Cajun Conservatism
Photo source: Wikipedia
Per Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana, “right now Speaker Pelosi is running the show, and she makes no distinction between legal and illegal immigration. And if you disagree with her, then you’re a racist. I think that’s a very unreasonable position that the majority of the American people don’t support because they’re too smart to support it.
Photo source: Louisiana Dept. of Justice
In yet another installment of “AG Landry kicks “Honor Code” Edwards in the backside”, the below happened in state court yesterday:
A testy dispute between former state Sen. Larry Bankston and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry over who should represent the state's contractor licensing board doesn't belong in the courts, a state appeals court ruled Thursday.
It what seems like an almost weekly occurrence, Landry has repeatedly shown the Cajun Obama that he is not above the laws of the State of Louisiana and that he is beholden to such.
Landry, a Republican, initially questioned whether Bankston, a convicted felon who was temporarily disbarred, should be allowed to work for the state. Bankston, a Democrat, is an ally of Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards.
At least we have one person in State office that respects the rule of law and the Constitution of Louisiana. Sadly, the Governor of our state does not.
Read more: AG Jeff Landry, ex-state Sen. Larry Bankston dispute doesn't belong in court, appeals court says
Nancy Pelosi sworn in as Speaker of the House again. #DemsTakeTheHouse pic.twitter.com/UQxTxRFNKk
— Mark Dice (@MarkDice) January 3, 2019
Photo source: Shale Mag
Despite recent talk of a slight uptick in the oil and gas business in Acadiana, in the past decade nearly 11,000 jobs were lost in oil and gas in the five-parish Lafayette Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Read more: 11,000 fewer oil and gas jobs in Acadiana 2008 vs. 2018
Photo source: Twitter
From the day President Trump took office, Democrats have vowed to oppose him at every turn in an effort to appease their radical-left base, putting the politics of obstruction over the security of our country.
There’s been no better example of that than the current partial government shutdown.
Read more: Scalise: Democrats Need To Stop Playing Games With America's Safety And Fund Border Security Now
One Solitary Life
Photo source: John 3:16
Here is a man who was born in an obscure village as the child of a peasant woman.
He grew up in another obscure village.
He worked in a carpenter shop until he was thirty and then for three years was an itinerant preacher.
He never wrote a book.
He never held an office.
He never owned a home.
He never had a family.
He never went to college.
He never put his foot inside a big city.
He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where he was born.
He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness.
He had no credentials but himself.
He had nothing to do with this world except the naked power of his divine manhood.
While still a young man the tide of popular opinion turned against him.
His friends ran away.
One of them denied him.
Another betrayed him.
He was turned over to his enemies.
He went through the mockery of a trial.
He was nailed upon the cross between two thieves.
His executioners gambled for the only piece of property he had on earth while he was dying, and that was his coat.
When he was dead, he was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. Nineteen wide centuries have come and gone and today
He is the center of the human race and the leader of the column of progress.
I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that were ever built, and all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon the earth as powerfully as has this one solitary life.
— James Allan Francis
Photo source: Google Play
Meaux, 50, is just five years removed from launching the food delivery startup alongside four co-founders in what he described as a windowless, “cinder-block” room in a business incubator in Lake Charles.
In that time, the company has grown at a frenetic clip, surpassing revenue projections and rolling out in city after city in Louisiana and across the Southeast. As of the beginning of December, it had more than 9,000 employees, including 400 in corporate offices, like the one on the first floor of The Daily Advertiser newspaper building in Lafayette, where he and his leadership team are based.
Last month, the company went public on the Nasdaq stock exchange after being scooped up by Texas billionaire Tilman Fertitta’s Landcadia Holdings for $308 million. For most of December, Waitr has had a market capitalization of more than $600 million, and it recently acquired a rival, Bite Squad, for $321 million, doubling Waitr's footprint.
Photo source: Twitter
Thursday evening, President Donald J. Trump called on Democrats to come together and put the safety of the American people before politics.
“Border security must become a #1 priority!” the President tweeted.
Democrats, it is time to come together and put the SAFETY of the AMERICAN PEOPLE before POLITICS. Border security must become a #1 priority! pic.twitter.com/Wck6UpQGil
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2018
Photo source: Wikipedia
“We expect 2019 to be a strong year for the Gulf of Mexico. In addition to exciting new project sanctions, which could usher in more than $10 billion of investment into the region, a couple of historic firsts set to occur next year could set the stage for years to come,” said WoodMac senior research analyst William Turner
Read more: US Gulf of Mexico On Track for Historic 2019
Photo source: Wikipedia
Coming out like a beast, the U.S. Representative for Ohio's 4th congressional district blasts the Republican members of the House for kicking the can down the road and repeatedly lying to the American voter regarding immigration and building the wall.
Make this man the next Speaker of the House.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) December 20, 2018
Fool the American people FOUR TIMES, shame on Congress.
Secure the border. #DoWhatWeSaid pic.twitter.com/ZmjPAPBTt8
Photo source: Wikipedia
Personal income in Louisiana growth slowed to a 2.3 percent rate in the third quarter of this year, a smaller gain than almost every other state, newly released figures show.
The U.S. grew personal income by 4 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Personal income includes income from labor, owning a home or business, financial assets and transfers.
Louisiana ranked 48th in the rate of growth. Mississippi, also at 2.3 percent, ranked 49th, and Missouri, at 2.1 percent, ranked 50th.
The state added $1.19 billion in personal income during the period, including $796 million in net earnings.
Farm earnings took the biggest hit in the quarter, down $101 million. Mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction fell by $75 million.
Read more: Louisiana personal income growth lags behind nation in third quarter
Photo source: Fox News
In a recent appearance on Fox News, Congressman Steve Scalise emphasized the importance of funding the border wall, a key component of President Trump’s election campaign.
“It’s important to secure the border, it's a bipartisan issue.” -@SteveScalise pic.twitter.com/Yfp70SAHRY
— GOP (@GOP) December 18, 2018
Photo source: Twitter
“The costs, human and monetary, are too high to not pass the bill. Hugely long sentences for non-violent offenders ruin lives and families and drain taxpayer dollars. Senators should wholeheartedly support the FIRST STEP Act so it becomes law before the end of 2018.
This is the “first step” in bringing reform to a broken, expensive system. The reform will increase public safety by using proven methods to reduce recidivism, effectively driving down the prevalence and cost of crime for generations to come.”
Read more: ATR Urges Senate to Reject Cotton/Kennedy Amendments to First Step Act
Photo source: Redstate
As the economists note, instituting price caps skews the market and “leads to shortages, squeezes the cost bubble toward some other portion of the economy, and imposes a deadweight cost on society.”
In laymen’s terms: these price controls will restrict patient access to needed drugs and reduce drug makers’ ability to invest in the research and development of new medicines.
Photo source: National Review
President Trump is right to try to lower drug prices here at home. It is a travesty that other nations get access to U.S. innovation at cut-rate prices — much lower than what Americans pay. For example, the Health and Human Services Department reports that a senior who receives an eye medicine that currently costs Medicare $1,800 a month is charged only $300 a month in many other nations. A popular chemotherapy drug costs Medicare $4,700 for each treatment here in the U.S. but only $1,100 in other nations. HHS estimates that Americans pay “180 percent of what other countries pay for physician-administered drugs.” Something is seriously wrong here.
Read more: Drug-Price Controls Can Be Injurious to Your Health
Photo source: Twitter
Read more: Conservatives Oppose HHS International Pricing Index for Medicare Part B Drugs
Photo source: Facebook
For the ninth consecutive year, Louisiana has been named one of the nation’s Judicial Hellholes® by the American Tort Reform Foundation. The organization’s annual report spotlights the worst legal climates in the country. This year, Louisiana moved up three spots in the rankings from number eight to five. Why is it the Pelican State seems to come in near the top of every “bad” list and lands near the bottom when it comes to the “good?”
The 2018-19 report highlights the state’s hiring of contingency-fee lawyers to target energy companies and the legislature’s failure to address lawsuit abuse as key factors in Louisiana’s reputation as a “judicial hellhole.” Louisiana was also among the top 10 states for lawsuits in federal court this year claiming small businesses are violating the American with Disabilities Act. Additionally, the state’s excessive direct tort costs amounted to $1.1 billion and resulted in a loss of more than 15,000 permanent jobs in 2018.
Louisiana’s notoriety as a “judicial hellhole” should come as no surprise. Lawsuit abuse affects everyone. Consumers pay the price in increased costs for goods and services. For example, Louisiana is the second most expensive state for auto insurance, where premiums have increased significantly for four consecutive years. In 2017, the annual average premium was $1,921 in Louisiana compared to the national average of $1,427 New Orleans is the second most expensive city to insure a vehicle in the country, and Baton Rouge isn’t far behind at number five.
The number of auto accidents and claims in Louisiana is generally consistent with the other states, but bodily injury claims are nearly twice the national average. Many Louisiana drivers are uninsured or underinsured, which encourages turning to the court system for larger accident payouts. As a result, Louisianans are forced to pay much higher premiums.
The Judicial Hellholes® report also criticizes state lawmakers’ failure to pass legislation this year that would have made evidence a person was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of an accident admissible in court. Current law does not allow this essential information to be considered when determining damage awards. This is only one example of the common-sense solutions to fight lawsuit abuse that would help make auto insurance more affordable for hardworking families.
In addition, Louisiana also has the nation’s highest jury trial threshold. Civil cases with claims valued at less than $50,000 are tried by judges, not a jury. Thirty-six states have no jury trial threshold, and of those that do, the amount is considerably lower.
Let’s hope the Louisiana Legislature can implement these and other legal reforms next year and break the state’s streak as a “judicial hellhole” before it hits the decade mark.
Lana Sonnier Venable
Executive Director
Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch (LLAW)
Governor Edwards’ litigious attacks against oil and gas industry contribute to poor legal climate
Photo source: Judicial Hellholes
Dec. 4, 2018 (WASHINGTON) – Today, the American Tort Reform Foundation released its annual Judicial Hellholes report and named Louisiana as the No. 5 Judicial Hellhole in the country.
Louisiana earned its way into the Top 5 through the state’s hiring of contingency-fee lawyers to target energy companies and the legislature’s failure to address lawsuit abuse.
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, a former trial lawyer, came into office and quickly hired campaign donors and trial lawyer colleagues to represent the state in more than 40 lawsuits against energy companies. Governor Edwards filed the lawsuits after the companies would not comply with his ultimatum demanding that they spend billions of dollars restoring the eroding coastline of the Pelican State.
“The evidence that oil and gas exploration is solely to blame for coastal erosion simply does not exist,” American Tort Reform Association President Tiger Joyce said. “These lawsuits have done nothing to solve the issue but instead only created unnecessary job loss for Louisianans.”
Louisiana posted the worst economic performance in the country in 2017 according to the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis, and was one of just three states in which the economy shrank.
Governor Edwards is not the only Louisianan needlessly filing lawsuits. The state also is a hotbed for lawsuits claiming small businesses are in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The claims often involve serial plaintiffs and are filed without giving notice to the business owner, denying them the opportunity to address the issue outside of court.
“Lawsuits like these against small mom-and-pop businesses are wrong,” Joyce said. “These are folks who don’t have access to full-fledged corporate legal teams. They are good people who want to serve their customers, but instead, trial lawyers are taking them to court and putting small business owners through the ringer.”
As of June, Louisiana was among the Top 10 states for these types of lawsuits in federal court in 2018. The problems don’t end with frivolous lawsuits – Louisiana also has the second-most expensive auto insurance rates in the country. Fifty-five percent of Louisianans drive uninsured or underinsured, encouraging drivers to turn to the courts for larger payouts when accidents occur. Trial lawyers then work behind the scenes to drive up payout costs on even the most minor fender benders, which then forces the insurance companies to increase rates year after year.
Louisiana’s legislature had the opportunity to pass legislation addressing these litigation abuses, which would have made evidence that a person was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of an accident admissible in court. The current law in Louisiana does not allow the jury to consider this evidence when determining damage awards. The bill passed the House but died in the Senate.
“Louisiana finds itself in a bad cycle of trial lawyers driving up insurance costs, drivers then being unable to afford the necessary auto insurance, and then going to court to seek payouts,” Joyce said. “Revisiting and passing this commonsense piece of legislation would be a step in the right direction to address Louisiana’s high insurance rates and help make auto insurance more affordable for hardworking Louisianans.”
A recent report states that excessive tort costs in Louisiana resulted in a loss of more than 15,000 permanent jobs as of 2018 in addition to $1.1 billion in annual direct costs.
The full ranking of the nation’s Judicial Hellholes are:
California
Florida
New York City
St. Louis
Louisiana
Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas
New Jersey Legislature
Madison and St. Clair Counties, Ill.
Twin Cities, Minn.
To view the full report and read further updates throughout the year, visit JudicialHellholes.org.
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About the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA): The American Tort Reform Association, based in Washington, D.C., is the only national organization dedicated exclusively to tort and liability reform through public education and the enactment of legislation. Its members include nonprofit organizations and small and large companies, as well as trade, business and professional associations from the state and national level. The American Tort Reform Foundation is a sister organization dedicated primarily to research and public education.
Photo source: Twitter
In the three decades since working those fields, Landry has used that work ethic to help himself achieve a lifetime of goals. Landry graduated from college, worked as a sheriff’s deputy, served in the Louisiana Army National Guard, received his law degree and passed the bar, opened his own business, served in the United State Congress and was elected as Louisiana’s Attorney General.
Read more: Plenty of work to do
