With the coronavirus spreading across the nation, all Americans are feeling vulnerable and nervous about the future. Incredible steps have been taken to shut down interaction among people and slow the spread of the killer disease. Hopefully, these measures will be successful, and life will soon return to normal in the country.

In the meantime, the crisis will get worse before it eventually gets better. One place that is being particularly hard hit is Louisiana. Our state is facing a crisis like nothing it has ever experienced. We are used to dealing with hurricanes and natural disasters, but this crisis is multi-faceted and will be long-lasting.

Louisiana is going into its fourth year of John Bel Edwards at its helm. The first three years have been quite rocky, in large part due to his predecessor, Governor Bobby Jindal, leaving a major budget deficit that needed filling. As a result, numerous special sessions, a few totally unsuccessful, ultimately balanced the budget. Today, Edwards, a Democrat, says the days of raising taxes are over, that the budget has been stabilized.

How is Louisiana's economy doing now that the oil prices have improved, especially since Louisiana is so dependent upon that industry? There have been reports about a poor Louisiana economy, so is it fair to blame the current governor, John Bel Edwards?  Is the United States losing the manufacturing battle against the world as President Donald Trump has been claiming?