Tuesday, May 26, 2020

The Coronavirus and The Environment.

The  country and its people are learning a great deal about the coronavirus-lockdown and the environment.  Reports from all across the U.S. from scientist and other qualified people are reporting a cleaner and clearer air, water, less CO-2 emissions and a clearer sky do to the lockdown-stay-at-home orders which has reduced travel and the presence of people out side.

Less automobile and air travel has reduced emissions from the fossil fuel they burn along with other heavy construction equipment.  And we know from reports that fossil fuels are a large contributor to environmental damage.  The lock down and its positive effect on the environment supports what scientists have reported long ago, that the actions of humans play a large role in the quality of the environment.  The lockdown-stay-at-home also offers a blueprint for future actions that could be modified where positive changes can be made to improve the environment with out major interruptions.  

Everyone can find a way to drive less and use less fossil fuel with out major adjustments to their daily lives.  The lockdown also taught us how to manage time in a more productive way.  Two short  months of lockdown tells us, we the people can do a lot to change the environment for the better with out great cost.  What we are learning should  be taken with heart at the progress that has been made on the environment because of the pandemic.  It has given us new hope on a great problem where too many people believe does not exist.

And to those who oppose all environmental reform and take the position humans have nothing to do with environmental change now have more proof how wrong they are.  And once again, ideology takes a back seat to facts.  The current improvements to the environment does not represent "Camelot" but adult and scientific thoughts can change the dynamics and over come senseless tactics by those who oppose environmental protection.


?This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Monday, May 25, 2020

Innovation: Lost In America Part II

Very little progress has been made on the subject matter since "PolitiDose" commentary of July 23, 2008.  (12 years ago)  That commentary explained how corporate America has failed its obligation to the country and its people and especially its responsibility to close the wage gap with its employees.  It also explained how government regulations to produce better mileage automobiles was the leading force behind auto manufacturing and not from industry innovation itself.

And as of this day, the Reagan, Bush 43 and Trump tax cuts for corporate America (social welfare) has not been an incentive for corporate America to innovate.  Those three tax cuts reduced the corporate tax rate and those of the top earners approximately 59% and now Trump's economic adviser Larry Kudlow says the corporate tax rate should be cut another 10-1/2% from the present 21%.  So here we have the republican party's toxic thinking.  The average person on welfare wants to stay on welfare instead of working, but social welfare tax cuts for corporate America will create jobs and bring jobs back to America.  That is OK with republicans even though its a fairy tale.  Corporate America uses tax cuts to enhance their own companies wealth and is not used for innovation or employee advancement.

With 38 million people unemployed (according to the latest report from the U.S. Labor Dept.) what type of innovation is taking place with corporate America to put those people back to work ASAP in line with regulations to reopen?  And what about the back pay to the employees they laid off?  One can bet their CEO's and executives will still be granted huge bonuses at the end of the year.  Trump admitted the failure of his tax cuts last week when he said he wanted all PPE equipment manufactured in the U.S. so as to have on hand for the next pandemic.  Of course, corporate America had time to do that with Trump's 14% tax cuts in 2017 and have the equipment ready for the present pandemic.  Corporate America, the country and its people did better with innovation on President Clinton's watch when he increased the corporate tax rate from 34% to 36%.  And progress was evenly distributed in all sectors and especially the ones that count.  Lower unemployment, record jobs created, record economy, balanced budgets and surpluses, pay down on the national debt, lower poverty rate, corporate America and the stock market did exceptionally well, largest increase in middle class wages in the last 40 years, largest percentage increase in plant and equipment investment by corporate America in the last 40 years and so much more.

The bottom line has already been drawn in the last 40 years and now history tells us that corporate tax cuts do not create innovation, jobs or  better economy, nor  does it accomplish what the author's of tax cuts claim. It is simply a scheme to transfer wealth from the middle class to corporate America and those that benefit the most from the cuts.  That is the republican ideology and their partnership with corporate America at the expense of the average worker.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Thursday, May 21, 2020

PolitiDose Leads, As Others Follow.

PolitiDose took the lead in commentary dated 3/31 titled, "Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards Does a Better Job Updating The People On The Coronavirus Than President Trump" that expressed the thought that the governor handled the coronavirus situation and pandemic much better than President Trump did for the nation.  Now comes an opinion column published in the New Orleans Advocate by Stephanie Grace titled, "Washington should take a cue from Baton Rouge" that relates to polls that have ranked President Trump's slow and unpredictable response to the virus poorly.  And that a new poll by "Survey Monkey" finds every governor except one earned positive ratings for handling the crisis with Edwards in the top half at 72%.

In other words, the poll shows what PolitiDose alluded too in commentary before any poll was released.   The people of Louisiana who watched and listened to Trump's and Edwards remarks on the situation knew first hand that governor Edwards did a better job by far and on every detail.  The leadership was in Louisiana while the White House was in chaos.  It was also PolitiDose who predicted governor Edwards would reverse former governor Jindal's fiscal disaster and put Louisiana's fiscal house on a sound footing.

So stay tuned to PolitiDose, your daily dose of political commentary who sees things as they are.


This commentary written  by Joe Lorio

Sunday, May 17, 2020

The Democratic Party: The Sencible Party on Governing and The Pandemic.

The approximately $2.8 trillion stimulus passed by congress and signed into law by the President became a much better bill than the initial one proposed by Trump and the republican party because the democratic party in the U.S. House and Senate would not move off their demand to include more funds for those most affected by the coronavirus, including the average citizen.  The Trump republican portion was tilted more to the business community.  Trump and his ditto  heads tried to sidestep the democrat's position and even said it was a non starter but then did the about face.

And since that bill  was passed, Trump and the republicans in congress, especially Mitch McConnell said no more stimulus will even be talked about until some time in June or there after.  But they have been talking about it any way because speaker of the house Nancy Pelosi and the democratic party introduced and passed a separate $3 trillion stimulus to address the needs of the people who need it the most and state and local governments who are facing large lay offs.  So now Trump and his ditto heads are beginning to change their tune toward another stimulus.  Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell gave them a little push when he said, "added fiscal support could be costly but worth it if it helps avoid long term economic damage and leaves us with a stronger recovery."

The democratic party has a record of putting stimulus needs to work because they believe in policy that relates to the problems at hand.  Trump and the republicans will respond by calling the democratic party the big spenders but that phony talking point goes against all facts.  And Trump and his ditto heads will end their "dead on arrival" talking point on the House's bill and join the democratic party in a new round of stimulus funding.  The Trump-GOP tax cuts of 2017 was an unnecessary piece of legislation and a continuation of the republican folly of the Reagan and Bush 43 tax cuts.

And in the year 2020, the year of another republican recession, job losses, higher unemployment and rising deficits, the democratic party is still best at governing.  And that really says it all.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio


Friday, May 15, 2020

Another Huge First For PolitiDose As Others Clamor For Infrastructure Legislation.

It took a pandemic for some people to realize what PolitiDose has commented on for years, the need for infrastructure legislation.  The latest comes from an opinion column in the New Orleans Advocate dated 5/15 by Tim Barfield, President of CSRS in Baton Rouge.  His comments outline some of the benefits of such legislation but it goes way beyond that in terms of its importance to the economy and its far reaches into the future.

Every one who lives in Louisiana surely knows the failings of the state's infrastructure and every other state knows its own problems.  So why did it take a pandemic to push the infrastructure button now?  Those late voices should have known that during the 2016 Presidential election Hillary Clinton said infrastructure legislation would be her top priority and had a plan on the subject.  She was aware that the economy in its 7th straight year of expansion (at that time) would need continued help to grow as economies are not self sustaining for ever.  And infrastructure was a necessary and natural economic stimulus for the country and its people's progress.  Those voices also knew Trump's priority was a tax cut and not an economic policy.

President Obama's $700 billion stimulus in response to the record recession he inherited from the Bush administration contained money to the states for infrastructure to put people back to work.  We know from facts and past experience that stimulus money managed with policy in the right direction and use works far better than a tax cut that benefits those who need it the least.  And we also know as fact President Obama's economy created more jobs in his last 38 months in office than Trump created in his first 38 months in office and that was before the coronavirus hit the U.S.

And in case any one has a lapse in memory, Speaker of the U.S. House, Nancy Pelosi, set up a meeting with Trump to talk about infrastructure legislation long ago which she supported from day one.  And when Trump showed up at the meeting he engaged in a tirade unrelated to the meeting and stormed out before the meeting ever began.  If Trump made his top priority infrastructure legislation after being elected instead of a tax cut, the nation would be in its fourth year of rebuilding, the burden of the coronavirus would be less and the economy and its people would be in better shape.  And so would the federal government.

The voices of late are better than never, but should have made their thoughts known long ago because the problem is long range.  Making decisions after the fact is not good policy regardless how you look at it.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Dan Fagan, Again As Usual Has It All Wrong.

Dan Fagan, republican opinion writer for the New Orleans Advocate and a ditto head ally of Trump's blame game, made a fool of himself in a article dated 5/10 titled, "Oil Industry Fights a Pandemic and Thousands of Lawyers" represents the fairy tale talking points of the Oil industry that is so stale no one pays attention to any more except republicans and industry executives.

Fagan blames the oil industries slowdown and falling oil prices on lawsuits brought against the industry by local governments for damage to Louisiana's environment and as an after thought also blames Saudi Arabia, Russia and the coronavirus.  But the facts remain, the real reason for the industry's downturn and falling oil prices resulted from the global economic slowdown, a glut in oil on the market and the manipulation of prices by the industry in general and the over production of oil, including by the United States.  And all that took place before any one even heard of the word coronavirus.

Then Fagan makes the silly statement that the state and not local governments are the place to sue but never lets his readers know the state legislature and other state bodies already have that option but just sits on their hands year after year and do nothing to hold the Oil industry responsible.  That is why local governments took actions themselves.  Fagan quotes the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association who have no credibility because they are an ally of the industry and just repeats the industries talking points.

And when it comes to Louisiana and the industry operations, the people of the Pelican state should remember this:  The Oil and Gas industry has had its worse years in Louisiana and nation wide during republican Presidential administrations, and it is now taking place again with Trump in the White House.  And just a month ago, Trump even bragged about falling oil prices and said it was good for the economy.  Louisiana lost over 25,000 jobs in the Oil industry in Reagan's very first term in office. The average yearly count of rigs working offshore Louisiana was greater under President Clinton than it was under President George W. Bush who claimed to be an oilman.  And nothing that is happening now with the industry took place on President Obama's watch despite the BP Oil spill that took the lives of 11 rig workers and caused billions of dollars of damage to Louisiana's environment.  Democrat's in the White House have economic policies that allow not only a more even price in the price of crude. but a more evenly rig count operating offshore and onshore which provides more stability.

Republican administrations are toxic to the economy and the people and Trump is keeping up with that tradition.  That is why Fagan and his republican opinion writers can not write about republican accomplishments, they do not have any.  Trial lawyers have no affect on the oil industry's down turns or crude oil prices.  Oil industry greed drives their fairy tale and at this moment they are talking to Louisiana legislators to continue to do their bidding.  Dan Fagan just happens to be one of their ditto heads.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Friday, May 8, 2020

April's Job Report and Unemployment.

The U.S. Labor Department reported that the economy lost 20.5 million jobs in April and that the unemployment rate jumped to 14.7%.  It was 4.4% in March and 4.7% when Trump took office.  April's job losses and unemployment rate was the highest since the great depression.  The department also reported the job survey numbers included only half of April so the job loses were actually higher than the numbers reported.

Trump and his administration now joins every republican administration since Teddy Roosevelt to preside over a recession or depression.  And in more recent times the last four republican administrations have presided over an economic recession despite three major tax cuts by Reagan, Bush 43 and Trump.  And all of that was not a co-incident.  And now Trump has to start all over on job creation and put all the unemployed back to work before he can create any new jobs.  President Obama accomplished that after Bush's great recession and created new jobs that Trump has not matched even before the coronavirus.

In 2016 Trump ran for President with an economy that was in its 7th straight year of expansion, job creation, much lower deficit spending and falling unemployment.  Now in 2020 Trump is running for re-election during his own recession, lost jobs, rising unemployment, rising deficit spending and playing the blame game for his own failures.  And PolitiDose called the shots of the coming recession on Trump's watch because it was all predictable and part of the republicans failed past.

And once again it will be a democratic administration that has to pick up the pieces by governing with policies and plans for a new beginning.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

The Louisiana Legislature Is Back In Session.

And the fiscal health of the state is the major topic as state revenues are being depleted by the coronavirus and the shutdown of the business community.  With the uncertainty of just how timely business can return to some normalcy and people can be put back to work it is a guessing game as to project revenue for the state to budget properly.

Jay Dardenne, Commissionor of Administration according to a New Orleans Advocate commentary, signaled to the House Appropriations Committee that investments in schools, early child hood education and teachers pay are no longer likely.  And that Governor Edwards is asking state agencies for contingency plans to avoid layoffs of state employees.

The collapse of oil prices are another significant reduction to state revenues, but that started long before the coronavirus because of a slow down in the global economy, a glut of oil on the market because of over production and the feud between Saudi Arabia and Russia.  And for those who are not afraid to face the facts, the U.S. economy under Trump is more of a stock market economy than a true economy made possible by plans and policy.  American manufacturing has been in a recession for many months and job creation has fallen behind the previous administration.

So what did the republican controlled state legislature do at its first day back on the Job?  The House Ways and Means Committee passed HB506 to reduce the states severance tax on oil produced from the current 12.5% to 8.5% over a period of eight years.  That alone would reduce state revenue by $151.4 million over the next five years.  Chief sponsor of the bill Phillip DeVillier said, "lowering the severance tax would entice the oil industry to drill more in Louisiana thereby creating more jobs, which would translate into more sales and income taxes."  The usual talking points of the industry and republicans that never takes place.  The House Bill now moves to the full House for consideration.

So here we are, the state of Louisiana, who prior to the coronavirus saw much improvement to its fiscal house under the administration of Governor Edwards and who now faces a severe revenue shortage, has a republican controlled legislature that wants to reduce state revenues even more by reducing the severance tax for an industry who needs a reduction the least and who in 2017 received a 14% reduction in the corporate tax rate thanks to the Trump-GOP tax cuts.  The industry, who has raped Louisiana's environment and who has never been held accountable, is still the favorite of the republican party for corporate welfare.

Governor Edwards even handed fiscal policies that restored the state after eight failed years of the previous administration needs to prevail again during this particular crisis.  We can continue to learn from past mistakes to afford a better future, or we can ignore the past lessons and have a future to no where.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio




Saturday, May 2, 2020

More Negative Economic News As Trump's Recession Increases.

The Commerce Department reported U.S. Manufacturing declined 14.4% in March, the second largest decline on record.  April's manufacturing data is expected to drop also, as one Associated Press  Economics writer, Eaul Wiseman reported,  "President Trump's trade war with China had raised cost and created uncertainty that paralyzed investment decisions."

And on another front the federal government reported the GDP for the first quarter declined at a 4.8% annual rate.  It was the sharpest drop since the 8.4% drop  in the fourth quarter of the 2008 economic recession.  The large decline in the first quarter took place even though the shutdown did not take place until mid March.  The report also warned that the second quarter GDP decline would be much larger.  The European countries GDP for the same first quarter shrunk 3.8%.  The possibility exist that the year 2020 will end with a negative GDP.

Both President Clinton and Obama inherited an economic recession from the previous administrations and adopted plans and policies that turned things around for the better, and they did it with out massive tax cuts.  Now President Trump has an economy in recession, partly of his own making that began on his watch and a 2017 tax cut that can not fit the bill of being positive for the economy. The Trump tax cuts was the third strike against the trio's trickle down economics fairy tale. (Reagan, Bush 41 and Trump)  And once again its three strikes and you are out.

The problem with all that is the middle  class pays the price for those President's foolish behavior.  And that really says it all.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Will The Business Community Be Up To The Challenge When The Economy Is Open?

That is the question they will have to answer and how they used their time during the lockdown to plan for the opening.  Was that time well used for an orderly return for business and did they develop a plan to rehire their workers in a timely matter.  We do know many business owners think the economy should be already open.  Time will tell if they handle their responsibility as well as the health care people handled their responsibility.

Small business owners will do their part but the large corporations have a history of not taking care of their average worker and look for federal hand outs while their CEO's and executives are still drawing their huge salaries and bonuses.  The in-equality in wages tell the story and has been documented many times over.  What ever guidelines mandated by the state or federal government should be no handicap for America's business genius to over come.  And during this period of idle time the business community has a pretty good idea what the rules and mandates will look like so there are no excuses.

As food for thought, in the past forty years the best economy that takes into consideration job creation, balanced budgets, lower deficit spending, lower unemployment, increase in average wages, stock market gains, lower percentage increase in the national debt and every other thing part of the economy took place on the watch of President Clinton and Obama and both implemented rules and regulations for the environment and other areas of business.  And both Presidents inherited a economic recession from the previous administration.

So whatever rules and mandates that come about to  open the economy should be no roadblock for business to return.  Excuses won't get the job done.  The American genius will get it done if egos are set aside.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio