Monday, December 26, 2016

Another Non-Playoff Season For The New Orleans Saints

The Saints beat Tampa Bay on Saturday while the Redskins won their game and mathematically eliminated the Saints from the playoffs for the fourth time in the last five years.  The Saints will end the regular season in Atlanta this weekend and will finish the season with another non-winning record, their fourth in the last five years and the third straight non-winning season.

The Saints actually were eliminated from the playoffs when they suffered their seventh and eight defeat on consecutive weekends to Detroit and Tampa Bay. (although not mathematically)  But sport fans who are objective knew it, so did a few sports writers.  In those two defeats Drew Brees threw 6 interceptions and those two games turned out to be the most important ones of the season for the Saints to stay alive.

This writer stands by his commentary that Payton should have been fired for allowing bounty gate to happen.  It was an irresponsible act on Payton's part and the Saints had to play the 2012 season with out their head coach.  Payton's designated co-head coaches for that season were a disaster and even though Payton was not on the sidelines he bears responsibility for the Saints record that year. Times Picayune sports writer Larry Holder in an article of December 17 does not think Payton should be held accountable for the 2012 season.  That is par for the course for Holder.

In the same article Holder asks, "Is it time for a change."  (concerning Payton)  He then gives several examples to try and justify why the Saints should keep Payton but never gives the reader his own answer.  Holder is the same writer who during the season talked about Drew" personal performance as if the team was letting him down. (T.P. article of October 2)  That could work both ways.  Maybe the team feels Brees let them down with the six interceptions in those two games.

Yes, bounty gate started it all five seasons ago and there is no progress.  The entire coaching staff needs to go because they are not doing a professional coaching job.  And Drew Brees may have a lot of personal records but again, Tom Brady has done more for his team than Brees has done for the Saints.  And that really says it all for Brady is a better leader.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Saturday, December 24, 2016

What Will The New Year Bring Politically? A Continuing Story.

A triple history will take place in the new year, President Obama will leave office after completing eight years as President, Donald Trump will take the oath of office as the new President and both houses of congress will be controlled by the republican party.  Will the new year be progressive or regressive under a new administration?  Understanding the past has always been the key to the future for a lack of understanding the failures of the past produces a failed future.  Lets examine the past and see if there is a clue to what the future holds for the country and the people.

The twelve years of the Reagan-Bush 41 Presidency operated under the economic policy of so called "trickle down economics" that never created a lasting economy, job creation, balanced budgets or a sustained lower unemployment rate.  In fact the unemployment rate was over 10% for 10 straight months on Reagan's watch.  That was the highest sustained unemployment rate in the last 50 years.  Poverty levels stayed flat as did median family income.  And when Bush left office the nation was in a regressive state.

President Clinton succeeded Bush 41 in office and passed an economic plan that raised taxes on the wealthy, created the greatest economy, job creation, lowest sustained unemployment in 40 years, balanced the budget, paid down on the national debt, median family income increased $5400.00 and Clinton left office after eight years and the country was in a progressive state.

George W. Bush succeeded Clinton and passed a tax cut much like Reagan's "trickle down economics" and left office eight years later with the country in the worst recession since the great depression, the worst job creation record since the great depression, record deficits for 8 years, a higher unemployment rate than when he took office, median family income fell $2400.00, the poverty rate increased and Bush left office with the state in regression.

President Obama succeeded President Bush, passed an economic policy that included a stimulus for the economy, let the Bush tax cuts expire for those making over $500,000.00 a year, the poverty rate has fell, created over 15,000,000 jobs, the economy is growing, median income is increasing, the deficit has been reduced, the unemployment rate has been reduced to 4.6% and every part of the economy is much better now than when Obama took office.  The Federal Reserve announced last week that the country is at or near full employment.  And the country is in a progressive state.

So now the new year will start the administration of President Donald Trump.  Will the economic future of the country and its people fall back in regression or will it continue on the progressive road it is now on.  The future will reveal the answer and also if the Trump administration learned any thing from the failed past.  Trump's tax proposal also represents 'trickle down economics" and cast a large shadow on the economic future of the country.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio


Wednesday, December 21, 2016

"PolitiDose:" On The Right Side Of History.

Early on during the part of the republican Presidential primaries this writer in commentary pointed out that despite the republican disclaimers about Donald Trump, he and the party were one and the same and would support him at the voting booth and if elected, support his policies.

And despite Trumps involvement with Russia's interference in the Presidential elections and his continued position of keeping his business interests while serving as President therefore a conflict of interest, republicans are still behind Trump with their support.

They have been joined by the conservative journalists who write opinion columns for the major newspapers across the United States.  Those same journalists used disclaimers about Trump during the primaries because they thought and even predicted a Clinton win.  But they voted for Trump because conservatives were willing to sell their soul and even American democracy to elect a republican President.

Yet every day we learn how Trump has no intentions of following any moral code of conduct that American Presidents have honored and carried out which has been the hallmark of what America is all about.  It is why the United States is respected around the world.  Trump's cry baby tweets, corrupt attitude, revenge motivation and willingness to use the Presidency for personal gain is completely out of step with our Presidential history.

Trump and the republican party have already contributed greatly to a regression in Presidential politics and the party has control of both houses of congress and the White House.  And make no mistake, it is just the beginning.  PolitiDose called the shot first and early on while the news media in general continue to be passive in their unprecedented coverage of Trump.  Make no mistake, on January 20 when Trump takes office he will enter the White House as a tainted President.   And that really says it all.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio


Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Donald Trump: A President-Elect Bent On Destroying What Our Fore Bearers Established.

Both Presidential candidate and President-elect Trump has used his corrupt business attitude in an attempt to remake America's political process concerning the federal government in order to enhance himself and his business financially.  And now most of his cabinet appointees and other appointees come from the Wall Street Banks ranks, big business and people who are anti everything to do with government.

His un-American relationship with Russian's Putin asking him to hack into America's emails for personal gain and praising Putin as a much better leader than President Obama was an act of treason.  Putin has a history of doing away with people who oppose him, rigged Soviet elections and Trump still finds reasons to praise him and say he is a better leader than our American President.  Is there really any way to reconcile Trump's thinking.  Every day the President-elect becomes more and more tainted.

Trump's failure to release his tax returns because those returns would show how he and his business are in bed with many foreign countries and their leaders and represents a conflict of interest.  As of this date Trump has still not divested himself from his business interest and can not carry out his duties as President and Commander in Chief because of those conflicts.

Every day there is a new Trump tweet outside the norm of a President-elect with lies which are a daily part of his life.  It worked for him in his business environment and now uses lies in the political arena to deceive America and its people.  Trump said his appointment of General Mattis as Secretary of Defense was the closest thing to General Patton.  Trump obviously knows nothing about the military.  Patton was relieved of his command more than once for disciplinary reasons and was considered to be a "primadonna" by some of his superior officers.  General Mattis never had those problems.

And to think Trump received 62,904,682  popular votes in the general election according to the latest tally is chilling.  Even more chilling is the number of people commenting on facebook and other social outlets who said they voted for Trump because they share his moral values.  On the other hand 65,748,544 voted for Hillary Clinton.  That is a lead in the popular vote of 2.8 million and still growing for Clinton.

Donald Trump may be the President-elect but the majority of Americans who voted do not share his moral values or his corrupt business practice he is trying to inject into America's political system.  The swamp will get much larger with Trump in the White House but the out right lies will fall like a ton of bricks in due time.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio






















Monday, December 12, 2016

Tampa Bay 16 New Orleans Saints 11

The Saint's loss in Tampa assured the team will end the season for the third straight year without a winning record.  It will be the fourth year in the last five the Saints will end the season that way.  The Saints are now 5-8 with three games left, two of which will be on the road.

Drew Brees continued his turnover spree with 3 more interceptions, the last one was fatal and turned the ball over to Tampa who ran the clock.  It was the second straight game Brees was held without a passing touchdown and Tampa kept the Saints offense out of the end zone.

The coaching staff and the team are a basket case and continue to show no improvement.  Bounty gate has written the final chapter on Payton and his coaching staff and it is only a matter of time before the announcement is made by management.  This writer was on record as saying Payton should have been fired for allowing Bounty gate to happen at the time it was made public.  Payton has lost control of the football team and the players are just putting their time in.  And to top it off, when Payton returned the year after Bounty gate he received a large raise.  What a shame.

Drew Brees and his personal stats are no help and he and the players are paid to win games.
They are not being paid for personal records.  The sports writers in New Orleans never understood that and have been less than objective in their reporting ever since bounty gate.  This writer is on the record with a commentary after bounty gate was exposed that expressed the opinion that Payton's best years as the Saints coach had passed.

The results this season and the last four I believe confirm that opinion.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Friday, December 9, 2016

Will The Future Under A Trump Administration Be Like The Failed Past Of Previous Republican Administrations?

The answer is unknown at this time but will start to unfold when Trump takes office next month.  In the mean time there is precedent that would indicate the answer will be "yes."  George W. Bush became President, inherited a great economy with record job creation, full employment, balanced budgets with surpluses, a safe America and so much more and left office 8 years later with the country in a great recession, debt, two wars, one which was unnecessary and built on a lie and lost wages for the average worker.

Enter President Obama when Bush left office and like the Clinton administration brought the economy back, jobs back, lowered the unemployment, reduced the deficit, kept America safe at home and abroad and the average workers wages are on the rise.  Next month Trump will receive the benefit of a country on the move and in good shape economically and financially, contrary to what he has been preaching.  Bush could not duplicate the success of the Clinton administration or come even close.  Clinton reversed the 12 years of Reagan-Bush 41 whose administrations under performed Clinton's 8 years in office.  Those 12 years of Reagan-Bush 41 put the country on the course of record deficit spending and debt.

So now it will fall to Trump and in this writers judgement things do not look as bright.  The President-elect is still the same as Trump the Presidential candidate who lies on a daily basis on a wide range of issues.  The latest being the number of jobs Carrier will keep in Indiana.  Trump's tweets continue to be childish and his behavior is unbecoming a President-elect.

Many of Trump's appointees are anti regulatory, anti labor, anti environment, oppose the minimum wage and are out of touch with American values.  Some also seem happy to spread Trump's lies.  Trump intends to run the country like he runs his business, with corrupt behavior.  Trump has also failed to show he will put the country and its peoples business first before his own business interest.

The truth of the future will be told, but what is unfolding now represents an attack on the Presidency itself and that should be a wake up call for America.  President Obama has kept American great in his time in office.  Trump has only talked about it.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Monday, December 5, 2016

The Detroit Lions 28 The New Orleans Saints 13

The Saints got drunk on the praise given to them by the New Orleans sports writers after beating the Rams last week.  The writers acted like the Saints beat a top rated team but the Rams were 4-6, a poor team and it showed.  But yesterday in the Dome the Lions outplayed and out coached the Saints and the Saints fell to 5-7.  So far this season the Saints have beaten only one team with a winning record, Seattle.

The Lions ended Brees passing touchdown streak and Brees threw three interceptions which gave him 7 turnovers in the last four games.  After the Ram game sports writers were talking about Brees personal stats as if football is not a team sport.  And now the fans will hear the same excuses this week which have been the staple since "bounty gate."

The Saints are not a well coached team and the players still do not earn their salary, and that includes Brees.  This is a coaching staff and team that has not recovered from "bounty gate" and will not until the Saints change the head coach and his staff as this writer predicted after "bounty gate" was first made known.  The Saints have won only 12 of their last 28 regular season games and have made no progress since "bounty gate" season which was 4 seasons ago.  The coaching staff and players are just hanging on for the ride in this fifth season.

Sports writers in New Orleans who cover the Saints care only about one thing, apple polishing stories with no objectivity.  In fact after the Rams game one writer said no team could cover Saints receiver Michael Thomas but Detroit did and actually took him out of the game.  He was not even a factor for the Saints.  Saint fans should tune them out.  Tom Benson and Mickey Loomis has been silent for the last 4 years and just maybe after this season is over they might have some thing to say.  They have been just as bad as the Saints and the sports writers.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio


Saturday, December 3, 2016

LSU Hands Off Its Football Future To Ed Orgeron

Interim LSU football coach Ed Orgeron was officially named head coach of the football program.  Orgeron was not the choice of this writer and in a previous commentary expressed the opinion that LSU should clean house with the present coaching staff, hire a proven head coach with a winning record and let him pick his assistants.

Orgeron has no record of being a winning head coach and failed the test against Alabama and Florida this season with a foolish offensive game plan and play calling that gave the impression Les Miles was still on the side lines coaching. This writer also thinks those at LSU who are involved in firing or hiring a new coach failed the test last season when Miles was supposed to go and then stayed only to be fired after the fourth game of the season.  Did those people really think Miles was going to change when he had 10 years to do so?  Give me a break.

I believe Orgeron has the right idea with bringing in a new offensive co-ordinator, resigning LSU's defensive co-ordinator, hiring a new special teams coach and I wish he and LSU success as Ihave followed LSU for over 50 years.   However, in the back of my mind I have a feeling that none of the head coaches named as a possible choice for the LSU head coaching job wanted to come to LSU.  And if that is the case that should be troubling to all LSU fans.

Will Orgeron put an end to LSU's on again off again play of the last 11 seasons?  Time will answer that question and the question if Orgeron has the ability to become a winning head coach.  He had the opportunity in the past and never made it, but now takes over an LSU team with talent.  So the ball is back in his court.  It is an opportunity he may never have again.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Friday, December 2, 2016

Another Big First For PolitiDose


In a previous commentary this writer pointed out Trump's double talk about the "establishment" when he said he was running against and tried to sell himself as an outsider.  He later described the "establishment" as the "swamp" and said he would drain it.  In the commentary this writer demonstrated that Trump himself was part of the "establishment" also, the establishment of corporate America who give millions to elected officials in the form of campaign contributions.

Trump during the republican debates admitted with his own mouth he gives campaign contributions to elected officials because he expects favors and when he calls them for help they help him.  Now as President elect, Trump has nominated as Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, a former executive with Goldman Sachs, a wall street bank.  Trump has also appointed at least two other Goldman Sachs executives.  An ethics attorney speaking on one of the cable news shows said appointing Mnuchin Treasury Secretary is like putting an alligator in charge of the swamp.  That is a great description and just another reminder the lies told by Trump during the campaign about draining the swamp just to get votes.

The Swamp will not be drained after all and now the country and its people will have to deal with Trump's establishment.  There will be much more to come out of Trump which will completely destroy what he promised the voting public.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio


November, Another Good Month For The Economy, Job Creation, Unemployment and The Country.

The Labor Department reported the economy created 178,000 jobs in November and the unemployment rate fell to 4.6% from the 4.9% in October.  Wages rose 2.5% and continued their upward trend.  The good news for the country and its people continue unabated on top of the recent GDP report for the third quarter that showed the economy grew 3.2% for the third quarter.

President Obama's policies have accomplished much for the country and the people and will leave office in less than 60 days with the second best job creation record next only to President Clinton's record job creation.  Obama's stimulus package early in his first term passed by the democratic controlled congress worked because the money was granted to the states so they could invest in infrastructure and other projects that would create jobs and lower the unemployment.  The republicans in congress opposed the stimulus and their ideology is the reason republican administrations have been a disaster for the economy and job creation.

And the news media has done a disservice to the country and the people for the past 8 years.  Instead of reporting on the positive things that have happened, they took up with the republicans and Trump and spread their lies and falsehoods about the economy, jobs, the unemployment and the war on terror.  Instead of being an informed news media, the media became an ignorant show place of deplorables.

History will serve President Obama and his administration well and his accomplishments will be written down in that history never to be erased by a news media that has gone completely out of control.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio