Another Republican Governor Accepts Medicaid Expansion.

Indiana's Republican Governor Mike Pence has accepted Medicaid expansion for his state according to a Times Picayune editorial of May 23.  The governor is asking the Obama administration for a waiver to use it to fund private policies for low income residents.  Waivers have been granted to other governors and their states and Pence feels certain of having the waiver approved.

This is another example of a federal program where state governors have an option and opportunity to insure the uninsured with in their borders using their own plan of implementation with the approval of the waiver.  It is also another example of a federal program being administered correctly.  And yes, it is a democratic President working in cooperation with republican and democratic governors.  To bad republicans in congress are all about obstruction.

The editorial quoted Pence as saying, We're talking about real people, working people who deserve a better way and that the medicaid expansion will provide coverage that many uninsured Indiana residents can't afford.  This writer says Amen to that brother, that is what the President has been talking about all along. 

Journalists and the news media in general have missed the real story of the Affordable Care Act and the Medicaidexpansion program.  And the real story is that both were made necessary becAuse state governors and state legislatures failed to address the uninsured problem with in their own borders.  They cut and ran because they knew they would have to raise taxes to do so and they promised no new taxes if elected as an election ploy. 

Any time you hear an elected official say no new taxes or that the first words out his mouth is I am a conservAtive you can bet you are not dealing with a 'serious public servant."  You can also bet they will get into the average workers pocket a hundred different ways. 


This commentary written by John Lucia

Robert F. Kennedy Jr'. Understands The Republican Party's UnAmerican Ideology.

In a commentary published by the Huffington Post a few days ago, Kennedy Jr. articulates how the republican party in congress has reached a new low by their lack of patriotism concerning the Benghazi terror attack.  His comments were on target and should be the subject on the Sunday talk shows as a reminder to the people of what good journalism is all about.

Kennedy pointed out how in a meeting with President Ronald Reagan, Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger and Democratic speaker of the U.S. House Tip O'Neill opposed Reagan's decision to send the U.S. Marines to Beirut in 1983 after Israel invaded Lebanon and was catching flak for their invasion.  The Marines had no mission but to just be there as peace keepers and Reagan did not want them to look aggressive so they had no ammo, not even the Marine guards who guarded the Marines compound that housed them. 

Terrorists trucked bombed the Marine compound that killed 241 Marines that day, the most Marine deaths in one day since Iwo Jima.  Kennedy reported that Tip O'Neill's opposition against sending the Marines to Beirut was so strong it took President Reagan by surprise.  O'Neill knew the Marines would be sitting ducks for terrorists.  Before the meeting broke up, O'Neill touched Reagan's arm and wished him good luck.

After that tragic attack on the Marine compound, Tip O'Neill told the democrats in congress now was the time to be patriotic and not to play politics with the tragedy and that they should rally behind the President and support him.  And that is what the democratic party in congress did.

When one compares how the democratic party handled that situation to how the republican party is handling Benghazi and other issues of President Obama in an attempt to destroy his administration speaks loud and clear just how unAmerican the conservative ideology is today in the republican party.  Kennedy's commentary is a stark reminder just how far the republican party has poisoned our political system called congress. 

And "PolitiDose" has been in the fore front of pointing that out many times over.


This commentary written by John Lucia.

Chiquita Is Back In The Saddle At The Port Of New Orleans: Another Corporate Welfare Giveaway

The free enterprise system in Louisiana is dead (nation wide also, but that is another story.)  What attracts business to Louisiana is not Louisiana's built in assets, such as, reasonable property taxes, available work force, reasonable cost of living, the port and the states water, rail and trucking industry, natural resources, reasonable energy cost and the list goes on and on.  What attracts industry is the states willingness to dole out corporate welfare in the millions of dollars that is paid for by the average taxpayer.

The Times Picayune in its editorial of 5/16/14 says the state is giving Chiquita $31 million in incentives to relocate here in New Orleans including a $2 million interest free loan.  The state already has $8 billion of tax breaks for business that represents over 25% of the states $25 billion budget.  That $8 billion of loss revenue to the state and its people is a major reason why Jindal and the legislature can only balance the state's budget with gimmicks and why higher education and other state functions have been cut year in and year out.

The story that Jindal, other elected officials and business tell of all this corporate welfare creates jobs and is a boom to the states sales tax revenue, income tax revenue, corporation tax revenue and other revenue increases is a fairy tale.  The latest unemployment rate in Louisiana is 4.5%.  It was 3.8% when Jindal took office so where are all the jobs and the increases in state revenue?

Mayor Landrieu was just in Baton Rouge recently and pleaded with the legislature to reimbuse the City for the cost of extra police protection because of Harah's Casino.  New Orleans has to plead every year for that financial help but the state has never provided adequate funds for the operations.  The excuse is a shortage of state revenue.

The tax payers of Louisiana can be sure of one thing.  The $31 million incentive give away to Chiquita will result in larger bonuses to their CEO and executives.  And when that news becomes public, remember, you read it here first in "PolitiDose" your daily dose of political commentary.

It should be noted that the investment tax credit that was in effect in the 1980's was left to expire by congress because corporate America and their executives did not use that investment tax credit for the purpose it was intended.


This commentary written by John Lucia

Another Journalist Confirms What Was Written Here First In "PolitiDose"

New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristof in a story published in the Times Picayune dated 5/16/14 confirms what this writer's commentary published in "PolitiDose" dated 7/23/08 titled, "Innovation:  Lost In America" pointed out about the transfer of wealth from the middle class to the wealthy and corporate America.  That was almost 6 years ago.  Kristof's article should be read by everyone.

Part of Kristof"s report is as follows:  1) The U.S. middle class is no longer the richest in the world:  2) U.S. workers toil on average more hours than workers in Canada, France and Germany:  3) Data now shows that America has become the advanced country not only with the highest level inequality but one of those with the least equality of opportunity:  4) The bottom 99% of the French people have done better than the bottom 99% of the American people.

5)  The top 1% in the U.S. now own assets worth more than those held by the entire bottom 90%.  6)  The six Walmart heirs are worth as much as the bottom 41% of American households put together:  7)  The top six hedge fund managers and traders averaged more than $2 billion each in earnings last year, partly because of the egregious "carried interest" tax break.

And to think those are some in congress who continue to block the President's economic proposals that would help the middle class enjoy a deserved increase in their buying power and close the ever growing gap that the wealthy and corporate America enjoy.  In an article published in the Times Picayune of 5/11/14 it was pointed out that in Louisiana, repairing the states infrastructure offers higher wages paying 30% more to workers at lower ends of the economic scale.  That the median hourly wage in New Orleans is $19.24 per hour and the median annual salary is $40,020.

And how about this part of the report?  Only 12% of infrastructure workers hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while about 80% of workers learned with on the job training.  The republicans in the U.S. House needs to get off their tails and pass the President's jobs bill to rebuild the nations infrastructure they have been sitting on for over two years.  Those higher paying jobs are needed now.

It is past time for congress to act and close the inequality economic condition between the wealthy and the middle class and between corporate America and its workers.  Every one knows that economic gap exists and congress needs to put the country and its people first.  Nothing else is more important.


This commentary written by John Lucia.

E-Mail Chain Letters

I suppose every one with a computer receives one and that it happens often.  Unfortunately, most of them are of the hate or negative type that rant on about the President and his policies and what bad things are happening in America.  They do not describe the America I live in and I never forward such misguided falsehoods, opinions and outright lies and untruths.  Sometimes I do answer the false charges and send to all.

Don't you love the ones whose author ends the email with the statement, "if you don't forward this email you are part of the problem."  I have a good laugh at that one.  What about the one who derided the Post Office for giving change in one dollar coins that were void of the words, "In God We Trust" and did not have the sense to know it was written on the edge of the coin just like the Treasury department announced and even gave the reason why.  Or the sad ones about Americans loosing its freedom of religion and about some unknown group working to eliminate the words, "One nation under God" from the pledge.  Or America becoming a Muslim nation. 

I do not believe in tit for tat but I do believe in forwarding back to the email originator the truth when he or she makes false statements about the President and the country.  The hate chain letters bring out the worst in computer technology and the truth and facts should be pointed out to balance freedom of speech that we all enjoy.

 
This commentary written by John Lucia.

The Veterans Administration

The VA is once again in the news thanks to republican charges that accuse the VA of manipulating appointments that have resulted in death for some veterans.  The head of the VA has been asked to resign by some republicans.  Like Benghazi, it is a political football that is being used to influence the 2014 and 2016 elections. 

Republicans overlooked what happened at the Walter Reed Medical Center during the Bush years when returning wounded vets from Iraq and Afghanistan could not receive the necessary medical attention they required because of the deplorable conditions that existed at that facility.  Millions of dollars had to be spent to remedy the problem.

The VA has had many problems over the years under both republican and democratic administrations because politicians use the VA as a political football.  They speak before the American Legion convention and other veteran groups and promise to put the VA service as top priority but their political deeds never match their political rhetoric.  Then of course it is big government that is to blame.  Those that rail against big government love to serve in that big government and dole out political favors.

Does any one remember "Agent Orange" of the Viet Nam war that inflicted many illness and even death among our veterans who were exposed.  Our government through out that war and even after refused to admit our veterans health problems were contributed too being exposed to "Agent Orange."  Many of them went without treatment.  That happened on the watch of both republican and democratic administrations while both served in congress.

Nothing will change until we elect enough "serious" public servants who are willing to commit to those issues that best serve our veterans and our country with the finances necessary to do the job at hand.  Some in politics and civilian life has yet come to grips with the loss of 4400 plus lives in a war in Iraq over WMD that did not exist.  Too many, it has just been treated as a footnote in history.

Is it any wonder why elected officials use the VA and America's veterans as a political football.  Understanding the mistakes of the past is still the key to a better future.  The future of the VA and veterans can be bright if we learn from the past mistakes of our political leaders.  Hopefully, the elections in 2014 and 2016 will produce more "serious" elected officials to change directions.

Big government is not the problem.  It is those that want to be elected to big government and then refuse to fund the needs of its people.


This commentary written by John Lucia.

The U.S. Senate Should Not Take Up And Vote On The Keystone XL Pipeline

Reports out of Washington say the U.S. Senate could vote on approving the above pipeline soon in order to by pass President Obama and the process.  U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu says the democrats need 15 votes to avoid a fillibuster and that so far they have 10 votes.  If the bill does come up and passes, that means the minority party in the Senate (republicans) would supply the majority vote. 

This writer thinks the senate idea is a bad one and that the process should play out.  The senate vote if approved would only affect one phase of the pipeline and then have to wait on the Nebraska Supreme Court to rule on that portion of the line that runs through that state that the people have protested.  Those officials in the senate who have become the spokeperson for the Oil and Gas Industry and who receive campaign contributions from them have put the dollar above America's best interest.

Let Canada and the Oil companies make the case for themselves.  They can not tell congress how much of that oil will stay in America and or how much will be exported.  They also have not told the real story why they want to build the pipe line.

Make no mistake, this pipeline if built will not make America less dependent on foreign oil and very few permanent jobs will be created.  Ameican soil should be used for creating long lasting jobs and to contribute to the well being of the country.  President Obama still holds the veto pen and hopefully he will use it if he has to prior to the Nebraska Supreme Court ruling. 


This commentary written by John Lucia.

Fox News: The Plastic Cable News Network

All one has to do is watch one news program on their network and you see them all.  Both their male and female host reports are a mirror image of negative comment about the President and his policies.  How is it that one network can hire so many plastic people that allow themselves to be used in that manner.

Most of their female host are attractive and the camera angle makes sure the viewers see a lot of legs.  I guess Fox News thinks they can be plastic and do what the men do, abandon facts to fit the storyline of negative comments and out right falsehoods.

The network has a large viewer base we are told that are faithful.  This writer does not doubt that but why do the network and its hosts enjoy telling stories that they know are false to their faithful viewer base.  It is some thing the faithful base should be concerned about.

I'm reminded of a book written by a Fox News employee who left the network and said in the book the producers at Fox during the George W. Bush administration would never allow any thing negative be said concerning Bush or his administration on the network.  "Fair and Balanced?"  The people at Fox News knows its a crock.

America was not built on fear or falsehoods but at Fox it is their staple.  The Benghazi scandal is not a scandal: the ACA's death panels and other fear related stories about the Act do not exists:  the list goes on and on and every day there is a new Obama scandal that is created to invoke fear in Fox's viewing audience.  And make no mistake there will be many more fear related talk between the November congressional elections and the Presidental elections of 2016.

The republicans in congress and Fox News have become "A band of brothers" who are incapable of dealing with the truth and facts.  Our fore fathers who built America would never have accepted the ideology of either one.


This commentary written by John Lucia.

Economic Recovery, Job Creation and Lower Unemployment Continue Under The Obama Administration

The U.S. Labor Department announced that the economy created 288,000 jobs in April and the unemployment rate fell to 6.3% from the previous months 6.7%.  April was the 50th straight month of positive job creation.  Unfortunately the congressional republicans continue to sit on the sidelines, spout their negative talking points and refuse to lift a finger to work with the President to produce a better economy.

Once again it is a democratic administration that is moving the country forward with policies that are also reducing deficit spending and slowing down the increase in the national debt that republican administrations are famous for triple digit increases.  Federal spending is also under control with far less increase in federal spending than any republican administration in the last 40 years.  And yes, that includes the Reagan administration.  (See my previous commentary dated 10/31/09 titled:  Federal Spending:  Facts vs. Myth).

The latest reports tell us that Corporate America is sitting on $2 trillion plus cash, that is more than half of the federal budget.  The next step for the economy is to increase the earnings of the average workers who have seen their wages stand still since the Clinton years.  We know trickle down economics favor Corporate America and the wealthy and do not create jobs or build a better economy.  Just ask President George W. Bush.  Clinton's policies were just the opposite and created the greatest economy of the 20th century.  More jobs were created in Clinton's 8 years in office than were created in the Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 administrations in the 20 years they served.  (see my past commentary dated 12/14/09 titled:  An economic turnaround, job creation and fiscal stability:  There is a precedent.)

And yes, once again if the republican controlled U.S. House had passed the President's jobs bill they have been sitting on for over two years, the nation would be at full employment now.  This writer can not remember any democratic leaders in congress that vowed not to lift a finger to help a republican administration or who vowed to obstruct to make a republican President a one term President and I have been around since the Franklin Roosevelt era. 

Two republican candidates ran against Obama in the 2008 (McCain) and 2012 (Romney) general election and both had their chance to make their case but the voters choose Obama both times.  It is past time for the republican party in congress to allow the President to implement his agenda.  Common sense should dictate that if a President's agenda is blocked he can not be honestly blamed if things go astray, although that is used in the political con game. 

The democratic party like the republican party are beholden to special interest groups, but democrats do work for and produce policies that advanced the country and its people, especially the average American that produce a better America, a better economy and better quality of life and a better chance for providing for their families.  Yes, it can be backed up with facts.  Democratic administrations do perform better for the benefit of the country and its people.  And that story has been told here first in "PolitiDose" your daily dose of political commentary.

Also see my commentary titled:  Job Creation for Presidential Terms:  1929-2008 dated 11/5/10


This commentary written by John Lucia.

The United States Should Withdraw All Its Troops From Afghanistan.

President Obama has committed to end the war there at the end of this year and bring our troops home.  The U.S. and Afghan leaders are trying to negotiate an agreement to allow some U.S. troops to remain for a certain time but so far Afghan leaders have yet to agree.  It is this writers opinion that all American troops should be brought back home.

In September of this year the war will be 13 years and counting.  If Afghan troops trained by the U.S. do not have the ability to protect their country, or leaders who are able to train their own people then the U.S. has either failed in its training or the Afghan military are unwilling to make the committment to do so.  The latter would be more likely.

It is impossible to protect Americans in that part of the world from terror attacks and any American left in Afghanistan would surely pay the price over time.  Remember, we could not protect our own country or its people on 9./11 and the terrorist attack nor our people at the Boston marathon last year.  Who knows what a terrorist looks like, especially if you are in his country.  We already know that some of our troops in Aghanistan were killed by terrorists while they dressed in friendly Afghan uniforms.

The U.S. has the capacity to protect its national interest without occupying any country in that part of the world.  The military might, intelligence, technology and experience fighting terror has been used effectly with our drones to bring most of Al Queda's top leaders to justice in the border area of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

V.P. Joe Biden when he was a candidate for the democratic presidential nomination in 2008 said it best when he said foreigh governments who allow terrorists to use their territory to train terrorists for attacks on America or Americans lose their sovereignty and America is free to respond.  That should be the American policy of responding instead of occupation that keep our military in harms way.

Saddam, his military and his WMD were supposed to be a threat to the U.S. we were told.  But he had no WMD's and his military was defeated in the first three months of the war.  But the war created Al Queda in Iraq, a terrorists orginization who were no where in Iraq prior to the war.  They inflicted most of the 4400 U.S. casulties in that war and most of the 30,000 plus wounded.  It is a lesson the people of our country should never forget. 

Tlhe chicken hawks who wanted President Obama to send American troops to Lybia, Syria and Egypt during their civil uprising never learned.  They failed to get their way with the President so they are trying to plant the seed that Obama has no foreign policy.  Like the elder Bush, they don't know how to read lips.

President Obama kept his word on ending the Iraq war and I believe he will do the same in Afghanistan.  I just hope he brings all of our troops home at the end of the year.  They have paid the price with multiple deployments and their lives.  It is time for them and their families to be reunited.


This commentary written by John Lucia.