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

Good News For Louisiana On Health Care

The Louisiana Health Insurance Survey conducted by LSU every two years since 2003 found that in 2017, 11.4% of adults who were younger than 65 lacked health insurance.  That was down 11.3% from 2015  when 22.7%  lacked health insurance.  The  drop occurred because of Governor Edwards's decision to enact the Medicaid expansion available under the Affordable Care Act.  The Governor approved the expansion in his first week in office in 2016.

The expansion has added 474,000 to the insured rolls since 2016.  The report also stated that less than 3% of Louisiana's children are uninsured.  All according to the LSU report as published in the Times Picayune of 8/24/18.  The Jindal administration and the republican controlled state legislature could have taken this action several years sooner when they ran state government but refused because they were ditto heads following the lead of the republicans in the U.S. Congress who opposed the ACA.  To them, Louisiana and its people were not a priority.

Louisiana and its people are in a better position now health wise thanks to the wisdom of Gov. Edwards who understood the need.  Governing is not always easy or popular and the same can be said about decision making.  But facts always tell a story.  They can be addressed by decisions that solve the problem or addressed with ideology that prolong the problem or make it worse.

Governor Edwards has moved the conversation and decision making in a new direction from the failed past and progress has been made in several areas and especially in the state's budget process.  The people's support is necessary to keep moving forward for a better Louisiana and for all its people.  The Governor has held up his end so far like good democrats usually do.  That makes a difference.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

President Trump Continues His Traitorous Acts and Rhetoric To Deceive The American People and The Country

The conviction of Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign manager in a legal and lawful constituted jury trial and the 8 count guilty plea of Michael Cohen, Trump's former attorney brought about an explosion of betrayal rhetoric and actions from President Trump in an interview with Fox News, Trump's ditto head network and in a series of tweets.

In a effort to divert attention from those two legal and lawful actions, Trump lashed out at Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Mueller's investigation and the constitutional process of the nation's criminal justice system because the system worked and because Cohen implicated Trump in a crime and coverup.  His rhetoric left no doubt he intends to fire Sessions and appoint a ditto head Attorney General that will shut down Mueller's investigation.  Trump's rhetoric and actions have betrayed the values of our democracy and the checks and balances that go with our form of government and the responsibility of the President as the chief law enforcement of the country.  He even went so far as to suggest that co-operation with the special counsel should not be allowed.

And as one would guess, besides being a traitor, coward Trump is willing to destroy our American values because his corruption is being exposed and it is becoming even clearer how he and his campaign colluded with Russia to defeat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Presidential election.  No other Presidential candidate has ever stooped that low.  It should also be disturbing to all that Trump's ditto head republicans in congress are now willing to support Trump's removal of Jeff Sessions.  In other words they support Trump's wish to shut the Mueller investigation down because the real facts are beginning to expose the real traitor and coward in the White House.

The republican cowards in congress would like to see Trump fire Sessions after the November congressional elections.  To them, everything is political, what is best for the country never enters their mind.  They practice a conservative ideology that is un-American and dangerous to democracy.  Their love to divide the country fits right in with Trump's betrayal.  PolitiDose was the first to comment that Trump and the republican party were one and the same and did so during the campaign, long before any one else made the connection.  The party's support for Trump's policies, actions and rhetoric confirm PolitiDose's opinion concerning Trump and his party.

The betrayal has to end and the November elections will still be the major key to reverse Trump and the republican party by electing a democratic controlled congress.  Mueller can not reverse all the political and moral damage Trump has thrusts on our nation and its institutions but its outcome, along with a democratic controlled congress can rebuild what has been lost and move our country and its people forward to achieve the American dream for America the Beautiful and for all of our people.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

The End Of The Trump Presidency Is Now In Sight.

Like "Watergate" people close to President Trump are now willing to speak out about their involvement with the President and his campaign to obstruct justice and violate the law.  And now Michael Cohen, the former attorney for the President just pleaded guilty to 8 counts and told the judge of Trump's involvement in paying hush money to keep two women silent before the 2016 Presidential election.  Cohen's lawyer, Lanny Davis said Cohen has no qualms about speaking to special counsel Mueller and has other information to disclose concerning Trump.

How soon will the end of the Trump Presidency take place?  That depends on the republican cowards in congress who are silent.  they are trying to figure out if it would be better for them to actually address the issue before or after the November elections.  They will do what is necessary to save their own jobs.  They are truly cowards who put themselves and their party first.  The other problem facing them concerning the investigation is waiting for the next shoe to drop that may force their hand to act before they want too.  There are 16 republican U.S. Senators now serving in congress who voted to impeach President Clinton who are now quiet as a mouse on Trump even though the allegations against Trump are far more serious than they were against Clinton.

Cohen's guilty plea was explosive and confirm Trump's lies to the people and his willingness to do anything to help rig the election.  Donald Trump was the crooked candidate in the Presidential race of 2016 and then became the crooked President with all his lies, personal attacks and cover ups.  The investigation is picking up steam and Mueller quietly continues to do his job.  And it will be the President's close friends who decide to co-operate with the Mueller investigation and their testimony that will bring an end to the Trump Presidency.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

The Revocation Of National Security Clearance By President Trump

The trumpet man's recent act of revoking the national security clearance of former CIA director John Brenan should send the message to the people of the United States this latest decision confirms the autocratic mission of Donald Trump and his failure to accept the principals of democratic governing.  His threat to revoke the national security clearance of others just because, like Brenan they speak out against Trump's policies and personal attacks, clearly demonstrates Trump's authoritarian attempt to rule.

It reveals why Trump is so in bed with Putin and why he allowed his campaign to collude with Russia for their help during the 2016 Presidential election.  Autocratic behavior during the campaign when he asked Russia to hack into an American's email was a dramatic example.  And PolitiDose was the first to condemn that traitorous act soon after Trump made that request of Russia.

And after the jury received their charges in the Paul Manafort trial, Trump was at it again obstructing the law by calling the trial "fake" and saying Manafort was being used.  Autocrats do not like jury trials that produce facts and cuts through the fake news being spread by Trump for the sake of trying to discredit the investigation.   In the mean time, special prosecutor Mueller goes about his responsibility quietly will dignity and will not allow himself to stoop to the bottom of the pit where Trump dwells.

John Brenan, having served his country well said he would not be silenced by Trump's actions and would continue to speak out.  Other members of the intelligence community who have spoken out said they would continue to do so also.  The sickness in the White House will not put a damper on the American spirit or America the beautiful and those who have served their country well and with honor.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Another First For PolitiDose: Wealth Is Still Being Transferred From The Middle Class To The Wealthy

This is a continuing story about wage disparity reported in PolitiDose over seven years ago how wealth is being transferred from the middle class to the wealthy and continues unabated today.  Now comes a report from the Economic Policy Institute as reported by the Huffington Post that the average chief executive in the 350 largest American companies made 17.6% more last year than in 2016.  It represents a large increase for those already making millions of dollars a year.

Other findings by the Institute were as follows:  (1)  The average CEO pay at a large company in 2017 was $18.9 million.   (2)  That was 312 times the average workers pay in 2017 which increased only a dismal 0.3%.   (3)  CEO's are getting more because of their power to set pay, NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE MORE PRODUCTIVE OR HAVE SPECIAL TALENTS OR MORE EDUCATION.  (4)   Trump's tax cuts were responsible for a $437 billion buy back of company stocks.

The proof is there for everyone to see who are willing to learn.  The Reagan, Bush 43 and Trump tax cuts, did not expand or increase middle class income and in fact the income gap between those at the top and the middle class continues to widen and the transfer of wealth continues to take place.  Productivity has increased over 70% in the last 30 years but the average worker, those responsible for the increase have not shared in the benefits of that increase in production.  But the CEO's and their executives have seen big time increases in salary and bonus.

Democratic U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren said she will introduce legislation so that the average worker would have a better seat at the economic table of Corporate America and their CEO's and reap the benefits they are do.  Hopefully, the democrats will take over control of congress in the November elections so the average worker will be represented fairly in income matters and change the massive ratio that now favors the top CEO's and executives over the middle class.  The republican con game with the help of corporate America and the wealthy has to come to an end.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

The Coward In The White House and A Republican Party In Congress That Lacks Courage.

That combination has led America on a 18 month spree of scandal after scandal, little accomplishments, a malignant President unfit mentally for office and a congress controlled by the republican party willing to enable any thing President Trump does or says.  And just this week the President displayed his cowardly side once again by calling a female who he hired to work in the White House a "low life and a dog."  She was fired by President Trump's chief of staff recently and is now making public some of the things she witnessed at the White House.

Trump's cowardly tweets about Ms. Omarosa  fits his pattern of being disrespectful to women and his pattern of a lack of respect for anyone who tells the truth.  Leaders of the republican party in congress are silent concerning the President's un-Presidential behavior and as such are ditto heads who fail to live up to their responsibility of protecting the constitution and the Presidency itself from such behavior.  Ms. Omarosa said she will not be intimidated and will continue to speak out.  The mentally unstable President also lashed out against Ohio's republican governor John Kasich accusing him of trying to derail a republican candidate running for a house seat in a special election in Ohio whom Trump supported.

Trump is a sick man and is a threat to the interest of the United States at home and abroad with his personal attacks and lack of respect for his office, the country and the people.  And it is getting worse every day.  Democracy has been high jacked and the republican party is allowing it to take place on their watch.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Tim Morris: Conservative Opinion Writer For The Times Picayune: Out Of Step With Reality.

In a Times Picayune opinion column dated 8/12 titled, "Democrats Used To Be For The Middle Class, Not Anymore,," comes from the same writer who early on had to tell his readers that he was a conservative right off the bat.  It is the conservative way of trying to wrap themselves in the mantle of the elite.  With this commentary for PolitiDose in response to Mr. Morris opinion column comes from an American.

Morris commentary about democrats and the middle class is typical of what Trump and other republicans are trying to do to plant a fake seed because they see the democratic party has a chance to take control of the U.S. House in the November elections.  They also dare not talk about the republican party in congress because they have no accomplishments to talk about.  Morris is one of the many ditto heads who continue to inject Hillary Clinton into their commentary even though she has not held an elected office in almost 10 years.

Make no mistake, the middle class is still with the democrats for good reason.  That is why Hillary won the popular vote in the 2016 Presidential election by a wide margin with 48% of the vote and why Morris thinks the democratic party has a chance to win the House in November.  Then in two paragraphs, Morris makes a fool of himself with his lack of knowledge on the issue.

Morris makes note in one paragraph where democrats controlled the White House 16 of the previous 24 years prior to the 2016 election and controlled both houses of congress for 4 years during that time.  Why go back just 24 years, why not 36 years and include the 12 years of Reagan-Bush 41.  That would make republicans in control of the White House for 20 of the previous 36 years.  And why mention that the democrats controlled congress for 4 years but be silent that the republican party controlled both houses of congress for 4 straight years under the George W. Bush administration.  Those questions will be answered below but first lets look at Morris second paragraph.

Morris says during those 16 years of democratic control, they failed to stop the decline in working class wages or provide much hope for economic security in the future.  Then he says President's Clinton and Obama pushed for free trade agreements that cost millions of blue collar workers their jobs.  This paragraph is full of holes and the middle class actually did better on the democratic watch in that 16 year period.

Its obvious why Morris did not include the 12 years of Reagan-Bush 41.  President Clinton's administration created more jobs in his 8 years in office than Reagan-Bush created in their 12 years in office and the middle class make up the majority of the job market.  In fact you could throw in Bush 43 jobs created and Clinton would exceed all three in the 20 years Reagan-Bush 41 and Bush 43 served.  And NAFTA was not even in effect during the Reagan-Bush 41 years.  President Clinton cut deficit spending every year his first 4 years in office and then balanced the budget his last four years in office.  Reagan-Bush 41 and Bush 43 never balanced one federal budget in the 20 years they served and in fact all three left office with a larger deficit than when they took office.

As for as the second paragraph, middle class income increased on average 1.6% annually under the Clinton administration, the fastest growth rate since the 1960's.  Middle class wages did not decline on President Clinton's watch.  President Obama inherited Bush's great economic recession and the loss of 700,000 jobs per month.  But still managed to create approximately 13,000,000 jobs, where as Bush created approximately 1.5 million jobs.  Job creation under Obama put the middle class back to work.   Middle class workers wages did increase when Obama left office.

Morris claims that free trade agreements during the Clinton and Obama years cost millions of blue collar workers their jobs is fake news.  Clinton and Obama created more new jobs in their 16 years than the previous five republican President even though NAFTA was not even in effect during some of those republicans terms in office.  Obama and Bush 43 did have to contend with NAFTA but Obama still beat Bush like a drum on job creation for the middle class.  When it comes to jobs and wage advances for the middle class, democratic administrations have the best record

Contrary to the Polls Morris mentioned in his article, voters attitudes swing from one election to another but it does not change the fact what party represents the middle class the best.  Its like the Clinton haters who still believe she instructed the military to stand down during the Benghazi terror attack that was proved false in the three congressional hearings chaired by the republican party.  And when you throw in the fake Russian ads in the social media people get caught up in the nonsense.

The bottom line is Morris and his ditto head conservatives will keep up the fake news drum beat but it does not change the facts of the democratic party's commitment to the middle class.  And it won't change their conversation of talking and writing more about democrats when the republicans are running the country all because they have nothing positive to report about republican accomplishments.

Note;  18 months in office and the Trump administration has created less jobs than the Obama administration did during its last 18 months in office.  So middle class workers did better under Obama than they have done under Trump so far.  (see previous commentary on the subject)


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

A U.S. Court Slaps Down Trump's EPA's Regressive Decision

The U.S. District Court of Appeals for the 9th District in a decision this week ordered the EPA to ban a widely used pesticide that's been linked to learning disabilities in children land that former EPA chief Scott Pruitt refused to take off the market.  The EPA under the Obama administration proposed a ban on the pesticide. (chlorpyrifos)

But the court noted that in March 2017, one of Pruitt's first acts was to reverse the plan to ban the chemical and that EPA offered little explanation for its actions.  The court also noted that the EPA offered no defense of its decision to reverse the ban of the chemical.  In a statement Thursday, Earthjustice attorney Marisa Ordonia applauded the decision for ending EPA's shameful actions that have exposed children and farm workers to this poison for decades.

The court also said the EPA's decision violated the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, which law governs pesticides and requires the EPA to ban chemicals from being used on food if they are proven to cause harm.  The chemical is produced by Dow Chemical Company and used on more than 50 different crops on thousands of American farms.  It was banned in 2000 for in-home use.

Scott Pruitt is no longer EPA director and resigned in disgrace recently.  But Pruitt are the kind of people Trump appoints to high positions in his administration.  Un-qualified people who are just there to carry out Trumps orders to reverse all the good that has been accomplished in regulating and safe guarding the environment.  And thank the good Lord for the regulations put into effect before Trump came to office that allowed the court in this case to make a sound judgement and decision.  Trump's regressive actions for the past 18 months are un-American and of his own doing.  This issue and the actions by the court clearly confirms republicans use ideology instead of facts to make their decisions and arrive at conclusions even though scientific findings told a different story.

The best answer is still the impeachment of this malignant President who has no respect for any one or anything American.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio