The U.S. Senate is supposed to be the cooler head of America’s body politic, a place where principle, not passion, prevails over the people’s business.
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
Formed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Louisiana’s Cajun Navy has been at it again, rescuing stranded homeowners in the flood-ravaged Carolinas as residents there cope with the aftermath of what was once Hurricane Florence.
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
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Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Gov. John Bel Edward has raised taxes three times totaling more than $7 billion over 32 months since taking office. The governor proposed raising twice as much but couldn't get those increases through the Republican-controlled Legislature.
Now that Christine Blasey Ford has come forward willing to testify, U.S. Sens. John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy have no choice but to take her testimony as truth and vote no on Kavanaugh. All my life, I've seen how women who accuse men in power of se…
I am writing to offer comment on Andrea Gallo's article on Woman's Hospital's program to help babies born to opioid-dependent mothers. In no way am I offering criticism of the article or the program at Woman's Hospital. I applaud both.
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
How sad it was to learn that Carolyn McKnight is leaving BREC. What an outstanding and creative leader she is. Baton Rouge is losing one of its finest. Her shoes will be very difficult to fill.
As a proud Vietnam Veteran, I found The Advocate's cartoon on Sept. 12 to be offensive and demeaning to veterans. There is no doubt there are many veterans who have problems and need help. I just don't think it is necessary to depict veterans as p…
Our path to a prosperous and equitable southeast Louisiana is difficult. One in two households in our community struggles to make ends meet. The impact of that staggering figure is responsible for much of our region’s societal and economic challenges.
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
From a marketing standpoint, Nike’s recent ad campaign is pure genius. I and many others believe Nike could have selected a much more deserving spokesman instead of Colin Kaepernick. Perhaps a wounded warrior severely injured defending our country…
As only cartoonist Walt Handelsman can do it, here's a satirical look at President Trump and his staff's "White House Paranoia."
The Regional Transit Authority hasn’t always lived up to its name.
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, movie star Brad Pitt formed the nonprofit Make It Right Foundation to help build 150 affordable homes in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans, ground zero for devastating flooding after the city’s levees broke. More …
Monday, September 17, 2018
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Some prominent Louisiana Republicans think they have a winning strategy for the 2019 governor’s election: Make the contest a referendum on Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards.
Monday, September 17, 2018
I am writing in response to the recent article entitled, "Louisiana educators look for ways to improve math skills as poor scores continue to plague schools." The writer states that “Leaders of the Louisiana Association of Teachers of Mathematics …
The Affordable Care Act provided protections for all Americans with “pre-existing” medical conditions. Now, insurance companies can no longer refuse us medical coverage because we’re sick or have other health problems. Most of us think that’s a go…
Watching the congressional hearings into the Hurricane Katrina response could be infuriating. Some members didn’t bother to do their homework and get good information. Some seemed intent on simply finding someone to blame.
Sunday, September 16, 2018
Out of this World!
The media, which has made no secret of its hatred of President Donald Trump, should be ashamed of its conspiracy to withhold all the good things Trump has done for this country and its citizens since he has been in office. And he has gotten all th…
I keep hearing people say that they are unhappy with the government and that elected officials aren't listening to the people. Think your voice is not being heard by the government? Well, you are right in thinking that if you don’t vote.
When Louisiana set its first statewide college admissions standards in 2001, the then-leader of Louisiana State University described the modest achievement, hailed as a higher education milestone by many officials, as too weak. LSU used tougher st…
Saturday, September 15, 2018
The thought of San Francisco Democrat Nancy Pelosi becoming speaker of the U.S. House “should scare all Americans,” GOP Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said last week when asked what would happen if the Republicans lost their 23-seat majority in th…
There is an old rule that the perfect political speech is one that does not lose you any votes.
The Louisiana Board of Regents must halt Louisiana State University’s quest to enrich itself, wasting taxpayer dollars and lowering academic standards.
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Gov. John Bel Edwards is practically taunting Attorney General Jeff Landry these days, arguing to anyone who’ll listen that a Texas lawsuit seeking to invalidate the Affordable Care Act’s ban on discrimination against people with pre-existing heal…
Based on his body language and tone during his news conference Wednesday, Kenner Mayor Ben Zahn looked like a man embroiled in a major scandal. He wasn't. But standing in front of a handful of journalists and at least one local with a sign calling…
Every year, as insurers tally up the good or bad news about policy costs on the insurance exchanges, we cannot help but reflect on the chaotic origins of the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, passed by Congress in 2010.
All along, the mismatch between Kenner city government and the worldwide brand of Nike was not going to end well for the former.
Friday, September 14, 2018
I smiled when I found out that the city of Kenner’s Supreme Leader, er, Mayor Ben Zahn announced that he was pulling back his order that said that under no circumstance would any Nike product be purchased for use at any of Kenner’s recreation facilities.
I read with interest a recent article in The Advocate in which a group that includes Joe Jaeger is asking for large subsidies to build a 1,200-room hotel next to the Morial Convention Center, for which the Bureau of Governmental Research estimates…
Phillip Manuel’s recent letter to The Advocate stating that traffic cameras only boost resentment may not be the public’s view, but it certainly is his. His admission to regularly violating speed laws answered his own question in the affirmative w…
Gov. John Bel Edwards still doesn’t know who his main opponent will be next year. But he’s fundraising as if he does.
The phrase used over a generation about Louisiana drilling on shore was "played out," which was striking for a state with early and big oil exploration ventures going back to the earliest years of the 20th Century.
Thursday, September 13, 2018
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"He's not a war hero. He's a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren't captured."
I hope the state of Louisiana will take a cue from Kenner Mayor Ben Zahn and drop the boycott of the Bank of America and Citibank. Political posturing has no business interfering in the business of business.
Reading the letter from Phillip Manuel questioning the value of speed limits seemed quite timely to me and I am sure many of my neighbors in Metairie. Dozens of us have just spent a couple of days posting on Facebook about how awful our traffic pr…
Kenner Mayor Ben Zahn did the right thing Wednesday, even if he did it for the wrong reasons.
As Americans were busy this week poring over the busy tropical weather forecast maps, word got out that Department of Homeland Security had diverted $10 million from FEMA’s budget to provide more “detention beds” for people arrested as part of the…
There are powerful moral reasons to boycott Nike, which relies on sweatshop labor in such distant parts as Indonesia, Cambodia and Vietnam to turn out sports gear with the swoosh that says rip-off.
When you are faced with a monster hurricane like Florence, both faith and works are necessary.
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Umpire Carlos Ramos is a great professional tennis umpire. He did exactly what he was supposed to do. He called an impartial match following the tennis rules in place at the 2018 U.S. Open Tennis Final. Shame on all, especially Serena Williams and…
It should now be blindly obvious to anyone with an IQ higher than a bag of peanuts that the “Republican Party” (aka the Party of Trump) has neither the ability or any intention of actually governing. They instead are simply a group of people whose…
I read recently in the paper where several groups are opposed to industries filing for the Industrial Tax Exemption for legitimate projects that bring and/or maintain jobs in our area. It seems that a more productive activity for the groups would …
Must be nice to be state treasurer. You get to put out press releases when the credit rating agencies smile upon the state, but avoid the unpleasantness of creating the conditions to make that happen.
Sometimes in south Louisiana, we might have the attitude that there’s not a good time for a road trip to greater Shreveport, but there are three special reasons for driving to north Louisiana this fall and they involve family: our family of great apes.
In the heavyweight division of histrionic statements, the city of Kenner vs. Nike is not a major league bout.