Donald Trump's post election speech from his headquarters in Florida Tuesday night celebrating his primary wins in Michigan and Mississippi was a good example of a man who on a winning night sought fit to once again personally attack his republican opponents.
It was not a humble speech nor one with virtue. It was a time to celebrate a victory with his supporters but instead talked about his business accomplishments with much criticism for others. Trump's lack of character shows his weakness as a man and also conveys his reasons for speaking in the singular. (I'm going to do this, I'm going to do that.)
Speaking in the singular is the trademark of republicans but they have little accomplishments to show for it. A Presidential candidate can not afford to be negative as Trump and expect to be effective or even representative of what America is all about. It should be obvious that many executives in corporate America are ruthless and Trump, being a part of corporate America, exhibits his fondness of being ruthless.
If a Presidential candidate can not show character and humility in winning, he is already a loser. Trump talks a lot about his opponents being part of the establishment but so is he. He is part of the corporate establishment who give millions of dollars to elected officials in campaign contributions to try and influence their vote. That makes the corporate establishment worst than the political establishment. And that really says it all.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
Thursday, March 10, 2016
To The Readers of PolitiDose
As you may have noticed, someone hacked into my system with an over lay over the heading of PolitiDose. I have not been able to remove it as yet but I am still trying. If not successful I will keep everyone posted as to my next step.
Best regards to all and Semper Fi
Joe Lorio
Best regards to all and Semper Fi
Joe Lorio
Another Huge First For PolitiDose
If Times Picayune columnist J.R. Ball's editorial of 3/9/16 on the state legislature and LABI sounds familiar its because you read it here first in PolitiDose. Almost every thing Mr. Ball wrote about has been covered by commentary over the last several years in PolitiDose including a commentary about LABI. Those who live close to the situation in Baton Rouge always seem to have the answer after the facts and too late.
The Louisiana Association Of Business and Industry (LABI) control the state House run by the republican party and do LABI's bidding: republican politicians are generally aligned with the desires of big business and industry; The poor have democrats in their corner; Big business and the rich have republicans fighting their battles; Louisiana is facing a financial crisis not seen in decades; republican legislators want the poor and middle class to clean up the financial mess they helped create by doing Jindal's bidding in the past. Those are some of the remarks in Ball's editorial.
The difference between Ball's editorial and past commentary in PolitiDose is Ball's editorial comes after the facts while comments in PolitiDose happened while the events were taking place and even before with predictions what would happen with Jindal's future budgets. If readers are looking for facts, tune out the Times Picayune and tune in PolitiDose, your daily dose of political commentary.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
Note: See previous commentary titled, Louisiana Association of Business and Industry: A point of View Article dated 3/15/15
The Louisiana Association Of Business and Industry (LABI) control the state House run by the republican party and do LABI's bidding: republican politicians are generally aligned with the desires of big business and industry; The poor have democrats in their corner; Big business and the rich have republicans fighting their battles; Louisiana is facing a financial crisis not seen in decades; republican legislators want the poor and middle class to clean up the financial mess they helped create by doing Jindal's bidding in the past. Those are some of the remarks in Ball's editorial.
The difference between Ball's editorial and past commentary in PolitiDose is Ball's editorial comes after the facts while comments in PolitiDose happened while the events were taking place and even before with predictions what would happen with Jindal's future budgets. If readers are looking for facts, tune out the Times Picayune and tune in PolitiDose, your daily dose of political commentary.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
Note: See previous commentary titled, Louisiana Association of Business and Industry: A point of View Article dated 3/15/15
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
BP Gives Its CEO A Big Raise
A Times Picayune article of 3/6/16 says the Financial Times reported that BP gave its CEO Bob Dudley a 20% increase in total pay last year from $16.4 million in 2014 to $19.6 million in 2015. A dollar increase of $3.2 million. The increase was given despite BP reporting record losses and company layoffs due to the falling price of oil.
That 20% increase of $3.2 million could have been used for health insurance for a number of employees; reduced the number of those layoffs and a host of other benefits especially to those on the lower pay scale of BP's employees. The newspaper article was silent concerning any increases for other BP executives.
It seems to this writer that any fair minded person would come to the conclusion that the increase was unwarranted with the company losing money, layoffs, falling oil prices and a $20 billion settlement with the federal government over the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It is a example how corporate America continues to transfer wealth to the wealthy from the middle class. And congress continues to give the oil industry billions of dollars every year in tax exemptions and tax breaks.
With inflation under control and the average workers pay increasing in very small increments, Mr. Dudley and BP should have been happy to keep his income at the $16.4 he made in 2014. If Warren Buffett ran BP, Mr. Dudley would have been long gone under the circumstances.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
That 20% increase of $3.2 million could have been used for health insurance for a number of employees; reduced the number of those layoffs and a host of other benefits especially to those on the lower pay scale of BP's employees. The newspaper article was silent concerning any increases for other BP executives.
It seems to this writer that any fair minded person would come to the conclusion that the increase was unwarranted with the company losing money, layoffs, falling oil prices and a $20 billion settlement with the federal government over the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It is a example how corporate America continues to transfer wealth to the wealthy from the middle class. And congress continues to give the oil industry billions of dollars every year in tax exemptions and tax breaks.
With inflation under control and the average workers pay increasing in very small increments, Mr. Dudley and BP should have been happy to keep his income at the $16.4 he made in 2014. If Warren Buffett ran BP, Mr. Dudley would have been long gone under the circumstances.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
Monday, March 7, 2016
February's Job Market Continues To Be Strong
The U.S. Labor Department announced that 242,000 jobs were created in February and the unemployment rate held steady at 4.9%. It was the 72nd straight month of positive job growth. President Obama's policies continue to work despite all the noise from the republican party and their Presidential candidates. Their tired rhetoric never represents the facts.
According to Greg Albrecht, chief economist for the Louisiana legislative fiscal office, the news was not so good for Louisiana, its economy or jobs as published in the Times Picayune of 3/6. Albrecht's findings were: Louisiana is in a recession and likely has been for some time; The state's nonagriculture job growth ended in October, the first time the state lost more jobs than it added in a year since June 2011; The state's economy started slowing down in mid 2014.
The only bright spot in the state is New Orleans says the report but in time that could change. But New Orleans is not feeling the job layoffs as the rest of the state because the city no longer depends on the oil industry like the rest of the state.
The report by Albrecht confirms what was published by "PolitiDose" long ago about Louisiana lagging the national average in job growth and unemployment. It also confirms how former governor Bobby Jindal was blowing smoke about Louisiana's economy and at the same time attacking President Obama for his policies that were working. And the news media in Louisiana swallowed the koolade. The so called watch dogs for the public good were AWOL.
Despite all of Jindal's bragging concerning progress in the state, New Orleans Mayor Landrieu has done more for the city in a shorter period of time because he is a true serious public servant. This writer is still asking the question: With all the tax exemptions for business and all the loop holes that were put into effect to create jobs, where are all the jobs? And does any one really think the state and its elected officials can justify the corporate welfare given Mr. Tom Benson and the Saints and Pelicans when Forbes just announced Mr. Benson is worth $2.2 Billion.
Louisiana, the state we are in, needs to change and soon.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
According to Greg Albrecht, chief economist for the Louisiana legislative fiscal office, the news was not so good for Louisiana, its economy or jobs as published in the Times Picayune of 3/6. Albrecht's findings were: Louisiana is in a recession and likely has been for some time; The state's nonagriculture job growth ended in October, the first time the state lost more jobs than it added in a year since June 2011; The state's economy started slowing down in mid 2014.
The only bright spot in the state is New Orleans says the report but in time that could change. But New Orleans is not feeling the job layoffs as the rest of the state because the city no longer depends on the oil industry like the rest of the state.
The report by Albrecht confirms what was published by "PolitiDose" long ago about Louisiana lagging the national average in job growth and unemployment. It also confirms how former governor Bobby Jindal was blowing smoke about Louisiana's economy and at the same time attacking President Obama for his policies that were working. And the news media in Louisiana swallowed the koolade. The so called watch dogs for the public good were AWOL.
Despite all of Jindal's bragging concerning progress in the state, New Orleans Mayor Landrieu has done more for the city in a shorter period of time because he is a true serious public servant. This writer is still asking the question: With all the tax exemptions for business and all the loop holes that were put into effect to create jobs, where are all the jobs? And does any one really think the state and its elected officials can justify the corporate welfare given Mr. Tom Benson and the Saints and Pelicans when Forbes just announced Mr. Benson is worth $2.2 Billion.
Louisiana, the state we are in, needs to change and soon.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
Sunday, March 6, 2016
Another Big First For "PolitiDose" On Louisiana's Budget Problem
J.R. Ball, the conservative columnist in his editorial of 3/2 published in the Times Picayune exposed his own words that Louisiana does not have a revenue problem. In his editorial Ball points out what "PolitiDose" has commented on many times over. His article states that Louisiana will not collect approximately $7.9 Billion in potential revenue from 40 taxes the state assesses because of tax exemptions.
In his conservative mind Ball won't let himself accept the fact that Louisiana has a revenue problem made possible by all the tax exemptions mentioned in "PolitiDose" and even his above named commentary. That is lost revenue in any ones book and a revenue problem. Ball is a Johnny come lately to the tax exemptions problem in Louisiana and seems to be more concerned with accepting the status quo that nothing can be done to correct the problem because of special interest, lobbyist and Louisiana politics. I'm sure those people love to hear that and take that as a cue and say, why change?
It is obvious J.R. Ball is just taking up time and space in the Times Picayune and offers nothing to the debate going on concerning the state budget by not understanding arithmetic. It is a problem many conservatives have.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
In his conservative mind Ball won't let himself accept the fact that Louisiana has a revenue problem made possible by all the tax exemptions mentioned in "PolitiDose" and even his above named commentary. That is lost revenue in any ones book and a revenue problem. Ball is a Johnny come lately to the tax exemptions problem in Louisiana and seems to be more concerned with accepting the status quo that nothing can be done to correct the problem because of special interest, lobbyist and Louisiana politics. I'm sure those people love to hear that and take that as a cue and say, why change?
It is obvious J.R. Ball is just taking up time and space in the Times Picayune and offers nothing to the debate going on concerning the state budget by not understanding arithmetic. It is a problem many conservatives have.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
Friday, March 4, 2016
Mitt Romney and Donald Trump: Rich, Spoiled and Juvenile.
Mitt Romney's tirade against Donald Trump speaks volumes about the republican party's Presidential nominee in the 2012 election. And Mitt did not realize it, but his words were an indictment of the failure of the republican party itself and gives the voters a real reason to vote democratic in the November elections.
An example: Mitt said, "If we republicans choose Donald Trump as our nominee, the prospects for a safe and prosperous future are greatly diminished." Those words describe what actually took place when the republicans choose George W. Bush as their party's nominee. Only the 1% like Romney and Trump were prosperous on Bush's watch, the economy tanked, record job loses, the wall street bank failures and the worst terror attack on U.S. soil and a unnecessary war and occupation of Iraq over WMD that did not exist.
Most of what Romney said about Trump may be true but Trump is just aping what the republican party stands for. The only difference is Trump is not conservative and just a little more radical. Trump and the party are both against legal and illegal immigration, the ACA, trade, balanced budgets, the Iran agreement, increase in the minimum wage, equal pay, civil rights for all and the list goes on and on.
Trump and the party are for: trickle down economics tax breaks for corporate America and the wealthy, budget deficits, dividing the country using race and religion, the special interest groups, U.S. ground troops in the middle east in an active combat role against ISIS, abolishing some federal departments and a hosts of other misguided adventures.
Mitt and the republican party would like to see Cruz or Rubio be their nominee and have overlooked John Kasich because he does not fit their warped conservative ideology. Mitt is a 47 percenter, Kasich is not. Trump has the backing of a number of republican officials who serve in congress and several governors. That should tell the voters there is no difference between Trump and the party. And to top it off all the republican Presidential candidates signed a pledge to support Trump if he is the nominee.
Donald Trump endorsed Mitt Romney in 2012 and Mitt loved it. Four years later the republican party has been exposed as a failure and Donald Trump was created. The party has no real leaders and for a good many years have stood for nothing and against everything.
Mitt Romney's tirade on Thursday was followed by good news on Friday. The economy created 242,000 jobs in February and the unemployment rate stayed at a steady 4.9%. The democratic administration of Barack Obama continues to move the country forward while two multi millionaires and their party continue to be an embarrassment to the people and their country. There are so many reasons to vote democratic in the November elections.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
An example: Mitt said, "If we republicans choose Donald Trump as our nominee, the prospects for a safe and prosperous future are greatly diminished." Those words describe what actually took place when the republicans choose George W. Bush as their party's nominee. Only the 1% like Romney and Trump were prosperous on Bush's watch, the economy tanked, record job loses, the wall street bank failures and the worst terror attack on U.S. soil and a unnecessary war and occupation of Iraq over WMD that did not exist.
Most of what Romney said about Trump may be true but Trump is just aping what the republican party stands for. The only difference is Trump is not conservative and just a little more radical. Trump and the party are both against legal and illegal immigration, the ACA, trade, balanced budgets, the Iran agreement, increase in the minimum wage, equal pay, civil rights for all and the list goes on and on.
Trump and the party are for: trickle down economics tax breaks for corporate America and the wealthy, budget deficits, dividing the country using race and religion, the special interest groups, U.S. ground troops in the middle east in an active combat role against ISIS, abolishing some federal departments and a hosts of other misguided adventures.
Mitt and the republican party would like to see Cruz or Rubio be their nominee and have overlooked John Kasich because he does not fit their warped conservative ideology. Mitt is a 47 percenter, Kasich is not. Trump has the backing of a number of republican officials who serve in congress and several governors. That should tell the voters there is no difference between Trump and the party. And to top it off all the republican Presidential candidates signed a pledge to support Trump if he is the nominee.
Donald Trump endorsed Mitt Romney in 2012 and Mitt loved it. Four years later the republican party has been exposed as a failure and Donald Trump was created. The party has no real leaders and for a good many years have stood for nothing and against everything.
Mitt Romney's tirade on Thursday was followed by good news on Friday. The economy created 242,000 jobs in February and the unemployment rate stayed at a steady 4.9%. The democratic administration of Barack Obama continues to move the country forward while two multi millionaires and their party continue to be an embarrassment to the people and their country. There are so many reasons to vote democratic in the November elections.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
Thursday, March 3, 2016
Hillary Clinton Dominates Super Tuesday Primary Day For The Democratic Party.
Clinton's seven wins on super Tuesday increased her delegate lead over Senator Sanders and puts her campaign on solid footing going into the Florida and Ohio primary. Her winning percentage margins were true to the election polls on the eve of voting. Clinton was able to get her vote out where her strength lies.
The vote for Clinton on super Tuesday over came the negative comments made by Andrea Mitchell of MSNBC the day after Sanders won New Hampshire when Mitchell reported Sanders won over 50% of the women's vote and used that as a precedent for what would happen to Hillary in the up coming primaries. Well Hillary prevailed on super Tuesday despite Andrea's comments.
But Andrea was not the only negative voice concerning the women's vote. Gail Collins and Kathleen Parker, journalists for the New York Times and the Washington Post in a Times Picayune article dated 2/14 basically said the same thing about Hillary and the women's vote and were wrong just like Mitchell. Both Collins and Parker talk about a generational gap between older and younger women like Hillary is out of style and her own worse enemy. Its a case where journalists have too much time on their hands, too little original thought and too little political understanding when it comes to the voters.
Mitchell, Collins and Parker are chapped because from the very beginning Hillary took her campaign directly before the people in person and through the social media and not the cable news networks and the major news media. The media found some new, Donald Trump and proceeded to give him more free time than any other Presidential candidate even though he is the wealthiest of them all.
Clinton will do well the rest of the primary season because she is a serious public servant who does have political understanding on the issues, cares for people, has policy plans and is the most experienced of all the candidates. She also knows arithmetic. And when the primary season is over and the votes are counted, Hillary will have the women's vote.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Part II: The Next Step For Louisiana's Fiscal Health and The State's Economy
In Part I it was reported the most important task for the state concerns the special legislative session now going on to address the current fiscal year deficit and then the regular session to handle next fiscal years deficit. That both sessions should come up with real solutions that will put the state's financial house in order with no gimmicks.
When those two sessions are complete the state needs to turn its attention to tax reform where everyone pays his or her fair share in taxes, even the poor and especially the business community. That is not happening now and recently the state reported it gives more money out to corporations in tax credits than it takes in from corporate income taxes. That is an obscene imbalance the state can not afford.
The state's tax revenue has eroded because of all the tax breaks to business and that needs to change. A fair tax base is the only way to go where there are no special favors. If that is done tax rates could possibly be lowered for all. All forms of taxes should be looked at and be fair.
The poor should pay their fair share also because they use public facilities, roads, bridges, libraries and etc. like every one else and all citizens should be proud to say, "I have contributed." No one likes to pay taxes but they are necessary for the government to take care of the people's business and the public good. Louisiana has fallen short on its responsibility to take care of the public good with a tax structure that favors special interest and budgets that are put together with gimmicks.
Now is the right time for Louisiana to take on this issue with the budget problem and revenue shortage while it is on everyone's mind. To continue to cut higher education and other vital needs should be unacceptable to all. The Louisiana legislature needs to stand up and be counted on the issue of a fair tax system.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
When those two sessions are complete the state needs to turn its attention to tax reform where everyone pays his or her fair share in taxes, even the poor and especially the business community. That is not happening now and recently the state reported it gives more money out to corporations in tax credits than it takes in from corporate income taxes. That is an obscene imbalance the state can not afford.
The state's tax revenue has eroded because of all the tax breaks to business and that needs to change. A fair tax base is the only way to go where there are no special favors. If that is done tax rates could possibly be lowered for all. All forms of taxes should be looked at and be fair.
The poor should pay their fair share also because they use public facilities, roads, bridges, libraries and etc. like every one else and all citizens should be proud to say, "I have contributed." No one likes to pay taxes but they are necessary for the government to take care of the people's business and the public good. Louisiana has fallen short on its responsibility to take care of the public good with a tax structure that favors special interest and budgets that are put together with gimmicks.
Now is the right time for Louisiana to take on this issue with the budget problem and revenue shortage while it is on everyone's mind. To continue to cut higher education and other vital needs should be unacceptable to all. The Louisiana legislature needs to stand up and be counted on the issue of a fair tax system.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
Monday, February 29, 2016
Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand Comes Clean On His Endorsement Of Former Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal
The Times Picayune of 2/26 carried an article concerning Normand's speech before the Metropolitan Crime Commission's reward luncheon on Tuesday. Normand in his speech was not kind to himself for endorsing and supporting the former governor and said, " I'm a republican but I'm not a hypocrite. We did this to ourselves, myself included, because I endorsed that idiot. We drank the elixir for eight years, went to the edge of the cliff and we jumped off and he watched us."
The sheriff also accused Jindal of trying to rewrite history since leaving office and had some unkind words for Grover Norquist and his anti-tax policies and said to hell with him. Normand admonished the republican leadership in the state for trying to blame governor John Bel Edwards as absolutely incredulous to me.
Normand who is an elected official is very familiar with politics. As sheriff he is the official tax collector in Jefferson Parish so he knows a little bit about money. His courage to stand up and be counted is rare for public officials and deserves credit. But it begs to ask how the state's budget problem and the way it was handled for 8 years took so long for Normand to come to the conclusion he expressed in the article.
Hopefully, other republicans in the state will take a cue from sheriff Normand and express to the republicans in the legislature to work with governor Edwards to over come this fiscal problem and put Louisiana's budget back on track that reflects reality and a long term solution. The state and its people deserve nothing less.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
The sheriff also accused Jindal of trying to rewrite history since leaving office and had some unkind words for Grover Norquist and his anti-tax policies and said to hell with him. Normand admonished the republican leadership in the state for trying to blame governor John Bel Edwards as absolutely incredulous to me.
Normand who is an elected official is very familiar with politics. As sheriff he is the official tax collector in Jefferson Parish so he knows a little bit about money. His courage to stand up and be counted is rare for public officials and deserves credit. But it begs to ask how the state's budget problem and the way it was handled for 8 years took so long for Normand to come to the conclusion he expressed in the article.
Hopefully, other republicans in the state will take a cue from sheriff Normand and express to the republicans in the legislature to work with governor Edwards to over come this fiscal problem and put Louisiana's budget back on track that reflects reality and a long term solution. The state and its people deserve nothing less.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
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