Thursday, February 22nd, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  WHY SAY SOMETHING IF NOTHING HAPPENS?  With an increasing number of mass shootings in recent months, we are urged by law enforcement officials to keep an eye out.  Report anything suspicious. “If you see something, say something” we are regularly told. The problem is, that in too many...Read More

Thursday, February 15th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  LOUISIANA NOT IN THE RUNNING FOR AMAZON LOCATION! In the current competition to land a new Amazon second North American headquarters, Louisiana pulled out all stops.  It would have been quite a coup for a Louisiana location to land this big prize with some 50,000 new jobs to...Read More

February 9th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  NATIONAL MILITARY PARADE NEEDED! The president last week suggested that the nation establish a yearly military parade to honor the service and the sacrifice of the current military and our veterans.  He spoke of it as “a unifying moment for the country.” Almost immediately, the Trump naysayers jumped all...Read More

Friday, February 2nd, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana RESTORING FAITH IN THE FBI! It’s been a bad last few weeks for the nation’s top law enforcement agency.  First, an innocent hostage was shot and killed in a botched raid in Houston by an FBI shooter.  Then the television movie series “Waco” debuted and revisited the FBI...Read More

Thursday, January 25th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana LOUISIANA INSURANCE ENVIRONMENT GETS AN “F” Louisiana has one of the worst insurance regulatory environments in the nation. That is according to Washington-based conservative think tank R Street Institute in its 2017 Insurance Regulation Report Card just issued. And no, it’s not because of the trial lawyers or...Read More

January 18th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana HOW BAD IS STATE FISCAL MESS? The sky is falling, the sky is falling. At least the Louisiana fiscal sky is in a tailspin, or so says the Governor and a number of legislative leaders. The hue and cry is for one billion dollars in new taxes along with...Read More

Thursday, January 11th, 2017 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 4th, 2018 Baton Rouge, Louisiana THE RISE AND FALL OF LSU! There has been a lot of bad news out of LSU, Louisiana’s flagship university in recent weeks. Not just on the football field where the Tigers have completed a mediocre season, even though they have the highest salaried group of coaches in...Read More

Thursday, December 28th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2018!  It would be an understatement to say that this past year has been controversial on the political scene. Three major stories dominated the news from my perspective. Obviously at the top of the list was the continuing saga of Donald Trump. Then there...Read More

Thursday, December 21st, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana In Louisiana, a number of Jefferson and St. Tammany Parish officials were aghast a few years ago over a proposal to sell the Causeway Bridge that goes to the North Shore across Lake Pontchartrain. When the state’s largest paper, the Times Picayune, mixed the idea editorially, one elected official after...Read More

Thursday, December 14th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana LESSONS LEARNED FROM ALABAMA SENATE RACE!  Republicans across the nation are cheering over the results of the Alabama senate race. No, you didn’t read this wrong. Sure, democrats are celebrating over the election victory of one of their own for the first time in 25 years. But it...Read More

Thursday, December 7th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana BACK TO VOTING ON PAPER BALLOTS?  A hue and cry is mounting around the country that voting machines used on Election Day are eminently hackable. Congress is investigating charges by the Office of Homeland Security that Russia attempted to hack into voting machines in 21 different states. So...Read More

Thursday, November 30th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana GET THE POLITICIANS OUT OF REAPPORTIONMENT! It’s getting close to redistricting time for legislators, both in Louisiana and throughout the country. 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...Read More

Thursday, November 23rd, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana WHAT TO DO ABOUT STOPPING MASS SHOOTINGS? Mass shootings continue across the nation where no part of the country is  from a “wild west” mentality. The recent loss of life has been staggering. Those slaughtered range from one-year old kids to 77-year-old adults. A country music festival in...Read More

Thursday, November 16th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana EDWARDS AND DUKE – THE RACE FROM HELL! Twenty-six years ago this week, perhaps the most consequential and controversial election in the nation’s history took place here in the Bayou State. Edwin Edwards and David Duke squared off in a run-off election for Governor. Not only were voters...Read More

Thursday, November 9, 2017 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 and general lack of interest that Louisianans are not...Read More

Thursday, November 2nd, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana             MANDATORY GUN INSURANCE COMING TO LOUISIANA? So have you purchased your gun insurance yet? In case you shoot someone, there are insurance policies available to cover any liabilities you might face, pay for your bail if you are accused of a crime, cover your attorney fees, and...Read More

Thursday, October 26th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana JUST WHAT IS AMERICA’S FAVORITE PASTIME? Look out sports fans! Maybe, just maybe, baseball is making a big comeback. Now I know we are in the middle of football season. Down my way in the Bayou State, both the Saints and the LSU Tigers are on a roll....Read More

Thursday, October 19th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana WAY TOO MANY ELECTIONS IN LOUISIANA! It’s like they threw a party but nobody came. That’s how election officials must have felt when they counted the ballots for last week’s statewide election. The turnout was a paltry 13.5%. Now remember that some 50% of adults over eighteen who...Read More

Thursday, October 12th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  THE BETRAYAL ON JUSTICE IN LOUISIANA!  A Louisiana guy named John Thompson died last week. You may not recognize the name, but he was the victim of one of the worst cases of prosecutorial misconduct in the state’s history. Here are the facts. Thompson was convicted back in...Read More

Thursday, October 6th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana TOO BUSY FOR NATIONAL ANTHEM! I’ve always looked on honoring the flag and standing for the national anthem as a basic premise that connotes a commitment to protect our freedoms guaranteed to us under our constitution. It’s also a symbol of reverence for our soldiers who protect us...Read More

Thursday, September 28th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana TELL OUR YANKEE FRIENDS TO BUTT OUT! Our friends up north need to let it go.  According to a cross section of northern commentators, the Second Reconstruction may be over, but they think a third one may be necessary. Consider the Washington Post’s take in an Op Ed by their...Read More

Thursday, September 21st, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana LOUISIANA AND FLORIDA: NIGHT AND DAY ON PROPERTY INSURANCE! With major hurricanes recently hitting Florida and Texas, and since some parts of Louisiana are still cleaning up after last year’s torrential rains, many property owners in the Bayou State are asking if insurance rates will go up. Will...Read More

Thursday, September 14th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana SHOULD YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO DIE? We pride ourselves as Americans in our lifestyle choices. The right to freedom of choice, protecting our individual assertion of free will, and deciding just how we want to live our lives. And yes, we have the right to excess. You...Read More

September 7th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana WHAT TO DO ABOUT RISING FLOOD INSURANCE RATES? Hurricane Harvey has caused property owners along the Gulf and East Coasts to panic over projections of outrageous property flood insurance rates that, in some cases, could lead to increases of greater than 1000 percent. Is there really a problem finding...Read More

Thursday, August 31st, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana HERE COMES THE CAJUN NAVY! The Cajun Navy wasted no time. Hurricane Harvey slammed into the Texas Coast on a Friday. By Sunday, hundreds of boats were on their way to Texas. I passed a supermarket parking lot two days after the storm hit, and a large contingent...Read More

Thursday, August 24th, 2017 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...Read More

August 17th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana THE KU KLUX KLAN IN LOUISIANA! Focus is back on the Ku Klux Klan following the tragic violence in Charlottesville last week. The Southern Poverty Law Center released data alleging that the Klan is still active in Louisiana, particularly in the central and northwest part of the state.The Klan...Read More

August 10th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana WHO’S AT FAULT FOR HIGH AUTO INSURANCE RATES? Year after year, Louisiana sits at the top of the list for the most expensive state in the nation for auto insurance. Insure.com just released a new study showing the Bayou State in a neck and neck race with Michigan to...Read More

August 3rd, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana DEALING WITH LOUISIANA’S FISCAL MESS! Louisiana’s chief executive has some big problems ahead. Over one billion dollars in current taxes are set to expire at the end of the year. That loss comes out of the current budget with no plans to take care of the long list of...Read More

Thursday, June 29th, 2017 Gulf Shores, Alabama WHAT HAPPENED TO LONG VACATIONS?  Does anyone take a real vacation anymore? In the good old days, school didn’t start until the Monday after Labor Day. Family destinations to the beach or the mountains were a regular and anticipated event. The last two weeks in August used to...Read More

Thursday, July 20th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana WHO’S THE REAL JACKASS IN LOUISIANA? I don’t know about you, but I have always loved to read and study Louisiana History. I’ve had the pleasure of teaching the history of the Bayou State at both Tulane University and LSU. And when it comes to examining the giant...Read More

Thursday, July 13th, 2017 Linville, North Carolina LOUISIANA WON’T LET YOU GO! Let me tell you something I’ve learned over the years. You just can’t get away from Louisiana, no matter how hard you try. Just about anywhere I’ve traveled throughout the world, images of the Bayou State always seem to crop up. That was...Read More

Thursday, June 30th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana JOHN MCKEITHEN-LOUISIANA’S TRANSITION GOVERNOR! A popular Louisiana Governor died 15 years ago this month. John McKeithen was the first Governor I ever met.  When he was elected as chief executive in 1963, Louisiana was still a 19th century state struggling to operate in the 20thcentury.  McKeithen was the catalyst...Read More

Thursday, June 29th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana JOHN BEL EDWARDS AND THAT “VISION THING!” The consensus of most folks down in the Bayou State is that Louisiana has a governor who is a pretty decent fellow. He comes across as friendly, accessible, and hands on in running the daily operations of the state. He has...Read More

Thursday, June 22nd, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana A LOUISIANA KID AND THE BERLIN WALL! Thirty-one years ago this week, President Ronald Reagan traveled to West Berlin, and at the Brandenburg Gate admonished: “Mr.Gorbachev take down that wall.”Â Â The Berlin Wall had been erected by the puppet soviet state of East Germany. Unless you are over sixty five...Read More

Thursday, June 15th, 2017 New Orleans, Louisiana A CONGRESSMAN AND KILLINGS IN NEW ORLEANS! A New Orleans congressman tragically was shot while he was out playing baseball. He survived, but will need a number of operations in the months to come. Some of those who first heard the news assumed that he had been shot...Read More

Thursday, June 8th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana ARE WE ALL FEDERAL CRIMINALS IN LOUISIANA? Congress is going “new law” crazy. In the nation’s capitol, hundreds of proposed new laws are being introduced every month, creating numerous different regulations and crimes.  And Louisiana congressional members are joining right in this push for more federal intrusion into...Read More

Thursday, June 1st, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana DELUSION OR COMMON SENSE IN THE MIDDLE EAST? President Trump has just returned form a whirlwind trip to the Middle East. And he has vowed to keep a continuing and aggressive U.S. presence where American soldiers are fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Kuwait, Bahrain, Turkey, and other states...Read More

Thursday, May 25th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana TRUMP GUTS LOUISIANA ON OIL INCOME! The new proposed budget just released by the Trump Administration guts past federal assurances that Louisiana will share in the billions of tax dollars that are derived from offshore oil development. The state was anticipating the receipt of some $140 million in...Read More

Thursday, My 18th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana LOUISIANA CATCHING UP TO THE 21st CENTURY? With tax dollars scarce in Louisiana, this should be the time to discuss streamlining on the state and local levels. Just how many boards, commissions, water districts, sewer districts, parish auditors, law enforcement offices, and other special districts are spread throughout...Read More

Thursday, May 11th, 2017 New Orleans, Louisiana MONUMENTS, THE PRESIDENT AND THE CIVIL WAR! As the battle over taking down Civil War monuments in New Orleans rages, President Trump has jumped into the debate by questioning why the conflict was even necessary. In a recent interview, Trump asked: “Why was there a Civil War? Why...Read More

Thursday, May 4th, 2017 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

Thursday, April 27th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana POLITICS BEING CRIMINALIZED BY PROSECUTORS? I have known former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman for a number of years. We both served our respective states as Secretary of State back in the mid 1980s. I consider him to be a good and decent former public official. Don Siegelman was...Read More

Thursday, April 20th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS: LESSONS LEARNED TODAY? Is another Cuban Missile Crisis at hand between the U.S. and North Korea? A little history can tell us just how dangerous a nuclear confrontation can be. Fifty-four years ago, America faced another perilous moment and was on the brink of...Read More

Thursday, April 13th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana RICHARD NIXON AND LOUISIANA! There is a new book on a number of best selling lists about former President Richard Nixon by author John Farrell. Nixon became the first and only president to resign from office. Those of you too young to remember the events surrounding Watergate missed...Read More

Thursday, April 6th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana GOVERNOR JIMMIE DAVIS BROUGHT US SUNSHINE! It could be the most recognized American song worldwide. Go to a small Asian community where little or no English is spoken.  Start humming, “You Are My Sunshine.”Â  More likely than not, the locals will join in singing the song in English.  Everybody...Read More

March 30th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana MARCH MADNESS SHORT CHANGING ATHLETES! Millions of rabid college basketball fans have been glued to their TVs over the past month as March Madness reached its crescendo. And the big bucks have been rolling in.  With coaches getting bigger salaries and colleges splitting huge TV and admission revenue “”...Read More

March 23rd, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana JFK AND HIS SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH LOUISIANA! The 34th President of the United States was born 100 hundred years ago.  John F. Kennedy captured the hearts of the American people like no other president, before or since.  And from the first stirrings of his efforts to become president, to events...Read More

Thursday, March16th, 2017 New Orleans, Louisiana A MAJOR SHAKE UP NEEDED IN CONGRESS! The approval rate for members of Congress seems to be in free fall.  Few constituents approve of the dysfunction taking place in the nation’s capitol. Just 15 years ago, Congress had an approval rating of 65%.  But no more.  The most recent Harris and...Read More

Friday, March 10th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana THE CONTINUING INTEREST IN EDWIN EDWARDS! Former Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards is approaching 90 years old and hasn’t seemed to slow down a bit. He remains active, still speaking throughout the state, often accompanied with his young wife and 4-year-old son. Last year, a Baton Rouge Advocate poll...Read More

Thursday, March 2nd, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  A LOUISIANA GUY THEY COULD CALL MR. PRESIDENT?  John Bel Edwards for president? The Louisiana governor is being touted as a Democratic Party contender on the national front. Just a little over a year in his present job, it may be a sign of the few future contenders...Read More

Thursday, February 23rd, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  A LITTLE LOUISIANA HISTORY GOVERNOR TREEN! Dave Treen was sworn in as Louisiana’s Governor 37 years ago. Anyone who knew him noted what a nice guy he was. But Treen’s legacy will not be based on his friendliness. History will treat him well and acknowledge that he was...Read More

Thursday, February 16th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana WHY AREN’T WE THE GREATEST GENERATION? Former NBC newscaster Tom Brokaw wrote a book a few years back about what he called “The Greatest Generation.” In contrast, there’s a recent best seller out calling America “the dumbest generation.” And since Louisiana is at the bottom of the barrel...Read More

February 9th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  WHAT WOULD YOU ASK PRESIDENT TRUMP?  If you could sit down with our new president, what would questions would you ask him? What insights would you be looking for?  What knowledge would you expect him to have?  And just how much difference do you think he can really make?...Read More

Thursday, February 3rd, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana NO CHANCE OF SUPREME COURT CHOICE FROM LOUISIANA! Before President Trump made his choice to fill the vacancy on the United States Supreme Court, the White House undertook a nationwide search. But by even the widest stretch of standards to be met by any nominee, one thing was...Read More

Thursday, January 26th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  KEYSTONE PIPELINE: LOUISIANA’S ECONOMIC SAVIOR? One of the new President’s first actions announced this week is to support the building of the Keystone XL pipeline that the Obama administration had disapproved. Both Louisiana senators hailed the decision and talked about all the new jobs that will come to...Read More

Friday, January 20th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  STRAIGHTENING OUT LOUISIANA’S FINANCIAL WOES! We hear from the national news that the country has become polarized over the election of Donald Trump. But if you want to see real division in government, just take a gander down South to the Bayou State. Republicans have been trying to...Read More

Friday, January 13th, 2017 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  NEW GIMMICK TO RAISE TAXES IN LOUISIANA!  You would think that in the New Year, following a year when the Louisiana legislature raised taxes by over one billion dollars, lawmakers would sense the public’s anti-tax fervor and be averse to mining every nook and cranny for more taxes. ...Read More

Thursday, January 5th, 2017 Linville, North Carolina IT’S CRUNCH TIME FOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS! The honeymoon may be just beginning for President-Elect Donald Trump, but any such love fest has come to an abrupt end for Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards. 2016 was a year the new governor would like to forget, but things don’t...Read More

December 29, 2016 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 22nd, 2016 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 the Christmas milestone and are approaching New Year’s Day, the third in the trilogy of holidays that we celebrate during this time each year “”...Read More

December 15th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana ARE REPUBLICANS FLIP FLOPPING ON OBAMACARE? Remember the old knock on presidential candidate John Kerry back in the 2004 presidential election?  “I was for it before I was against it.”Â Â  Today, about the single worst charge that can be made against any conservative Republican politician is that they support...Read More

December 8th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana LOUISIANA HAS WORST DRIVERS IN AMERICA?  Say it isn’t so. The Bayou State, made up of docile souls who are law abiding, courteous and well-trained motorists, has just been tagged by several rating services as having the worst drivers in the nation. Look, the folks down here in the...Read More

Thursday, December 1st, 2016 New Orleans, Louisiana IS NEW ORLEANS UNDER SIEGE? The headlines resounded across the front page of both New Orleans’ daily newspapers. “AN UNCONSCIONABLE ACT” blared the New Orleans Advocate. “IT WAS PANIC,” shouted The Times Picayune. Bullets were flying all over Bourbon Street as a visiting Baton Rouge man was killed...Read More

Friday, November 25th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana MORE PRIDE IN LOUISIANA! One of the biggest tests facing Louisiana’s recently elected Governor John Bel Edwards is the challenge of re-instilling pride in the attitudes of many Louisianans. Government can only do so much. But a governor can be a catalyst in raising the public’s expectations. The...Read More

Thursday, November 17th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana TRUMP CAMPAIGN LIKE READING A NOVEL! Let me tell you just how Donald Trump became the nation’s president-elect. It’s really quite simple. He had a compelling story to tell that resonated with millions of Americans who have been browbeaten by the continuing and tiring clichés that have been...Read More

November 10th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana WAS THE ELECTION RIGGED? So was our recent presidential election rigged as winner Donald charged repeatedly throughout his campaign? Maybe there were no shenanigans on Election Day. But the election process itself was either unduly influenced or rigged from the get-go. Mainstream news organizations played a less than noble...Read More

November 3rd, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana MEDDLING IN OUR ELECTIONS! One of the hallmarks of America’s democracy is the right to vote on who are leaders will be. And implicit in the process is the guarantee that elections will be run fairly without any hint of corrupting the process. That includes a voter’s confidence that...Read More

Thursday, October 27th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana LABOR OF LOVE TO VOTE!  People are early voting in record numbers all over America.  Here in my home state of Louisiana, election participation is up 25% over the presidential election just four years ago. Predictions are that as many of 40% of total voters will cast their ballots...Read More

October 20th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  WHY YOUNG VOTERS ARE DISENGAGED FROM POLITICS! Do young voters really care about who runs their local, state and federal government?  Whatever buzz inspired younger voters to support Barack Obama has been severely diminished by the gridlock in Washington.  Voters under thirty (and the rest of us, for that...Read More

Thursday, October 13th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  COST OF DRUGS NO ISSUE IN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE!  If you watched the presidential debate last week, the only real winner was the guy who wore the red sweater and asked an intelligent policy question about energy. His Izod sweater has become a hot clothing item at stores all...Read More

Thursday, October 7th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana SENATE DEBATE ORGANIZERS DO DISSERVICE TO VOTERS! There are twenty-four candidates in the running for the open U.S. Senate seat in Louisiana. A televised debate has been set on the state’s public television network for October 18th, to give Louisiana voters a chance to size up the candidates....Read More

September 29th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana ALL ABOUT MONEY AT LSU! If you want to know what’s really important in Louisiana, just check out the front pages of newspapers across the state. There was a lot going on this past week, such as the presidential debate, the U.S. Senate race, climbing crime rates in several...Read More

We are all set for a lively radio weekend radio program, and we hope you will join us. Of course we will talk about the coming bizarre presidential election post debate. Then, what’s all this Wells Fargo scandal? We will learn about it with guest Professor William K. Black, Associate Professor of Economics and Law...Read More

September 22nd, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana WHAT TO WATCH-THE SAINTS OR THE DEBATES? Every now and then, we all face a “Sophie’s Choice” moment, where we have to pick what to accept and what to give up. Folks down in the Bayou State soon will have to confront a real dilemma. It’s a decision that...Read More

September 15th, 2016 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 and...Read More

Thursday, September 8th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana DOES VOTING MEAN ANYTHING IN LOUISIANA? Election Day is less than two months away. It’s Clinton and Trump neck and neck in the polls, with Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson polling 10% of the total vote. So the candidates are crisscrossing Louisiana trying to squeeze out enough votes to...Read More

September 1st, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana PROPERTY INSURANCE RATES GOING UP? A local news reporter where I live posed the question this week as to whether insurance rates for property owners will begin to rise, following the recent South Louisiana flooding. My answer was simple. Of course they will go up. In fact, the cost...Read More

Thursday, August 25th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana NONSTOP TRAGEDIES IN LOUISIANA! An old out-of-state friend called to touch base, and asked, “how are y’all doing down there?” I told him we were hanging in there, in spite of what seems to be one confrontation and tragedy after another. Of course you have to be optimistic...Read More

Thursday, August 18th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY IN LOUISIANA! “What has happened down here is the winds have changed Clouds roll in from the north and it started to rain The river rose all day The river rose all night Louisiana, Louisiana They’re tryin’ to wash us away” Louisiana poet laureate...Read More

August 11th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana TRUMP OVER THE EDGE AGAIN? Whoooooa! He said what? If there were ever a poster child for continually sticking one’s foot in mouth, it would be Donald Trump. Rather than attack his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, Trump can’t seem to help himself by going rogue and making outrageous statements...Read More

August 4th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana HE’S BAAAACK – DAVID DUKE!  No matter how hard Louisiana tries, it just cannot shake entanglements with David Duke. Some would call it a noose. But whatever, Duke is back gaining a lot of press as a candidate for U. S. Senator, as 24 candidates vie for the distinction...Read More

On our close at hand weekend radio program, Jim will talk about the dramatic slide downwards in the polls by Donald Trump. And what’s going on with David Duke? Is he a serious candidate? Oxford scholar Chris Kutarna will discuss his new book, “Age of Discovery: Navigating he Risks and Rewards of Our New Renaissance.”...Read More

Thursday, July 28th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  FINAL FAREWELL DRAWS OFFICERS TO LOUISIANA FROM ALL OVER AMERICA! The turnout for a special funeral was a sight to see. Hundreds of motorcycles and police vehicles from all over the nation were lined up to honor a fallen hero in Baton Rouge. Police officer Montrell Jackson was...Read More

July 21st, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  THESE ARE TRYING TIMES IN BATON ROUGE!  Early Sunday mornings are a quiet time for me. I’m generally at a local coffee house in Baton Rouge looking over the morning papers for ideas to discuss on my mid-morning syndicated radio program. Several police officers dropped in for a coffee...Read More

Thursday, July 14th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana FORTY-EIGHT YEARS OF POLITICAL CONVENTIONS  Some 4000 Republican delegates and party officials are converging in Cleveland this week, with Democrats heading for Philadelphia the following week. The old process of picking national candidates in the proverbial smoke filled room has gone by the wayside in favor of party...Read More

July 8th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana A KILLING IN BATON ROUGE! There is a perception around the country that high profile shootings are considered the norm in Louisiana. Nine police officers were killed in the line of duty last year, more than in any other state in the nation. New Orleans regularly heads the list...Read More

June 30th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  EDUCATIONAL REFORM IGNORED IN LOUISIANA!  With a major national election just a month away, the stakes continue to get higher.  A well-educated workforce is the key to pulling the country out of the present economic doldrums.  But in election contests nationwide, and particularly in my home state of Louisiana,...Read More

Thursday, June 23rd, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana LOUISIANA BEHIND ON INTERNET ACCESS! Newspapers are in trouble all across America.  A recent ax to fall is in New Orleans where The Times-Picayune has cut back to publishing three days a week. The reason is simple economics.  Since Katrina in 2005, The Times-Picayune daily circulation has dropped...Read More

Thursday, June 16th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana LESSONS LEARNED: BASEBALL AND POLITICS!  Now that basketball is over, baseball season is in full swing. My college home team LSU just lost a heartbreaker that kept them from going to the college world series. I’m a die-hard Yankees fan and tune in to a number of their...Read More

Thursday, June 9th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana ARE PROSECUTORS ABOVE THE LAW IN LOUISIANA! Has prosecutorial misconduct become an epidemic in Louisiana? A number of national publications seem to think so. Nary a week goes by when there is not a story of some Louisiana prosecutor supposedly pursuing justice by breaking the law. Just this week, the...Read More

Thursday, June 2nd, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  ROLLING THE DICE ON HURRICANE SEASON! It’s the kickoff for hurricane season and forecasters are predicting 14 named storms with anywhere from 4 to 8 storms growing into major hurricanes. Here on the Gulf Coast, we certainly perk up when this time of year rolls around.  For years,...Read More

Friday, May 27Th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana TO GRADUATES “” THE WORLD ACCORDING TO ME!  Kids all over America graduated last week from kindergarten, grade school, high school, college and graduate schools. And there was always a commencement speaker. Most of you will never give a commencement address. But as a public official, I was called...Read More

May 19th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana  A MAJOR SHAKE UP NEEDED IN CONGRESS? With a national election only months away, the approval rate for members of Congress seems to be in free fall.  Few constituents approve of the dysfunction taking place in the nation’s capitol.  Just 10 years ago, Congress had an approval rating of 65%. ...Read More

Thursday, May 12th, 2016 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, May 5th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana HATE CRIMES IN LOUISIANA! There is a proposed new law that is roaring through the Louisiana legislature. Any physical attack on a law enforcement officer, firefighter or emergency services personnel will now be considered a hate crime. So what’s a hate crime you ask?  If someone is premeditatedly...Read More

Thursday, April 28th, 2016 Baton Rouge, Louisiana VOTER DISTRUST IN LOUISIANA AND ACROSS THE NATION! And I thought voters were distrustful, angry and confrontational a few years back when I held public office in Louisiana.  This coming federal election is viewed by many, including yours truly, as a herculean and rather grim battle between good...Read More