Despite Trump's Tariffs, The U.S. Trade Deficit Rises

The Commerce Department reported this week that the U.S. trade deficit rose to a 5 month high in May, 8.4%, $55.5 billion the highest since December 2018.  The nations exports increased 2% while imports increased 3.3%.  The increase in imports was mainly attributed to the import of crude oil and cellphones.  The deficit in trade goods with Mexico rose 18.1% and with China it rose 12.2%.  So the trade deficit continues to increase on Trump's watch despite his tariffs, his rhetoric, his tax cuts, his lies and his threats.

America still has an appetite for imported goods because America can not alone take care of her domestic needs.  The void is being filled by foreign goods.  Giving American business huge tax cuts and special loopholes do not result in business expansion.  That should be fresh in the peoples mind since it has been reported that the Trump-GOP tax cuts were used by corporations to buy back their own stock.

Unfortunately, voters have allowed themselves to be influenced by Trump's tariffs and rhetoric.  Farmers and consumers are paying the price and as of this writing, the Clinton administration had the best all around economy even though Clinton raised corporate taxes and on those making over $200,000 a year.  Plus Clinton balanced the federal budget, something no republican President has accomplished since President Eisenhower in 1960,

The fact that the U.S. imported more crude oil and cellphones that added to May's trade deficit, should tell us something.  Is anyone listening?


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

New Orleans Tourist Visitors Report for 2018: The Most Important Stat Was Missing

In a Times Picayune article dated 6/30/19 by Jennifer Larino titled, City Drew 11.6 million visitors last year, UNO reports told of a study by UNO's Annual Visitor Survey that reported the following:  (1)  New Orleans hosted 11.6  million visitors in 2018, up 5.5% from last year in 2017 that drew just under 11 million.  (2)  Visitors spending was $8.3 billion, up 11.7% from 2017.  (3)  The increases marked another year of growth for the city.  Those numbers tell a good story.

But the most important story was absent from the report.  And that story should have been how much sales taxes did that $8.3 billion of spending generate for the city treasury.  And then check and see if those taxes were collected by the city.  Certainly UNO has a way to calculate the answer just like they came up with the tourist information above.  And like wise, the City of New Orleans has a way of telling if they collected those taxes.

It should be obvious to everyone why it is so important to know the answer.  In fact, this writer thinks it is a question UNO should have been asked before the paper ran the story.  After all, tourism is just another business that produces tax revenues in order to fund the city's needs and the people have a right to know the tax numbers and be informed.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

President Trump Caves In While Meeting With China's Leader XI Jinping

President Trump has tried to establish a new trade deal with China for the past 29 months and recently ended several months ago when China left the talks.  Trump then threatened more tariffs on China's goods entering America.  But on Saturday at the Group of 20 meeting in Osaka, Trump and China's leader XI found a place to talk on the sidelines concerning the status of the stalled talks.  In those talks, Trump caved and told XI he would not implement those threatened new tariffs if China agreed to resume the trade talks.

The reports said XI agreed to resume the trade talks at a date to be announced.  There are a few reasons Trumped caved and changed his tune.  Despite Trump's so called tough talk, China has the upper hand.  In pay back for Trump's tariffs, China put tariffs on American farm goods and products that have severely hurt American farmers.  And in fact, Trump has asked congress to legislate billions of dollars in aid to assist those American farmers which will add to the federal deficit.  This is a campaign year for Trump and as of this writing his tariffs have cost the American consumer dearly.  Trump does not want to go into an election year and nothing to show the voters for his tough talk.

But the bottom line is no matter when an agreement comes about, if it does, China one can be sure will benefit the most.  Because they are investing in the technologies that will shape the future of business, jobs, the environment and people's lives.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Abortion: Poorly Served By A Political Dogma

Roe vs. Wade was decided over 40 years ago by the U.S.Supreme Court during its hearings after testimony by scientist and other professionals.  The courts decision was a legal one based on that expert testimony, politics was not a factor.  The decision of the court did not sit well with so called conservative republicans, religious groups and others and for over 40 years has done its best politically to undermine and repeal the decision.

Never mind that those same groups were silent prior to Roe vs. Wade when women traveled out side the U.S. to have an abortion when abortion was prohibited by the U.S.  Everyone knew it was going on and in great numbers.  But Roe vs. Wade was in the public news so politics got involved, chose sides to divide the public and play to their base and sadly 40 years later politics has not settled the issue.

Those republican leaders who support the repeal of Roe vs. Wade have been less than honest in their protest and that is why a political settlement has failed.  Those leaders know full well the only way to change the courts decision is by a constitutional amendment.  But none have had the courage or character to campaign and or propose such an amendment because they know the necessary votes are not there so they keep up their scam attacks.

All the while there is no public outcry by those who oppose abortion about the men who use no protection and impregnate their partner.  Those men must know very little about the woman's desire to have a child if she became pregnant.  Don't they have a responsibility?  After all, it is the male politicians and religious leaders who are opposed to abortion at all cost.

And now the country is being exposed big time to many states with republican legislatures who are trying to politically subvert Roe vs. Wade with new abortion legislation that is being overturned by the federal courts.  It is a never ending scam to obtain votes and divide the country over an issue that was settled legally over 40 years ago.  The shame of it all is that the abortion opponents can not produce one person with the character, wisdom or courage to fight for a constitutional amendment if they feel so strongly about abortion.

The key to understand the underling problem of the anti abortion crowd is their rhetoric about their charges that Hillary Clinton supports abortion.  Hillary Clinton chose life and brought a daughter into this world who in turn also brought a child into this world.  Abortions in the U.S. have been going down for a number of years thanks to education and prevention, other education information made available by people and orginazations who are concerned with the problem and have no political axe to grind.  They have accomplished more to bring the abortion rate down than all the anti-abortion crowd and their anti-abortion rhetoric and schemes.

After his election as Pope, Pope Francis said The Roman Catholic Church had grown obsessed with preaching abortion, gay marriage and contraception that he has chosen not to speak of those issues, despite recrimination from some critics.  (reported in a PolitiDose commentary at the time dated 9/25/13)  The Pope realized the  abortion issue was not being addressed properly and 40 plus years of political posturing has not worked.  It has only made the divide greater.  What a shame on our political system that allows this to take place.  Political rhetoric on abortion is empty.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

The Democratic Controlled U.S. House Continues To Lead and Govern The Nations Business

The democratic party in the U.S. House has passed nine of the 12 annual appropriations bills and will address the remaining three some time in July.  On the other side of the isle, the republican controlled U.S. Senate has failed to address even a single spending bill.  In other words the work of the U.S.House is just sitting in the Senate's chamber gathering dust.

The Senate's lack of actions mirror their first two years under Trump where very little legislation was taken up, debated and or passed.  And just this week the House passed a $4.6 billion unrelated funding bill to address the problem at the southern border concerning the safety and health of the migrant children being held in unsanitary conditions.  The House bill contained checks and balances to make sure the funding to handle the children's plight and not go to non needed services.

The Senate then followed the lead of the House and passed their $4.6 billion funding bill but without the checks and balances.  The U.S. House then adopted the Senate bill and the usual political double talk started about how the House gave in to the Senate.  It was politics as usual for the republican cowards and some in the news media.  The issue was the children who are being exposed to Trump and the republican failure to have an immigration reform policy and a horrible situation of their own making.

The U.S. House did its part first with the necessary funding without hesitation and stood tall.  And once again it is the democratic party who is leading on the issues while the republicans have only their rhetoric.  And as of this writing President Trump, the trumpet man who likes to toot his own horn still has no immigration plan of his own to send to congress, is still under court order to unite the families and their children he ordered separated and the immigration albatross is still around his neck.  Trump's number one priority of promised immigration reform has been a disaster.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

President Trump's Iran Foreign Policy Reaches The Disaster Point

When Trump took office Iran was not a nuclear threat to the U.S. or its allies thanks to the nuclear agreement between that country, the U.S. and several U.S. allies.  In fact our intelligence community reported Iran in full compliance with the agreement.  The agreement also allowed for the first time a transparent look into Iran's nuclear capabilities.  Iran was not attacking oil tankers or firing missiles at our drones.

That all changed when Trump took office and reneged on the agreement, withdrew and started to implement sanctions for no good reason other than to provoke Iran.  And all of a sudden, Trump said Iran was a threat to the U.S.  Of course every one knows militarily Iran is a flea compared to the U.S. and we even have thousands of troops in close striking distance.  According to a report in the Times Picayune of 6/23 the U.S. has 5100 troops in Iraq, 15,000 in Kuwait, 10,000 in Qatar, 5,000 in UAE, 200 in Oman and 1500 in Jordan.  In other words we have Iran surrounded and it has been that way for many of years.  Iran knows that and will not directly attack the U.S. with a first strike.

After Iran shot down a U.S. drone, Trump said he ordered a strike on Iran and than cancelled it.  Trump then received a good hearted laugh from Iran's leaders when he said they should meet to work out a new nuclear agreement.  Trump's failure in foreign policy mirrors his failure to act on immigration and the problems at the southern border, which are much worse since he took office. Both situations are an albatross around Trump's neck of his own making.  His rhetoric will become louder because that is all he has.  And he still shows his cowardly streak by blaming President Obama for all the failures taking place on his own watch.  That is part of Traitor Trump's corrupted persona.

Note:  It was reported by Axios that President Obama deported more illegal migrants in his first few years in office than Trump has so far and by a large number.  So much for tough talk.  Of course now he announces ICE will be having a huge roundup of illegals for deportation and it just so happens while he is in his campaign mode.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Federal Judge Strikes Down Another Trump Administration Environmental Exemption

From the Huffington Post, Cadiz, Inc., planned to build a 43 mile pipeline through Mojave Trails National Monument in southern California and recover ground water out of the desert aquifer and sell to cities.  Its plan was to pump approximately 16 billion gallons a year from the fragile desert ecosystem.

The Obama administration had previously rejected Cadiz's assertion it had a right to build the project and the federal bureau of land management ruled in 2015 the pipeline project would require an environmental review.  Obama's order for an environmental review was reversed by the Trump administration following the appointment of David Bernhardt, a former lobbyist for Cadiz, who was deputy interior secretary.

U.S. District Judge George Wu ruled an environmental review exemption by the Trump administration was illegal for a pipeline to extract water from the Mojave desert.  Several environmental groups sued Trump's order that took the issue to the courts.  Lisa Belenky, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, one of the environmental groups that sued to halt the project said, the court decision will stop the Trump administration's blatant attempt to do a favor for their corporate friends.

And to top it off, a study by the U.S. Geological Survey in 2017 determined that the project would be catastrophic for the desert.  Based on the independent study, it is clear that Cadiz would quickly drain the aquifer, destroying all of the desert life it supports which Senator Dianne Feinstein acknowledged.  So the madness of crooked Trump is once again recognized by a federal court, and puts a stop in a project that lacks any regard for environmental safety of earth's ecosystem.  Cadiz only concern was profit and Trump, as President, was willing to turn his back.  What a shame.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards Says The State Must Address The Scholarship Voucher Program

Governor Edwards said he would call for the overhaul of the states voucher program because it was poorly conceived, implemented without the proper checks and balances, lacks oversight and made reference to the latest reports that out lined the problems of the program.  The program cost the state $40 million a year  and serves approximately 6900 students in private schools.

Former Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal's administration created the program claiming it would help those students in failing public schools to attend private schools and pursue a quality education.  That thinking was severely flawed and underscores how little Jindal and his administration understood education.  The first order of business would be to make those failing public schools better and productive, demand that it do so and use the money and what ever it takes to make it happen.  Instead, they threw millions of education dollars to private schools where most of those schools (according to the report) who received voucher money were failing schools themselves in the 2017-2018 school year.

The people  should remember that during Bobby Jindal's time in office, he and the republican controlled legislature cut funding education almost every year to balance the state budget and still failed to do so.  The bottom line concerning the $40 million voucher program is that it should be regulated with checks and balances and regular oversight and the state should never overlook the fact that it has the responsibility to see that the public school system is healthy and productive.  One that serves the needs of the student and that the teachers and schools be given the necessary support to make it happen.

That is the best way to keep the cost of the voucher program for private schools at a reasonable level with the aim of reducing the need for the voucher program.  The solution is very elementary, and that's no pun.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Another Sad Episode Of Trump's Failed Immigration Rhetoric and His Lacking Of An Immigration Plan and Policy

Conditions at the U.S. border are becoming worse every day because of the record number of illegals and an influx of young children.  Border facilities can not cope with the health needs of those children and do not have the capacity to handle them.  As a result several young children have died and many are sick and with out needed medical attention.

That prompted acting Customs and Border Protection Commish John Sanders to tell the Associated Press that congress must pass the $4.6 billion in emergency funding or more kids might die.  Sanders also said, what occurred that was something that impacted me profoundly. U.S. Border Patrol Stations are no place for children.  They are bare bones holding facilities meant for swift processing.  But because the entire system is over whelmed, Border Patrol is routinely holding children longer.

And it is all taking place on President Trump's watch because of his failure to have a policy or plan to submit to congress for comprehensive immigration reform.  The President only has his rhetoric and his orders to separate children from their parents at the border has made the situation worse.  The President is still under court order to bring those children that were separated back to their parents.  Twenty nine months in office,  where 24 of those months congress was controlled by the republican party and Trump and the GOP punted on immigration legislation and the immigration crisis they said existed.  This is the same trumpet man who said during the 2016 campaign he would address the immigration problem after the election.  Yeah right.

President Obama's administration handled the immigration problem better and the democratic controlled U.S. House which took over in January 2019 passed one piece of immigration legislation that the republican controlled Senate failed to act on.  Trump and the republican rhetoric on immigration is just that.  The bottom line concerning immigration is that the republican party could care less.  Their do nothing record on the issue speaks loud and clear.  And at this time President Trump is the do nothing republican leader.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Crooked Trump Kicks Off His Re-election Camaign

The trumpet man went to Orlando, Fla., this week to begin his re-election campaign and the people heard a rehash of his 2016 campaign rhetoric and "fake news."  Trump arrived in the shadow of the Orlando Sentinel newspaper ads that endorsed any democratic nominee over Donald Trump and expressed the opinion that any democratic candidate would be better for the country than Trump.  It was reported that there were more extreme groups outside of Orlando that attended the rally than the local folks.

Trump has a serious problem trying to campaign on his accomplishments because he has so few in his first 28 months in office.  Immigration is still the albatross around his neck and was his top priority as President but the problem is worse today than it was when he took office according to his own rhetoric.  And he and his party still do not have any immigration polity or plan in the works that congress has taken up to debate.

The democrats should campaign on Trump's lack of accomplishments and tell their own plans for the country to the voters now until the election.  Before going to Orlando, the trumpet man announced his favorite piece of "fake news" a new health care plan that will be given to the public over time but will not be given to congress to act on until the 2020 election is over.  And if that sounds familiar its because he said the same thing doing the 2016 campaign and has failed to introduce that health care plan in the last 28 months.

To the uninformed, Trump will try to run on the economy but has a big problem in that regard with voters that pay attention.  Job creation under Trump lags behind job creation under President Obama in his last 28 months in office.  The budget deficit has increased under the Trump economy and his own administration says the deficit will continue to increase and top a trillion dollars a year at the end of this fiscal year.  Business closures in the retail section are at record levels.  Farmers need a financial bailout because of Trump's tariffs and those tariffs are taking their financial toll on other parts of the economy.

The stock market is setting itself up for a big fall and a economic recession is sure to come  The small increase that has taken place in median income is consumed by higher consumer prices because of Trump's tariffs.  Federal corporate tax revenue continues to fall and Trump and his party still have no plans or policy to guide them on governing.  Ideology and a extreme one at that falls at the heart of the matter.

The democrats have a lot of facts to run on and a successful record of knowing how to govern.  They should bring that knowledge to the fore front during the campaign and explain to the voters their plans and policy to move the country forward after the malignancy of Donald Trump's Presidency comes to an end.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio