The Economy in Acadiana is Looking Strong in 2019

Photo source: Wikipedia

Looking strong in all industries but one, our illustrious governor’s favorite red-headed stepchild, the oil and gas industry. The same industry that he and his ambulance chasing trial lawyer buddies love to sue.   

While things are looking up in some sectors, Bill Fenstermaker, chairman and CEO of Fenstermaker & Associates, said oil and gas revenues have dropped about $750,000,000 a year for the past three years. He suggested the current administration's policies could be causing Texas oil companies to avoid drilling in Louisiana, especially in the Gulf of Mexico. 

Those of us that depend on the oil and gas industry to feed our families are tired of seeing this industry get kicked around by the Democrat Party and, most particular, John Bel Edwards, the Cajun Obama himself. This industry has given countless thousands of families in this state a good source of income for decades and for this governor to use his influence in order to shakedown this industry is disgraceful.

Read more: Economic Summit: Acadiana business leaders cautiously optimistic for growth in 2019

"Honor Code" Announces Re-election Intentions and a GOP Candidate Responds

Photo source: Wikipedia

Republican Louisiana gubernatorial candidate Ralph Abraham issued the following statement in response to Edwards' campaign launch video:

"Louisiana has seen the largest tax increase in state history, years of out-migration by the thousands, one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, failing grades for fiscal policy, and one of the weakest economies in the US under John Bel Edwards’ watch. If he's bragging about those as first term achievements, I'd hate to see what the next four years would look like. Louisiana is clearly on the wrong path, and the only way to correct it is with a new governor."

Read more: Governor Edwards issues video touting re-election bid

LANDRY: The Clinton-Edwards Insult

It seems that the latest play by career politicians is to attack those who disagree as backwards. According to recent revelations and interviews, if you maintain a faith in traditional doctrine - you are "backwards."

Last week, in an interview with the Times Picayune, John Bel Edwards said that I was "a backwards-thinking attorney general" for upholding the rule of law against his unconstitutional power grab. This insult followed a similar attack by the Hillary Clinton campaign who mocked the Catholic faith as "severely backwards" when it comes to abortion and same-sex marriage.

While I am offended by these insults, I am not dismayed by them. In fact, I am emboldened to continue doing what you elected me to do: enforce the laws enacted by your duly-elected representatives and protect your freedoms.

For too long - Catholics, Christians, and other people of faith have come under attack by people like Clinton, Edwards, and others who wish to subvert the moral foundations upon which our great State and Nation were built.

As Bill Donohue of the Catholic League recently said of this "stunning movement" in American politics, "bigotry is measured by words and deeds. It doesn't turn on demographic characteristics of the person. If their message is bigoted, then it's bigoted. If their deeds are bigoted, then they're bigoted."

As for me, I will not be intimidated or cower to the Clinton-Edwards attacks on our individual liberty and traditional values. Rather - I will continue to defend our Constitution, the will of the people, and common decency.

I hope you will stand with me in this worthy cause.

For Louisiana,
Jeff Landry

Constitutional Guide for the November 8 Election

Photo source: BRProud

Republican National Committeeman Ross Little issued a guide on Sunday regarding the six Louisiana constitutional amendments that are on the ballot in the November election.  Little has suggested YES on 2 of these amendments and NO on everything else.  The body of his email is included below:

Amendment 1.  NO. Lets' mess up the Registar of Voters.  This is an awful proposal. It would mess up Registrars of Voters everywhere by silly do-gooder requirements placed on Parishes in hiring Registrars.  

The supposed idea is to "professionalize" registrars by adding various requirements to registrars.  It's a bad idea.  When in business, I fought against this my entire career.  Many wanted to require college degrees for almost everything. The problem is that universites have become headquarters for liberals everywhere.

What will soon mean:  Lots of expensive, and mostly useless, "Continuing Education," which means taxpayers will have to pay for registrars to take expensive trips and endure more drivel from liberal "presenters."

The registrars will be unduly influenced by these folks and things will get worse from there.

In case you didn't know, liberals want to "federalize" voter registration.

Think there is voter fraud now?  Just wait until the feds take over.  Here are A Few of their Bad Ideas.

So - please vote NO.

Amendment 2. YES.  Tuition autonomy.  Colleges and universities are heavily subsidized by taxpayers.  It would be better for students to pay their own expenses.  This would allow universities to do a bit more of that.

Of course, taxpayers will continue to pay a significant cost of college tuition.

This is just a very small step.

As a reminder -- Bernie Sanders wants supposedly "free" college for all  -- which means the taxpayers will pay for the vast waste at Universities.

This proposal is the opposite of the Bernie Sanders approach.

It's a good idea.

Vote YES!

Amendment 3. NO. Increase taxes on businesses. This proposal would increase taxes on businesses by taking away vital tax deductions.

In this case, businesses could no longer deduct federal income taxes paid.

Why they want this:  Now, if federal taxes go up, state taxes go down.  This is great for taxpayers but state lawmakers would rather have the extra money to dole out. This proposal would mean that even as federal taxes go up, state taxes would also go up.

It's a bad idea.

Some estimate that businesses would pay another $30 million per year.  Others claim it would be revenue neutral.

Taxes are already too high.  We need to lower, not raise taxes.

What proponents will argue -- this is a flat tax of 6.5% on business, which is lower for some and higher for others.

My answer -- then why are taxes expected to increase up to $30 million per year?

Why not decrease taxes for all businesses?

Just say NO.

Amendment 4. NO. Tax Exemption for our Favorite People.  This is how they get you.

They propose a tax exemption to the most deserving of people -- in this case the spouses of persons killed in the line of duty.

This whole business of exemptions is usually a bad idea.  Belly up and Vote NO.

Amendment 5. NO. Budget Stabilization Fund.  Seems almost every election we are asked to do another "stabilization fund."

This one points out that we have a big problem -- Retirement Funds for government employees.  They are out of control.  This proposal, however, would make everything worse.

We need to change government workers retirement funds to 401(k) type programs just like everyone else.  Businesses got rid of these defined beneift plans because they were way too expensive.

Let's solve the problem - not make it worse.  Please, please vote NO.

Amendment 6. NO. Convoluted plan to adjust the threshold to tap certain funds and adds new protected funds.

We have so many funds it is ridiculous.

While I like the idea of being able to tap these funds, I really dislike the idea of adding a bunch of new protected funds.

If they would have simply reduced the threshold to tap the funds, I would have said yes.  They didn't.  They also added some new protected funds.

Yuck.

This is a move in the wrong direction.  We should be eliminating protected funds, not creating more such funds.

Instead of all these silly protected funds, our legislators should vote on every item.  I don't like excuses like - "The constitution makes us spend money on all these ridiculous items.

Let them know that we don't want more of these funds.

Just vote NO.

Fleming Surges to Statistical Tie with Boustany and Campbell in Senate Race

In the latest poll by JMC Analytics, Congressman John Fleming has surged to a statistical tie with Rep. Boustany and PSC Campbell for the race to replace Sen. David Vitter in the US Senate in Louisiana.  Fleming has moved up 6 points since the last poll done in July, while both Boustany and Campbell have held steady with support since the last poll.

A copy of the results of this poll can be found here.

LANDRY: AG Jeff Landry Moves Quickly to End the “Buddy System”

Less than two months after taking office, Attorney General Jeff Landry is wasting no time declaring that there is a new sheriff in town.

Landry ran on a reform agenda, which led to a resounding defeat of the former two-term incumbent attorney general. Now he is moving quickly to make good on his campaign promise to end the corruption that had taken root in the state’s Department of Justice under his predecessor.

Cronyism and backroom deals in the Attorney General’s Office have been a concern of Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch for a long time. In 2013, LLAW partnered with the political blog TheHayride.com and WWL TV to launch a series of investigations that exposed former AG James “Buddy” Caldwell’s practice of awarding highly lucrative no-bid legal contracts to his top campaign contributors. Under the scheme, which became known as the “Buddy System,” politically connected law firms made more than $54 million off of state legal contracts awarded by Caldwell.

In February 2016, Attorney General Landry put an end to many of those “good old boy” deals, cancelling dozens of legal contracts that benefited two of Caldwell’s top campaign contributors and nearly 50 contracts with the private law firms of district attorneys around the state.

Landry also announced a new policy that prohibits attorneys on his staff from doing private legal work on the side, a step that will help avoid even the perception of impropriety.

Clearly these concrete reforms took tremendous guts and political fortitude to make, and we join many people across Louisiana who are applauding Attorney General Landry for making them. The apparent pay-for-play system that flourished under his predecessor left a stain on the integrity of the Attorney General’s Office and unquestionably contributed to our state’s reputation as a “judicial hellhole.”

Without a doubt, these changes will help to improve that negative perception, and they go a long way toward correcting some of the sins of the past.

It is also encouraging that Attorney General Landry acknowledges there is more work to be done. After announcing a slew of new good government policies last month, Landry said, “Reform at the Department of Justice does not end today. We will continue to find ways to make the office an honest, ethical, and hardworking agency that the citizens of our State can rely upon and be proud of.”

Indeed, we couldn’t agree more. As the state’s chief law enforcement officer, the attorney general has a sworn duty to protect and serve the people of Louisiana. The people he hires to help carry out that duty should be selected based on their experience and expertise—not their personal and political connections.

Given AG Landry’s commitment to ending the “Buddy System,” we fully expect that will be the case.

Melissa Landry (no relation) is executive director of Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch (LLAW), the state’s leading grassroots legal watchdog organization. To learn more visit, www.LLAW.org <http://www.LLAW.org>

Rep. Mike Johnson Regarding Louisiana's Speaker of the House

The following was taken from Rep. Mike Johnson's Facebook page and is being shared in the original post format:

Photo source: Facebook

For those who are interested in the developing controversy, below are seven key facts to explain why it is completely logical and appropriate for our duly-elected Republican majority in the Louisiana House of Representatives to elect our new Speaker---instead of allowing the governor to do it. (You can also share this information from the posting at our website: www.LouisianaforLiberty.com)

1. The GOP position on the Speaker’s race is not about party or politics or personalities—it is about principle.
2. The relatively recent tradition of Louisiana governors choosing the leaders of each house of the Louisiana Legislature is not mentioned in our state constitution for a fundamental reason, and that is the essential doctrine of the separation of powers. Our system of checks and balances (for example, distinguishing the legislative from the executive branch of government) is critical to a proper functioning of any constitutional republic.
3. Under the clear language of the Louisiana Constitution, the members of the House of Representatives are given the authority to elect a Speaker from among themselves. LSA-Const. Art. 3, § 7(C). This provision makes no mention of any involvement by the executive branch. Why is that? Because the Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives is vastly powerful. He or she appoints every committee chairman and the membership of every House committee. That allows the Speaker to appoint committees which are not reflective of a majority of the body, and thereby stall or kill legislation in committee that would pass on the House floor.  The argument today is purely about what is best for our state.  WE SHOULD SIDE WITH OUR CONSTITUTION EVERY TIME.
4. It takes 53 votes to elect a Speaker. The people of our state have spoken clearly at the ballot box and have seen fit to hand the GOP 61 of the 105 House seats. In our system of representative government, it is logical and appropriate to allow that large, duly-elected majority to choose its own leadership independent of any outside pressure from the executive branch.
5. It is interesting that many of the same people who have openly criticized the work of the Legislature over the past eight years are now arguing that the same mechanisms and customs ought to be employed again. One way to fix our broken system is to change some of our unusual Louisiana traditions and reemphasize government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”
6. The Republicans have only won a majority within the past eight years and there is certainly no "tradition" (or sound logic) that would allow a Democratic governor to name the Speaker when the House has a Republican majority. (In previous administrations, when virtually every member of the chamber was a Democrat, it made much less difference which Democrat was happened to be favored by each particular Democrat governor.)
7. The American people would never expect a Republican or Democrat majority in the Congress to allow a president from the opposing party to select its leaders. Why should we??

More Proof of How Hypocritical Jay Dardenne Really Is

Photo source: John Bel for Obama

The RGA Right Direction PAC has released what amounts to a diary of tweets from Jay Dardenne and the Dardenne team during the 2015 Louisiana Governor's election.  As everyone is aware, Lt. Gov. Dardenne has come out in support of the Democratic candidate, John Bel Edwards, following Dardenne's defeat in the primaries.  The tweets show a vastly different story as to the diatribe that Dardenne spewed yesterday when he was fawning over Bel Edwards.  If there is any doubt left as to the total hypocrisy of the Dardenne campaign, it is the list of these tweets that were issued during the primary.

What is the real reason that Dardenne is endorsing the Democratic candidate's run-off against Sen. David Vitter?  Is it a quid-pro-quo or just Dardenne falling back onto his tried and true liberal leanings?  Guess we will see once the runoff is done.

Read more: John Bel for Obama

Why Is This Lawyer Spending So Much Money Against Vitter's Campaign

Photo source: Louisiana Record

Trial lawyer John Carmouche, partner in the Talbot, Carmouche & Marcello law firm out of Baton Rouge, has been spending in excess of $1,000,000 to fund a PAC that has been railing against Sen. David Vitter's campaign for Louisiana Governor.  According to this site, Carmouche provided $600,000 in cash and another $500,000 in loans to the Louisiana Water Coalition PAC.  In addition, Carmouche is listed as the only donor to that PAC.

Could this action be the result of Vitter's pledge to enact tort reform within his administration?  And could it also be a result of Carmouche himself making millions in legacy lawsuits against the oil and gas industry?

This is an obvious response by trial lawyers in this state that are seriously concerned about a Vitter win in the Governor's race.  It's also a sign that Vitter will be a force to contend with if he does win the fall election.

Have You Heard of the Soldier Running for Louisiana Senate Arrested for a Seatbelt Violation?

Photo sources: Facebook

Put this one under "the good ol' boy network" in Louisiana politics.  It seems that Stewart Cathey, a veteran of the United States armed services, was arrested last week for an unpaid seatbelt violation.  However, the kicker in this story is that Cathey, who inadvertently overlooked the ticket while preparing for deployment to Afghanistan, was willing to pay the fines and fees associated with the ticket, but was ordered to jail by Judge Tammy D. Lee.  Could this possibly be politically motivated?  Well, Cathey's opponent in this race is none other than recent Republican Party switch, Jim "Big Lake" Fannin, who is running to succeed Bob Kostelka. 

Col. Rob Maness, former candidate for the Louisiana Senate seat in DC, had this to say regarding Cathey in his endorsement:

“I call for an investigation for impeachment against Judge Tammy D. Lee, the official who forced the arrest, and an ethics investigation into Cathey’s opponent, State Representative Jim “Big Lake” Fannin and current Senator Bob Kostelka who apparently had information on the seatbelt charge and arrest before Cathey even knew about it," said Maness. 

Maness added, "I respectfully call on the LA GOP leadership, all elected officials and veterans in Louisiana to condemn these career politicians, withdraw all support for them and endorse Mr. Cathey.  Is this really how we are going to treat our heroes?”

Cathey issued the following statement last week when he was arrested and subsequently bonded out:

Let me first say thank you to everyone for being here today to support me. As many of you are now aware, in September of 2009, I was issued a ticket by the City of Monroe for not wearing my seatbelt. Eight short days later, I deployed to Afghanistan as a member of the US Army where I spent the next year fighting for the country we all love and hold so dear.While I was in Afghanistan, I honestly forgot about my seatbelt ticket, because as one might imagine that was the furthest thing from my mind. My mind was focused on keeping my team mates safe, keeping myself alive and getting back home to my family, just as is the case with any soldier who as every been fortunate enough to wear our nations uniform. Thankfully, the Lord allowed me to come home and gave me the opportunity to find new ways to serve my state and country. Is my serving my nation overseas an excuse, or a crutch, ABSOLUTELY not, I would never use my service to my nation as an excuse! This is nothing more than me simply forgetting to pay a ticket during a very stressful time in my life.

All of this is what brings us here today, and most likely, were I not a candidate for the State Senate I would never have even remembered that I had been issued a ticket for not wearing my seatbelt.

Had it not been for my opponent and his political supporters and advisers reminding me of this ticket on September 11th, the day after qualifying, and making it an issue in this campaign, I likely would never have even remembered it. Over the last 6 years, I have not received any paperwork documenting that there was ever a warrant. During this time I have been able to renew my driver’s license and purchase vehicles without my license being flagged due to a warrant, nor has anything related to this issue ever come up.

Since being reminded of this ticket by my opponents, I have exhausted all efforts to try to pay the fines or penalties associated with it, because I am admitting I made a mistake, and I want to and am willing to pay any fines in order to make this right as is normally the way a situation like this is handled. But for some reason I am being denied the right to simply pay my fine and penalties, and I am instead being forced to be arrested, and required to bond out over a simple seat belt violation from 6 years ago.  It has become apparent to me that my opponents will stop at nothing to protect their candidates and the good ole boy system, even to the point of abusing the justice system.

I hope and pray that the voters of District 35 will not be distracted by this issue, but instead hear my message: Louisiana needs new leadership in Baton Rouge to right the ship from the mess that my opponent has created.

I hope that you, the voters, will understand that while I was serving in combat overseas, the furthest thing from my mind was a seatbelt violation. My full concentration and attention was on my mission of keeping America safe by defeating Al Qaeda and the Taliban, supporting my fellow troops, and coming back home safely. This type of treatment is what we are seeing all over America right now when our service men and women return home from war, and it is another example that we have to support our Veterans, who have sacrificed so much.

What we're seeing today is the ugly side of politics. People ask me all the time why I'd want to get involved in something so nasty and underhanded.

Ironically, this situation is exactly why I'm running. The career politicians like Jim Fannin will clearly stop at nothing to get back to the good ole boys club in Baton Rouge. We don't need people who will stoop to such cutthroat tactics. We need real leadership to turn this state around.

Just as I served my country around the world now I want to serve my state in the Senate. I need your support and most importantly I need your prayers. We deserve better than what we've had, and I hope you can trust that I'm the man for the job.

Is this the way we thank our veterans that serve our country day in and day out?  Or, better yet, is this how scared the elite in this state really are about holding onto their sacred cows?  Voters of this state should not stand for this and should throw out all of "the good ol' boys" in Louisiana this fall.

Louisiana Political Ad Reviews

Photo source: KTBS.com

We’ve been monitoring the political ads on TV this cycle. We may not have seen them all, but here’s a quick synopsis with letter grades.

Jeff Landry, candidate for Attorney General. His ad shows him as the true conservative in the race. We give him an “A.”

Buddy Caldwell, candidate for AG. Caldwell is running a misleading attack on Landry and deflecting the fact that he is a longtime Democrat.  We give him a “D” (for Democrat).

John Young, candidate for Lt. Governor.  His ad is a biographical spot touting himself as a conservative. It’s a fine no-frills spot, but didn’t wow us either. Grade: “A-.”

David Vitter, candidate for Governor. He has 3 ads on the air. He’s airing attacks on his GOP opponents Scott Angelle and Jay Dardenne for being liberal. Both ads get an “A+.” He’s also running a sport about a plan to reform welfare. Great issue, solid ad; we give it a “B+.”

The Fund for Louisiana’s Future, a Super PAC supporting Vitter. They have two ads. One is hitting Angelle and Dardenne for use of state cars. That ad gets a “B-." Their other ad is hitting Angelle for his negligence on the Bayou Corne Sinkhole and for quitting right after. This ad gets an “A+," although we are still not sure if the ad is running in Baton Rouge which is literally 30 miles from Bayou Corne.

Jay Dardenne, candidate for Governor. He has two ads. One is a weird bobble head version of Dardenne on a fake stage. We don’t get the point of this ad, and gave it a “C.” His other ad is just his wife Cathy talking about Dardenne. It’s too boring to give anything more than a “C.”

Scott Angelle, candidate for Governor. He was running a biographical type spot, however he’s swapped it out to defend himself against Vitter and the Fund for Louisiana’s Future ads. His ad tries to discredit the attacks against him and then attacks Vitter. There are too many issues in the ad, and hard to follow. We give it a “B-.”

Louisiana Rising, Super PAC supporting Angelle.They are attacking Vitter for switching positions on Common Core. CajunConservatism.com has long been opposed to Common Core, and we were upset when Vitter initially said he supported Common Core. But, he’s right on the issue today, so a switch really doesn’t matter. We give their ad a “B+.”

The Louisiana Water Coalition, Super PAC opposing Vitter. They are running slash and burn attack ads against Vitter for his past. Their ads may have some impact, but it’s pure garbage and equally disturbing because they are completely funded by one law firm and they are accountable to no one. They get an “F.”

John Bel Edwards, Candidate for Governor. Edwards ad is good, and makes him look likable to conservatives. There is one BIG problem – he is not. He gets a “D” (for Democrat).

John Kennedy, Candidate Treasurer. The Kennedy ad is a great biography spot making him very likable, and not your typical politician. The strategy to spend his state money this year building his positives is a smart strategy. "A+"

Jim Donelon, Candidate for Insurance Commissioner. Donelon's ad is boring and not memorable. "D"

Jeff Landry Files for October 24th Election

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday September 8, 2015 

CONTACT: Millard Mule, 337-313-4537 or news@landryforlouisiana.com

BATON ROUGE, LA - Joined by his wife Sharon and their son JT - former Congressman, veteran, and attorney Jeff Landry today filed the paperwork to seek election as Louisiana's next Attorney General. After qualifying, Landry issued the following statement:

"I have served our nation in uniform, kept our neighborhoods safe as a law enforcement officer, and employed hundreds as a small business owner. I have worked with job creators as corporate lawyer at one of the state's top firms. I have written and defended laws as a conservative Member of Congress. As the next Attorney General, I will utilize my vast experience to protect our families, our freedoms, and the rule of law. I will end Caldwell's scandalous era of corruption, nepotism, and cronysim; and I will bring honesty, integrity, and hard work to the Attorney General's Office."

Landry has already been endorsed by the Republican Party of Louisiana, Congressman Steve Scalise, Congressman John Fleming, Colonel Rob Maness (retired), Family Research Council Action, and other local and national conservative leaders. He is expected to announce several other endorsements as Election Day nears.

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The State of Louisiana Will Get Nearly $7 Billion in BP Settlement, But First Buddy Caldwell's Bills Have to Be Paid

Before Louisiana receives any of the money that is allocated as a result of the settlement with BP, Louisiana Attorney Buddy Caldwell's employ of lawyers need to be paid, to the tune of $38.5 million.  And what further stinks up this contrived groups of lawyers is the fact that most of them are politically tied to Caldwell.

It's time for the State of Louisiana to do better for an Attorney General.  This type of "good-old boy" behavior from the last 50 years needs to go and the likes of the RINO Caldwell representing the legal interests of the state is laughable.

Read more: Attorney General's office has paid more than $38 million to law firms working on BP settlement

Is Jay Dardenne's Criticism of Bobby Jindal's Use of State Police Hypocritical???

Photo source: Twitter

Louisiana Lt. Governor and candidate for the office of Governor in this fall's election, Jay Dardenne, has come out hard against the current officeholder, Bobby Jindal, for his use of Louisiana State Police during his campaign for President.  A piece written by NOLA goes into great detail regarding this issue and Dardenne's criticism of this practice.  However, videos have recently come out that show Dardenne utilizing the same agency during his campaign for the Governor's office.

And, another video shows that Dardenne readily admits that he utilizes the State Police in political events.

Could this be a mere oversight on the part of Dardenne or could this be a case of blatant hypocrisy? You be the judge.

LABI Issues Their 2015 Legislative Scorecard

It's apparent that the votes cast by the legislature in the recently completed 2015 session did not sit well with LABI, as referenced below from their 2015 report.  A large majority of those in Baton Rouge have scored an "F" on this report; many of those were considered fiscally responsible Republicans and quite of few of these lawmakers are up for re-election this fall. 

It seems that voting to support $600 million in tax increases upon the citizens and businesses of the State of Louisiana is not a very good idea after all.

The Latest MarblePort / The Hayride, Scott McKay Statewide Election Survey

Photo source: Stateside Associates

Several interesting items come up in the latest survey done by MarblePort / The Hayride, Scott McKay.  The first being a head to head match-up for President in the State of Louisiana between Bobby Jindal and Hillary Clinton:

Clinton 44.5%
Jindal 42%
Undecided 13.5%

The second part of the survey was in regards to election for Governor with a hypothetical candidate, Russell Honore', in the race.

Governor’s Ballot Without Honore:

Vitter 34.1%
Edwards 28.8%
Angelle 11.1%
Dardenne 10.4%
Undecided 15.6%

Governors Ballot With Honore:

Vitter 32.7%
Edwards 26.5%
Angelle 10.1%
Dardenne 9.5%
Honore 7.9%
Undecided 13.3%

With Vitter as the front runner, head to head contests with each candidate.

Vitter (49.6) vs Edwards (37.5) Undecided (12.9)
Vitter (51.8) vs Dardenne (32.3) Undecided (15.9)
Vitter (49.2) vs Angelle (30.7) Undecided (20.1)
Vitter (54.3) vs Honore (28.5) Undecided (17.2)

The survey also shows what a liability that Jindal has on incumbents in the fall elections.

Only 42.2% said they will vote for a generic Republican candidate in their State legislative district this fall. 32.9% said they will support a generic Democrat.

Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden remains in the lead in the race for Lt. Governor.

Holden 28.5%
Nungesser 19.3%
Young 17.9%
Guillory 5%
Undecided 29.3%

The race for Attorney General has incumbent Buddy Caldwell in the lead with the yet to announce candidate, Jacques Roy of Alexandria, polling in second.

Caldwell 26.7%
Roy 23.7%
Landry 20.8%
Undecided 28.8%

Vitter Releases Job Growth, Skills Training Plan

For Immediate Release
Contact: Luke Bolar
June 18, 2015
504-779-3771

Vitter Releases Job Growth, Skills Training Plan
New Chapter of Vitter’s plan entitled “Growing Great Jobs and the Skilled Workforce to Fill Them”

METAIRIE, LA. – David Vitter (R-LA) today released his chapter on job growth as part of his plan, “Together, Louisiana Strong: Our blueprint for building a brighter future.” Chapter 10 of the Vitter plan is entitled “Growing Great Jobs and the Skilled Workforce to Fill Them.”

You can read Vitter’s plan for job growth and skills training here.

“Louisiana has been experiencing real job growth in the industrial corridor. I’m determined to bring that growth to all parts of the state and to give Louisianians the skills they need to fully benefit from it,” Vitter said. “As governor, I’ll lead efforts to lure large projects here, reverse Louisiana’s anti-business litigation climate, and greatly expand skills training opportunities.”

In Chapter 10 of “Together, Louisiana Strong,” Vitter details how he will encourage partnerships with local authorities and private landowners to attract manufacturing projects in each region of the state. Vitter’s plan explains that he will develop a more collaborative approach to workforce training, including accelerating the JumpStart program and elevating the role of Louisiana’s technical and community colleges in higher education. He will also pursue significant litigation reform to end frivolous lawsuits that cost Louisianians jobs. Read all of Vitter’s proposals here.

As our U.S. Senator, David Vitter has always fought for the right policies that will grow good jobs in Louisiana. The new chapter shows the Vitter Record of job creation, including how he has partnered with local and state officials to lure key job-creating projects.

See the first ten chapters of Together, Louisiana Strong here.

In addition to “Growing Great Jobs and the Skilled Workforce to Fill Them,” Vitter has already released the following nine chapters of the plan.

• Keeping in Touch
• Stabilizing The Budget Through Spending & Tax Reform
• Dramatically Improving Education for All Our Children
• Building World Class Infrastructure to Relieve Traffic Congestion and Grow Jobs
• Reforming Government, Rooting Out Corruption And Cronyism
• Improving our Public-Private Hospital Partnerships, Reforming Medicaid 
• Restoring our Coast, Protecting our People
• Supporting our Farmers and Fishermen
• Leading with Energy

Vitter has compiled his plan by meeting with Louisianians of all walks of life and by listening to their ideas for building a brighter future. Vitter has held 382 Town Hall Meetings and 205 Telephone Town Halls. As a candidate for Governor, Vitter has held 12 Leadership Forums on the key challenges we face as a state specifically to develop this blueprint, with dozens of informal meetings and conference calls in addition.

Vitter will be releasing additional chapters as they’re added in the next several weeks.

###

Louisiana Gubernatorial Debate Set for Wednesday

Photo source: The Advocate

A recent piece by NOLA highlights a debate is being scheduled for Wednesday, 6/17/15, at the Alario Center in Jefferson Parish for the gubernatorial candidates in Louisiana's fall elections.  The proceeds from the event will benefit Café Hope, a culinary training program for at-risk youth.

More information can be obtained from Rep. Bryan Adams' office at 504.361.6013 or email adamsb@legis.la.

Read more: Louisiana gubernatorial debate set for Wednesday at Alario Center

Jay Dardenne Compliments David Vitter's Effectiveness

A recent debate where Lt. Gov. Dardenne compliments the effectiveness of Sen. Vitter in the US Senate.

Julie Emerson to Run for State Representative Against Stephen Ortego

Photo source: Julie Emerson

Republican Julie Emerson of Carencro announced today that she will seek to unseat incumbent Stephen Ortego in District 39.  Emerson's biography on her website that she founded Lagniappe Communications Group, a communications and public relations firm where she serves as chief strategist. 

Her Democratic opponent is the same representative that questioned about why Louisiana would want to attract veterans.  Ortego stated back in 2012 that “usually veterans come with a lot of their own issues”.