It has been quite a while since my last blog. With the advent of new technology and the passage of time, my previous site was no longer user friendly. I hope you like the new layout.
A lot has happened since my last posts, and many opportunities to comment on those happenings have past by. However, I have no doubt that today’s political climate will provide more than enough material to opine upon. So, let’s get started.
John Bel Edwards is Louisiana’s governor seeking re-election. By putting together a coalition of democrat and republican legislators, he has pulled Louisiana out of the deadly fiscal crisis left by the prior administration. Gov. Edwards succeeded in fully funding TOPS and embarked the state upon a $690 million investment in transportation projects, Louisiana’s largest investment in roads and highways in the past 30 years.
On a different front, actually the polar opposite in many ways, and with the ever-expanding role of social media, Donald Trump has re-created the Office of President with his many tweets that many in the media call racist while his supporters shout, “Send her back.” Our country has an out of control crisis at the southern border that it has never before experienced, and Washington politicians on both sides of the aisle continue to fight one another just because they can. The national debt continues to skyrocket. Democrats are still in shock over Hillary Clinton’s loss, and republicans are blindly sticking by Donald Trump despite some of his outrageous tweets and statements to the press.
What a contrast Louisiana is. A democrat governor, pro-gun, pro-life, a former Army Ranger, putting together a coalition of legislators from different political philosophies to put Louisiana first and bring Louisiana out of the black hole that the state had sunk into.
I plan on writing my blogs with my thoughts about the political happenings and the politically insane. Unfortunately, the shenanigans in Washington is always a great topic. President Trump should provide a lot to write about, maybe some favorable and some maybe not so favorable. In addition, the presidential race is on, at least on the democratic side, with twenty or more democrats seeking their party’s nomination. It will be a long ride leading up to the first vote, the Iowa caucus, scheduled for February 3 of next year. The national media will be up to their usual tricks pushing the candidate or candidates they like best. Fox News will give their version of the facts while the big three networks as well as CNN and MSNBC will give their version of the same facts. Funny how the same facts can be reported differently from media outlet to media outlet. And, of course, the Russians and possibly China or other foreign governments will try to have their say in our election through the use of social media and fake news. And lastly, let’s not forget Louisiana’s statewide, legislative, and local races that take place this fall.
For Louisiana the political news will occupy our evening newscasts and front pages for the next 16 months. So, get ready. It will be a long ride on a rocky roller coaster before the dust settles.