There is a major effort going on today to change the name of Fort Rucker Alabama to Fort Hugh Thompson. You may have never heard of warrant officer Thompson, but history has shown that he played a crucial role in changing the perception of the Vietnam war. He was the Louisiana guy from Lafayette. It...Read More

Thursday, March 25th, 2021 Baton Rouge, Louisiana SADNESS OVER MARCH MADNESS! March Madness has captivated millions of sports fans al over America. Let me begin right off by saying that I am a college basketball diehard through and through. Like most sports fans, I cheer on my favorite teams in a number of sports. But at...Read More

March 618h, 2021 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  IS LOUISIANA A JUDICIAL HELLHOLE? According to several watchdog organizations, Louisiana has one of the worst judicial climates in the country.  The state has been given the dubious title of the nation’s judicial hellhole by several neutral watchdog groups. Campaign funds given to a judicial candidate are often cited as...Read More

Thursday, March 11th, 2021 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  THE BETRAYAL ON JUSTICE IN LOUISIANA! There’s a lot of talk about judicial reform Both in Louisiana as well as the rest of the nation.  Unfortunately, there have been major abuses of innocent people being connected here in the Bayou state. You may not recognize the name of...Read More

 LOUISIANA AND THE TURMOIL IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH! We all know that there is a crisis in the Catholic Church right now. Allegations of sexually abusive clergy are pouring in worldwide.  And numerous new allegations have been pouring in down here in Louisiana. Unfortunately, roots of this terrible tragedy engulfing the Catholic Church all over...Read More

Thursday, February 25th, 2021 Baton Rouge, Louisiana SPRING FEVER AND BASEBALL! Despite the recent cold weather, springtime is right around the corner and my favorite time of year. The weather warms up without a lot of humidity.  Flowers bloom at their very best. It’s the season of my birthday.  If you live in Louisiana, we...Read More

February 18th, 2021 Baton Rouge, Louisiana TRUMP DISPARAGES LOUISIANA HEROES! Whatever one things of former President Donald Trump, there are certainly some things accomplished, particularly as regards to the economy. I’ll give him credit for this. But I am highly critical of how his mouth got in the way when it came to honoring those...Read More

Thursday,  February 11th, 2021 Baton Rouge, Louisiana WHAT’S HAPPENED TO FREEDOMS IN AMERICA? Most Americans agree on the importance of safeguarding basic freedoms protected by the constitution.  But here’s where it gets a little murky.  Do we have to give up certain of these freedoms to be safe and secure? The current and past presidents,...Read More

February 4th, 2021 Baton Rouge, Louisiana LOUISIANA TO THE TREASUREY DEPARTMENT- LEAVE OLD HICKORY ALONE There is a major push by the bureaucrats in Washington to put the first woman on the face of paper currency. There are a number of choices, and you will get no argument form me that there certainly is a...Read More

Thursday, January 28th, 2021 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  KEYSTONE PIPELINE-LOUISIANA’S ECONOMIC SAVIOR? Almost overnight, the approval of the Keystone pipeline has become a controversial  issue as new President Joe Biden has, for the time being, cancelled the continuing building of the pipeline.  And is building the pipeline the huge job creator and economic bonanza that both...Read More

Former Louisiana politician Jim Brown reminds us the FBI is a deeply-flawed federalagency run by             ambitious bureaucrats          January 20th, 2021 by tomaswell JIM BROWN, Louisiana’s erstwhile legislator, secretary of state, gubernatorial candidate, state insurance commissioner and self-described victim of an over-zealous FBI HATCHET JOB, today has...Read More

Thursday, January 14th, 2021 Baton Rouge, Louisiana SABAN: THE BEST THERE EVER WAS! I don’t normally write a sports column, but a few words would seem appropriate after Alabama’s startling victory this past Monday night in the College Football Championship game. Simply put, love him or hate him, Alabama head coach Nick Saban is the best...Read More

Thursday, January 7th, 2021 Baton Rouge, Louisiana TELEVISE FEDERAL TRIALS?  OF COURSE! With one recent Supreme Court Justice confirmed and another just appointed by President Trump, the issue of televising hearings before the nation’s highest court will surely be discussed. The Supremes have stood steadfastly against letting the public watch the cases argued before them,...Read More

January 1, 2021 Baton Rouge, Louisiana NEW YEAR THOUGHTS FROM THE BAYOU STATE! Do you make New Year’s resolutions? I always do.  A New Year always brings with it promise and uncertainty, but this coming year brings with it a greater foreboding than we have experienced in the past.  The Chinese have a saying: “May...Read More

Thursday, December 24th, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana THE HOLIDAYS OFFER US A SECOND CHANCE! Most of us have been swept up in the momentum of the holiday season. We have passed Thanksgiving, reached the Christmas milestone and are approaching New Year’s Day, the third in the trilogy of holidays. Sure, there is a lot of our...Read More

Thursday, November 25th, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  GET THE DRUNKS OFF THE ROAD IN LOUISIANA! Louisiana has always been a “free and easy” state when it comes to drinking and driving.  Visitors are dumbfounded when they see drive-through Daiquiri shops across the state.  Just as prevalent are the drive through liquor stores that punctuate the Bayou State.  And the results should...Read More

Thursday, November 19th, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana A NEW LOUISIANA GOVERNOR SOON?  Louisiana congressman Cedric Richmond resigned this week announcing he will take a new position as a senior staffer are in the new Biden White House. And within hours, the rumor mills began as political insiders started considering the domino effect of such a...Read More

Thursday, November 12th, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana NEEDED ELECTION REFORMS? Winston Churchill once said the democracies and the election process are messy, sometimes chaotic, and inefficient.  But, he also pointed out, that no one has devised a system that is any better. The recent presidential election was a nail biter with a small percentage of...Read More

Thursday, November 5th, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana PRESIDENTIAL VOTER FRAUD IN LOUISIANA? With the presidential election going right down to the wire, widespread voter fraud is being alleged by both the Republicans and the Democrats.  We may see final election results delayed for a week or more. Two Thousand Bush v Gore redux? With electronic...Read More

Thursday, October 28th, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana INSURANCE REFORM NEEDS MORE THAN DUMB TV ADS!  Like most of you, I’ve had my fill of political ads and trial lawyer solicitations that seem to be constantly appearing on TV.  But you know what bothers me even more? I’m sick of seeing that goofy commercial of some...Read More

Thursday, October 22nd, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  WHAT WOULD YOU ASK THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES? If you could sit down with each of the two presidential candidates, President Donald Trump and Joe Biden, what would you ask them?  What insights would you be looking for?  What knowledge would you expect them to have?  And just how...Read More

Thursday, October 15th, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana TERM LIMITS FOR SUPREME COURT JUSTICES? Whatever the final result over the confirmation battle of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, one thing is becoming more urgent.  The court itself has a crisis of legitimacy. And one way to restore its genuineness is to require term limits for all future...Read More

Thursday, October 8th, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  GOV. MIKE FOSTER LEFT AN INSURANCE LEGECY!  There is no place like Louisiana on this earth, and I think that when my days are over, I’ll find heaven to be no different from Louisiana ““ maybe a little bit cooler in the summer. Governor Mike Foster Governor Foster...Read More

Thursday, October 1st, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana VOTING IN PERSON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Will elections ever be the same? From coast to coast, there is a great deal of controversy over mail in ballots as well as absentee voting.  According to some projections, as many as 50% of voters will cast mail in ballots. ...Read More

Thursday, September 24th, 20120 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  LOUISIANA IGNORED IN SUPREME COURT PICK! “Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods.”                                                  -Edmund Burke Before the President made his choice this week for a new nominee to fill the vacancy on the United States...Read More

Thursday, September 17th, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana LSU FOOTBALL AND RACE RELATIONS! Ah, the wisdom found in the New York Times. America’s newspaper (at least according to them) seems to find a reason every week to denigrate the backwards homefolks that populate Louisiana. Certainly some debasement is justified, particularly when it comes to disparaging the state’s...Read More

Thursday, September 10th, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana OUR LIVES WERE CHANGED BY 9/11  I have watched through a window a world that has fallen. W. H. Auden The date, 9/11, turned into the frantic dialing of 911 nineteen years ago. A surreal feeling of shock and helplessness enveloped all Americans as we watched that day’s...Read More

Thursday, September 3rd, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana ALL LOUISIANA KIDS HAVE A RIGHT TO INTERNET ACCESS!  Our illustrious state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in Louisiana has just released a startling report.  Over 25% of students, some 179,000 throughout the state, have no internet access.  Yet the vast majority of school districts teach a...Read More

August 26th, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana Fifteen Years Ago Katrina Tried To Wash Us Away! As Louisiana begins the massive cleanup following Hurricane Laura, those of us living on the Gulf Coast remember the fear and concern that enveloped our region fifteen years ago this week. A lady named Katrina changed many of our lives....Read More

Thursday, August 20th, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana LEGISLATURE STICKS IT TO LOUISIANA POLICYHOLDERS! Say what?  I’m sure I’m not hearing this right.  After spending millions of dollars in lobbying for so called tort reform, and promising that limiting policyholders’ legal rights will cause a major reduction in the cost of automobile insurance, the industry seems to be taking an...Read More

Thursday, August 13th, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana JESSE JAMES AND LOUISIANA!  With the pandemic keeping us more at home, TV binge watching has become the norm.  My family and I have viewed season after season of Chicago PD, NCIS New Orleans, even old re-runs of The Sopranos and Friends.  And old-time movies.  How many times...Read More

Thursday, August 6th, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana NUTRIA-IT’S WHAT’S FOR DINNER! Those little critters are taking over the state. With so many problems on Louisiana’s plate, add to the list what we can do about the onslaught and continuing invasion of nutria.  That’s right.  And we even have U.S. Senators from both parties in Washington...Read More

      Thursday, July 30th, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS AND JUDGES! Is Louisiana a judicial hellhole where decisions by state judges are influenced by campaign contributions?  Apparently, the Louisiana legislature and business lobbying groups think so. In the recent legislative session, laws were passed taking away the authority of state judges to...Read More

Friday, July 23rd, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana READING IN UNCERTAIN TIMES!  If you’re a book publisher like me, and want to sell a lot of books, there’s no better time than during a pandemic. Book sales have been high for months, particularly the big box stores like Walmart, Target, Costco, as well as bookstores nationwide....Read More

Friday, July 16th, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana THE LOSS OF A CHEF PAUL AND HIS RESTAURANT! Cajun cuisine has always been unique, delightfully spicy, and thoroughly enjoyable for those that live or visit South Louisiana. But for many years, it was always a local thing. That all changed with the arrival of Chef Paul Prudhomme...Read More

Thursday, July 9th, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  HIGH AUTO INSURANCE RATES TO CONTINUE? Did you hear the news? The Louisiana legislature has passed new laws that will dramatically reduce your automobile insurance rates.  By 25% says the insurance commissioner. And by the end of the year. Wow! I can hardly wait to spend my savings....Read More

Thursday, July 2nd, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana TOO MUCH POLITICAL CORRECTNESS IN LOUISIANA! I don’t know about you, but I sure am confused about all this current debate over gender equity, gay rights, and transgenders, especially with new rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court.  I keep reading in the newspaper about LGBT. I had to...Read More

June 26th, 2020 New Orleans, Louisiana A REPUBLICAN CONVENTION IN NEW ORLEANS? Republicans just a few weeks ago were scouring major cities across the country to find a new location for their national convention, scheduled for mid-August. The GOP had originally planned to congregate in Charlotte North Carolina, but the governor set extremely strict standards...Read More

June 18th, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  WE ARE TOO BUSY FOR THE NATIONAL ANTHEM! New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has stirred u a national debate on standing when the national anthem is played at sporting events.  I’ve always looked on honoring the flag and standing for the national anthem as a basic premise that...Read More

Friday, June 12th, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  REWRITING LOUISIANA’S HISTORY! It looks like it’s time to get out the soap powder in Louisiana and the rest of the nation. In protests all over the country, there is a growing call for the banishment of whatever tattered remnants are left from the aftermath of the Civil...Read More

Thursday, June 4th, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana FIFTY-TWO YEARS OF POLITICAL CONVENTIONS!  Assuming in this strange day and age, we still have political conventions this year, no one at this stage is sure just how the process will work. The old process of picking national candidates in the proverbial smoke-filled room has gone by the...Read More

May 28th, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana CONGRESS AND THE NEW TECHNOLOGY! House Democrats in congress can now vote and participate in committee hearings remotely.  It was a good move that should have been adopted years ago. Is it necessary for members of congress to spend most of their time in Washington?   In 2020, why can’t...Read More

May 21st, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana DOES LOUISIANA CARE ABOUT OLD PEOPLE? The coronavirus epidemic has raised a troubling apprehension in Louisiana and in many other states across the country. There seems to be a devaluation of older citizens. I’m in that number of older folks, and there appears to be ample evidence that older...Read More

Thursday, May 14h, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana THE NEW NORMAL IN OUR LIVES!  Who could have ever imagined that our lives would so dramatically change by a virus that just a few months ago was dismissed by our leaders as a minor problem that really would not affect our lives that much.  A little social...Read More

Wednesday, May 6th, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana THE CHALLENGES AND CHARMS OF GETTING OLDER! I woke up earlier this week, followed my normal routine of walking the dogs, picking up the morning papers, pouring my large glass of orange juice half filled with water to dilute the sugar, checked my emails, walked out on the...Read More

April 20th, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana LIVING IN UNCERTAIN TIMES! I have suspended my weekly columns, that have appeared in over 80 newspapers in Louisiana, for the next few months, just to give this “old guy” a break. Before the virus hit us, my family and I had planned on spending a good bit of...Read More

We took a break from our southern book tour to enjoy this year’s Mardi Gras.  It was a Big family Mardi Gras weekend in New Orleans. Hope you had as much fun as we did.Read More

January 2, 2020 Baton Rouge, Louisiana NEW YEAR THOUGHTS FROM THE BAYOU STATE! Do you make New Year’s resolutions? I always do.  A New Year always brings with it promise and uncertainty, but this coming year brings with it a greater foreboding than we have experienced in the past.  The Chinese have a saying: “May...Read More

December 21, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana THE HOLIDAYS OFFER US A SECOND CHANCE! Most of us have been swept up in the momentum of the holiday season. We have passed Thanksgiving, reached the Christmas milestone and are approaching New Year’s Day, the third in the trilogy of holidays. Sure, there is a lot of our attention...Read More

Thursday, October 31, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana TRUMP EFFECT IN LOUISIANA!  In the first primary governor’s race here in the Bayou State, incumbent John Bel Edwards looked to be on the verge of a first primary victory.  Then at the last minute, the President blew into the state.  It made a huge difference, and now...Read More

Thursday, October 28th, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana DELUSION OR COMMON SENSE IN THE MIDDLE EAST? President Donald Trump has stirred up a hornet’s after he ordered an immediate pullout from northeastern Syria.  Maybe he could have been a bit more diplomatic.  But are a thousand U.S. troops really going to make any major difference in...Read More

Thursday, October 17th, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  WHAT HAPPENED ELECTION NIGHT IN LOUISIANA?  As Gomer Pile insightfully said:  Surprise, Surprise, Surprise.  There were a number of them on election night in the Bayou State. Governor John Bel Edwards’ quest for a first primary victory fell flat as several factors in the final days of the...Read More

Thursday, October 10th, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  LABOR OF LOVE TO VOTE! People early voted in record numbers for Saturday’s first primary election.  Here in Louisiana, election participation was up 25% over the gubernatorial election just four years ago. Predictions proved true that as many as 35% or more of total voters will cast their ballots...Read More

Thursday, October 3rd, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana WHO’S GOING TO WIN ON LOUISIANA ELECTION NIGHT?  With the Louisiana statewide election only a few days away, and with many voters already making their way to the polls, it would seem to be a good time for me to gaze into my crystal ball and make a...Read More

Thursday, September 24th, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana INSURANCE COMMISSIONER’S RACE IN THE SPOTLIGHT! With absentee voting open and a Louisiana statewide election only days away, voters are making their final choices.  In the race for Governor, the undecided vote has dropped to around 10%, about normal prior to a gubernatorial contest just before election day. ...Read More

September 19th, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  LITTLE INTEREST IN COMING LOUISIANA ELECTION! According to national political pundits, there is a revolution going on all over America. Voters are in a rebellion mode with little confidence in the political leadership at both the national and state levels. Being an incumbent politician is no longer a badge...Read More

September 12th, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana IS THERE ELECTION FRAUD IN LOUISIANA? Current Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin is under attack by the Louisiana Democratic Party that is charging Louisiana’s elections are vulnerable to election fraud.  The party “˜s recent statement reads: “Louisiana is one of the most vulnerable states for election interference in the...Read More

Thursday, September 4th, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana NO MORE RETAIL POLITICS IN LOUISIANA! Remember the days when candidates for U.S Senator or Governor would speak to thousands of supporters at weekend rallies all over Louisiana? Huey Long was the master, mainly because he promised he’d give voters just about anything they wanted. A long line...Read More

August 29th, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana A DUMB IDEA TO BUY GREENLAND? President Trump stirred up a hornet’s nest recently as he proposed that the U.S. try to buy Greenland. Many political observers rolled their eyes. Buy another country? Has the Prez thrown out another wacky suggestion and is this really a good idea? Actually,...Read More

Thursday, August 2nd, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana GOVERNOR’S RACE DOMINATES POLITICAL SCENE! When qualifications for elections in Louisiana concluded recently, only two of the seven statewide officials are facing major and well-funded opposition.  Incumbent Governor John Bel Edwards faces eight challengers including five republicans. But only two GOP candidates are considered serious; Congressman Ralph Abraham from...Read More

August 15th, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  BOBBY JINDAL-A POLITICAL PUNCHING BAG!  A voter would think that former Governor Bobby Jindal is running again in the coming fall elections.  Rarely does current Gov. John Bel Edwards make a speech where he does not lay all the state’s financial woes at the feet of Jindal. Why has Jindal...Read More

August 8th, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana WHAT ARE THE ISSUES IN THIS FALL’S ELECTION? Qualifications have ended and it’s now a sprint to election day.  So what top issues should the candidates for governor and the legislature talk about in the coming weeks?  There is an abyss of a state with massive fiscal problems, an...Read More

Thursday, August 1st, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana EARNING BIG BUCKS IN STATE GOVERNMENT! How do you put a dollar value on the worth of a public official? Attorneys working full time for the LSU Health Sciences Center are asking to be paid more than $400,000 a year. So how do you justify such large increases? How...Read More

Thursday, July 25th, 20l9 Baton Rouge, Louisiana BUT WHAT ABOUT THE TABASCO SAUCE? Grandparents visiting day took me to Portland, Maine this past weekend to spend time with my two oldest grandsons.  The highlight of the trip was of course hanging out with the boys and attending their various camp activities.  But second on my...Read More

Thursday, July 18th, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana DO DEMOCRATS SELF DESTRUCT? Being a moderate democrat in Louisiana has become a real labor of love today, The Louisiana Democratic Party is becoming more and more irrelevant in the Bayou State. Party officials did itself a real disservice two years ago when it tried to wipe out...Read More

Thursday, July 11th, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana GET THE POLITICIANS OUT OF REAPPORTIONMENT! It’s getting close to redistricting time for legislators in Louisiana. By federal law, all election districts must be reapportioned every 10 years to reflect the latest census figures. But should legislators, who have a vested interest in how the redistricting lines are...Read More

Thursday, July 2nd, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana DON’T BE CIVIL IN POLITICS? Here’s what we learned from the first democratic presidential debate last week. Do not fraternize with those you disagree with and never refer to a fellow politician as son, boy or anything similar.  It’s just not “politically correct.” Former Vice President Joe Biden...Read More

Thursday, June 26th, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  TOO MUCH POLITICAL CORRECTNESS IN LOUISIANA! I don’t know about you, but I sure am confused about all this current debate over gender equity, gay rights, and transgenders. I keep reading in the newspaper about LGBT. I had to look up the lettering to even know what the...Read More

Thursday, June 20th, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana THE DEMISE OF ENTERTAINING POLITICS IN LOUISIANA! I have a sad announcement to make. Politics is just no fun anymore in Louisiana. Reams of books have been written about the colorful characters that ran the Bayou state throughout its history. And the average citizen got involved, attended rallies...Read More

Thursday, June 13thst, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana THE KINGFISH, LOUISIANA, AND PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS! Huey Long would have been right in the middle of the current presidential election if he were still alive. He began a legacy of a long list of Louisiana politicians who had national aspirations. Later governors John McKeithen, Edwin Edwards, Buddy Roemer...Read More

Thursday, June 6th, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  EFFORTS TO REDUCE COST OF INSURANCE FALL FLAT! Louisiana’s business voice, LABI, as well as the Louisiana Insurance Department each took a huge hit in the waning days of the recent legislative session.  LABI, with the full support of Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon, pegged legislation to supposedly reduce...Read More

May 30th, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana WE NEED TO DO MORE TO SERVE OUR COUNTRY I hope everyone enjoyed their recent Memorial Day weekend.  Many Louisianans were vacationing over the long holiday or enjoying a cookout with family and friends.  Many stores held sales advertising for us to have a “Happy Memorial Day.”  All well...Read More

May 23rd, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana CONGRESSMAN SCALISE STRUGGLES WITH FORGIVENESS!  Louisiana Congressman Steve Scalise says he is still struggling over whether to forgive the man wo shot him two years ago.  “I’ve never, internally, formally forgiven the shooter from the baseball shooting,” he said. “It’s something I’ve struggled with as a Catholic.”  It would...Read More

May 16th, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana LOUISIANA AND THE SOUTH UNDER SIEGE BY HEAVY RAINS!  The heavy spring rains have been incessant up and down the Mississippi River, and there are projections for more Midwest thunderstorms later on this week. And all this water has, over the years, been channeled in tight levee systems that...Read More

Thursday, May 9th, 2019  New Orleans, Louisiana HURRICANE SEASON “” DO YOU FEEL LUCKY?  WELL DO YA?  It’s the kickoff for hurricane season and forecasters are predicting as many as 14 named storms with anywhere from 3 to 6 of these storms growing into major hurricanes. Here on the Gulf Coast, we certainly perk up...Read More

Thursday, May 2ed, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana LOUISIANA TAXPAYERS ON HOOK FOR MILLIONS OVER STANFORD MESS! It’s been more than ten years since the Stanford Group was shut down, having bilked over 1000 Louisiana investors out of their life’s savings.  Lawsuits have been filed against the Securities and Exchange Commission for not providing proper regulatory...Read More

Thursday, April 25th, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  WHAT?  CHANGE THE STATE SONG? Governor Jimmy Davis must be rolling over in his grave right now.  Louisiana’s internationally acclaimed official state song is under attack by the Louisiana Legislature. There is an effort by some south Louisiana legislators to designate the Cajun classic Jambalaya as an official public...Read More

Thursday, April 18th, 20919 Baton Rouge, Louisiana WHO CAN BEAT JOHN BEL EDWARDS? Is there a gubernatorial election taking place in Louisiana this year? Based on the amount of current interest, you wouldn’t know it. Qualifications for statewide offices are less than four months away. Four months? And barely a peep out of candidates who...Read More

Thursday, April 11th, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  MORE FOCUS NEEDEDON EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING! As the Louisiana legislature begins a new session, the focus””early on””concerns alligators, almond milk, marching bands, the Who Dat Nation, driverless cars, wrestling matches, crab traps, meatless burgers, and changing the name of the state song. By any objective measure, most of...Read More

Thursday, April 4th, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana LSU HANDLES BASKETBALL INVESTIGATION POORLY!  If you are a sports fan living in Louisiana, you are well aware of the rise to the top by LSU’s basketball team that won the SEC championship and made it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.  But then the bubble...Read More

Thursday, March 21, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana LOWERING AUTO INSURANCE RATES IN LOUISIANA! Statewide elections are six months away, so after ignoring Louisiana’s outrageously high insurance rates for the past three years, legislators are running for cover.  Two study commissions have been created, one by the Governor and another by the Insurance Department, for the...Read More

Thursday, March 21st, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana A FERRIDAY MUSICAL LEGAND TAKES TIME TO HEAL!  “The Killer” needs to take a break from Rock and Roll.  Jerry Lee Lewis had a recent stroke and will spend the coming months in a rehab facility near his home in Nashville.  I was looking forward to his April...Read More

March 14th, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana OPPOSITION FOR STATEWIDE CANDIDATES! Qualification for this fall’s gubernatorial election is less than five months away.  So far, there are only two races at the statewide level that are competitive. The governor’s race always draws a crowd, with Governor Edwards being challenged so far by two major and well-funded...Read More

March 6th, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  IS LOUISIANA A JUDICIAL HELLHOLE? According to several watchdog organizations, Louisiana has one of the worst judicial climates in the country.  The state has been given the dubious title of the nation’s judicial hellhole by several neutral watchdog groups. Campaign funds given to a judicial candidate are often cited as...Read More

February 28th, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana RACCOONS AND LOUISIANA POLITICS! U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy has stirred up a hornet’s nest back in the Bayou State over his Facebook comments of eating a Louisiana delicacy.  The Senator had this to say: “Found this raccoon in my backyard.  We ate him for breakfast.” He even included a...Read More

February 21, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana HOW CAN LOUISIANA BECOME A PLAYER IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION? Presidential election season has kicked off earlier than usual with new democrat candidates appearing almost daily.  Fourteen announced candidates so far with others like former Vice President Joe Biden waiting in the wings.  The President is unopposed for now, but...Read More

February 14th, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana BLACKFACE, LOUISIANA AND CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES! Blackface mania has consumed voters in Virginia and is seeping into other states.  Are their closeted politicians in Louisiana who are perusing their old yearbooks and scrapbooks to see if there are any blackface photos lurking in their past?  Actually, no, since blackface...Read More

February 7th, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  GESTAPO TACTICS IN AMERICA? It sounded like it came out of a movie plot.  In the early morning hours, federal agents stormed a home to make an arrest.  They had to be after some major drug lord or a sought-after terrorist.  There were 29 agents all wearing military gear...Read More

The Common-Sense radio show is fast approaching for the weekend with a great array of guests. We will discuss Helen Zia’s LAST BOAT OUT OF SHANGHAI that has received a rave review from the Wall Street Journal and the Christian Science Monitor. She will discuss the current day anti-immigrant attacks emanating from the White House, and the current China ““ U.S. tensions. ...Read More

IN LOUISIANA, MAKE PERFORMANCE MATTER! How do you put a dollar value on the worth of a public official?  How about this idea. Shouldn’t receiving any salary increase be based on results? LSU football coach Ed Orgeron will pocket some three and a half million dollars this year, making him one of the highest-paid football...Read More

January 24th, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  A NO-CALL FOR THE SAINTS AS WELL AS LOUISIANA VOTERS! New Orleans Saints fans and practically the whole state of Louisiana are up in arms.  And for good reason.  It’s become the most talked about call in the history of NFL football.  Simply put-the Saints got robbed. You had...Read More

January 17th, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana GET HEALTHY-DRINK MORE COKE? I picked up a recent copy of Men’s Health Magazinewith a lengthy article on weight loss based on research from Louisiana’s own Pennington Biomedical Research Center. The results were typical-eat less, eat early, breath deep, get and lots of exercise. And sugar?  The Pennington study concludes...Read More

January 10th, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana HAS COLLEGE FOOTBALL BECOME A PRO SPORT? It’s the end of the college football season with Clemson taking a resounding victory over favored Alabama.   The year also produced a financial bonanza for top tier football schools all over the country. ESPN has paid some 7 billion dollars for the...Read More

January 3rd, 2019 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  COMPARING AUSTIN AND BATON ROUGE! For as far back as I can remember, comparisons have been made between Louisiana’s state capitol city and Austin, Texas. In the 1960s the population of both cities were about the same. Austin and Baton Rouge were the homes of both the centers of state...Read More

December 27th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana NEW YEAR THOUGHTS FROM THE BAYOU STATE! Do you make New Year’s resolutions? I always do.  A New Year always brings with it promise and uncertainty, but this coming year brings with it a greater foreboding than we have experienced in the past.  The Chinese have a saying: “May...Read More

December 20th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana THE HOLIDAYS OFFER US A SECOND CHANCE! Most of us have been swept up in the momentum of the holiday season. We have passed Thanksgiving, reached the Christmas milestone and are approaching New Year’s Day, the third in the trilogy of holidays. Sure, there is a lot of our attention...Read More

December 13th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana STATE REGULATION IN LOUISIANA ALLOWS HIGH INSURANCE RATES! A headline in several regional newspapers caught my eye. “Homeowners Insurance Rate Increases Have Slowed,” said one front page banner. I guess that’s supposed to be good news. But in my home state of Louisiana, rates have skyrocketed since 2005 “”...Read More

December 6th, 2018 New Orleans, Louisiana GARTH BROOKS AND ME IN LOUISIANA! Did you see the Garth Brooks televised concert at Notre Dame Stadium last week?  Over 85,000 country music fans packed the South Bend football field for one of largest concerts ever viewed.  And the crowd’s biggest response, hands down, was when Brooks roamed...Read More

Thursday, November 29th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana SHOULD THE FEDS MAKE LOUISIANA A PROTECTORATE? HECK YES! Have you heard the cries that Louisiana is unable to take care of its problems, and should be treated differently than other states? Some even say, OK, then “” make it a protectorate of the federal government.  And you...Read More

November 23rd, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana TIME TO UPDATE ELECTION PROCESS IN LOUISIANA? A ho-hum election day.  That’s what Louisiana voters experienced a few weeks back.  Now a runoff election is scheduled for December 8thwith just a few choices for voters on the ballot.  At the top of the ticket is the race to fill...Read More