NONSTOP TRAGEDIES IN LOUISIANA!

Thursday, August 25^th, 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 about the future, but there have been some trying times in recent months, and a long way to go towards recovery in many parts of Louisiana.

I told my friend we are still recovering from racial strife after a number of killings, including three police officers just a few blocks from where I live.  A community dialogue began, which was a positive sign, with numerous community and political leaders joining in. And then it started to rain.

Now, it rains a lot this time of year in South Louisiana.  Afternoon showers are part of our late summer’s DNA. But it didn’t stop. The water poured down around the clock for 10 straight days. Canals and tributaries quickly filled in and backed up, overflowing their banks. Homeowners who had never experienced flood water in their lifetimes made a run for safety wading or boating out of their subdivisions.

And Mother Nature just doesn’t want to quit.  A potential hurricane is heading toward the Gulf right now with storm season hovering around Louisiana for weeks to come.  The state just cannot seem to get a break.  And there are so many unanswered questions concerning how homeowners can get back on their feet.

Flooding problems have become a statewide issue and a challenge for a statewide response by the Governor and other political leaders.  North Louisiana has experienced recent widespread flooding, damaging thousands of homes and flooding the interstate south of Shreveport.  The recent downpours of rain spanned an overflow of water from the Texas line to a wide expanse north and south of I-10 to the Mississippi border.

So now the hard work of recovery begins.  How much will FEMA initially pay to flood victims who have suffered major damage to their homes?  And what about the thousands of homes without flood insurance?  Will Congress give them a break even though three members of Louisiana’s congressional delegation, including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, voted against any flood relief for Hurricane Sandy victims back in 2012?

FEMA and the Federal Flood insurance program drew up the current flood zone maps, but they have not been updated in years. Should a homeowner who lives outside a flood zone in an area that has never flooded expect FEMA to shoulder some of the blame for not anticipating the deluge that took place?  Neither the state nor banking and mortgage companies have required flood insurance outside flood zones. So why should a homeowner have to carry the entire financial burden for rebuilding?

And what about lenders who refuse to turn over flood insurance checks to homeowners?  Some banks and other mortgage lenders will no doubt take the position that the home may flood again, and they want their mortgage paid off.  What recourse does a homeowner have?

The best initial suggestion is for the Governor to appoint a Louisiana Flood Recovery Commission to deal with a number of such flood related problems. An organized lobbying effort in Washington, led by the Governor, is necessary.  Maybe visits and apologies to congressional members form both New York and New Jersey would be in order, to put aside any bitterness from Hurricane Sandy.  Should the state borrow money for recovery efforts?  Can it afford to because of Louisiana’s dire state government financial condition?

Louisiana has proven to be resilient in the past.  But even an irrepressible populace can take just so much. And that’s when strong and creative leadership is needed. It would be an understatement to say that it’s crunch time in the Bayou State.

Peace and Justice

Jim Brown

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“A flood is cruel. Everything you had is ruined and you can see every picture of your family and children smeared and ruined. Everything you had is still there, but it’s useless ― every bit of it. It’s cruel. I think I would have rather been wiped out by a fire.”

Flood victim Joe Fulton

Jim Brown’s syndicated column appears each week in numerous newspapers throughout the nation and on websites worldwide.  You can read all his past columns and see continuing updates at http://www.jimbrownusa.com.  You can also hear Jim’s nationally syndicated radio show each Sunday morning from 9:00 am till 11:00 am Central Time on the Genesis Radio Network, with a live stream at http://www.jimbrownusa.com.

RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY IN LOUISIANA!

Thursday, August 18^th, 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 Randy Newman’s poignant lyrics, written 42 years ago, were right on the money throughout South Louisiana last week. Locals watched helplessly as the rain poured down, day and night, for 10 straight days. And when the deluge of water slowed to only daily showers, the bulging canals and tributaries overflowed and continued to flood thousands of homes.

Over two feet of water in two days poured down on a hundred mile circle around Baton Rouge and deep into Southwest Louisiana.  It was the “perfect storm” that had less than a one percent chance of happening, and called by the National Weather Service as the equivalent of a 1,000-year rain.

Every element that needed to happen to open up the skies and allow such torrential down pouring of water was in the mix, something that has never, in the record books, occurred before.  A massive low pressure crawled across the Gulf Coast, then inexplicitly hovered and stalled over Baton Rouge and the surrounding areas.

The water levels set new records across South Louisiana. Nine different rivers were inundated, and levee systems that were built after the historic flooding of 1983 were unable to handle the overflow. “The National Weather Service said that “obviously we are in record territory.”

After the waters recede, reality will quickly set in as to the extent of the damage.  Early predictions estimate that over 100,000 cars have been totaled, and the same number of homes will need extensive repairs.  And here is the really bad news. Some 80% of the homes damaged have no flood insurance.

Thousands of homeowners outside flood zones figured that their homes had never flooded, so why spend the money. What a terrible way to learn a tough lesson. As I stated repeatedly during my years as Insurance Commissioner, anyone living in South Louisiana needs to have flood insurance, even if they do not live in a flood zone.

If property owners without flood insurance live in a parish that has been declared a disaster area, they can be eligible for a FEMA grant of up to $33,000 as well as low interest loans.  But that will make a small dent compared to what homeowners would receive if they had purchased flood insurance.

The rebuilding will take years as we saw following Hurricane Katrina. And those who rebuild will face a number of obstacles and dangers.  Unscrupulous home repair companies will flood into the area. Experts on tropical medicine are warning that the receding water can attract the mosquito species that carries the Zika virus.  And property owners learned from Katrina that dealing with the federal and state bureaucracy can be a nightmare.

For many, the process to rebuild will be a long and drawn-out effort. All those who suffered great loss will cope in their own way with this misfortune. And we should remember that this is not the Bayou State’s first rodeo in dealing with massive flooding. Louisianans have proven to be resilient and have rebuilt time and time again. This time will be no exception.

Peace and Justice

Jim Brown

Jim Brown’s syndicated column appears each week in numerous newspapers throughout the nation and on websites worldwide.  You can read all his past columns and see continuing updates at http://www.jimbrownusa.com.  You can also hear Jim’s nationally syndicated radio show each Sunday morning from 9:00 am till 11:00 am Central Time on the Genesis Radio Network, with a live stream at http://www.jimbrownusa.com.

TRUMP OVER THE EDGE AGAIN?

August 11^th, 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 that even his most die-hard supporters find difficult to defend.

If you missed his most recent toxic comments, Trump told a crowd in North Carolina this week that “If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don’t know. But I’ll tell you what, that will be a horrible day.”

Did Trump imply that his second amendment supporters could assassinate Hillary Clinton?  Democrats and many in the press are convinced that’s what he both said and encouraged.  A number of key Republicans felt his comments were out of bounds and did more damage to both Trump and the GOP.  Even former CIA director Gen. Michael Hayden said if anyone else had made a similar comment, they would be arrested and riding in the back of a police wagon. 

So goes another day in the unpredictable and often “over the top” presidential campaign of Donald Trump. Remember, this is the guy who said only a few months ago that he could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue to shoot someone, and he wouldn’t lose a single vote. 

What Trump fails to realize is that words matter, and words have consequences.  This is especially true if you are a major party’s nominee for President of the United States.  Trump’s message of running against the system and throwing the rascals out hits a responsive cord to many Americans.  But it is also an outlier’s message; one that engenders emotional responses from rabid supporters. And zealous devotees can often cross the line and do despicable things.

Inciting violence is nothing new in American politics.  President John Kennedy said on his final flight to Dallas that “we are going into nut country today.”  It was a “nut” from New Orleans that killed JFK. And where else could you look for a pattern of incendiary and over the top pomposity than in Louisiana during the reign of Huey Long.  Some folks down in the Bayou state still think that President Roosevelt was complicit in the assassination of Huey, seeing the Louisiana Senator as a populist threat to his re-election in 1936.

Pulitzer prize winning historian John Meacham was on my nationally syndicated radio program recently.  He outlines three elements history tells us that presidents need in their temperament.  One is a sense of proportion; knowing that any statement made will be scrutinized. Second, a president needs a sense of humility and the ability to learn from one’s mistakes. And third, a sense of dignity; a respect for how such leaders handle them selves. According to Meacham, Trump falls woefully short in all three essentials.

Is Donald Trump advocating fascism and a call for violence and uprising?  No. And I don’t think he meant to call on someone to assassinate Hillary Clinton. Trump rambles off the top of his head, often without thinking.  His verbal drifts have endeared him to millions of his supporters.  But he too often makes outrageous comments without thinking them through and realizing the consequences.

Trump has hijacked the Republican Party, but he didn’t do it alone.  He is a quintessential media conception, a creation of the press.  For months, broadcasters and newspapers have covered his every move, legitimizing his campaign and giving him unlimited free news coverage that was the envy of all his Republican opponents during the primaries.  

Now, Trump seems to be turning on friend and foe alike.  The press created him, and now are wondering how the country got into this mess. Many in the news media ought to look into the mirror as to who’s to blame for creating the Donald Trump show.  So Trump’s contemptible statements will no doubt continue. And just think. We still have thirteen more weeks to go before Election Day.

********

“Perhaps I shouldn’t campaign at all, I’ll just, you know, I’ll ride it right into the White House.”   Donald Trump.

Peace and Justice

Jim Brown

Jim Brown’s syndicated column appears each week in numerous newspapers throughout the nation and on websites worldwide.  You can read all his past columns and see continuing updates at http://www.jimbrownusa.com.  You can also hear Jim’s nationally syndicated radio show each Sunday morning from 9:00 am till 11:00 am Central Time on the Genesis Radio Network, with a live stream at http://www.jimbrownusa.com.

HE’S BAAAACK-DAVID DUKE!

August 4^th, 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 of replacing retiring incumbent David Vitter.  Duke has been a controversial and perennial candidate for years. So is he a has-been, or does he have any shot of representing the Bayou State in Washington?

With so many candidates in the running, it’s possible that less than 20% of the votes cast could get an aspirant in the run-off.  Back in the 1972 gubernatorial election, future U. S. Senator Bennett Johnson made the run off with only 17% of the vote, and at that time, only 17 candidates were running.  Duke is currently close to that number in several recent polls.  In a University of New Orleans poll, Duke was running at 15% among Republicans and as high as 25% in figures released by Democratic candidate Foster Campbell.

Duke no doubt is helped by rhetoric coming from the Trump presidential campaign, that espouses disaffection with the federal government, as well as anti-immigrant and anti-free trade issues.  “We want our country back” will be the mantra of the Duke pomposity in the weeks to come.  So don’t sell Duke short.  He does have a following. Some 14,000 followers on Twitter. Treasurer John Kennedy, who currently leads the race in most polls, has 3,487 followers, with Congressman Charles Boustany showing 1,178. This is one small indication, but Duke does pique a great deal of interest. Much of it negative, but a surprising amount of positive.

I observed the Duke phenomenon up close back in 1991, when I was a candidate for the post of Insurance Commissioner.  Duke was the challenger to incumbent Governor Buddy Roemer in a crowded field of 15 candidates that included former Governor Edwin Edwards.  Roemer had defeated Edwards in the 1987 gubernatorial election, and Edwards was trying to turn the tables on his nemesis that bounced him from office. David Duke was an afterthought until the final weeks of the campaign when he shot ahead of Roemer to make the runoff. Then the fireworks began.

Louisiana became the focus of attention across the nation. Reporters worldwide flocked to the Bayou State to cover what they considered to be a bizarre election. Both candidates had high unfavorable ratings. Sixty percent disapproved of Edwards, while 66% had a low rating of Duke. Could it be possible that the next governor might be the former head of the Ku Klux Klan?  Duke told voters he no longer was anti-Semitic, had renounced racism, and was a born again Christian. A large number of white voters bought in.

I watched a part of the saga unfold one evening in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, at Crawfish Town, a popular local restaurant.  I was there with my family and friends, when Edwards walked in.  He worked the crowd and called many by name.  This was his territory.  Then, the door opened and in walked Duke with a large entourage.  We all three were on the ballot, and exchanged pleasantries in the middle of the restaurant with every eye in the place watching.  Each candidate went to different tables, and then the receiving lines began.

As Duke and Edwards sat eating crawfish, many of the diners made their way to the tables of both candidates to share a few words. Particularly in the case of Duke, a large number of folks visited for a bit, then handed over to him tens, twenties, and a large number of hundred dollars bills. There were loud cheers when he got up to leave the restaurant.   Duke ended up loosing the election to Edwards, but he was able to garner 55% of white voters.

Yes, that was back then.  Most political observers feel there is no way David Duke could emerge and make the runoff for senator.  Many of these same pundits said the same thing about Donald Trump getting the Republican nomination.  When you say that anything can happen, sometimes it does. After all, there’s a long campaign ahead before November 8^th rolls around.

Peace and Justice

Jim Brown

Jim Brown’s syndicated column appears each week in numerous newspapers throughout the nation and on websites worldwide.  You can read all his past columns and see continuing updates at http://www.jimbrownusa.com.  You can also hear Jim’s nationally syndicated radio show each Sunday morning from 9:00 am till 11:00 am Central Time on the Genesis Radio Network, with a live stream at http://www.jimbrownusa.com.