The U.S. Labor Department reported 145,000 jobs were created in December and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.5%. It was the 111th straight month of positive job growth. The December numbers were lower than expected, lower than last month and lower than December 2018. Manufacturing lost over 10,000 jobs in December and continues to be in recession mode.
The Department also announced that 2.1 million jobs were created in 2019, the lowest since 2011 and that both October and November numbers were revised downward from earlier reports. So job creation in the Trump administration continues its downward trend for Trump's first 35 months in office when compared to President Obama's last 35 months in office. And at the end of Trump's first term in office job creation will lag considerably from President Obama's last term in office.
The job numbers explain how democratic polices work best for America and the economy. President Obama's stimulus of $700 billion for the economy that was passed by the democratic controlled congress soon after Obama was elected to deal with Bush's great recession has done more for the economy and job creation than the Trump/republican $1.5 trillion tax cuts that cost so much more and that was meant to benefit the wealthy and corporate America. The Obama stimulus was directed toward projects and programs that actually stimulated the economy and job creation. Where as the Trump tax cuts simply represents a failed ideology and their commitment to the wealthy.
So in Trumps first 35 months in office a total of 6,400,000 jobs have been created. In Obama's last 35 months in office 7,559,000 jobs were created. And no matter how Trump and the republican party try to spin the economy, democratic administrations still perform best for the country and its people.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
Saturday, January 11, 2020
President Obama Actually Accomplished With Iran What President TrumpNow Says He Will Accomplish
The impeached President tried to talk tough again the other day when he proclaimed, "Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon as long as I am President." Well, thanks to President Obama's policies Iran never had a nuclear weapon at any time in the 8 years Obama served as President. So Trump inherited a nuclear weapons free Iran and the only question that remains is this: Can Trump keep Iran that way and follow in President Obama's footsteps?
We also know President Obama never had to send additional U.S. troops to the middle east to guard against Iranian retaliation against our troops like Trump did this week and it should be noted how Trump's actions in the middle east this week was a mirror image of former President George W. Bush when he said Iran's attacks against American troops in Iraq was an imminent threat but could not articulate to congress what those threats were. If that sounds familiar its because you heard President Bush say that Iraq had stockpiled WMD ready to use but Bush never offered proof of those WMD to congress or the public because they did not exist at any time during the Bush administration.
This March the war in Iraq over WMD that did not exist will enter its 18th year and American troops are still paying the ultimate price while an impeached President Trump's rhetoric continue to fan the flames of war. The middle east was a safer place when President Obama left office than it is today. History has yet to be written if the middle east will be a safer place when Trump leaves office.
When the Iran nuclear agreement was in effect on President Obama's watch Iran was not allowed to produce any nuclear material to weapons grade. But they are in the process of doing that now since Trump walked away from the agreement. And the irony of it all is the agreement was enforced by inspection, something Israel, Pakistan and India have never allowed.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
We also know President Obama never had to send additional U.S. troops to the middle east to guard against Iranian retaliation against our troops like Trump did this week and it should be noted how Trump's actions in the middle east this week was a mirror image of former President George W. Bush when he said Iran's attacks against American troops in Iraq was an imminent threat but could not articulate to congress what those threats were. If that sounds familiar its because you heard President Bush say that Iraq had stockpiled WMD ready to use but Bush never offered proof of those WMD to congress or the public because they did not exist at any time during the Bush administration.
This March the war in Iraq over WMD that did not exist will enter its 18th year and American troops are still paying the ultimate price while an impeached President Trump's rhetoric continue to fan the flames of war. The middle east was a safer place when President Obama left office than it is today. History has yet to be written if the middle east will be a safer place when Trump leaves office.
When the Iran nuclear agreement was in effect on President Obama's watch Iran was not allowed to produce any nuclear material to weapons grade. But they are in the process of doing that now since Trump walked away from the agreement. And the irony of it all is the agreement was enforced by inspection, something Israel, Pakistan and India have never allowed.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
Tuesday, January 7, 2020
Minnesota Ends New Orleans Playoff Hopes As Vikings Defeat Saints 26 - 20.
The Minnesota Vikings beat the Saints for the second time in the last three years and ended the Saints chance at a Super Bowl run once again. The Saints were the favorite going into the game with home field advantage but the Vikings defense knew how to play defense against the Saints offense. They were not about to let the Saints run loose like so many other teams did during the regular season and were ready to rumble.
The Saints are not accustomed to facing tight defenses because there are so many poorly coached teams in the NFL, but you will never hear the New Orleans sports writers or TV sports hosts say that and be objective in their reporting. All fans read about or heard about the last two weeks were Brees' personal records like that was enough to win.
The Saints won 13 games during the regular season but beat only 4 teams with a winning record. Sports writers lack objectivity in their evaluation of the Saints when they brag about Payton and Brees offensive genius. The Vikings demonstrated with their defensive play that Payton and Brees were no more than average on Sunday.
Three years in a row the Saints have been eliminated from the playoffs and have only four winning seasons in the last eight years. So why should expectations be so high every year about going to the Super Bowl? Cliches and hype in reporting instead of an objective evaluation are one of the main reasons this writer believes.
And this writer still believes Payton should put down the cheat sheet and let his offensive coordinator call the plays so Payton can pay attention to what is taking place on the field. Forget about all the sports talk about his offensive genius, it does not exist. The most successful coaches in the NFL and college football never called the plays. They simply make their offensive intentions known so they can track and pay attention what is taking place on the field.
Apple polishing stories by sports writers concerning Brees and Payton is just that and have no objectivity to properly evaluate the Saints. In fact they never saw or understood how "bountygate" damaged the team. It is now time to ask the question: HAS PAYTON AND BREES SEEN THEIR BEST YEARS IN A SAINTS UNIFORM? History will be the judge.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
The Saints are not accustomed to facing tight defenses because there are so many poorly coached teams in the NFL, but you will never hear the New Orleans sports writers or TV sports hosts say that and be objective in their reporting. All fans read about or heard about the last two weeks were Brees' personal records like that was enough to win.
The Saints won 13 games during the regular season but beat only 4 teams with a winning record. Sports writers lack objectivity in their evaluation of the Saints when they brag about Payton and Brees offensive genius. The Vikings demonstrated with their defensive play that Payton and Brees were no more than average on Sunday.
Three years in a row the Saints have been eliminated from the playoffs and have only four winning seasons in the last eight years. So why should expectations be so high every year about going to the Super Bowl? Cliches and hype in reporting instead of an objective evaluation are one of the main reasons this writer believes.
And this writer still believes Payton should put down the cheat sheet and let his offensive coordinator call the plays so Payton can pay attention to what is taking place on the field. Forget about all the sports talk about his offensive genius, it does not exist. The most successful coaches in the NFL and college football never called the plays. They simply make their offensive intentions known so they can track and pay attention what is taking place on the field.
Apple polishing stories by sports writers concerning Brees and Payton is just that and have no objectivity to properly evaluate the Saints. In fact they never saw or understood how "bountygate" damaged the team. It is now time to ask the question: HAS PAYTON AND BREES SEEN THEIR BEST YEARS IN A SAINTS UNIFORM? History will be the judge.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
Sunday, January 5, 2020
Another First For PolitiDose
If any one thinks Mark Ballard's opinion column published in the New Orleans Advocate of 1/5/20 concerning tort reform and auto insurance rates sounds familiar, its because you read it here first in PolitiDose commentary a week or so ago. And if more people realize the "fake news" tort reform story of Louisiana's republicans and start to speak out, such so called "tort reform" will be dead on arrival in the state legislature.
Mr. Ballard points out the obvious reasons why the Insurance Industry themselves do not think tort reform will in fact lower automobile insurance rates. Louisiana's republican party in the state legislature have little to no credibility on just about everything they touch. Beside tort reform, their latest 'fake news" is to withhold from the Governor, the estimated revenue numbers projected for the state's fiscal year that begins July 1. They want that information withheld from the Governor for their own selfish reasons and try to sabotage the Governor's fiscal budget plans.
When one thinks about the do nothing republicans in the U.S. Congress and in the Louisiana state legislature it is a party that opposes everything and at the same time can not articulate any democratic values they have or accept. They are truly the party of an extreme ideology that lie about everything, even to their own base, because like their leader President Trump, they have no respect for anyone.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
Mr. Ballard points out the obvious reasons why the Insurance Industry themselves do not think tort reform will in fact lower automobile insurance rates. Louisiana's republican party in the state legislature have little to no credibility on just about everything they touch. Beside tort reform, their latest 'fake news" is to withhold from the Governor, the estimated revenue numbers projected for the state's fiscal year that begins July 1. They want that information withheld from the Governor for their own selfish reasons and try to sabotage the Governor's fiscal budget plans.
When one thinks about the do nothing republicans in the U.S. Congress and in the Louisiana state legislature it is a party that opposes everything and at the same time can not articulate any democratic values they have or accept. They are truly the party of an extreme ideology that lie about everything, even to their own base, because like their leader President Trump, they have no respect for anyone.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
More American Troops To The Middle East Is A Foreign Policy Failure
President Trump's foreign policy failures continue to pile up in the Middle East that now require more American troops be put in harms way. The idea was to reduce America's troop presence in Iraq and Afghanistan, end those wars and let those two countries defend themselves with all the training they received from American troops who stayed behind for that purpose.
But the President undermined all that by withdrawing from the Iran nuclear agreement rejecting our allies sound advise, refusing to believe Iran was in compliance and instituted sanctions against Iran that has once again destabilized the region. Iran now has a larger role in Iraq than ever before and a larger say so in that government.
A successful foreign policy would not require more Americans to be deployed to the Middle East. President Obama's decision to remove all of America's combat troops from Iraq and leave behind only those troops necessary to continue the training of Iraq troops was the right decision. Any draw down of American troops now in Iraq will be speculative at best and could involve more combat operations for those troops in Iraq then they experienced since the draw down.
A reckless foreign policy is not in the best interest of America and certainly not in the best interest of our troops who give and sacrifice so much for their country.
This commentary was written by Joe Lorio
But the President undermined all that by withdrawing from the Iran nuclear agreement rejecting our allies sound advise, refusing to believe Iran was in compliance and instituted sanctions against Iran that has once again destabilized the region. Iran now has a larger role in Iraq than ever before and a larger say so in that government.
A successful foreign policy would not require more Americans to be deployed to the Middle East. President Obama's decision to remove all of America's combat troops from Iraq and leave behind only those troops necessary to continue the training of Iraq troops was the right decision. Any draw down of American troops now in Iraq will be speculative at best and could involve more combat operations for those troops in Iraq then they experienced since the draw down.
A reckless foreign policy is not in the best interest of America and certainly not in the best interest of our troops who give and sacrifice so much for their country.
This commentary was written by Joe Lorio
Thursday, January 2, 2020
The City of New Orleans Continues Its Progress In Lowering The Homicide Rate
And it all began under the administration of Mayor Mitch Landrieu who was the first Mayor to acknowledge the problem and make a commitment to do something about it. The Mayor knew the police force was under staffed for a city the size of New Orleans and had a plan to add additional officers, and to her credit, Mayor Cantrell has continued to take the crime issue as a serious problem to address.
And now we learn that the homicide rate in New Orleans for 2019 was at the lowest level in five decades and on a downward slope the last three years. New Orleans police superintendent Shaun Ferguson said there is much more work to be done to ensure the safety of everyone. Any one homicide, any one shooting, any one robbery is one too many. That approach is welcome and indicates our city leaders will do what is necessary to keep the downward trend alive.
So we say a job well done to former Mayor Landrieu, his successor Mayor Cantrell and Chief Ferguson for their actions, leadership and the hope of a future New Orleans where crime is the very least of the city's problems. Vigilance is needed now to keep the city on a steady course in the fight against crime.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
And now we learn that the homicide rate in New Orleans for 2019 was at the lowest level in five decades and on a downward slope the last three years. New Orleans police superintendent Shaun Ferguson said there is much more work to be done to ensure the safety of everyone. Any one homicide, any one shooting, any one robbery is one too many. That approach is welcome and indicates our city leaders will do what is necessary to keep the downward trend alive.
So we say a job well done to former Mayor Landrieu, his successor Mayor Cantrell and Chief Ferguson for their actions, leadership and the hope of a future New Orleans where crime is the very least of the city's problems. Vigilance is needed now to keep the city on a steady course in the fight against crime.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
The Berlin Wall and President Trump's Mexico Wall Shares A Related Issue
President John F. Kennedy traveled to West Berlin in 1963 to deliver a major address to the people of that city and to Europe. The city, divided by a wall that separated communist controlled East Berlin and democratic West Berlin during the cold war to stop the flow of people from East Berlin to the West Berlin who sought a better life with freedom and democracy. President Kennedy's speech before millions of Berliners was embraced by the people.
The President said it was obvious that the Wall represented the failure of the communist system. We can flash forward to the present concerning President Trump's Mexico Wall and it should be obvious that Trump's Wall represents his failure to send immigration reform legislation to the U.S. Congress to be acted on even though both houses of Congress were controlled by the republican party for Trump's first 24 months in office. And after 34 months in office, his own party still has no immigration reform legislation agenda.
And we know according to Trump's own words he intends to make immigration a major theme of his re-election campaign in 2020. Never mind that candidate Trump made immigration a top priority in the 2016 campaign but once elected, all America heard was Trump's rhetoric. America needs immigration reform legislation to address the broad issues that are related to the problem and a good place to start would be the immigration reform passed by the democratic controlled U.S. Senate in 2013.
Brace yourself my fellow Americans because all you will hear from Trump this election year is what he said in the 2016 campaign and never accomplished if he is not convicted by the impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
The President said it was obvious that the Wall represented the failure of the communist system. We can flash forward to the present concerning President Trump's Mexico Wall and it should be obvious that Trump's Wall represents his failure to send immigration reform legislation to the U.S. Congress to be acted on even though both houses of Congress were controlled by the republican party for Trump's first 24 months in office. And after 34 months in office, his own party still has no immigration reform legislation agenda.
And we know according to Trump's own words he intends to make immigration a major theme of his re-election campaign in 2020. Never mind that candidate Trump made immigration a top priority in the 2016 campaign but once elected, all America heard was Trump's rhetoric. America needs immigration reform legislation to address the broad issues that are related to the problem and a good place to start would be the immigration reform passed by the democratic controlled U.S. Senate in 2013.
Brace yourself my fellow Americans because all you will hear from Trump this election year is what he said in the 2016 campaign and never accomplished if he is not convicted by the impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Another Non-Competative Regular Season In The NFL Comes To An End.
There are 32 NFL teams in the NFL and at the end of the 2019 regular season, only 13 teams had a winning record. It follows the same pattern as past seasons and there is no let up in sight. There are just too many poor teams and too many poor coaches and not enough quality players to stock 32 teams. The college draft will never bring parity to the league as the NFL and owners declared when the draft was put in place, and it never will under the present set up.
Four of the eight divisions have only one team with a winning record. The north and west division in the American conference and the south and east in the national conference. The NFC west is the most competitive division with three teams with a winning record. The Saints are the only team with a winning record in their division and the Saints beat only four teams with a winning record in 2019, Houston, Tennessee, Philadelphia and Seattle. Yet, all the New Orleans sports writers want to talk about and report on are Brees's personal records.
And the NFL's playoff system contributes to the non-competitive state of the league by allowing teams who have won nothing after a 16 game schedule be chosen for the playoffs and a opportunity to play for the world championship without accomplishing anything during the regular 16 game season. The NFL is a disaster but the money keeps flowing in to the NFL, the owners and the players. And of course you have states like Louisiana who continue to give corporate welfare to the wealthy owners like the owners of the New Orleans Saints.
A competitive NFL??? It does not exist.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
Four of the eight divisions have only one team with a winning record. The north and west division in the American conference and the south and east in the national conference. The NFC west is the most competitive division with three teams with a winning record. The Saints are the only team with a winning record in their division and the Saints beat only four teams with a winning record in 2019, Houston, Tennessee, Philadelphia and Seattle. Yet, all the New Orleans sports writers want to talk about and report on are Brees's personal records.
And the NFL's playoff system contributes to the non-competitive state of the league by allowing teams who have won nothing after a 16 game schedule be chosen for the playoffs and a opportunity to play for the world championship without accomplishing anything during the regular 16 game season. The NFL is a disaster but the money keeps flowing in to the NFL, the owners and the players. And of course you have states like Louisiana who continue to give corporate welfare to the wealthy owners like the owners of the New Orleans Saints.
A competitive NFL??? It does not exist.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
Sunday, December 29, 2019
Louisiana's GOP Controlled State Legislature At It Again With Tort Reform For New Limits On Lawsuits.
A news item in the New Orleans Advocate of December 27 has republican state representative Sherman Mack saying, "CIVIL LITIGATION CHANGES WILL BE THE BIGGEST PUBLIC TOPIC YOU'RE GOINT TO HEAR MOST ABOUT IN THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION." Mack and his republican lawmakers want to limit damages awarded in car accident lawsuits, alleging Louisiana's legal climate encourages people in car accidents to sue insurance companies which drive up insurance rates. And if tort reform is successful auto insurance rates would come down but offered no proof of such claim.
Tort reform is one of the many "fake news" claims by republicans to benefit the business community at the expense of those injured. Republicans are in favor of a two class society, one wealthy and the bottom tier. They do not like the middle class. The republican party has also sought tort reform for medical malpractice suits claiming those suits run up the cost of medical premiums and the cost of medical care. Such tort reform never reduced premiums or the cost of medical care.
For those who want the facts on tort reform to control suits one needs to read an article by Chip Wagar, Managing Partner of Chopin, Wagar, Richard and Kutcher, LLP published in the Jefferson Life Journal, spring issue of 2010. He outlines the facts that the outcome of medical malpractice reform caps resulted in larger profits for the insurance companies and not lower cost or rates for those insured. The medical malpractice insurance industry has seen a 47% increase in profitability in the last 10 years and that the only effect of caps on damages is increase profits for the industry and that states with medical malpractice caps do not have lower physician premiums or health care premiums. In other words the savings do not flow to the injured or those who pay the cost of medical care.
So if any one believes tort reform for auto damages are going to bring the cost of auto insurance down for the people, think again. The republican party and the business community can never be satisfied by their thirst for wealth at the expense of the middle class. Tax cuts that benefit the wealthy and the business community just are not enough for their greed.
Note: At the end of the Advocate article, the insurance industry said the reasons insurance rates are so high in Louisiana falls to the fact that too many drivers are not insured, bad roads and etc. They never mentioned Lawsuits. And the republicans never mention that the insurance companies are being advised by their own attorneys the money value to put on a settled claim. But they do not like the injured party to seek advise of an attorney.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
Tort reform is one of the many "fake news" claims by republicans to benefit the business community at the expense of those injured. Republicans are in favor of a two class society, one wealthy and the bottom tier. They do not like the middle class. The republican party has also sought tort reform for medical malpractice suits claiming those suits run up the cost of medical premiums and the cost of medical care. Such tort reform never reduced premiums or the cost of medical care.
For those who want the facts on tort reform to control suits one needs to read an article by Chip Wagar, Managing Partner of Chopin, Wagar, Richard and Kutcher, LLP published in the Jefferson Life Journal, spring issue of 2010. He outlines the facts that the outcome of medical malpractice reform caps resulted in larger profits for the insurance companies and not lower cost or rates for those insured. The medical malpractice insurance industry has seen a 47% increase in profitability in the last 10 years and that the only effect of caps on damages is increase profits for the industry and that states with medical malpractice caps do not have lower physician premiums or health care premiums. In other words the savings do not flow to the injured or those who pay the cost of medical care.
So if any one believes tort reform for auto damages are going to bring the cost of auto insurance down for the people, think again. The republican party and the business community can never be satisfied by their thirst for wealth at the expense of the middle class. Tax cuts that benefit the wealthy and the business community just are not enough for their greed.
Note: At the end of the Advocate article, the insurance industry said the reasons insurance rates are so high in Louisiana falls to the fact that too many drivers are not insured, bad roads and etc. They never mentioned Lawsuits. And the republicans never mention that the insurance companies are being advised by their own attorneys the money value to put on a settled claim. But they do not like the injured party to seek advise of an attorney.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Democratic Presindential Candidate Joe Biden Has The Best Health Care Plan and The Political Understanding Necessary To Run The Federal Government.
Former U.S. Senator and Vice President Joe Biden has demonstrated he has the best and most logical plan to settle the health care issue. Its a common sense plan to improve on the ACA, make it better, eliminate what is not working and adopt a public option which will allow more choice and can be achieved at an affordable cost. The basic plan is there in place over 8 years and the health care issue does not need to be debated anew with a new plan that has to be introduced all over again.
The ACA continues to serve a need for the American people. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services reported last week that 8.3 million Americans signed up for the ACA between November 1 and December 17 with more sign ups to follow despite the Trump administrations cut backs in the ad budget for the ACA and Trump and the republicans vow to repeal the act and the road blocks they throw up every day and try to undermine the program. Joe Biden has the political understanding necessary to forge the changes that ae needed to a system that is not broke but needs to be adjusted like all government programs. The issue is too important to be poisoned by Trump and his party who have failed the health care issue for the past 16 years.
Joe Biden also has the political understanding and experience that is necessary to preside over the federal government The advantage over his democratic opponents and Trump are easily recognized. The carnage that Trump will leave to the next President will be one of the great challenges in modern times and the country can ill afford to take another chance on a candidate who lacks the political understanding and experience of candidate Joe Biden.
A wise and great American President, Harry Truman said it best many years ago with one of his many famous sayings when he said, A PRESIDENT NEEDS POLITICAL UNDERSTANDING TO RUN GOVERNMENT, BUT HE MAY BE ELECTED WITHOUT IT. And that is what took place in the Presidential election of 2016.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
The ACA continues to serve a need for the American people. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services reported last week that 8.3 million Americans signed up for the ACA between November 1 and December 17 with more sign ups to follow despite the Trump administrations cut backs in the ad budget for the ACA and Trump and the republicans vow to repeal the act and the road blocks they throw up every day and try to undermine the program. Joe Biden has the political understanding necessary to forge the changes that ae needed to a system that is not broke but needs to be adjusted like all government programs. The issue is too important to be poisoned by Trump and his party who have failed the health care issue for the past 16 years.
Joe Biden also has the political understanding and experience that is necessary to preside over the federal government The advantage over his democratic opponents and Trump are easily recognized. The carnage that Trump will leave to the next President will be one of the great challenges in modern times and the country can ill afford to take another chance on a candidate who lacks the political understanding and experience of candidate Joe Biden.
A wise and great American President, Harry Truman said it best many years ago with one of his many famous sayings when he said, A PRESIDENT NEEDS POLITICAL UNDERSTANDING TO RUN GOVERNMENT, BUT HE MAY BE ELECTED WITHOUT IT. And that is what took place in the Presidential election of 2016.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
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