Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal's Failed Policies

In my commentary dated 6/23/12 titled "Bobby Jindal's Record On Unemployment" it was pointed out how President Obama did a better job of reducing the national unemployment rate in his first three years in office than Jindal did reducing unemployment in Louisiana in his first three years in office. 

Now we have a report by the Times Picayune dated 8/18/12 where the Louisiana Bureau of Labor Statistics reported unemployment in Louisiana for July was 7.6%, up from 7.5% in June and 7.3% in July 2011.  The increase for July was the third straight month unemployment increased in Louisiana.  The sacred cow known as the $8 billion give away of tax incentatives to business is not creating jobs.  That $8 billion has been off the table during all of Jinda's administration even though he has not balanced any budgets since he has been in office and budget cuts have resulted in state lay offs that have added to the state unemployment numbers.  See Note 1

Jindal and the republican party that control the legislature have been a disaster to Louisiana much like the Bush Administration was to the U.S. and of course when Jindal served in congress during that time he rubber stamped Bush's failed policies.  He followed the lead of Paul Ryan.  Jindal has also copied the republican line of personal attacks because like republicans in general, he can not debate the issues.  It's hell when you are a republican and feel so inadequate.

One can easy notice that republicans do not dare talk about Bush's record in this Presidential campaign because it would remind the people of the second great depression and their involvement in it.  And when Jindal leaves office republicans who aspire to his job will not be talking about his record either because it will remind the people of Louisiana Jindal's failed policies.

The Kennedy Brothers, John, Robert, Ted, Wealth and Public Service

The Kennedy brothers had wealth but did not work in the private sector to create or increase that wealth.  Instead they choose to work in the public service.  Their wealth was created by their father who taught them along with their mother that public service was an honorable profession.  In fact their parents schooled them at an early age in politics and world affairs and talked about such matters at the dinner table according to many reports.

All three brothers wore the uniform of their country and John Kennedy served in the pacific as a P.T. Boat commander during WWII.  The older brother Joe was killed in WWII on a secret flying mission and it was said had brother Joe lived he too would have gone into public service.  Despite being wealthy, the Kennedy brothers served their country. 

While serving in public office the Kennedy brothers did not cater to the well off or the wealthy.  They spoke for and represented the comman man.  Special interest groups did not write legislation for them nor were they granted special favors.  When John became President he started the push to rid the oil industry of its special tax treatment called the "depletion allowance" which was passed by the Johnson administration.  The President also took on big steel, U.S. Steel when they lied to him that they would not raise prices and then did so.  U.S. Steel after pressure from the President rolled back their price hikes.

The Kennedy brothers had compassion for their fellow man, did not engage in wedge issues to divide the American people and always talked about the real issues concerning the country and its people.  They also recognized the difference between actual threats to the country and those that were preceived.  President Kennedy refused to launch a preemptive strike against Cuba during the 1962 missile crisis that the joint chiefs and the neocons were pushing for and wisely decided on a quaranteen.  The President also had the character and courage to push for and have adopted a nuclear test band treaty.  Senator Ted Kennedy had the character and courage to vote against an invasion of Iraq over WMD that did not exist.  He was proved right when he said Iraq was no threat to the security of the U.S.  The war actually proved his position was the rigtht one.

The Kennedy brothers believed government could do good and needy things for the country and its people and that government did have a role to play.  They also believed in the free market system, promoted it with sound economic policies and always put the country and its people first.  Although they served at a time when income tax rates were much higher for the wealthy than they are today, that played no role in their policy.  President Kennedy reduced taxes while in office and were balanced to help the economic recovery that had been in progress for 22 uninterrupted months. (President Kennedy's State of the Union speech in January 1963.)

Many wealthy politicians today who serve in or seek public office approach public service as a means to promote their own ideology not based on what is good for the country and its people but what is best for their own self interest.  Instead of an economic policy they have a tax policy.  Instead of a foreign policy they try to talk tough.  Instead of having compassion they promote wedge issues to divide the country. 

The Kenned brothers service to the country and its people is a good example how out of touch todays public servants are.  And in the middle of a Presidential campaign some candidates refuse to release all of their tax returns and address the real issues.  Yes, there was a time in America when wealthy public servants stood tall and put their country and its people first.  And yes, there was a time in America when wealthy public servants and the wealthy did not mind paying their fair share in taxes with out loop holes.  It is very obvious why the Kennedy brothers were popular with the voting public.  They were the All Americans of public service. 

It is easy to see why so many public servants today are so jealous of the Kennedy brothers.  They feel inadequate and do not measure up. Yes there was a time in America when public service was an honorable profession.  Today, the wealthy spend their time trying to buy public servants with their campaign contributions and decieve the public with their Pac money advertising.  They have brought dishonor to public service and our country.  And that really says it all. 

The Super Pac's Political Wealth

People who contribute to Super Pacs who use that wealth to openly lie in their political ads are undermining the American political system.  Those contributors represent what is wrong with the political system today.  Why are there so many wealthy people willing to support lies instead of having an honest debate.  Why has the wealthy stooped that low?

When the tax rates were 90% for the wealthy, the Pacs were no where to be seen.  That is a good reason alone to raise the tax rate on the wealthy and see what happens.  Maybe they would think twice and discover some courage to stand up and stand with America.  The contributors who fund the pacs are the greatest threat to democracy and American itself because their sole purpose is to control the elected officials they support. 

The news media abet's the pacs because of their purchasing power.  They gladly broadcast the pac's ads when they know the ads are not truthful.  There really is no such thing as a watch dog news media when it concerns the public good.  The sad fact of all of this is that the voters really have a short memory and only 3 and half years after the second great depression of 2008.

The Romney-Ryan Ticket: The Con Game Begins And The Lies Become Larger and Larger

Unfortunately the news media has no plan of pointing out their con game, especially the Sunday morning talk shows.  Ryan, the so called fiscal hawk served in the U.S. House all eight years that George W. Bush ran the country and rubber stamped Bush's record deficit spending policies that quickly erased the Clinton budgets that were balanced and in surplus.  In fact they put the country back in deficit spending in Bush's first fiscal year in office and all eight years of his administration.

It should be noted that Romney is on record as a supporter of Bush's policies.  Romney and Ryan's record proves they are no fiscal hawks and like Bush, would continue Bush's policies that gave the country and its people the second great depression.

Total federal spending during Bush's eight years in office increased 61% over Clinton's eight years in office.  Total federal spending in Clinton's eight years in office increased only 28% over the previous eight years.  Total federal spending during Bush 43's administration of four years increased 28% over the previous 4 years.  Total federal spending in Reagan's eight years in office increased 75% over the previous eight years. And so far federal spending under the Obama administration is averaging an increase of approximately 2% per year.  So much for the Republican lies of the Democrats being the big spenders.

Romney-Ryan will continue the lies during the campaign and have already done so concerning medicare, social security, taxes and a host of other issues.  One can only hope the voting public will remember that there is not a dimes worth of diffeerence between the Romney-Ryan policies and the Bush policies that put the country and its people in the second great depression and destroyed the nation's fiscal health.

Note:  Federal spending shown above taken from records of the Congressional Budget Office.  See commentary dated October 31, 2009 titled Federal Spending:  Facts vs. Myth published here in politidose and commentary dated October 27, 2010 titled: President Obama's First Fiscal Year Budget.

Senators David Vitter and Sherrod Brown's Weak Answer To The Wall Street Banks

In a Times Picayune article dated 8/8/12 by Bruce Alpert it was pointed out that the two Senators want the Federal Reserve to increase Capital Requirements for large banks so those large banks don't fail and require taxpayers another bail out.  The large banks are described as the top six banks that are twice as large as the top 50 banks combined.  Those six banks also have assets that equal 62% of the U.S. gross domestic product.  The Senators also addressed those six banks as "to big to fail".

This writer in a commentary dated 11/17/2010 titled "To Big To Fail" published here in politidose pointed out that any business that was "To Big To Fail" constituted a monopoly and should be broken up.  Vitter and Brown continue to offer lip service to the real problem of the financial collapse of 2008 and continue to fail and address the real problem of those monopolies.  Vitter is one of the many so called conservatives who hate regulations on those banks and now he and Brown's Capital Requirements would prevent another collapse of those large six banks so they say.

Those banks monopoly failed to get Vitters and Browns attention before the collapse and now seek a band aid approach to the same problems.  What they should be doing is urging congress and the President to act to break up those six large banks and the monopoly they represent.  Congress, Presidents and the regulators in the past understood the danger and damage monopolies could do to the country and its people and broke up those monopolies.  That is what should be done to those six banks that control 62% of the economy.

Four years after the financial collapse Vitter and Brown offer nothing concrete that would break up those monopolies and prevent a future repeat of the past.  Understanding the past is still the key to the future.  Nothing will change until Vitter, Brown and congress understands that.  How sad, and that really says it all.

Does the "Financial Cliff" Really Exist?

The people are being told the country will go over the "Cliff" if congress does not reach an agreement on such matters by the end of the year.  However, no "Financial Cliff" exist because cuts will not happen over night, not even in defense spending as some are talking about, but will go into effect over a period of time.

Part of the "Cliff" is the extension of the tax cuts.  The senate acted in a responsible way when it voted to extend the cuts to those making $250,000.00 a year or less and let the rest expire.  The U.S. house voted otherwise and not do anything to help President Obama or the country.  If the President can not get an agreement on the senate vote before the tax expires then he should just let it expire.  It was the republican controlled congress that put an expiration date on it in the first place so let them bear the burden if they fail to extend the cuts for the middle class.

The positive outlook on the economy and job creation will eontinue to get better and that will also reduce the effects of the so called "Cliff".  Keep in mind the experts were dead wrong when  they predicted that unemployment would stay above 9% for all of 2011 and 2012.  I covered that in a previous commentary here in politidose.

The real danger to our economy and job creation is not the "Cliff" but the failed policies of the past that the republican presidential nominee says he will reintroduce if he is elected President.  Keep in mind that 20 years of Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 underperformed compared to the eight years under Bill Clinton.  And now it is another democratic President who's policies are slowly leaving the second great depression behind. 

Mitt Romney: So Called Tough Talk By Another Republican

The presumed  republican party nominee Mitt Romney was in Israel this week end trying to talk tough on Iran and the situation in the middle east and is trying to follow the footsteps of Presidents Reagan and Bush 43, so lets examine their record.

Reagan came into office talking tough on terrorists, sent our Marines to Lebanon to bail out Israel and terrorists blew up the Marine compound killing 241 Marines and wounding many others.  And as of this writing none of those who planned and helped with the attack have been brought to justice.  Reagan also told the American people he would not make deals with terrorists and then sold arms to Iran in what came to be known as Iran-Contra.

Bush 43 came to office talking tough and then the worst foreign terror attack on U.S. soil killed 2000 plus Americans on that tragic day.  Bush 43 then started a war and occupation of Iraq over WMD that did not exist at any time during his administration.  The unnecessary war created Al Queda in Iraq that allowed them to kill more Americans and keep the U.S. tied down to a war that lasted 8 plus years.

Obama came to office and instead of trying to talk tough instructed the CIA that his top priority was to bring Bin Laden to justice and that is just what America did.  They not only brought Bin Laden to justice but the President showed good judgement and leadership with the burial of Bin Laden at sea.  There would be no place of worship by Bin Laden's terrorists followers.  Obama's actions have also kept the country safe with out the so called tough talk.

Romney has now picked up the torch of republican so called tough talk and would follow Bush 43's foreign policy.  He even has many of Bush's foreign policy advisers on his staff.  Republican tough talk is a good show but has no record of working to keep America and its people safe.  People who talk tough for the sake of talking tough end up sacrificing American lives when it is not necessary and are irresponsible.

Voter Folly: The Results Have Been Worse Than The Cure

Almost two years ago voters decided to put control of the U.S. House in the hands of the republican party via their choice of Tea Party candidates and the results for the nation and its people have been a disaster.  Little to nothing has been accomplished since then to move the country forward in a positive manner to help in economic matters or job creation.

Now come November the voters will have another chance.  Will they reward the republican party again for their opposition to every inititive of President Obama or will they stand up and recognize their folly of two years ago.  The U.S. Senate just the other day voted yes to extend the Bush tax cuts but only for those making $250,000.00 a year or less and to let the remaining tax cuts expire.  Now the ball is in the court of the U.S. House for action and the republican's there have said they would vote against the matter.  If that really happens and voters relect a republican controlled House in the November elections, that will confirm their folly.

Understanding the past is still the key to the future and despite all the ups and downs of the economy over time, democratic administrations have always out performed republican administrations in every category to move the country forward.  Voters have to decide if they want to continue to repeat the failed policies of the pasts or learn from those failures and seek a better future. 

The Talking Points Of The Wealthy Concerning Taxes

Taxes, no one likes them, especially income taxes but every one knows they are necessary until another source of revenue is found to operate local, state and the federal government.  We also know that the Reagan and Bush 43 tax cuts benefited the wealthy the most and threw the relationalship out of kilter compared to the tax middle income Americans pay.  Taking together with the tax loop holes and breaks that are tilted to help the wealthy and Corporate America, one can see how tax fairness is a real issue in the November elections.

The wealthy, which includes Mitt Romney responds to this unfairness with the following talking points:  "We simply follow the tax laws and if loop holes exist we take advantage of that.  We are not ashamed and take advantage of what ever the tax code allows".  Journalists seem to get tongue tied by these talking points of the wealthy, Corporate America and Mr. Romney but the answer to the talking points is very simple.  The wealthy, Corporate America and Mr. Romney spend millions of dollars in campaign contributions to members of congress to lobby them to write the loop holes and create those tax breaks in the tax code for their own self interest.  Their money talks and there are enough people in congress who are willing to create those tax breaks and loop holes.  In other words those tax breaks and loop holes are not earned, they are bought. 

The latest loop hole to be exposed is that Corporate America can ship American jobs over seas and can deduct that expense on their taxes.  Does any one believe that congress thought about this loop hole on their own?  It shows what the wealthy will do to avoid paying their fair share and how many in congress are yes men to that wealth. 

America was a better country in all phases when the wealthy paid their fair share.  The wealthy now not only want to pay less, they now also do not care about the harm they have done to the country, its people, the economy and job creation.  President Obama has a responsibility to see that congress changes the status quo of this unfair problem.