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

Thursday, November 15th, 2018 New Orleans, Louisiana  SANCTUARY CITIES FLOUT IMMIGRATION LAWS! The President has made illegal immigrants who have moved in to what are called “Sanctuary Cities” a major issue in recent months, even signing an executive order cutting off funds to municipalities that ignore federal law. The Crescent City is in the forefront of...Read More

Thursday, November 8th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana MORE INTEREST NEEDED IN LOUISIANA ELECTIONS! This past Tuesday’s election stirred mediocre interest here in the Bayou State. This was the fifth election in Louisiana in 2018.  And get ready for six election dates in 2019.  There was a 45% turnout last week, even though voters witnessed a...Read More

Thursday, November 1st, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana WHY DO WE HAVE HATE CRIMES? The horrific Pittsburgh synagogue shooting that left 11 people dead last week was, for good reason, called “the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in U.S. history.”Â  It was a ghastly crime of appalling proportions. Robert Bowers is charged with 11 counts of using a firearm to commit...Read More

Thursday, October 25thth, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana IS ANYONE INTERESTED IN VOTING IN LOUISIANA? Remember the 1970 song by Chicago; “Does anybody know what time it is, does anybody really care?” Well it’s close to Election Day in Louisiana, and it would seem by early voting projections and general lack of interest that Louisianans are...Read More

A really busy time of year for our weekend Common Sense radio show. How to deal with 5000 illegal immigrants heading for the border? Attorney and immigration specialist George Rodriguezfrom Dallas will join us to discuss. ( www.sralawonline.com.)  We will talk with Christian Bolton who says he was arrested and imprisoned because of his knowledge about...Read More

Thursday, October 18th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana LIVING AND DYING IN LOUISIANA! Fourteen years ago this week, Derrick Todd Lee received the death penalty in Louisiana. He was the state’s most notorious and prolific serial killer. I was there in the courtroom when the verdict was handed down. It was a cool Tuesday evening, and...Read More

Thursday, October 11th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana WHAT’S THE NEW SECRETARY OF STATE TO DO? Special statewide elections in Louisiana are only a few weeks away. At the top of the ballot on November 6thwill be an office second in line to the governorship. A number of the candidates are harping on the same theme....Read More

October 4th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana MEDDLING WITH LOUISIANA CHARTER SCHOOLS! Here we go again with meddling federal judges. The 5thU.S Circuit Court of Appeals came down hard on Louisiana charter schools last week. Charter schools, that by definition are independent with major input from parents, now will have to bargain with teachers’ unions. The...Read More

Thursday, September 27th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana TERM LIMITS FOR SUPREME COURT JUSTICES? Whatever the final result over the confirmation battle of Judge Brett Kavanaugh, 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 judges....Read More

September 21st, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  RISK TAKERS STICK IT TO TAXPAYERS IN LOUISIANA! It’s been ten years since the financial crisis on Wall Street filtered down through the insurance industry.  Many national insurance companies were under siege, and even though Louisiana is a small state in population, policyholders were affected proportionally at a much...Read More

September 13th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana IN DEFENSE OF DUMB COUNTRY LAWYERS! I have a confession to make. And President Trump is not going to like it.  I’m a southern country lawyer. Darn proud of it.  In the President’s words, I may be a “dumb southern country lawyer.”Â  I just hope the President does not have...Read More

Thursday, September 6th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  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.  Unfortunately, the roots of this terrible tragedy engulfing the Catholic Church have strong ties to the Bayou...Read More

August 30th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana JOHN MCCAIN AND BUDDY ROEMER! John McCain was a rare commodity in U. S. politics.  He was a war hero, full of good-natured irreverence, and a contrarian in the Republican Party.  McCain made it abundantly clear that he put America before party politics.  And when they both served in...Read More

August 23rd, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana WHY HAVE AN ELECTED LT. GOVERNOR IN LOUISIANA? Current Louisiana Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser has brought up an interesting idea.  Have the governor and the lieutenant governor run together on the same ticket.  Such a system exists in a majority of states across the nation. As Nungesser states:  “The...Read More

August 16th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana IN LOUISIANA, JUST TELL EM’ I LIED! There seems to be a wealth of fabricators at the state capitol in Baton Rouge. Gov. Edwards is accusing U.S. Senator John Kennedy of making “untruthful comments” on the early release of state prisoners.  Kennedy has countered back calling out the Governor...Read More

Thursday, August 9th, 2018 New Orleans, Louisiana THE SEARING OF A GREAT CITY’S SOUL! The Queen City of the South is under siege.  No, not from hurricanes. This time, the siege is from within.  New Orleans is known as the city that care forgot.  But it’s been hard to let the good times roll in...Read More

Thursday, August 2nd, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana THE LEGISLATURE AND CAESAR SALAD For years, legislators in Louisiana have maintained a well-deserved reputation of irrelevance when it comes to substantively addressing a host of public issues. The mantra seems to be one of keeping a finger in the financial dike to get through the next fiscal...Read More

July 26th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana TOO MANY INNOCENTS GETTING THE DEATH PENALTY! Down in the Bayou State, there’s a clamor for more executions. Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry makes no bones about his feelings.  More executions- including nitrogen gas, hangings, firing squads, electrocution and lethal injection.  But a federal judge has put all executions...Read More

July 19th, 2018 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, even...Read More

July 12th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana FRANCE AND LOUISIANA. GOOD NEWS! President Trump has put the French back in good graces with the U.S. while criticizing other European nations. He apparently turned a cold shoulder to both German and England over tariffs and NATO, but has developed a close and warm relationship with current French...Read More

July 5th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana A SUPREME COURT NOMINEE FROM LOUISIANA? FAT CHANCE! When President Trump was culling down his final list of Supreme Court nominees, one thing was certain – no consideration would be given to any judge sitting in New Orleans on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Being a federal court...Read More

June 28th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana EARLY LEARNING IRRELEVANT IN LOUISIANA! Legislators were high fiving this week over the balancing of the state budget by increasing the already highest sales tax in the nation. Fully funding the TOPS tuition program for college students became the centerpiece for much of the discussion. But through all the...Read More

Thursday, June 21st 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  RUSSIANS AND ELECTION FRAUD?  YEAH, RIGHT!  “The Russians are coming!  The Russians are coming!” And according to politicians in both parties, they are out to infiltrate the entire U.S. election process.  A special prosecutor is looking under every rock to find the culprits involved.  And down here in Louisiana,...Read More

Thursday, June 14th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana SCANDALOUS LOUISIANA INSURANCE RATES!  Can you put lipstick on a pig? Well, business leaders are certainly giving it their best shot in an effort to counteract the fact that Louisiana’s outrageously expensive insurance rates make the Bayou State an environment hostile to the attraction of new businesses.  But,...Read More

June 7th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana WHY TAX DOLLARS FOR THE SAINTS? The Times Picayune reported last week that the New Orleans Saints may ask the state to pay for a $350 million upgrade to the Superdome before the 2024 Super bowl. That’s a huge taxpayer commitment for a state that can’t even fund education...Read More

May 31st, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana Louisiana has been called the Culinary Mecca of America.  Folks in this part of the country can take just about anything edible and make it not just good, but quite exceptional.  And when we say anything, we mean everything.  There is virtually no limit to what a Cajun will...Read More

May 24th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana   THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF BILLY CANNON THE TOAST OF LSU!  Billy Cannon died this week. He was a Louisiana sports legend. There are some things you just don’t forget. Where you were on 9/11, or when President John Kennedy was shot.  Down here in the Bayou State, add to...Read More

Thursday, May 17th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana A THIRD POLITICAL PARTY FOR LOUISIANA? Political parties are at a low ebb both in Louisiana and throughout the rest of the country. Public opinion often dips below 40% approval rating in numerous national and statewide polling. Voters continue to lose faith in how both Democrats and Republicans...Read More

Thursday, May 10th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana GETTING OLDER AIN’T ALL THAT BAD! There is a disturbing article in a recent issue of Atlantic Magazine by a prominent physician at the University of Pennsylvania. Ezekiel J. Emanuelis an oncologist, a bioethicist, and a vice provost of the University, and is the author or editor of...Read More