Why Are Louisiana Taxpayers Subsidizing America’s “Economic Enemy,” The People’s Republic of China?

Photo source: Inside Sources  

Photo source: Inside Sources  

If Donald Trump is having a trade war with China, word has yet to reach Louisiana.

At the same time the Trump administration is calling China “an economic enemy” and their business practices a threat to “the economic and national security of the U.S.,” Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) has identified the People’s Republic as his state’s “primary foreign direct investment” partner.

Read more: Why Are Louisiana Taxpayers Subsidizing America’s “Economic Enemy,” The People’s Republic of China?

Posted on June 22, 2018 and filed under John Bel Edwards, Louisiana.

Jeff Landry Named President of National AGs

Photo source: KLFY 

Photo source: KLFY 

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry has been elected president of the National Association of Attorneys General at the group's summer meeting in Portland, Ore.

Landry, a Republican, said his "President's Initiative" will focus on emergency and crisis management.

Read more:  Jeff Landry Named President of National AGs

Posted on June 22, 2018 and filed under Louisiana, Jeff Landry.

Louisiana Firm Wants to Make Safety More Fashionable

As a safety professional in my daily capacity and a son of Louisiana, I found this piece to be quite interesting. It is refreshing to see Louisiana citizens succeeding in their entrepreneurial endeavors and this company, which is woman-owned, makes it all the more special.

Photo source: Rigzone

Photo source: Rigzone

 You likely won’t see Jaime Glas’ apparel designs featured on the catwalks of Milan, Paris or New York. You might, however, see them hard at work near a different kind of catwalk in places such as the Gulf of Mexico and the Permian Basin or at petrochemical facilities on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Glas, a petroleum engineer-turned-entrepreneur, is on a mission: to make flame-resistant clothing (FRC) safer and more comfortable – not to mention more stylish – for women in the field.

Read more:  Louisiana Firm Wants to Make Safety More Fashionable

Posted on June 22, 2018 and filed under Louisiana.

Trump Endorses Clay Higgins' Re-election for 3rd Congressional Seat

Photo source: Clay Higgins

Photo source: Clay Higgins

“We are pleased to announce our support for Rep. Clay Higgins in his race for reelection to the 3rd District of Louisiana today following a personal endorsement by President Trump. Clay Higgins is a law and order Congressman who has been a great supporter of President Trump, especially the President’s historic tax cuts that have created new jobs and growth for the people of the 3rd District of Louisiana.”

Read more: TRUMP ENDORSES CLAY HIGGINS FOR CONGRESSIONAL RE-ELECTION

Graves’ Food Stamp Reform Ideas Head to the US Senate

Photo source: Wikipedia

Photo source: Wikipedia

Washington, DC – Substantial reforms to the Food Stamp Program that Congressman Garret Graves (South Louisiana) introduced last year through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Reform Act of 2017 advanced in the U.S. House of Representatives today as provisions of the 2018 Farm Bill. With more than 100 cosponsors, support for the SNAP Reform Act amounted to a groundswell of Members who advocated alongside Graves to ensure the legislation’s core reform principles to strengthen work requirements for SNAP recipients were represented in this year’s Farm Bill. 

“Passage of this bill is a win for our farmers and food producers and their ability to continue getting food to the table, and these critical reforms are a win for taxpayers. Moving away from SNAP as a lifestyle and back towards its intended, temporary hand-up by requiring a more proactive approach to work is going to help more people get back on their feet more quickly while getting spending on the program under control,” said Graves. “It’s just wrong that hardworking Americans are having to continue spending a trillion dollars a year through countless poverty programs without much to show for it: we have more people in poverty across the country today than when many of those same programs first started. We have further to go on strengthening these reforms but today is a critical first step.”

The Farm Bill provides certainty for farmers, crop insurers and food manufacturers, authorizing various agriculture and nutrition program for five years. 

Graves added: “No one on either side of the SNAP trap is honestly happy with the current system. Many able-bodied people who are on the program end up frustrated and stuck on its built-in cycle of poverty with no exit ramps. And taxpayers are frustrated about being on the hook for program costs that have basically tripled since the year 2000. We can do more for people; this bill does – by helping connect the unemployed with job opportunities or job skills to reintegrate them into the workforce.”

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Posted on June 22, 2018 and filed under Garrett Graves.

Citizens for Louisiana Job Creators: AG Landry Locks Up Illegal Immigrant

Photo source: Facebook  

Photo source: Facebook  

Another illegal immigrant engaged in illegal activity. Wilfred Antonio Ramos-Medoza of Jefferson, Louisiana was arrested for his involvement in a scheme of using counterfeit parts to repair airbags, and in one instance, reinserted a used airbag and covered it up with a counterfeit airbag cover.

Working with President Trump's team to take Illegal's off the streets, Attorney General Jeff Landry and the Federal Homeland Security Investigators arrested Ramos-Medoza and booked him with the Illegal Use of Counterfeit Trademark.

Attorney General Jeff Landry has repeatedly called for laws to be enacted that would help protect Louisiana's citizens from illegal aliens and this is just one more example of why these laws are desperately needed.

Thank you General Landry for continuing to protect the citizens of Louisiana against crime and fighting to keep illegals off our streets.

Sen. John Kennedy on Trump Meeting with Kim Jong Un

Kim Jong Un did not come to the table out of the goodness of his heart. He came to the table because he understands that for the first time in a long time, America means what it says and that a military option is on the table. I would like to thank President Donald J. Trump today, on behalf of all Americans who believe in peace, for the successful start to what I hope is a successful relationship with North Korea.

Posted on June 13, 2018 and filed under John Kennedy.

Cassidy Statement on Louisiana Projects

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 "These navigation and flood mitigation projects are important to Louisiana's economy and families," said Dr. Cassidy. "This plan funds flood mitigation projects like the next phase of the Comite River Diversion and ongoing waterway protection efforts. I continue to work with local and state officials to make these projects happen."

Read more:  Cassidy Statement on Louisiana Projects

Posted on June 12, 2018 and filed under Bill Cassidy, Louisiana.

Alice Johnson to Trump: ‘I Am So Grateful for Everything You’ve Done for Me and My Family’

Photo source: BBC

Photo source: BBC

This had to kill the liberals in the mainstream media to report this: 

 "I'd like to tell the president, I have not heard directly from the White House yet, but I'd like to tell President Trump that I am so grateful for everything that you've done for me and my family," Johnson said on ABC's "Good Morning America."

Posted on June 9, 2018 and filed under Donald Trump.

George Roof: Presidents I’ve Known

by George Roof, Chief Master Sergeant, USAF (Retired)

Photo source: Facebook 

Photo source: Facebook 

Because I am a “lifer” in the military, I’ve seen the impact of a president more than many of you can imagine.  I enlisted with LBJ and saw just what a Democrat clusterflock was all about.  I went to Vietnam and saw how we were constantly and incessantly bombarded with micromanagement from Washington that got thousands of military people killed. I sometimes wonder if I’ll get to heaven, but if I go to hell, I’m sure I’ll still be a few hundred floors above that bastard Robert McNamara , LB Johnson, John Kerry, Jane Fonda, and yes, even the “hero” John McCain.

After Johnson “abdicated” rather than having his ass waxed, I lived through Nixon who was hawkish but allowed the generals (and there WERE a few real generals back then versus now) run the show.  Nixon was so out of touch that he never knew North Vietnam was about to surrender when the Paris Accord was presented.

Only God could help us after Gerald Ford was beaten by Jimmy 'Peanuts' Carter who’d been funded by Saudi money.  The military was turned into Section 8 and even the White House suffered the austerity.

Then the light began to shine and Ronald Reagan swept into the fray.  He not only loved the country and the military, they loved him back.  Esprit d’corps was off the scale during his presidency. The Liberals were slowly turning into socialists, however, and about this time all the draft dodgers of the 1960’s who’d been given amnesty by Jimmy 'Peanuts' were turning out college graduates with degrees in socialism.

Bush 1 was an enigma from the CIA and though he never did much either way, he NEVER DID MUCH EITHER WAY.

Welcome to Bill Clinton  Clinton spent most of his two terms wagging the dog and creating the 'Oral' Office, sending a bomber to blow up Quaddafi’s tent and killing a goat or two, while allowing the UN to set up the infamous Black Hawk Down situation.  He made history by becoming only the second president to be impeached.

I actually felt sorry for Bush 2.  He was doomed to infamy from the start.  He thought most of America was still the rah rah patriots of WWII when they were 'simply socialists' waiting to feed him to the sharks.

Then there came the Manchurian Candidate Obama with a faked (OK Democrats, let’s say “of questionable origin” to assuage your PC brains) birth certificate, who’d gotten a free ride through college under a foreign student exemption, and whose college records and complete life history had been 'sealed.'  (We know more about Thomas Jefferson’s bastard children than we do about Obama, Michelle , OR their two faked kids.) From his inaugural address, he slandered America and within days had begun to encourage dissention of the races as well as slandering police who “acted stupidly.”  That was mild to the crap that would come in doubling the national debt from what had been built by ALL THE PREVIOUS PRESIDENTS COMBINED, feeding us bullshit about how Muslims built this country, and nationalizing American industries.  Fueled by George Soros’ money and using the Air Force fleet as his personal charters, he appointed malcontents and traitors into positions of authority. He trashed the Constitution by installing “czars” (interesting he chose a title like that) to bypass Congressional authority.  By that time, Congress was completely corrupt on both sides of the aisle.  No one had balls to impeach this charlatan Obama.

Mysteriously, the lone outspoken conservative Supreme Court Justice Scalia suddenly dies in his sleep at an Obama pal’s hunting lodge and the Supreme Court is evenly split.  Finally, Congress shows some balls and rejects Obama’s Supreme Court Justice nomination.  The Libertards aren’t worried because the fix is in. Soros 'has paid' demonstrators to cause turmoil at 'all the Republican gatherings.'  Obama concedes that illegal aliens should vote as they won’t be prosecuted, and Soros-manufactured voting machines are caught switching votes in certain precincts  Hillary has cheated her way to the nomination and her lies are completely ignored by the brainwashed minions of sycophants who follow her.

But a shocking thing happened on the way to the forum.

Middle America had had enough and although the pollsters and the pipers tried to convince middle America not even to bother to vote, they were fed up with the denizens of the swamp.  It was time.  Florida was designated a “swing” state ignoring that all those old retirees living in St. Petersburg, and the fed up Cuban Americans of Miami weren’t interested in their platform.  Ohio and Pennsylvania , where coal production was blacklisted and where Obama had ridiculed them for “clinging to their Bibles and their guns,” lay awaiting this supposed “landslide” Hillary vote,.... and creamed it.

The Socialist world of the Democratic Party disintegrated.  An American who expressed unbridled love of country and respect for police, firemen, and military steamrolled across the heartland and the liberals realized their scheme was trashed. A CONSTITUTIONALIST would be nominated to the Supreme Court and if the old hag Ginsburg who’d claimed to retire if Trump were elected would actually retire and leave, the Supreme Court would have a massive majority of CONSTITUTIONALISTS for the next 40-50 years.

Now, the same party who’d ridiculed Trump on his comments about the election being rigged, started screaming that the election 'was' rigged.  They even advocated having the election repeated.  They created mobs that burned and pillaged, stopped traffic, threatened murder, battery and rape of Trump supporters, and became the anarchists that the socialist dream thrives upon.  They run like castrated pigs for safe zones and use diaper pins as their national symbol.

This is exactly what happens when political correctness takes over and participation trophies are awarded to everyone.  They can’t conceive how disgusting and subservient they have become.  Donald Trump may NOT be the best person for the job, but he’s such a welcome respite from the candy-assed whimps who’ve been running the swamp that it’s refreshing to see.  At the very least, Donald Trump derailed the Socialist train and bought us precious time.  If he only does half of what he’s promised, we’ll still be legions ahead of where Obama has dragged us.  Already countries who held us in contempt are lining up to be found in the favor of America.  Donald Trump has done more in his short time in the public eye..he prevented Hillary Clinton from becoming president!

So for you liberal lurkers and you half-assed fence-sitters, Tough Shit!  You had your big hurrah and now your party is over.  For you staunch Republicans in office, don’t gloat so much yourselves.  You’ve been put on notice by the American people that we’re fed up with ALL YOU BASTARDS and if you don’t start putting America first, you do so at your own peril.  You might want to buy a copy of George McGovern’s autobiography and see how shocking and humbling it can be for a professional politician to have to try to find legitimate work once he falls from grace.

This election was pure, unadulterated AMERICAN.  Hillary got beaten and AMERICA WON THE ELECTION. You can claim he’s not “your president” all you want, but unless you 'forfeit' your American citizenship, .....

YES, HE IS YOUR PRESIDENT!!!!

Go cry a river some place they need water. 

Source: Presidents I’ve Know

Posted on June 9, 2018 and filed under Donald Trump.

HIGGINS: The Real Impact of Tax Reform

Photo source: YouTube 

Photo source: YouTube 

 “Mr. Speaker, over the course of the past 500 days, this Congress has worked with President Trump to pass historic tax cuts and regulatory reform. As a result, this is the strongest economy we have seen in two decades. Many of my colleagues across the aisle, whom I respect, continue to posture otherwise, ignoring the facts. They have dismissed our efforts as 'crumbs,' saying that tax cuts are 'Armageddon.' But outside of this Chamber, outside of the small bubble that is D.C., the real America exists and real Americans who get it. People concerned with earning an honest living and providing for their families, because of tax reform, those families are seeing new jobs created. They are seeing real wage growth. They are seeing new investments in their communities.

Mr. Speaker, I travel throughout the district that I represent. I speak directly to the citizens that I serve. In Lafayette, Abbeville, New Iberia, Lake Charles, everywhere we go, there are real people telling real stories about how tax cuts are improving their lives. Americans that I represent, they have shared their stories about how they are using their tax cut to pay bills, to save for retirement, or to buy new school clothes for the kids. Small business owners across South Louisiana have shared how they are expanding operations and investing in their employees. That is the real impact on families in Louisiana and across America.

This body spent months debating the merits of the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act. I and many of my colleagues projected more jobs, more investment, and a stronger economy. We were right. Those projections have become reality: nearly three million new jobs since President Trump was elected; one million new jobs since we passed historic tax cuts; unemployment at its lowest point in half a century; consumer confidence at a 17-year high; small business optimism at an all-time high; and real GDP growth projected at over four percent for 2018. Let me share that I have read the Book of Revelation. This is no 'Armageddon.' This is a historically strong economy fueled by tax cuts and regulatory reform. Mr. Speaker, America is back. We are open for business, and Americans will continue to benefit from the pro-growth conservative policies of President Trump and this Republican Congress.”

Posted on June 9, 2018 and filed under Clay Higgins, Taxes.

Open Letter to Governor John Bel Edwards - Hand Delivered to Governor Edwards on Thursday, June 7, 2018

Third Special Session starts June 18th

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Louisiana House Republicans

Sponsored ⋅ Paid for by Louisiana House Republican Delegation ·

Governor Edwards,

On behalf of the Republican Delegation of the Louisiana House of Representatives and the millions of Louisiana residents we represent, we ask that you put careful consideration into the scope and inclusions of your call for our third extraordinary session of 2018 to include structural budgetary reform and cost savings measures in lieu of taxes alone.

While it is your right as the chief executive of the state to set the agenda for any special legislative session that you call, we ask that you consider the results of the two previous special sessions and know that our constituents continue to resoundingly tell us that state government should live within its means.

We agree in the necessity of funding our essential priorities. We also believe that it is necessary to enact transparent budgeting and spending policies and reduce the size of state government.

We sincerely hope that you will consider supporting and including the following bipartisan solutions in your call. To ask for taxes without reform could very well yield a similar result to previous attempts at the same.

- Sign SB13 (Ward) - The Louisiana Checkbook.

- Reconsider HB12 & HB15 from the first special session of 2018 (Barras) - Provides for changes in the expenditure limit calculation.

- Give the legislative auditor the authority to audit the records of any state agency for the purpose of auditing programs that expend taxpayer funds and ensuring legal compliance.

Before we enact yet another tax, it is imperative that the taxpayers see that you are willing to allow the legislature the ability to identify areas of waste, fraud, and abuse in addition to allowing for a transparent and savings-minded approach to government spending.

We remain committed to the principles our constituents sent us to Baton Rouge to stand for. We also believe our constituents expect us to work for solutions that ensure Louisiana government funds its critical priorities, as demonstrated by our continued efforts to meet you more than half-way. We remain committed to working in good faith for the betterment of Louisiana.

It’s Amazing What Happens When the Economy is Unshackled from Democrats

Photo source: Rigzone

Photo source: Rigzone

Jerry Morales, the mayor of Midland, Texas, and a local restaurateur, is being whipsawed by the latest Permian Basin shale-oil boom.

It’s fueling the region and starving it at the same time. Sales-tax revenue is hitting a record high, allowing the city to get around to fixing busted roads. But the crazy-low 2.1 percent unemployment rate is a bear. As the proprietor of Mulberry Cafe and Gerardo’s Casita, Morales is working hard to retain cooks. As a Republican first elected in 2014, he oversees a government payroll 200 employees short of what it needs to fully function.

“This economy is on fire,” he said from a back table at the cafe the other day, watching as the lunchtime crowd lined up for the Asian Zing Salad and Big Mo’s Toaster hamburger

Read more:  Shale Country Dangles 100% Pay Raises as Labor Market Runs Dry

Drug Importation 'Just a Gimmick,' Says HHS Secretary

Photo source: Wikipedia

Photo source: Wikipedia

 

The prospect of reducing prescription drug prices by importing cheaper supply from Canada is "just a gimmick," Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Monday morning.

The comment came during a speech at the Hubert H. Humphrey building in Washington, D.C., following up on President Donald Trump's speech Friday outlining the administration's general plan to promote affordability.

Read more:  Drug Importation 'Just a Gimmick,' Says HHS Secretary

Posted on June 8, 2018 and filed under Medical, Drugs.

Gonsoulin Announces Candidacy for Louisiana House Seat

Photo source: YouTube 

Photo source: YouTube 

Ricky Gonsoulin, New Iberia resident and Iberia Parish Councilman, has announced via YouTube his intentions to seek the Louisiana House Seat in District 48. The seat is currently being held by Speaker of the House, Taylor Barras, who is term limited. 

AFP-Louisiana Releases Statement on Conclusion of Special Session

Group commends lawmakers on principled stand against tax increases

Photo source: AFP Twitter

Photo source: AFP Twitter

BATON ROUGE, La. - Americans for Prosperity-Louisiana (AFP-LA) State Director John Kay released the following statement Monday night after legislators adjourned from special session:

"We applaud House members for taking a principled stand against tax increases. Having no tax increases advance is a win for Louisianans.

"This should be a clear message to the governor that another legislative session that wastes taxpayer money is not welcomed. They should refuse to adjourn another session and force government to live within it's means."

Posted on June 5, 2018 and filed under Louisiana, John Bel Edwards, Republicans.

LAGOP: The Battle Lines

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As the budget battle rages in the legislature and each side seeks to gain the moral high ground in the eyes of the public, we thought it would be a good time to revisit recent history and remind everyone how we arrived at this point:

Recall that the John Bel Edwards administration’s original fiscal cliff estimate was $1.3B, which then changed to $1.1B, before morphing into $994M as recently as April of this year. Only after the non-partisan Revenue Estimating Conference reported a more realistic (but still excessive-see below) estimated deficit figure of $648M, did Governor Edwards reluctantly and belatedly adopt this number as his latest “fiscal cliff”.

As we can now clearly discern, the fiscal cliff had already miraculously diminished to less than half of the Governor’s initial claim, or rather demand, for more taxes, but even so the House Fiscal Division then most unhelpfully (from the Governor’s perspective), calculated the actual number to be no more than $495M. Our Republican legislators’ trust in this administration’s deficit figures are by now understandably at low ebb.

Bluntly speaking, the Governor and his legislative allies have not been truthful with the public about the fiscal cliff. Rather, the Governor has repeatedly and over a period of years used wildly differing numbers which he knew were inaccurate at the time, to terrorize the public and its legislative representatives into raising taxes unnecessarily. He further compounded this chicanery by loudly proclaiming the approaching end of the state hospital system and the ejection of 37,000 nursing home residents onto the streets, albeit the public was at least spared on this particular occasion from the impending specter of the demise of the LSU football program. There is of course no reason to believe that he has now abandoned this ruse, but the damage done by this Governor’s lack of honesty is plain for all to see in the shattered wreckage left by nine legislative sessions in just over two years, and the terrific toll this has taken on our legislators, both Republican and Democrat alike.

But there is much more: The Governor’s current deficit figure is based on his administration’s requests for monies for the various departments of state government, which of course includes increases that have already been factored into the fiscal cliff. We believe that rather than increasing the budget of our state’s government, which is widely acknowledged to be the most bloated and inefficient in the entire country, we could most certainly reduce most departments by a reasonable amount (2-4%, for example). These reductions would in no wise impair the functioning of our government. Increasing governmental efficiencies is after all nothing more than was promised to us by John Bel Edwards himself, along with his many other long since forgotten campaign promises, including his promise not to raise taxes.

Continuing onward (or should we say ‘downward’?), the state’s own legislative auditor has stated that the purging of the vastly expanded Medicaid rolls of those ineligible to receive such assistance (thank you again, Governor Edwards), would by itself resolve the fiscal cliff within a short time. All that would be necessary is the willingness of this administration to compare the income tax returns of Medicaid applicants and recipients with the income declared on their Medicaid application form, and tens of thousands would be removed forthwith from the rolls. Additional savings could be gained merely by eliminating the 25% income error allowance for applicants, who should full well be able to determine their true income to within a few percent.

As the tax battle unfolded on the Senate side, HB 27 by Rep. Lance Harris (R, Alexandria), an attempt at compromise which sought to raise $365M by raising sales taxes 1/3 of a cent while reducing government spending, received rough treatment at the hands of the Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee chaired by Rep. J. P. Morrell (D, New Orleans). More properly, one should say that the original bill had already been hijacked by Democrats, who immediately added over $300M in additional taxes, which would essentially grant Governor Edwards demand for $648M in taxes if it were to become law. So much for Republicans’ attempt at compromise!

Which leads us to the present. The next few days will determine not just the size of the tax increase to be borne by our tax-paying citizenry, but also the direction of our state government and thus the future of all Louisianians. At issue are fundamental questions: Whether we will demand that our government live within its means, or allow it to grow ever larger and less accountable to the people? And whether Louisiana will make an attempt to become competitive with other states, or continue to lose business, wealth, and population to our neighbors?

Let us hope that all of our Republican legislators, both senators and representatives alike, join in holding the line on taxes and supporting Rep. Harris’ original bill, or something very much like it. There is too much at stake to allow for anything less.

 

Louis Gurvich, Chairman
Republican Party of Louisiana

Posted on June 1, 2018 and filed under Louisiana, LAGOP, John Bel Edwards.