Louisiana: The Welfare and Socialist State For The Business Community.

We know for a number of years that the state legislature has given to the business community tax breaks that total approximately $7 billion a year that robs the state of much needed revenue.  We know that number is accurate because it was confirmed by the legislature and by an excellent article in the Times Picayune several years ago by Edward Ashworth, Director of the Louisiana Budget Project who articulated the problem.

Now we read in the news two articles published in the New Orleans Advocate dated 5/27/21 how the Hollywood movie industry's tax breaks are up for renewal by the state legislature and just how much those tax breaks has cost the state in lost revenue.  One article by capitol bureau editor Mark Ballard, reports for every tax payers dollar the state gives away in tax credits, state and local governments received 35 cents in 2020.  But chief economist for the state legislature, Greg Albrecht points out, because only the states tax revenues are in play, the state return is only 22 cents on the dollar.  And that in 2020 the state gave away $132.8 million in tax revenue and received only $29.4 million in taxes.

In an editorial view commentary in the same May 27 edition it was reported that the program of tax credits for the film industry has cost the state and tax payers over $2 billion since its beginning.  It is obvious there is no respectable oversight of the program that would allow such a paltry return to the state and the tax payers for such a huge investment and receive less than a 25% return.  Does anyone think a business would give away that amount of money?

The same state legislature that approved Louisiana's tax give away also told us that Louisiana needs $14 billion for infrastructure and repairs.  The state is almost last in every category that deals with the quality of life and many other issues concerning state spending but the state legislature has a culture of dealing with only special interest groups such as the business community at the expense of the public good.

The $7  billion doled out in tax breaks every year by the state to business are used by business to reward their CEO's, executives and their shareholders.  That is how corporate America works and why over the last 40 years their incomes grew by over 900% while their average workers wages grew just 12% per a previous report.  The answer is simple, everyone should pay their fair share of taxes to support the governments ability to serve the people.  We just don't have the elected officials who have the character or courage to implement such a common sense answer.

All governments should operate on the principle that if a business can not make it on its own its not a viable business and should change its business attitude and stand on its own.  Its easy to understand.  The $7 billion given annually by the state to business represents about 25% of  the states past yearly budgets.  Does any one think any business would give up 25% of its revenue and say we can do well financially and get along without it?  And does any one really believe the state can give up that much revenue and still take care of the needs of the state and the needs of its people?

This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Note:  The very first civilization on earth, that of the Sumerians, which began almost 6000 years ago left written records that have been found.  They stated that they were taught that understanding the mistakes of the past was the  key to  a better future.  And that a failure to do so would result in a future that looked like the failed past.  Six thousand years  later, the state  legislature has learned nothing.

 

The LSU Baseball Program Continues Its Decline.

And it has been ongoing for several years.  The team completed its regular season and posted a losing record of 13-17 during its SEC play.  LSU did qualify for the SEC tournament and quickly eliminated in the very first game losing to Georgia 4-1.  Prior to the SEC tournament, sports writers tried to put a spin on the fact that LSU has won more SEC tournaments than any other SEC team, like that would some how make a difference for this  LSU team.  It was not and was predictable.

The fact is  LSU is not signing the quality players they have in the  past and the LSU coaching staff has done a poor job of coaching.  Other SEC teams have been more consistent in recruiting good talent, especially pitching and coaching.  LSU coach Paul Mainieri has done a poor job with his pitching staff, both starters and relivers.  It appears to this writer that Mainieri is living off his one and only National Championship.

LSU has not had the quality players with a consistent good batting average, RBI production and  timely hitting since they lost Mikie Mahtook, Micah Gibbs, Blake Dean, Ryan Schimpf, D.J. Lemahieu and Mason Katz.  Those players were consistent in  their production at LSU during their whole career, not just every now and then like most LSU hitters since.  Mainieri's "kids" as  he  calls them have not measured up to the challenge.  And neither has the coaching staff.  Mainieri's "kids" are really not kids.  They are young  men who have been playing the game of baseball all of their young lives.

 So now LSU waits to see if they receive a bid to play in the NCAA tournament.  If they do receive a bid this writer believes their fate has already been decided.

This commentary written by Joe Lorio

 

Conservative Opinion Writer Cal Thomas and The Abortion Issue.

Thomas in a opinion column published in the New Orleans Advocate of May 22 titled, "Abortion case could make things better" spouts the so called conservative view heard many times over which never address the real "abortion" story.  Thomas's coward approach apes the GOP's desire to continue to use the issue to divide America.  Thomas ends his article by denying his own statement.  In other words the article had no real thought, division is all that matters.

His opinion states that pro-lifers (without defining them) are encouraged because three of Trump's appointees to the Supreme  Court are Catholics and one, Amy Barrett made public statements about her opposition to abortion.  All three judges are so called conservatives who Trump thought would help him overturn the 2020 Presidential election after filing multiple fake fraud suits claiming voter fraud.  The majority conservative court acted properly in rejecting every law challenge Trump filed.  Trump and his supporters, the GOP and so called conservative opinion writers backed Trump's stacking of the Court.

What is missing from Thomas's column and the GOP's constant attacks against the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision is the fact that it was a republican conservative appointed majority Supreme Court that handed down the decision that legalized abortion and not a so called liberal Court.  They dare not remind the people they just keep promoting it as a conservative-liberal issue to divide the country.

Thomas writes that abortion has contributed to the caustic environment in which we now live and that riots are becoming increasingly "normal" behavior.  He fails to point out that Trump's rioters on January 6 that assaulted the nation's capitol at Trump's urging was not "normal" behavior.  The GOP are the only ones who would  like Americans to think those rioters were "normal" as Thomas puts it.  The bottom line tells us it has been the so called conservatives reaction to Roe vs. Wade that has contributed to the caustic environment and includes so called conservative opinion writers.

Like all comments concerning abortion, what is missing from the abortion debate is a major part of the story.  And that is the father of the aborted.  Is he not at fault for not waring protection?  Is he not at fault for not expressing his concerns for the aborted and woman he impregnated?  Is he not at fault for not knowing what his partner would  do if she became pregnant?  Men can not become pregnant but they can impregnate a woman.  Why are they not part of the abortion debate.  The answer is simple, the issue is used as a political tool by the GOP and so  called conservatives to divide the country and obtain votes.

There are only two ways to change the Supreme Courts decision in Roe vs. Wade.  A constitutional amendment or federal legislation by congress.  But no republican administration has ever even tried to use either one method or even promote such an outcome.  They rather propaganda the issue with failed law suits and their rhetoric.  The GOP knows both methods would fail and that would  end the issue for them to use to continue to divide.  

This writer noted long ago, (before Trump's 3 appointments to the court) that there had to be at least one so called conservative Supreme Court Justice that would not allow a corrupted Trump to write the history of their time on thee court and they acted accordingly when they refused Trump's suits to try and overturn the 2020 Presidential election.  This writer also  believes even now with the court more conservative with Trump's 3 appointments, they won't allow the GOP and its many law suits to corrupt their time on the courts when they hear the Mississippi case in early fall.  In fact, during  that hearing the court will probably remind everyone that congress has the power to legislate the matter.

Thomas would like to see Trump's stacked Supreme Court rule in Mississippi's favor when they take up the case.  He thinks that will end the issue but then ends his opinion column in denial by saying it may not reverse our national decline.  His hero, Donald Trump did not  make  America great again.  And that really says it all.

This commentary written by Joe Lorio 

 

Immigration Reform Legislation: The Wasted Years and What Might Have Been.

 With immigration in the headlines again and the GOP doing its best to create a crisis over the issue its time to re-examine the past to understand what has taken place and chart a future that really matters and makes a difference for America, the people and a immigration policy that works.  And there is a reasonable road map to work from.

In June of 2013, the democratic controlled U.S. Senate passed comprehensive immigration reform legislation by a vote of 68-32.  Fourteen Senate republicans joined all democratic Senators and voted to pass the legislation.  The bill provided $30 billion to beef up border control security, including advanced security, 700 miles of wall, doubled the number of border security agents and other items part of the issues.  The George W. Bush Institute said the legislation was bullish on the U.S. economy.  It was a long debated bill by the U.S. Senate who came together and voted for a very good bill to address the immigration issue.  However, the republican controlled U.S. House failed to take up the bill and let it die.  The republicans wanted a piece meal bill instead and failed to even debate the Senate passed bill.

The failure of the republican controlled U.S. House to debate the Senate bill and offer a immigration reform bill to work out the difference haunts America to this very day.  And the Trump  administration refusal to introduced comprehensive immigration reform legislation the past 4 years violated Trumps and the GOP's promise to do so during the campaign of 2016.  If the Senate's 2013 immigration bill had  become law, the U.S. would be in much better shape today concerning the problem and well ahead in controlling the issue. 

The Biden administration has an immigration reform plan and a good place to start would be the legislation that was passed in 2013 as those issues are still applicable.  The outline is there for the legislation and its past time to act and those who continue to try and obstruct the issue should be held accountable.  There are no valid excuses to no  longer act on the matter.

This commentary written by Joe  Lorio 

Job Creation and The Unemployment Rate for April 2021

 The U.S. Labor Department reported that 266,000 jobs were created in April and that the unemployment rate came in at 6.1%.  The unemployment rate for March was 6% and ticked up in April because 430,000 people started looking for jobs and not all could find work.  The department also  lowered March's job numbers from the reported 916,000 to 770,000 jobs created.  And as usual the GOP and their allies tried to paint the jobs report in a negative view because some economists were predicting higher numbers.

But the facts tell us the recovery from the recession and pandemic has been uneven all along because of the many factors that were severe.  The Biden administration realized that and that is why President Biden is proposing other legislation to boost job creation, the economy and  lower unemployment with his infrastructure proposal.  It is a key piece of legislation that is needed now for the economy.

A review of some facts that is taking place shows the following;  In President Biden' first full 3 months in office, Feb. - April 2021 1,504,000 jobs have been created.  That is a monthly average of 501,000 jobs created.  In President Trump's first full 3 months in office, Feb. - April 2017 544,000 jobs were created.  That is a monthly average of 181,333 jobs created.  In Trump's last 3 months in office, Nov. - Jan. 2021, 154,000 jobs were created.  That is a monthly average of 51,333 jobs created.  

So President Biden has done a better job in creating jobs than President Trump  even before and after the recession and pandemic and Trump inherited an economy that was in its 77th month of economic expansion and job growth.  And every  one knows the sad state of the economy and job creation that Biden inherited.  The data tells us the economy is recovering slow but sure as more and more phases of the economy will continue to kick in and move the process farther.  

The data also shows that April's job numbers were not weak and that the negative voices who over estimated their predictions should stop playing politics with the economy.  In the mean time, congress needs to pass infrastructure legislation and move past the negative talk.

This commentary written by Joe Lorio 

Republican Opinion Writer Rich Lowry Once Again Feeds Dis-information To His Readers

 In Lowry's opinion column published in the New Orleans Advocate of May 5, titled, "How the GOP lost interest in opposing spending" Lowry pushes the concept that GOP should oppose deficit spending and be deficit hawks when out of office.  In other words it is AOK for the GOP to run up record deficit spending when they are in power and then be hypocritical on the issue when out of power.

Lowry then blames Trump for how the GOP lost interest in opposing spending and Trump's record deficit spending.  The opinion column is a deliberate piece of mis-information and dis-information.  The GOP's record of deficit spending began on President Reagan's watch 40 years ago and continued to take place on President's Bush 41, Bush 43 and Trump's watch.  Lowry and the GOP both know that but they like to mis-inform the people.  It is part of their constant plan of dis-information. Lowry now wants to see the GOP to go full speed against President Biden's agenda, even though the President has a plan to finance that agenda, something the GOP never does.  They just finance their  agenda with deficit spending.

Politidose in its commentary overt the past 9 years has exposed the facts that the GOP and its so called conservative opinion writers are no fiscal hawks or even conservatives and their spending record proves it.  They are and will always be extreme in their ideology that reflects their hatred of the democratic party, American values and the TRUTH in particular.

Thank goodness the people have columnist E.J. Dionne to write the TRUTH  about the issues and inform the public.  Lowry and the GOP are still Trump's ditto heads and the people spoke loud and clear back in the November elections who they trust the most.  Lowry and the GOP will continue to be relentless in their lies about President Biden's agenda because they have nothing left.  And that really says it all.

This commentary written by Joe  Lorio

Note:  Yes Mr. Lowry, the republican party lost interest in opposing spending but it started 40 years ago, its not a recent thing.

The U.S. Economy Grows In The First Quarter of 2021.

The U.S. Commerce Department announced that the economy grew at the annual rate of 6.4% in the January-March quarter and noted it was better than the 4.3% growth in the previous October-December quarter of 2020.  The department also announced that U.S. incomes surged in March by a record breaking 21.1%.  Consumer spending rose 4.2% in March, the best showing since June 2020.

All the good news reflecting:  (a)  the billions of dollars in government support payments aimed at putting the country firmly on the road to recovery. (b)  And economists are saying, widespread vaccinations and declining virus cases, the reopening of more businesses and the huge infusion of federal spending should help sustain steady growth for the balance of 2021.  

The next report to look for is the Labor Department's report of job creation and the unemployment rate for April which will be released next week.  We already know from reports the number of people receiving unemployment aid reached its lowest point since the pandemic began last year.

So the first three months of 2021 has a good start for the nation and the U.S. economy and it is important now that President Biden's infrastructure plan be passed by Congress (with or without GOP support) and implemented to keep the economy growing and creating more jobs.  The success of the first three months was not surprising to the readers of PolitiDose because they were aware of precedent and the democratic party's success at governing. 

This commentary written by Joe Lorio