Governor Transparency

Certainly Sen. Amedee must think more highly of Louisiana voters. 

The Jindal administration’s counsel Jimmy Faircloth has implied that the exclusion is necessary so that he would not have to offer a variety of ideas that the public would then have access.  If his work product were offered to the public, he says he might refrain preferring these ideas.

If Governor Jindal desires any credibility for his “ethics reform”, he must again realize that “what is good for the goose is good for the gander”.   The public hires state employees and we have a right to know if they are worthy and doing their jobs.  We do not live in the former communist Soviet Union or an autocracy.  If anything, right now, the inner-workings of the Governor should be “as open as possible” especially since we do not know if the Governor is working for the people or for his own private personal national agenda on some issues.  He has made ethics the key plank, has put himself into the national spotlight, and we, the voters, have every right to know which Governor is talking, the Louisiana Governor or the national figure.  Our lives depend upon his agenda and should he leave this state for a national position, we will still be here while he will be fostering his ideology and agenda to a national cause.  We have every right to know who he is and why he takes the positions that he supports.   

Tobacco Tax

The Louisiana Republican party has made Karen Carter Peterson’s tobacco cigarette legislation as “public enemy number one”.  In a recent email in which the Louisiana Republican Party has taken on that tobacco legislation which has been supported by the Catholic Church, the AARP, and almost all major health providers and organizations, the email has let the legislators and the Republican followers know that the bill must be defeated.

On Friday, Aaron Baer of the GOP said, “COMPROMISE? Let’s make one thing clear, our objection to Rep. Peterson’s tax hike has never been about the amount of the increase.  Raising taxes, especially during tough economic times, is not sound policy.  This extremely regressive tax hurts those with the least disposable income and hurts our state’s small businesses.  If Rep. Peterson is truly “fluid and flexible” with her proposal she’d seek to redirect spending from ineffective programs or increase government efficiency to fund her initiatives.  Perhaps then we could have “compromise” but we won’t “capitulate” on tax hikes.”

Baer has a point in that more effort should be on spending reductions, although many in health and education would disagree since their budgets are being totaled.  In fact, some believe that if there should be cutting, it should begin with Governor Jindal’s Administration’s salaries to show that his office is willing to take the hard knocks. 

However, the one area that I part with Aaron Baer and the Republican Party is on what I consider to be their intransigent dogmatic notion that all taxes are bad.  That is akin to saying that if you commit a traffic violation or even a crime, you should not pay a penalty since it is essentially a tax.  The bottom line is that smoking kills.  It is the worse public health danger in our society.  Yes, there are others, but smoking is the worse.  Ask almost any medical provider and they will describe the costs of health care upon the individual, the institutions and yes, the state.  We would be saving money by reducing smoking and in turn helping worthy organizations to defeat a public scourge.     If we are so concerned about helping the people with the least disposable income, then, let’s do away with gambling and the lottery since those activities certainly hurt that population with a vengeance. 

If we want health care programs, we must pay for them.  If we want to reduce teenage smoking and tobacco use by those who are hooked due to heartless cigarette companies, we must stand up and take action.  Smoking viciously hurts families and if the Louisiana GOP is going to be the party of “family values”, it should go beyond forgiving people such as David Vitter when he cheats on his family and he lies to the Louisiana citizens.  It should realize that the costs to the family and to Louisiana society is tremendous because of cigarette smoking.  The GOP must go beyond what the national party dictates and what our Governor’s own political ambitions desire.  Creating “dis-incentives” to smoking and helping organizations with the tax money who can then deal with the health hazards of this state make plenty of sense.  If the GOP or the Jindal Administration has a better idea how it can reduce smoking in Louisiana, let them come forward with one.  If they want to be the party of “big tobacco” and the party of “killing our teenagers” in favor of “no taxes”, let them.  If they want to continue to enable those who are hooked on a vicious product, that is their choice.  Until then, right now, this bill is the only game in town that makes sense.  But, if the GOP or the Jindal Administration has a real solution to a major health and fiscal problem, due to tobacco consumption, then please let us hear it.  Until then, their anti-tax argument is just smoking rope.

Louisiana Republican Party Outreach

I often wonder if the Louisiana Democratic Party is Louisiana is “legally dead” and if the LaGOP has become a thriving industry, full of activists.  A day does not go by when I do not receive educational (or propaganda) information for the Louisiana GOP.  They are pushing the Jindal agenda “to a tee” which I believe accounts for the Governor’s initial successes.  By comparison, the Louisiana Democratic Party is anemic and even that term flatters.  It is incredible that the Louisiana Democratic Party has not fielded a candidate to take on David Vitter.  It is obscene that the Louisiana Demo information machine is not even on the same field with its opponent.  Whether it is the dearth of  leadership or the demography of the state, something within the state’s party must change, or else its legislative agenda will go down in flames, the Louisiana Republicans will continue to dominate state-wide politics and the Louisiana Democratic Party will be irrelevant except for a few urban areas .  While I personally do not agree with all of the GOP issues, and definitely disagree with them on some of the more high-profile emotional issues, that party is vibrant and its Chairman and organization should be praised for working cohesively as any state party in the nation.   In Louisiana, the GOP ranks, while the Louisiana Democratic Party is “fifth-rate” in organization and vitality. 

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