One would think that Louisiana’s reputation for influence peddling could get no worse.Then came the Senate vote on Health Care.How humiliating!
Louisiana suffers from the perception that its politicians are “up for sale”.Incidents like the vote taken by Senator Mary Landrieu this past Saturday serve only to reinforce that notion.
Senator Landrieu sold her vote on Health Care Reform for money.Her action further sullies the sad reputation of Louisiana’s politicians. A basic issue of ethics stands in play here.Senators should vote their conscience or the will of their constituents.They should not openly sell their votes for any reason.
Granted “horse-trading” and “earmarks” are a regrettable part of Washington life.But citizens voted for “Change” this past November because they wanted that habit to end.Now this disgusting practice has become more overt.
The rest of the nation has been most generous with Louisiana since Katrina.Significant amounts of federal money and private funds have arrived on the heels of this disaster. Volunteers have made the greatest contribution to the region’s recovery.
Over 56% of the American people oppose this Health Care Reform legislation (Rasmussen Tracking poll).It is a slap in the face to all of these great citizens to have a bill they oppose rammed through the Senate because a Louisiana Senator sold her vote for more of their tax money.
What is worse, Senator Landrieu appears to see nothing wrong with her actions.When questioned about having “sold her vote for $100 million”, she stated proudly: “I will correct something. It’s not $100 million, it’s $300 million, and I’m proud of it and will keep fighting for it.” As if she had performed some honorable deed.
In the long run, this vote may cost Louisiana far more than $300 million in public support, private support, and volunteer efforts.Many may decide to simply wash their hands of this state in disgust. Who could blame them?
This episode highlights exactly what is wrong in Washington.The “Change You Can Believe In!” is nowhere in sight. Senator Landrieu’s action proves that nothing has changed in Washington!
But Washington had best beware…the pot is brewing!
by Ron Chapman. Ron Chapman is an educator and an award winning journalist from St. Bernard Parish.
A man is driving down a deserted stretch of highway when he notices a sign out of the corner of his eye. It says Sisters of Mercy House of Prostitution 10 Miles. He thinks it was just a figment of his imagination and drives on without a second thought. Soon, he sees another sign which says Sisters of Mercy House of Prostitution 5 Miles and realizes that these signs are for real. When he drives past a third sign saying Sisters of Mercy House of Prostitution Next Right, his curiosity gets the best of him and he pulls into the drive..... On the far side of the parking lot is a somber stone building with a small sign next to the door reading SISTERS OF MERCY. He climbs the steps and rings the bell. The door is answered by a nun in a long black habit who asks "I’m Sister Mare, what may we do for you, my son?" He answers "I saw your signs along the highway, and was interested in possibly doing business.".... "Very well, my son. Please follow me." He is led through many winding passages and is soon quite disoriented. The nun stops at a closed door,and tells the man "Please knock on this door." He does as he is told and this door is answered by another nun in a long habit and holding a tin cup.This nun instructs "Please place $50 in the cup, then go through the large wooden door at the end of this hallway." He gets $50 out of his wallet and places it in the second nun's cup..... He trots eagerly down the hall and slips through the door, pulling it shut behind him. As the door locks behind him, he finds himself back in the parking lot, facing another small sign: Go in Peace, You Have Just Been Screwed by the Sisters of Mercy...........
Written by
on 11/30/2009
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Yes indeedy, no need to cut spending, let's raise taxes. Or better yet let's get more federal dollars they are printing them like crazy! Jindal and landrieu are co captains on the Louisiana Titanic, is that a fiddle I hear in the background? Written by CN
on 11/28/2009
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Let's not forget that Louisiana faces massive budget cuts again this coming legislative session. This $300 million will help keep the state's health care system going. Even with this money hundreds of millions will still have to be cut unless there is a tobacco tax increase or some restoration of part of the Stelly Plan. Written by David Quidd
on 11/28/2009
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And God Bless you cry over this........ And thanks for the posts that perhaps caused some folks to think about things. Anything less would have been a waste of yours and our time. Written by
on 11/27/2009
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I want to thank everyone for allowing me to express myself and I wish each and everyone of you the very best. Take care and God Bless. Written by Cry over this
on 11/27/2009
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Yeah, yeah, Remember the Maine, Remember the Alamo, 54-40 or fight, Geronimo!, Tippecanoe and Tyler, too!! are almost as relevant or meaningful of chants to current situations as your nostalgic reference “to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual……….” is. And your corny reference to that M.L.K. wistful eulogy of: “As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.” Is almost as original as some Sir Winston Churchill or FDR speech was which were probably semi-plagiarized, or used as a base template in part from some hymn like the one sung at the end of a 1942 Acad¬e¬my Award-win¬ning mo¬vie, Mrs. Min¬i¬ver. Time to evolve there R’sW or all you are doing is revolving around the light like a moth does with a flame just before it burns out. Nothing of real value contributed, nothing useful by the whole gained. Cry over this, you where so close to nailing the subject when you put down; “Our leaders point fingers while working with the very people they attack to fill their own greedy pockets.” it is incredible!!! But at the last second, fearful that you would bang your thumb, you dropped the hammer. And that my ‘dear’ friend is the whole crux of the matter where Louisiana is concerned, be it social or political. You claim; “The biggest problem I see in Louisiana is we no longer have a real two party system.”………. Cry over this, we still do have the same “Two party” system we always had…… Plantation owner and servant, or, King and Serf, or, Those that have versus those that don’t…… We is still fighting the civil war down here even though it was over and done with decades ago. And a big part of that is for out ‘illustrious leaders’ to stay in their ‘taxpayer supported slots’ they merely continue to blow smoke up our way where the daylight don’t shine, and in the middle of it we have senile goofies and a host of state supported crazies that keep the useless mantras and chants going that serve no purpose aside to distract us from reality, or put a stumbling block in our way to interfere with any real progress we could achieve. Meanwhile we are taxed to death. But that isn’t a literal enough statement for the simpletons out there so let me put it another way; “We are tacked to death”…….. Or how about “We are attacked by debt”…….. Oh I just luv’s to look at and play with the words in order to forge a better understandings of the sitiations at hand faced by my neighbors be they dogs on the chain or the wonderful master tossing them the table scraps from their evening meals. Written by
on 11/27/2009
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"None of the above" is a great way for the people to express their disapproval of "politics as usual." I too think it would be a good thing to initiate in our state/country's elections. I too am not going to be as affected by the long-term negative consequences of the economic "fix" government is putting in place as people younger than I will be. The good news is that people seem to be more informed in what politicians are doing than ever before. No real change will take place however if we keep reelecting incumbents at a 90 plus percent rate. The "real problem" as I see it is that we - as a people - cannot accept that there WILL BE "unmet needs." We cannot accept that our resources (government finances) are finite and we cannot "do everything for everybody." That being the case, we elect and reelect those politicians who promise us a "free lunch." I cannot understand why so many ignore the CBO's own estimates of the shortfalls (or "unfunded liabilities" as they refer to this) that both Social Security and Medicare have. Sooner or later the piper will be paid, it would be far wiser and much less harsh to deal with fiscal reality now, but ignoring it and telling Jane and John Doe what they want to hear is what wins elections. .... and so it goes .... Written by kpf
on 11/27/2009
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kpf I agree, but if we do not start holding all of them accountable we can never start to make real change. The biggest problem I see in Louisiana is we no longer have a real two party system. Our leaders point fingers while working with the very people they attack to fill their own greedy pockets. I am not sure what the answer for Louisiana is but I do know that we need to start getting rid of these politicians that have failed to improve life in Louisiana. Jindal, Mary and Vitter need to go and only by voting these people out of office will Louisiana have a chance. If we keep re-electing these people they know they can do what ever they want because Louisiana voters never learn. I am at a point in life that neither party or person will effect my life but I worry about
our young people who will have to move to other states just so they can have a decent future. I wish we could have none of the above placed on the election ballot Written by cry over this
on 11/27/2009
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Stirring words Miz Scarlette. If Rhett is even foolish enough to part ways with you .... well .... you know. Written by Secret Admirer
on 11/26/2009
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Mr. Chapman, dear, I would agree with you. However, I believe one statement made in your article stands out more meaninful that even Mrs. Snellings vote (I believe she is still married): "Volunteers have made the greatest contribution to the region’s recovery." On this statement alone, this city and other areas destroyed by the hurricanes of over four years ago should give thanks. Instead the continued political disputes and pork barrelling and trade-offs, lack of local and state leadership, and the continuing national crisis here and abroad must be overcome. I quote certain parts of Martin Luther King's speech which are meaningful to people of all ancestries:
1. As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.
2. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence.
To this I add the ultimate need that people of all ancestries start to hold their leaders accountable at the voting place. We can only accomplish this, if, regardless of our ancestry, we choose only the best and not make a judgment based on the candidates ancestry. We can only march ahead if we refuse to elect those who are by their very nature and their ties parts of political machines meant to defraud people of all ancestries of their rights. It is then, I would say that Rev. King's ultimate statement would be true: And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
This nation must once again be free as our forefathers desired it to be. The political systeme that has arisen and the fraud and lies perpetrated on the voters for decades must be eliminated. Together, all of us will accomplish far more than even Rev. King imagined on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial so many years ago.
Written by RhettsWife
on 11/26/2009
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To me "Cry over this", it is not so much that we need to replace one set of politicos with another, as we need to watch our elected officials as though they are children who cannot be trusted to do the right things. As long as we expect "wise and noble" leaders to run our government - without a distrustful populace casting a wary eye on them - we will always have government that "makes us cry." Written by kpf
on 11/26/2009
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Mary had the full support of Governor Jindal on this vote so it must have been the right thing to do. Mary , Jindal and Vitter need to go. Written by cry over this
on 11/26/2009
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And 7% of the voters in Quidd's district thought he made enough sense to earn their votes. Written by
on 11/25/2009
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Ron Chapman has humiliated himself by writing this column. Mary Landrieu has done exactly what a good senator should do in representing their state. David Vitter has failed Louisiana by comparison and should be replaced in next year's election. Louisiana will benefit from the passage of health care reform thanks to Mary Landrieu's efforts. 61% percent of those polled want real health care reform and 59% believe the Republicans are acting in bad faith on the issue. An exception in the Senate is Olympia Snowe who has indicated she will vote for a public option with a trigger and an opt-out provision for states. Written by David Quidd
on 11/25/2009
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Unconscionable is the word dog gone it!!! Written by
on 11/25/2009
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I needed to put my post on sphul cheker to make sure it was acceptable, the bleow post shuld hav red: Oh come on now Written by, Landrieu is not a political whore, a political horror or a political prostitute maybe, but certainly not a political whore.. How ungentlemanly of you to post such smack in such an obscene and <uncontainable> manner... You need to attend 'Man-Up' school. - - - - - Dang me fer not attending enuf skool and lerning how ta sphuls an post properlees and wit a valid point or explanation…. Oh damn, I gotta stop this, folks might start thinking I am trying to imitate Kp. Written by The only true written by on this buzzy-buzz-buzz b
on 11/25/2009
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Oh come on now Written by, Landrieu is not a political whore, a political horror or a political prostitute maybe, but certainly not a political whore.. How ungentlemanly of you to post such smack in such an obscene and uncountionable manner... You need to attend 'Man-Up' school. Written by
on 11/25/2009
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Mrno appears to be a left wing paid attack mutt. Either that or he is in the “Get your money fer nothing and your checks, er, uhhhhhhhhhhh, chicks fer free” group that volunteers that sort of rap as being WORD UP MAN. Mrno would call it getting our tax dollars back to our state where they belong? Uhhh, Mrno, where do you think all the dollars for the New Orleans recovery came from, Louisiana tax dollars? Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!! You Mrno are a typical example of the Louisiana mentality of “Wanting to have its cake and eat it too”. Dismissed……….. As in “Yeah, I dissed your whiney @$$ philosophy, or theory, or custom, or family tradition, or whatever it is you hide behind while you post such ignorant drivel. Funny thing is, add an o and rearrange some of the letters in Mrno’s handle and what do you got? MORON!!!!!!!!! Ooohhhh!!!! I biatch slapped tha gangsta in da moufs agains!!!! Happy Thanksgiving dude, enjoy your turkey and all the dressings and trappings that go along with it.. Uhhh, could you pass some of the gravy this way dude? Oooooooooooooohhh!!! Ah dids it agains!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Written by
on 11/25/2009
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Interesting post there Grits. But out of the 50/50 split or whatever it is you are imagineering, how many of those people do you think on each side of the / have a grasp on what is meant by health care reform? I would suppose on one side of the / equation would be the folks that are saying "I want my medical bills taken care of by the government" and on the other side of the / are people that are saying "I don't want to lose my home I can't afford now because of more taxes that are going to be required that I don't and won't have due to this suck @$$ economy to pay for it." And of course the missing 'polled' hefers that aren't in the equation at all (because no poll has an unbiased 100% participation now do they?)are saying "Oh gawd, please let this sh^t storm pass my house by and leave me unscathed one way or another". Written by
on 11/25/2009
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More in U.S. Say Health Coverage Is Not Gov’t. Responsibility.......................
Marks significant shift from the attitudes of the past decade by Frank Newport
PRINCETON, NJ -- More Americans now say it is not the federal government's responsibility to make sure all Americans have healthcare coverage (50%) than say it is (47%). This is a first since Gallup began tracking this question, and a significant shift from as recently as three years ago, when two-thirds said ensuring healthcare coverage was the government's responsibility.
Written by nana
on 11/25/2009
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Monday, November 23, 2009 Email to a Friend ShareThisAdvertisement
Just 38% of voters now favor the health care plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats. That’s the lowest level of support measured for the plan in nearly two dozen tracking polls conducted since June.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 56% now oppose the plan.
Half the survey was conducted before the Senate voted late Saturday to begin debate on its version of the legislation. Support for the plan was slightly lower in the half of the survey conducted after the Senate vote.
Written by nana
on 11/25/2009
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I don't know what "National Polls" (MSNBC perhaps) you are looking at but Gallop and Rasmussen say just the opposite Written by
on 11/25/2009
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Chapman is a right wing paid attack mutt. National polls on healthcare reform show most americans want reform and how they want to pay for it. If Senator Landrieu can get our poverty-ridden, disaster-ridden state $300 million, only an idiot like Chapman would call that humiliating. I'd call it getting our tax dollars back to our state where they belong. No wonder no one has ever heard of this guy. He has nothing intelligent to say and takes too much space to say it. Written by mrno
on 11/25/2009
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The biggest problem with the proposed health care reform legislation is that it - as with minimum wage increases - causes lower end wage earners to cost their employees more without a corresponding increase in their productivity. This means both fewer jobs and increases on prices of goods and services as the "costs imposed on D.C. to businesses" are "trickled down" to the consumer in higher prices. Written by kpf
on 11/25/2009
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I find it interesting (though not surprising) that Ron Chapman (whoever he is, I've never heard of him) picked a polling company, which is notoriously "right leaning" to justify his comment that 56% of the country is against health care reform. I think if you use a composite of polling you would find the actual results to be more like 50/50 or possibly 51/49 with the majority being for reform.
The article is a prime example of "shooting from the lip" commentary without knowing the facts. The money in question was "wanted and encouraged" by the Governor and his administration. If you'll notice you haven't heard a negative word from the administration. Written by Gritsngumbo
on 11/25/2009
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