My dog, Shorty, a five-and-a-half pound Yorkie, travels a lot with me. I have written about her before. We included wife Gladys this time around, and headed out a month ago on an extended trip to the west. A family wedding, visits with numerous relatives along the way, spiced up with stops for skiing, hiking,...Read More

Taking a break from a family vacation in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, I went to the Internet and checked on all the local news back home in Louisiana. The insurance news for homeowners, particularly in Louisiana, was bleak. Headlines blaring 49 percent rate increases, companies refusing to pay claims, little known causes that completely wipe...Read More

My wife, Gladys and I were in Shreveport last week attending a funeral. Because of a houseful of guests at my mother’s house, we decided to stay at the Horseshoe Hotel and Casino, a bustling enterprise on the Red River in Bossier right across from downtown Shreveport. Gladys wondered off to the gift shops as...Read More

For weeks, the LSU Board of Supervisors has been embroiled in a controversy over the selection of a new president for the LSU system. Rumors have been flying for months that incumbent head William Jenkins was being pushed aside by a handful of the present Board with his successor already handpicked. In a recent special...Read More

Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco says it’s time to play hardball. Many would say it’s about time. But is attempting to block the sale of federal mineral leases off the coast of Louisiana the way to begin? Even Chris Mathews might raise his eyebrows on this one. Here’s the background. The U.S. Department of the Interior,...Read More

If there is going to be a defining issue in the fall race for Insurance Commissioner, it’s going to be property insurance in Louisiana. Both pre-Katrina and post-Katrina, finding affordable property insurance for homes and businesses has become more and more difficult. The cost has skyrocketed, and many homeowners are dramatically underinsured. And unfortunately, under...Read More

Availability and affordability. The buzzwords when it comes to insurance for small consumers and big businesses alike. The insurance climate wasn’t much before Katrina. But the overall insurance climate took quite a dip in the last five months. Get ready for a knock down drag out on what’s important to the insurance buying public. We...Read More

Now let me get this straight. As part of levee board reform, the Louisiana Legislature, with the Governor’s blessing, will split the oversight of flood protection in New Orleans between two levee boards with a third board over these two boards. And this is supposed to be progress? Up until now, our state has taken...Read More

Do you want to know how disjointed and out of focus the Louisiana Democratic Party is right now? Just look at what happened in last week’s election for a state party chairman. Baton Rouge lawyer and long-time party loyalist, Chris Whittington was the early favorite, and ended up winning a big victory. But look who...Read More

In Louisiana, politicos are always looking to the next political race, or a new vacancy that needs to be filled. And with speculation that present Lieutenant-Governor Mitch Landrieu is about to announce his candidacy for Mayor of New Orleans, the rumor mill has already begun as to who will take his place if his campaign...Read More

In a normal election cycle, 2006 would be a somewhat dull election year with a contested congressional election or two. Not a lot to spark the average voter’s interest. But no more. Get ready for a whole litany of contests, from possible three statewide elections, to a series of hot congressional matches as well as...Read More

A major effort is being made to recall Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco. A website set up to give information about the recall effort received, according to those organizing the effort, some 200,000 hits in the first day alone. Petitions are being circulated, and there is supposedly a major effort underway to obtain the required signatures...Read More

Here in the Crescent City, the lines would seem to have been drawn in the dirt. Many residents want a quick election to pass judgment on those who want to govern the city in the future. Others want to delay the election. And political motives are attributed to both sides. Who benefits by the changing...Read More