's policies has gotten into the pockets of the average citizen and at the same time Jindal preaches no new taxes.
Jindal's budget cuts in Louisiana represents that ditto head republican conservative ideology that pass the burden of those budget cuts to the average citizen to pay. All the while businesses in Louisiana still enjoy the $7 Billion of tax exemptions with out having to worry about loosing their social and corporate welfare status.
Jindal and the republican controlled state legislature is no friend of the people of Louisiana. The governor has spent so much time trying to create a national image for himself that his approval rating is less than 30% according to one of the latest polls. The people of America have had its best days under democratic administrations and the people of Louisiana have had its best days under democratic administrations. Some things never change.
This commentary written by John Lucia.
The expiration of the tolls on the GNO bridge along with legislation that was passed and signed into law by Jindal that would ban the use of toll money for the ferries should the bridge tolls be extended is a prime example of getting into the pockets of the average citizen. In order to keep the ferries running the City Council in New Orleans approved a new fare schedule that will dramatically increase the charge to cross the Algiers-New Orleans ferry that will fall on the backs of the average citizen to use that service.
In a Times Picayune article dated 8/23/13 by Bruce Alpert concerning a speech given by President Obama about making college affordable it was pointed out that in the past 5 years state funding for higher education in Louisiana has been cut by almost $700 million and that 70% of funding now comes from tuition and fees. The increases in tuition and fees for student is just one more example of how Jindal's policies has gotten into the pockets of the average citizen and at the same time Jindal preaches no new taxes.
Jindal's budget cuts in Louisiana represents that ditto head republican conservative ideology that pass the burden of those budget cuts to the average citizen to pay. All the while businesses in Louisiana still enjoy the $7 Billion of tax exemptions with out having to worry about loosing their social and corporate welfare status.
Jindal and the republican controlled state legislature is no friend of the people of Louisiana. The governor has spent so much time trying to create a national image for himself that his approval rating is less than 30% according to one of the latest polls. The people of America have had its best days under democratic administrations and the people of Louisiana have had its best days under democratic administrations. Some things never change.
This commentary written by John Lucia.
Friday, August 23, 2013
Defunding The Affortable Care Act
The republicans cry to defund the Affortable Care Act is a continuation of their mental inability to cope and compete with democratic success in legistative matters that have helped the average American over the years. Their opposition to every thing that comes out of the Obama administration tells just how far they have gone down the road of feeling inadequate as a party and as individuals. They think very little of the American people's capacity to judge.
The republicans say they have a better answer on health care but lets examing their record. Republicans controlled the White House 20 of the 28 years prior to the election of Obama in 2008, yet they never had a plan or policy on the health care issue to introduce to congress for debate or a vote. During the George W. Bush administration they controlled both houses of congress and still had no policy or plan to introduce to congress for a debate or vote. When you add the 4 years Obma has been in office the answer is the same and as of this writing they still have not introduced any plan to replace the Affortable Care Act which means they have had 32 years of doing nothing on the issue.
When a political party stands for nothing and have no plans or policy to talk about you have a party that is mentally committed to personal attacks, obstruction and opposition with an unAmerican ideology. Normally political partys of the past had the mental capacity to compete with idea's of the opposite party, but todays republican party has chosen to obstruct rather than compete. They really are a pittiful party.
This commentary was written by John Lucia
Note: The republican party controlled both houses of congress the first 6 years of the George W. Bush administration.
The republicans say they have a better answer on health care but lets examing their record. Republicans controlled the White House 20 of the 28 years prior to the election of Obama in 2008, yet they never had a plan or policy on the health care issue to introduce to congress for debate or a vote. During the George W. Bush administration they controlled both houses of congress and still had no policy or plan to introduce to congress for a debate or vote. When you add the 4 years Obma has been in office the answer is the same and as of this writing they still have not introduced any plan to replace the Affortable Care Act which means they have had 32 years of doing nothing on the issue.
When a political party stands for nothing and have no plans or policy to talk about you have a party that is mentally committed to personal attacks, obstruction and opposition with an unAmerican ideology. Normally political partys of the past had the mental capacity to compete with idea's of the opposite party, but todays republican party has chosen to obstruct rather than compete. They really are a pittiful party.
This commentary was written by John Lucia
Note: The republican party controlled both houses of congress the first 6 years of the George W. Bush administration.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
The Speech President Obama Should Give To The Nation
Fifty four months after the election and reelection of President Obama the republicans in congress are still in their mood of obstruction and once again say they will shut government down if they do not get their way. The republican's lack of respect for the President and the people they were elected to represent is a clear case of a party out of control and mentally unbalanced in their approach to governing. Because of the republican's position, the President should call a news conference and give the following remarks.
I will not listen to the advise of the republican party concerning the budget deficit, the national debt, the economy, federal spending, job creation or unemployment because their party has the poorest record on the subject matter in the last 52 plus years. They are the party who returned the country to deficit spending and debt which was not a problem when President Clinton left office. No republican President has balanced the federal budget in the last 52 plus years. They are the party with the worst job creation record in the past 52 plus years; they are the party with the highest sustained rate of unemployment in the last 52 plus years; they are the party with the highest increase in total federal spending in the last 52 plus years; they are the party with the worst economic record in the past 52 plus years and gave the country the second great republican depression in 2008; they are the party that gave the country the greatest collapse of the financial industry in the 1929 great depression, in the early 1980's with the Homestead Savings and Loan and in 2008 with the second great depression of the Wall Street Banks. The also gave the country the very first single year federal budget deficit that exceded $1 trillion.
All of the above can be easily checked out on line at the CBO site where the official records are kept. The republicns in congress have not lifted a finger to help the country out of the second great depression and have opposed my inititives to move the country forward. In light of their past failures and their present position of obstruction I will continue to do all in my power to move the country forward and to promote the election of democrats that would return congress under democratic control.
Now a special note to all Americans. The republicans in congress are full of it when they talk of federal spending being out of control on my watch. The fact is total federal spending on my watch has seen the smallest increase in the last 52 plus years. Total year to year federal spending has actually decreased on my watch twice in my first 3 fiscal years in office. My 4th fiscal year will end September 30, 2013 and it will show that federal spending on my watch is still under control. No republican administration has had a year to year decrease in total federal spending in the past 52 plus years.
The republicans in congress can continue to play their childish games on the country and its people but I will not be a part of it. I have given them 4 and a half years of opportunity to work with a President who was elected and reelected by the American people to implement the policies I campaigned on and those policies will be pursued. The republican position of opposition and obstruction with a conservative ideology that has already proved to be a failure is the greatest insult to the country and its people. Threrfore, I as President will not seek any advise from the republicans in congress concerning the issues contained herein.
The President could articulate the above better than this writer but the substance should be retained. President Obama should take the fight to them and I would love to see the President give this speech.
This commentary written by John Lucia
I will not listen to the advise of the republican party concerning the budget deficit, the national debt, the economy, federal spending, job creation or unemployment because their party has the poorest record on the subject matter in the last 52 plus years. They are the party who returned the country to deficit spending and debt which was not a problem when President Clinton left office. No republican President has balanced the federal budget in the last 52 plus years. They are the party with the worst job creation record in the past 52 plus years; they are the party with the highest sustained rate of unemployment in the last 52 plus years; they are the party with the highest increase in total federal spending in the last 52 plus years; they are the party with the worst economic record in the past 52 plus years and gave the country the second great republican depression in 2008; they are the party that gave the country the greatest collapse of the financial industry in the 1929 great depression, in the early 1980's with the Homestead Savings and Loan and in 2008 with the second great depression of the Wall Street Banks. The also gave the country the very first single year federal budget deficit that exceded $1 trillion.
All of the above can be easily checked out on line at the CBO site where the official records are kept. The republicns in congress have not lifted a finger to help the country out of the second great depression and have opposed my inititives to move the country forward. In light of their past failures and their present position of obstruction I will continue to do all in my power to move the country forward and to promote the election of democrats that would return congress under democratic control.
Now a special note to all Americans. The republicans in congress are full of it when they talk of federal spending being out of control on my watch. The fact is total federal spending on my watch has seen the smallest increase in the last 52 plus years. Total year to year federal spending has actually decreased on my watch twice in my first 3 fiscal years in office. My 4th fiscal year will end September 30, 2013 and it will show that federal spending on my watch is still under control. No republican administration has had a year to year decrease in total federal spending in the past 52 plus years.
The republicans in congress can continue to play their childish games on the country and its people but I will not be a part of it. I have given them 4 and a half years of opportunity to work with a President who was elected and reelected by the American people to implement the policies I campaigned on and those policies will be pursued. The republican position of opposition and obstruction with a conservative ideology that has already proved to be a failure is the greatest insult to the country and its people. Threrfore, I as President will not seek any advise from the republicans in congress concerning the issues contained herein.
The President could articulate the above better than this writer but the substance should be retained. President Obama should take the fight to them and I would love to see the President give this speech.
This commentary written by John Lucia
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal's Self Serving "Point of View" Commentary
Jindal's commentary published in the Times Picayune of 8/11/13 titled, "New Orleans is America's Comeback City" was a blow your own horn piece of republican fairy tale. Jindal credits his policies for the progress New Orleans has made in just about every area.
The governor shows how small a person he really is by not mentioning Mayor Mitch Landrieu in his commentary and is typical of conservatives. The facts are very obvious that the election of Mitch Landrieu as Mayor of New Orleans was the catalist that started New Orleans on the move and in the right direction. The policies that Jindal brags about and says are responsible for the city's comeback were in place when Ray Nagin was Mayor but New Orleans stood still during Nagin's term in office.
Mayor Landrieu is a people person who had plans and a policy that would lift the city and its people up and his administration has been active in carrying the Mayors plan and policy. Landrieu has actually accomplished more for New Orleans and its people in the short time he has been mayor than Jindal has accomplished for the state and people during his time in office. The Mayor is a more responsible elected official who knows government and his leadership has been outstanding. New Orleans is the comeback city because of Landrieu's hard work and understanding of government and the many problems that go along with governing. Jindal has yet to understand that.
Landrieu does not govern by ideology and that is a big reason why he has been successful in moving New Orleans forward. It is this writers opinion that Mitch Landrieu is one of the brightest and attractive young leader in the democratic party who will be successful if he seeks higher office. I believe he should also seek national office at some point in time because he has leadership, character and courage. If that happens, remember you read it first here in PolitiDose.
This commentary written by John Lucia
The governor shows how small a person he really is by not mentioning Mayor Mitch Landrieu in his commentary and is typical of conservatives. The facts are very obvious that the election of Mitch Landrieu as Mayor of New Orleans was the catalist that started New Orleans on the move and in the right direction. The policies that Jindal brags about and says are responsible for the city's comeback were in place when Ray Nagin was Mayor but New Orleans stood still during Nagin's term in office.
Mayor Landrieu is a people person who had plans and a policy that would lift the city and its people up and his administration has been active in carrying the Mayors plan and policy. Landrieu has actually accomplished more for New Orleans and its people in the short time he has been mayor than Jindal has accomplished for the state and people during his time in office. The Mayor is a more responsible elected official who knows government and his leadership has been outstanding. New Orleans is the comeback city because of Landrieu's hard work and understanding of government and the many problems that go along with governing. Jindal has yet to understand that.
Landrieu does not govern by ideology and that is a big reason why he has been successful in moving New Orleans forward. It is this writers opinion that Mitch Landrieu is one of the brightest and attractive young leader in the democratic party who will be successful if he seeks higher office. I believe he should also seek national office at some point in time because he has leadership, character and courage. If that happens, remember you read it first here in PolitiDose.
This commentary written by John Lucia
Thursday, August 8, 2013
The Affordable Health Care Act And The Republican Party
The cost of health care insurance, health care itself and the number of people with out health insurance has increased and became a problem many years before President Obama took office in 2008. Employers, employees and those retired have felt the effects long before the President's election. The republican party in congress has vowed to defund and actually voted to repeal "Obanacare" (their term) 40 times in the U.S. House. Recently they have even talked about shutting the government down if Obamacare is not defunded.
Prior to President Obama's election the republicans controlled the White House and the country 20 of the previous 28 years. Reagan 8 years, G.H.W. Bush 4 years, Clinton 8 years and G.W. Bush 8 years. During the 20 year reign of republican control no President submitted a plan to congress to address the health care issue or the escalating number of people with out health insurance. They said they knew how to handle the problem but never had a plan or policy. And as of this writing they still do not have a plan or a policy even though they say they do.
President Clinton assigned his wife to handle health care reform during his term in office and the republicans killed that idea and it went no where. President Obama in the election of 2008 campaigned on health care reform, was elected and his administration passed the AHCA. The republicans said it was unconstitutional, took it to court and the Supreme Court ruled otherwise in favor of the administration. So now, 32 years later and the republican party still has no plan or policy for health care reform nor can they articulate how they would replace Obamacare and deal with the issue. The T.V. talk shows who play to the republicans on the subject matter never question them about their lack of a plan during the 20 years of republican rule.
The republican record of failure concerning health care is a mirror image of those same three republican Presidents who said they would balance the federal budget and then gave the country and its people 20 years of record deficit spending and debt. Those who follow politics and the facts understand why the republican party troday are a sorry bunch. The leaders of the party today could not have been a part of the greatest generation of WWII. They would not have fit in. The unAmerican conservative ideology they preach today has overwhelmed their sense of decency, compassion for their fellow man and their ability to work with democrats on the tough issues facing the country and its people. They make it a priority to use divisive issues such as abortion, religion, the gay community and etc., instead of talking about those issues that unite us.
Yes, there was a time in America when the republican party put the country and the people first. That was a time when good things happened. It is getting harder to remember those good things because the tea party has moved the republican party more and more in the direction of the extreme right and there is no republican willing to stand up and say enough is enough. Obamacare is just another phony talking point that make up a phony republican agenda. Government is not the problem. The problem is elected officials who run government with an unAmerican conservative ideology. Our leaders and the people of the greatest generation would never have put up with such an ideology, and neither should todays generation.
This commentary written by John Lucia
Prior to President Obama's election the republicans controlled the White House and the country 20 of the previous 28 years. Reagan 8 years, G.H.W. Bush 4 years, Clinton 8 years and G.W. Bush 8 years. During the 20 year reign of republican control no President submitted a plan to congress to address the health care issue or the escalating number of people with out health insurance. They said they knew how to handle the problem but never had a plan or policy. And as of this writing they still do not have a plan or a policy even though they say they do.
President Clinton assigned his wife to handle health care reform during his term in office and the republicans killed that idea and it went no where. President Obama in the election of 2008 campaigned on health care reform, was elected and his administration passed the AHCA. The republicans said it was unconstitutional, took it to court and the Supreme Court ruled otherwise in favor of the administration. So now, 32 years later and the republican party still has no plan or policy for health care reform nor can they articulate how they would replace Obamacare and deal with the issue. The T.V. talk shows who play to the republicans on the subject matter never question them about their lack of a plan during the 20 years of republican rule.
The republican record of failure concerning health care is a mirror image of those same three republican Presidents who said they would balance the federal budget and then gave the country and its people 20 years of record deficit spending and debt. Those who follow politics and the facts understand why the republican party troday are a sorry bunch. The leaders of the party today could not have been a part of the greatest generation of WWII. They would not have fit in. The unAmerican conservative ideology they preach today has overwhelmed their sense of decency, compassion for their fellow man and their ability to work with democrats on the tough issues facing the country and its people. They make it a priority to use divisive issues such as abortion, religion, the gay community and etc., instead of talking about those issues that unite us.
Yes, there was a time in America when the republican party put the country and the people first. That was a time when good things happened. It is getting harder to remember those good things because the tea party has moved the republican party more and more in the direction of the extreme right and there is no republican willing to stand up and say enough is enough. Obamacare is just another phony talking point that make up a phony republican agenda. Government is not the problem. The problem is elected officials who run government with an unAmerican conservative ideology. Our leaders and the people of the greatest generation would never have put up with such an ideology, and neither should todays generation.
This commentary written by John Lucia
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
The State of Louisiana Files Suit Against Texas Brine
Texas Brine was sued by the State of Louisiana for environmental damage concerning the sinkhole in an area around Bayou Corne which was discovered on August 3, 2012. The suit was announced by Governor Bobby Jindal and Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell.
Patrick Courreges, a spokesman for the Department of Natural Resources said Texas Brine has not reimbursed the state for any of the $12 million already spent responding to the disaster. Jindal said the suit is just the next step in making sure Texas Brine does the right thing and properly addresses the mess it caused. The governor seems to have taken a cue from the suit filed the week before by the Southeast Flood Protection Authority-East who filed a law suit against a number of Oil and Gas companies over the environmental damage caused by their operations in the state.
It took Jindal one day shy a year to file the suit against Texas Brine to hold them accountable but has done nothing to hold the Oil and Gas industry accountable in the four plus years he has been governor. Maybe, just maybe Jindal and Caldwell will join the "Authoritys" suit against the industry and finally hold them accountable. The people in Louisiana should support both lawsuits because businesses do not live up to their responsibilities on their own when they damage the environment and as a general rule hate regulations.
Hopefully, the "Authority" has started a trend and will make government take care of its obligations in enforcing state laws.
This commentary written by John Lucia
Patrick Courreges, a spokesman for the Department of Natural Resources said Texas Brine has not reimbursed the state for any of the $12 million already spent responding to the disaster. Jindal said the suit is just the next step in making sure Texas Brine does the right thing and properly addresses the mess it caused. The governor seems to have taken a cue from the suit filed the week before by the Southeast Flood Protection Authority-East who filed a law suit against a number of Oil and Gas companies over the environmental damage caused by their operations in the state.
It took Jindal one day shy a year to file the suit against Texas Brine to hold them accountable but has done nothing to hold the Oil and Gas industry accountable in the four plus years he has been governor. Maybe, just maybe Jindal and Caldwell will join the "Authoritys" suit against the industry and finally hold them accountable. The people in Louisiana should support both lawsuits because businesses do not live up to their responsibilities on their own when they damage the environment and as a general rule hate regulations.
Hopefully, the "Authority" has started a trend and will make government take care of its obligations in enforcing state laws.
This commentary written by John Lucia
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Steve Scalise and Chris John: The Latest Mouth Piece For The Oil and Gas Industry
Louisiana's U.S. Representative Steve Scalise is the latest elected official to take a swipe at the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East (SLF-PA-E) suit against 97 oil, gas and pipeline companies to restore damages to wetlands in Louisiana. In a Times Picayune article of July 2, Scalise is trying to demand transparency from SLF-PA-E concerning the lawyers hired to handle the suit and said the Levee Board could be forced to sell flood protection assets in order to pay for the suit.
John Barry, VP of SLF-PA-E said no flood protection assets are in jeopardy and that the whole point of the suit is to get the money needed to protect people from hurricanes. The choice really is simple: Protect oil companies from having to keep their written word and also obey the law, or protect people's lives and property from hurricanes. It really is that simple. Mr. Barry put Scalise in his place and shows how silly he really is.
What Scalise and other elected Louisiana officials are afraid of and see in the lawsuit is the state of Louisiana's failure to hold the industry liable for the destruction of wetlands, marshes and coastal area's. Scalise, like others who served in the state legislature while the damage was being inflicted were silent and done nothing to hold the industry accountable and all the while accepting campaign contributions from the industry. Scalise is still accepting campaign contributions from them.
Chris John in a "point of view" article in the Times Picayune of July 2 says the oil and gas industry has the states best interest at heart and trys to deflect the issue by talking about the industry's dollar investment and job creation in the state. John also said, we will continue to be part of the solution, a solution that puts Louisiana first, working together with the state leaders and the industry as a whole for a better sustainable Louisiana coast, not sitting in a courtroom for the next several decades. I believe the public knows pretty well that the industry continues to be part of the problem and not the solution.
That statement of John's is so self serving it belongs in a fairy tale. A note at the bottom of the article in fine print says John is President of The Louisiana Mid Continent Oil And Gas Assoc. In other words he is a mouth piece for the industry. What John did not say in the article is that he and his family owns and operates an Oil Field Trucking business in Louisiana that has been in operations for over 30 years. This writer worked in that industry for over 34 years so I can verify that.
Unlike President Obama's action concerning the BP blow out, Scalise and othr elected officials in Louisiana has turned their backs on the environmental damage done by the industry on state land and it has been an ongoing problem for many years. The lawsuit brings front and center just how beholden Louisiana's elected officials have been to the industry. Former governor David Treen had the answer to the problem with CWEL but our elected officials looked the other way, they wanted no part of it.
This commentary written by John Lucia
John Barry, VP of SLF-PA-E said no flood protection assets are in jeopardy and that the whole point of the suit is to get the money needed to protect people from hurricanes. The choice really is simple: Protect oil companies from having to keep their written word and also obey the law, or protect people's lives and property from hurricanes. It really is that simple. Mr. Barry put Scalise in his place and shows how silly he really is.
What Scalise and other elected Louisiana officials are afraid of and see in the lawsuit is the state of Louisiana's failure to hold the industry liable for the destruction of wetlands, marshes and coastal area's. Scalise, like others who served in the state legislature while the damage was being inflicted were silent and done nothing to hold the industry accountable and all the while accepting campaign contributions from the industry. Scalise is still accepting campaign contributions from them.
Chris John in a "point of view" article in the Times Picayune of July 2 says the oil and gas industry has the states best interest at heart and trys to deflect the issue by talking about the industry's dollar investment and job creation in the state. John also said, we will continue to be part of the solution, a solution that puts Louisiana first, working together with the state leaders and the industry as a whole for a better sustainable Louisiana coast, not sitting in a courtroom for the next several decades. I believe the public knows pretty well that the industry continues to be part of the problem and not the solution.
That statement of John's is so self serving it belongs in a fairy tale. A note at the bottom of the article in fine print says John is President of The Louisiana Mid Continent Oil And Gas Assoc. In other words he is a mouth piece for the industry. What John did not say in the article is that he and his family owns and operates an Oil Field Trucking business in Louisiana that has been in operations for over 30 years. This writer worked in that industry for over 34 years so I can verify that.
Unlike President Obama's action concerning the BP blow out, Scalise and othr elected officials in Louisiana has turned their backs on the environmental damage done by the industry on state land and it has been an ongoing problem for many years. The lawsuit brings front and center just how beholden Louisiana's elected officials have been to the industry. Former governor David Treen had the answer to the problem with CWEL but our elected officials looked the other way, they wanted no part of it.
This commentary written by John Lucia
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Crybaby U.S. Senator David Vitter of Louisiana
Senator Vitter signed onto a letter that threatens to shut down the federal government unless Congress votes to defund the Affordable Helth Care Act (AHCA) that was passed by Congress and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. Ditto head Vitter joins 11 other republicans who signed onto the letter that was sent to democratic senator Harry Reid, the majority leader in the U.S. Senate.
Republican senator Tom Coburn said Vitter and others failed to realize the GOP lost the 2012 election to President Obama and that the people do not want the federal government to be shut down. Republican senator Bob Corker said it was a silly idea and that those who signed the letter do not have the courage to participate in the debate on the issues facing the country. At least Coburn and Corker refused to be ditto heads for the republican party on this issue and that is to their credit.
Crybaby and ditto head Vitter is a good example of a Louisiana elected official who not only has no original thought and political courage he is willing to allow himself to be motivated by a conservative ideology that continues to be unAmerican in nature. The conservative approach to governing is that the republicans can pass any legislation they want too and then deny the same legislation ability to the democrats. Conservatives think of themselves as elite and that is why during election campaigns they can not tell the public what they stand for and instead run campaigns of personal attacks.
The AHCA is working and it is really a disgrace that Vitter and his stupit party opposes the President's every move that has brought the country back from the second great republican depression of 2008. Vitter and his ditto head buddies have nothing to offer the American people that moves the country forward and the President needs to slap their little boy faces. Democratic administrations have the best record of balancing the federal budget, creating a lasting economy, job creation, smaller increases in federal spending, better living conditions and increased income for the middle class and a host of other advances in the past 52 plus years.
Medicare, medicaid and social security are democratic programs that work and the AHCA is working for the benefit of the country and its people. That is really what is behind the opposition of Vitter and the republican party. The party that cries the loudest is the party of no record of accomplishments. It is a mirror image of Fox News who feel they have to repeat over and over they are fair and balanced when they know they are not. And that really says it all.
Commentary written by John Lucia
Republican senator Tom Coburn said Vitter and others failed to realize the GOP lost the 2012 election to President Obama and that the people do not want the federal government to be shut down. Republican senator Bob Corker said it was a silly idea and that those who signed the letter do not have the courage to participate in the debate on the issues facing the country. At least Coburn and Corker refused to be ditto heads for the republican party on this issue and that is to their credit.
Crybaby and ditto head Vitter is a good example of a Louisiana elected official who not only has no original thought and political courage he is willing to allow himself to be motivated by a conservative ideology that continues to be unAmerican in nature. The conservative approach to governing is that the republicans can pass any legislation they want too and then deny the same legislation ability to the democrats. Conservatives think of themselves as elite and that is why during election campaigns they can not tell the public what they stand for and instead run campaigns of personal attacks.
The AHCA is working and it is really a disgrace that Vitter and his stupit party opposes the President's every move that has brought the country back from the second great republican depression of 2008. Vitter and his ditto head buddies have nothing to offer the American people that moves the country forward and the President needs to slap their little boy faces. Democratic administrations have the best record of balancing the federal budget, creating a lasting economy, job creation, smaller increases in federal spending, better living conditions and increased income for the middle class and a host of other advances in the past 52 plus years.
Medicare, medicaid and social security are democratic programs that work and the AHCA is working for the benefit of the country and its people. That is really what is behind the opposition of Vitter and the republican party. The party that cries the loudest is the party of no record of accomplishments. It is a mirror image of Fox News who feel they have to repeat over and over they are fair and balanced when they know they are not. And that really says it all.
Commentary written by John Lucia
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)