The Stench In The White House Becomes Worse Every Day.

President Trump says there is a stench in his Justice Department and the FBI but the stench emanates from his own upper lip and mouth on a daily basis and his administration continues to wallow in scandal.  And the worse is yet to come since his former campaign manager Paul Manafort pleaded guilty and has agreed to cooperate with the special counsel's office.

The trumpet man continues to use the Justice Department and the FBI to try and scuttle Mueller's investigation that is getting closer and closer to Trump and the trumpet man is feeling the heat.  The Fox News Network is doing its best to promote its own lies along with Trump's lies to tarnish the investigation and like Trump have no credibility.  And the lack of credibility has exposed Trump's position on North Korea, immigration, his trade wars and governing the country.

Twenty months in office and the President still lies to the American people and has no respect for anyone or anything.  And he is still playing the blame game.  Unlike Hillary Clinton who feels she does not have to say, I TOLD YOU SO, Trump demonstrates every day he is unfit to occupy the White House.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

The Transfer Of Wealth Continues.

The reports tell us that the U.S. Steel Industry has been doing well and making profit long before Trump placed tariffs on imported steel and aluminum.  We now read that U.S. Steel and other steel makers are locked in talks concerning a new contract with union steel workers.  Under the new offer to the unions, their members would be making 72 cents an hour less than the present contract because of benefits.

Union leaders say that is a non starter and there is a 90% chance of a strike if Steel does not change their attitude.  Union leaders pointed out Steel's profits are even greater now with the tariffs in effect and that since 2015 Steel has given its executives pay raises and bonuses that total over $50 million.  The union members and workers believe they should share in Steel's increased profits.  After all, they are the one who do the hard work.

Its just another example of Corporate America's lack of respect for the workers who make profit possible and their hatred of wage equality.  Does any one believe those executives who shared in that $50 million lost any benefits?  Nothing has really changed since the 2008 recession when wealth was being transferred from the middle class to the wealthy.  Huge tax breaks are never enough for Corporate America, they have to have it all.

Just try and think what would happen to the average steel worker if there were no unions to bargain for their rights.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Has Any One Noticed?

How Trump and the GOP has pushed aside their number one priority, IMMIGRATION that was supposed to keep America safe until next year and instead will try and pass a tax plan before the November congressional elections that will lower the investment tax and in the process add more to the federal deficit and the National Debt.  And by the time 2019 rolls around, Trump and his party will only have their rhetoric to talk about on immigration and still no action after two years in office.

The move to reduce the investment ta rate will help those who were helped the most by Trump's tax cut in 2017.  The trumpet man   and his party want to play to their base before the November elections to obtain votes.  They can not articulate to the public any accomplishments so they are playing the tax card once again.  Immigration, like health care, has exposed their phony ideology.

The best outcome for America in the November elections is still a democratic controlled congress to handle the many issues kicked down the road by Trump and the GOP controlled congress.  A democratic controlled congress would also handle the coming economic recession created by the GOP much better.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Louisiana's Fiscal House Is Showing Imprivement Under The Democratic Administration of Governor John Bel Edwards

Louisiana's Treasurer announced Friday that when the final budget numbers for fiscal year ending June 30, 2018 are tallied the state should have a balanced budget with an approximate budget surplus of $300 million.  Richard Carbo, a spokesman for the governor confirmed Louisiana does have a surplus but the final numbers will not be known until October.

The state's budget for fiscal 2016-17 that ended June 30 of 2017 also had a surplus to the tune of $123 million.  The state's constitution spells out what the surplus can be used for and how it must be spent.  Those two budget years were a much better outcome than the disaster created during the Jindal administration.  The republicans in the state legislature in response to the budget surplus said it was the result of being over taxed with out offering any evidence.  But those who pay attention knew Louisiana had a shortfall of revenue do to the $8 billion in tax benefits to business, the lowering of personal income tax and a weak economy under the Jindal administration.

The added revenue will allow the state to fund critical services it cut through out the Jindal administration and pay for priority issues where Louisiana lags.  Sunday's Times Picayune carried a good example of the critical need for mental health services and facilities that have been devastated by previous cuts to the budget.  The people of Louisiana know the state lags the nation in so many areas that are critical to progress and for moving forward.

Governor Edwards was willing to face the challenge Louisiana had to deal with and refused to accept the status quo of the past.  The budget improvement will allow the Governor to move forward in a constructive way to improve Louisiana's economy, the quality of life for its people and to upgrade the states institutions and its infrastructure.  The policy and the direction has been set and the republican controlled legislature should follow the Governor's lead.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Kenner's Mayor Injects Politics Into A Non Political Issue

Mayor Ben Zahn banned the purchase of Nike equipment used in Kenner's recreation programs, caught a lot of push back from a number of sources, including some Saint players and then cancelled the order.  The ban was in response to Nike's advertising campaign that included Colin Kaepernick who was the subject of President Trump's rage because he took a knee last year during the playing of the national anthem.

Zahn's action was a political ditto head mirror image of Trump's attempt to politicize a non political issue to appeal to their base.  Both tried hard to act patriotic and put themselves on a pedestal but have a false understanding of patriotism.  There are 1760 NFL players on 32 teams and approximately 80,000 people in each stadium on game day and the great majority pay respect when the anthem is played.  A very small minority take a knee in protest.

Protests is legal in America, thank the good Lord and thanks to our constitution.  Yet there are those elected officials who would rather grand stand and divide us politically when politics should not be involved.  Trump injected politics into the business of the NFL and the owners when he said Kaepernick should have been fired, called him a SOB and said the NFL should change its policy.  Zahn injected politics in a business decision made by Nike.

The extreme political culture we see since the Newt Gingrich era has become worse, more divisive and more unAmerican.  Trump's assault on America's institutions, the constitution and his lack of respect for everyone and all things is unprecedented in American politics and especially for the occupant of the White House.  It has become trickle down extremeness infecting governors and mayors.  And politics becomes more extreme when religious beliefs are allowed to be used to discriminate against other people.

America is still "America the Beautiful" despite a small minority who choose a way of protesting that the great majority of Americans would not choose.  Our founding fathers had the wisdom to understand what patriotism was really all about.  A great American statesmen, Elmer Davis put it best when he said, THIS NATION WILL REMAIN THE LAND OF THE FREE ONLY SO LONG AS IT IS THE HOME OF THE BRAVE.   Too bad we have far to many elected officials who are lacking.




This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Louisiana's Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry: Just Another Trump Ditto Head

Louisiana's Attorney General Has joined a group 20 state republican governors and Attorney Generals who brought a lawsuit in a Texas federal court in an attempt to overturn the Affordable Care Act.  Texas Attorney General is leading the lawsuit.  Landry wants the Louisiana legislature to determine whether pre existing conditions should be covered by insurance companies should the court toss the ACA along with pre existing conditions.  Landry thinks the state can handle the issue better than the ACA or the federal government.

Of course we all know that President Trump and the republican controlled congress said they were better to handle the heath care issue and have failed because they have no plan and never did.  It should be noted that Landry and no other republican in the Louisiana legislature has ever introduced a heath care bill in Louisiana  Like Trump, their rhetoric is good but their actions are non existent.  The state legislature, the state and the state insurance commission can't even do anything about Louisiana's out of control high automobile insurance premiums that increase every year.  Yet Landry wants the state legislature to handle pre existing conditions.  They actually had a chance to do so before the ACA ever became law and failed.  That is one reason we have the ACA.

Landry is just another Trump and republican ditto head on the extreme side of issues because they have no record of accomplishments as a party.  They have kicked health care down the road since the George W. Bush administration and still have no working plan.  Big mouths, all talk and no plans.  That is Landry and his party.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

The Tampa Bay Bucs 48 - The New Orleans Saints 40

Tampa Bay came to the Super Dome on Sunday and was ready to play football and in the process destroyed the Saints defensive unit.  It was the fifth straight year the Saints loss their opening regular season game.  It was showtime for an overrated Saint's defense  that goes back to last season and made worse by the hype, clichés and apple polishing comments by sports writers who are incapable of being objective in evaluating the Saints.

The offseason, training camp and preseason witnessed stories by New Orleans sports writers, especially those in the Times Picayune of how talented the 2018 Saints team would be, how deep in talent at all positions, the experience and of course the projection that the Saints would be Super Bowl contenders.  They wrote a lot about Brees being in position to break several personal individual passing records this year like as if that guaranteed the team success.  And their huge mistake of overrating the Saints defense last year and promoting them as one of the best this year.

One game does not make a season and Jeff Duncan in a Times Picayune column Monday could only come up with the usual clichés:  NO ONE SAW THIS COMING.  I DIDN'T, YOU DIDN'T.  THE EXPERTS PREDICTING A SUPER BOWL RUN DIDN'T.  Duncan also forgot that any team in the NFL can win on any day despite having  journeyman quarterback as Duncan described Tampa Bay's quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Duncan admitted he DIDN'T SEE IT COMING and then made the self serving statement, YOU DIDN'T.  Well Jeff, PolitiDose did see it coming and wrote in a commentary titled "Reflections and thoughts on the Saints 2017 season" dated January 17, 2018 and said.  "The Saints defensive coordinator's ability to get the job done is still unsettled in this writers mind and I do not believe time is on his side.  The article also stated the judgement that the Saints in 2018 will make little progress from where they finished last year.

The Saints team will have the time and ability to improve.  Hype, Cliches and apple polishing stories by sports writers who refuse to be objective have little value.  Payton's record for hiring good defensive coordinators has been dismal.  And this writer believes Payton should put the cheat sheet down and leave it to the offensive coordinator to tall the plays so he can devote time and see what is taking place from the sidelines.

In the end, defense is still the major challenge.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Trade, Trade Deficits and Tariffs: Trump's Unnecessary Actions.

The U.S. International Trade Commission blocked tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on imported newsprint because their findings indicated American producers were not harmed by imports from Canada on paper mills.  The Commerce Department imposed the tariffs in response to a complaint from a paper producer in Washington state owned by a hedge fund owner.

The newspaper industry  complained the rising cost of newsprint because of the tariffs made it harder to operate.  The U.S. Trade Commission found that the Canadian imports brought about no injury to U.S. paper producers.  The Associated Press carried the story.  In another matter concerning trade and tariffs, the Commerce Department announced that the U.S. trade deficit from June to July jumped 9.5%, the largest increase in 3 years and that the total trade deficit this year was on track to be the highest annual deficit in 10 years.  All despite Trump's tariffs.

This writer pointed out in commentary some time ago that the trade deficit was a measure of America's strong economy and Trump's solution is not the answer.  The deficit occurs because the United States strong economy does not produce what is necessary to meet the demand of the public's need and imports fill the void.  And Trump's tax cuts will not move American business to move their foreign operations back to the U.S. to satisfy the demand.  In fact Trump has not moved any of his business operations back to the U.S. and is even silent on the issue.

The democratic administrations of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama did not need to impose tariffs to create a growing economy, create jobs or balance the budget and reduce deficit spending.  They also did not cut taxes for corporate America to achieve success.  And NAFTA, Trump's whipping boy did not stop Clinton or Obama from creating jobs.  Trump's actions on trade is a mirror image of his corporate corrupted persona and his autocratic self rule over all and everything

Its very obvious that Trump's tariffs on the import of Canadian newsprint was ill advised and unnecessary.  Newspaper publishers were right to complain about the added cost because of the tariffs and the U.S. International Trade Commission made the correct determination.  Once again facts told the real story while Trump's tariffs was part of his plan to sell his fake news.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Job Creation For August 2018

The U.S. Labor Department reported the economy created 201,000 new jobs in August and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.9%.  It was the 95th straight month of positive job growth and the economy continues the expansion that began during the Obama administration.  The Labor Department also reported that job creation for June and July was actually 50,000 less jobs than they reported for those two months.

In the 19 months Trump has been President, 3,498,000 new jobs have been created for a monthly average of 184,185 jobs.  In President Obama's last 19 months in office from July 2015 to January 2017, 3,784,000 new jobs were created for a monthly average of 199,157 jobs.  So even though President Obama left President Trump a much better economy and job creation than President Bush left Obama, job creation under Trump still lags President Obama's production.  Plus the CBO has already announced that the federal deficit for Trump's first fiscal year which ends September 30 will be a whopping $900 plus billion.  It was $666 billion at the end of Obama's last fiscal year budget.

Trump's tax cuts, tariffs and pro business agenda has failed to produce the boom he predicted so far after 19 months in office.  Stay tuned and do not be surprised if an economic down turn occurs.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Now Comes Bob Woodward's New Book On Donald Trump

The book is no bombshell like one TV caption reported to those who followed the 2016 campaign, the debate's and the first 19 months of Trump's time in office.  The book simply quotes what every one really knew.  The people who work for Trump have been his enablers since day one and are now willing to say in private what they are unwilling to say in public.

Trump's enablers are still at his side and defending him when they should have resigned long ago rather than work for a traitor.  Some that Woodward quoted in his book have already denied their quoted comments.  And of course, Trump's tweets. as usual, are still in denial and still bashing the Attorney General over Mueller's investigation.

The book actually confirms what Hillary Clinton said long ago and in the debates with Trump and why he should never have been elected President.  The unjust attacks on Clinton by the Trump camp, the republican party and Russia's Facebook and Twitter propaganda took its toll on Clinton's campaign and the country has been dealing with one Trump scandal after another with Trump and his administration and Mueller's investigation of Trump.

Trump's every day lies is confirmed in the book but everyone already knew that, even Trump's supporters.  Carl Bernstein, a journalist reporting on CNN said it best when he said the Trump issue is worse than Watergate and he explained why.  Bernstein is a respected journalist in every respect of the word.  He also believes that congress should hold hearings to determine if Trump is fit to be President of the United States.  Bernstein's comments have been ongoing and long before Woodward's book.  In fact his analysis of what has been taking place in the Trump White House is more informative than Woodward's book.

The book will put more pressure on Trump because it adds to the record that Trump should be impeached.  But the evidence was there long ago for all to see who were willing to believe in our democratic process and reject division, personal attacks and autocratic rule.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio