BOTH POLITICAL PARTIES POSE DANGERS!

Monday, July 29^th, 2024

Baton Rouge,, Louisiana

 

BOTH POLITICAL PARTIES POSE DANGERS!

 

When I was at a young age and growing up in the Midwest, President Harry Truman led the nation out of war.  Then came General Dwight Eisenhower, who confected a plan for reconstruction throughout Europe and Asia. They both led a group of inspirational leaders, John Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, who kept our nation strong, and the leading democracy in the world. And both political parties, Democrats and Republicans, work together to keep America the envy of nations all over the world. Again, both parties worked together.

 

 We have all heard the story of Republican President Ronald Reagan, fighting over issues with Democratic House Speaker Tip O’Neill, then at the end of the day, pulling out a bottle of whiskey and swapping stories into the late evening. I interviewed O’Neill on a television show I hosted during the 90s, and he relished telling numerous amusing stories about his relationship with Reagan. Could you imagine Donald Trump sitting down over an evening cocktail with Joe Biden or Camilla Harris to share stories about each other? Those days seem to be long gone.

 

Let’s just call it like it is. Our nation is not well. The biggest threat to America is not the Chinese nor the Russians or any other foreign power. No, the biggest threat to our country is America itself. With all the ridiculous political rhetoric taking place in states across the country, we are at a crossroads of slipping out of our role of being exceptional. To paraphrase Pogo, “we have seen the enemy, and the enemy is the leadership in both political parties, Republican and Democrat alike."

 

 

A campaign is now underway to determine who will lead us in the years to come, and which views of the candidates best reflect the nation’s professed values.  Columnist Carlos Lozada puts it well when he says, “We tell ourselves that we are the world’s last best hope, unique among nations, chosen by God, exempt from history, on a mission befitting a “shining city on a hill” as Ronald Reagan put it in his 1989 oval office farewell.” But are we?

 

Under both Biden and Trump, the federal government has not even come close or made any serious attempt to balance its budget that presently has a deficit of $157 trillion.  That means every American citizen owes $980,000.  Our political leadership has failed to win several recent wars, and both parties have flopped miserably to protect our borders, and stop the influx of drugs that will kill some 250,000 Americans this year. I could make a list many pages long about how the country has dropped in educational levels, as well as healthcare and overall quality of life compared to other nations worldwide

 

Yet neither candidate for president has shown any willingness to talk about problem-solving specifics. It’s all attack, attack, attack. When President Biden announced he was stepping down from office, Trump had the opportunity to simply say that they both disagreed on their approach to government, but he wished Biden good health. That’s what Ronald Reagan or John Kennedy would have done. In fact, this is what Trump said:  "Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve - And never was!"  He called vice president Kamala Harris: “The most incompetent, unpopular and far-left vice president in American history.”

 

Harris has been not quite as bad, but certainly not positive. ““I was a courtroom prosecutor. In those roles, I took on perpetrators of all kinds,” Harris said. “Predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain. So hear me when I say, I know Donald Trump’s type.”

I don’t think most Americans want to hear all this political blather. They want answers, they want someone to give them hope, they want a President who will aspire to call for a better America and offer higher possibilities for their children and grandchildren. At least I hope so. It is certainly what I want.

 

These continuous political attacks, that have nothing to do with problem-solving, are doing great damage to America both here at home and abroad. Our country deserves better. Much better than what we are getting from either political party or presidential candidate. All this attacking from both political parties need to end. But don’t count on it.

 

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.

 

 

NO POLITICAL CONVENTIONS IN LOUISIANA!

Monday, July 22^nd, 2024

Baton Rouge,, Louisiana

 

NO POLITICAL CONVENTIONS IN LOUISIANA!

 

The Republicans just finished a rousing convention in, of all places, Milwaukee. About the only thing of interest the delegates might want to visit are a number of breweries and the Harley Davidson Museum.  But the state of Wisconsin is a key battleground state, so the Republicans picked this more enticing venue to help the Republican ticket.

 

One of the negatives of being a red state like Louisiana is that New Orleans is out of the mix when it comes to bringing some 50,000 delegates and onlookers to the Crescent City. It would be an understatement to say that the GOP sure missed a good time by not coming “way down yonder to New Orleans.’’ The delegates could have been tempted by Bourbon Street jazz bars and French Quarter restaurants, the World War II Museum along was so many other sites to see and a host of temptations.  As The New Orleans magazine wrote during the last time the Republicans came to New Orleans in 1988, “How to Have a Good Time in the Big Easy . . . And Keep It Quiet in Des Moines.”

 

Too bad these conventions are out of the running for New Orleans. Hands-down, the Crescent City is the best convention venue in the country. Hosting a convention at the Superdome makes it easy for those in attendance to walk from any hotel in the downtown area. There is a huge financial stake involved, with some 50,000 conventioneers projected to be in attendance as we witnessed in Milwaukee.  The economic impact is estimated to be well over $250 million. 

The last time either party held there nominating convention in New Orleans was in 1988. The GOP gathered in New Orleans at the Superdome to pick their nominee.
An old friend had a box suite and invited me to join him there to watch the festivities.

The president-to-be, George H.W. Bush, had just completed his acceptance speech and the suite emptied out. I lingered to watch all the celebrating, when the door opened, and US Senator Bob Dole walked in. Dole had lost the nomination to Bush in a heated battle marked by some sharp exchanges.

“Sorry, I must be lost,” he said. “There’s supposed to be a suite where I can sit a bit, but I’ve forgotten the number.” “Senator, you’re welcome to relax here,” I volunteered.

I offered him a drink and we sat and watched the jubilation and TV commentary.
You could tell he was wishing he could have been the nominee taking on Gov. Dukakis in the coming fall election.

I asked, “Can Bush win?”

Dole paused for a moment, and said: “Yes, I believe he will. But that promise about ‘read my lips — no new taxes.’ That may come back to haunt him in the future if he is elected. “The Senator was right on the mark. That promise was a big factor in Bill Clinton’s victory over the incumbent President four years later.

 

Next up are the Democrats, who will converge on Chicago. And what a reputation this city has for wild conventions. I was there in 1968 when President Lyndon Johnson had stepped down from office and Senator Hubert Humphrey had locked up the Democratic nomination.. Louisiana’s own John McKeithen made a play for the vice presidential nomination on the Humphrey ticket. That was the first time I ever met Big John. Humphrey passed on picking McKeithen, choosing Senator Edwin Muskie of Maine instead, and the Louisiana Governor went home in a huff.

 

I thought the Democratic convention in 1968 was about as wild a gathering as I would witness. Right now, it looks like the Democratic gathering in Chicago could be completely topsy-turvy and one for the history books. With Biden no longer on the ticket, will some unknown candidate emerge.  Donald Trump is watching from the sidelines with no idea as to who his opponent will be. It’s going to be quite a sight to watch. So get your popcorn ready.

 

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.

 

 

 

HOW TO LOWER AUTO INSURANCE COSTS IN LOUISIANA!

Monday, July 15^th, 2024

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

 

HOW TO LOWER AUTO INSURANCE COSTS IN LOUISIANA!

 

Louisiana legislators met last week to find legal solutions that will lower the cost of automobile bill insurance throughout the state. Hey, all you guy and gal lawmakers. There are no new laws that will make any difference. If you want to see automobile rates go down for the average policyholder, get law-enforcement to start enforcing the laws that are on the books right now. Let me give you some examples.

 

It's hard to get an exact figure, but estimates are that as many as 20% of all Louisiana drivers are uninsured. That means that those of us who follow the law must pay a much higher premium in case you are hit by an unsured motorist. When was the last time you heard of some driver being cited for not having insurance? Here’s what happens. Thousands of drivers initially buy insurance and finance it, then the minute they get their proof of insurance card, they cancel and quit paying the monthly payments. So drivers driving legally gets stuck with higher premiums.

 

The Bayou State has way too many drunk drivers on the highways.  We regularly read in the press that someone has been stopped for their fifth, sixth or even seventh DWI.  Why do Louisiana judges allow this? The law states firmly that if a driver is convicted for a third offense DWI, their car should be seized and sold. It’s the law, but it’s not enforced. Why not?

 

Drunk drivers who kill someone often get only a minor jail term or even probation. What happens in other states? A Long Island, New York jury recently convicted a drunk driver of murder for killing two people in a head-on collision. The district attorney who brought the charges had been elected on a “take no prisoners” approach to drunk drivers.

Was this too tough a penalty? Not according to the mother of one of the female victims. She used no euphemisms in describing the damage done. “As I crawled out of the car, the only thing that was left of Kate was her head. This was murder and no different from carrying a loaded gun around, pointing it at people and having a few shots go off killing them.” The prosecutor made no bones about how she will act in dealing with drunk driving deaths. “We hope that this verdict sends a message that if you drink and drive and kill somebody, you will be prosecuted for murder.”

 

More than 20% of all drivers in Louisiana lie on the application for insurance according to a study by NerdWallet.com.  So when Insurance applicants give false information about where they live or the number of drivers in their household, failing to add a teenage driver to their policy, or not disclosing any pre-existing issues with their vehicle, such drivers get away with receiving a cheaper rate, which means you and I pay more.

 

Louisiana has some of the worst drivers in America according to CarInsuranceComparison.com. A large number of drivers do not obey the traffic laws, fail to turn on their lights when it rains, do not wear seatbelts, regularly go beyond the legal speed limit, drive recklessly, and don’t even maintain a valid driver’s license.

Law enforcement officers, particularly the Louisiana state police, say they are stretched to the limit and do not have the manpower to travel the highways and cite lawbreakers.  So the governor can spend millions of dollars sending Louisiana guardsmen to patrol the Texas–Mexican border. But the state is not capable of patrolling its own highways to get automobile law breakers off the road.

The bottom line is this. We don’t need any new laws. The state just needs to enforce the laws that are on the books. If legislators want to lower the cost of auto insurance for the average safe driver, they should cut some of the fat and pork projects from the state budget and appropriate money for more police officers on our highways. 

Aggressive highway enforcement of state laws will cause a significant drop in the cost of auto insurance for those drivers who obey the law. If there’s a will, there’s a way to get this done.

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.

 

LOUISIANA COURTS FIRST RULED WHEN A PRESIDENT IS ABOVE THE LAW!

Monday, July 8^th, 2024

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

 

LOUISIANA COURTS FIRST RULED WHEN A PRESIDENT IS ABOVE THE LAW!

 

These days, it’s hard to find a political controversy on the national stage that does not, in some way, involve Louisiana.  You may be surprised to know that a lawsuit involving land in the Bayou State, and fought out in Louisiana courts, set the precedent of presidential immunity that was the basis of the recent Supreme Court decision giving presidents “absolutely immunity” from prosecution for any “official act.”

 

Edward Livingston had been a congressman during the time that Thomas Jefferson was the nation’s president. Jefferson confiscated land in Louisiana from Livingston claiming it was federal property and Livingston was furious.  He sued Jefferson personally and was successful in winning his case against Jefferson in Louisiana courts. These courts ruled that presidents cannot be above the law.  But the U.S. Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice John Marshall, disagreed saying that a president could not be sued for actions he performed in his official capacity as president.

 

I know a good bit about being sued in the legitimate capacity of a public official. I have not checked all the state records, but I might have been sued more as a public official than anyone else in Louisiana public office.  Here’s the story. I was elected as Louisiana insurance commissioner in 1991, and when I took office the insurance department was in shambles. The previous commissioner had been removed from office for allowing a number of Insurance companies to illegally siphon off millions of dollars that should have been reserved for policyholders.  As Commissioner, I shut down 45 financially troubled companies. Knowing that officers of these companies faced major civil and criminal penalties, they pushed the blame of their companies going broke onto the insurance department.  Of course, this was really a ruse to buy time.

 

I was sued both in my capacity s insurance commissioner and also sued personally. The courts, of course, determined that I had no personal liability, and no judgement nor any other penalties were levied against me or the insurance department. Giving a public official immunity for any actions taken in the official capacity is basically how the Supreme Court ruled just last week. This is viewed by a number of political observers as a victory for former President Donald Trump.

 

In fact, the court rejected Trump’s assertion that all presidential acts have absolute immunity. If an action is not considered an official act, the president would have no immunity. So for example, when Trump has asserted that if he shot someone on Fifth Avenue, he would be immune. He meant it a joke, but the Court put the brakes on all actions by a president or formal president that would make him immune from criminal prosecution.

 

Here are few examples of official vs unofficial actions.  Paying off a porn star and deducting such payment as a legal expense would certainly not be an action for which a president could claim immunity.  How about withholding classified documents once a president leaves the White House? That’s more of a close call. If there was a demand that the documents be returned to the national archives, Trump should have complied. But did it require swat teams and armed federal agents to swoop down on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida to bring them back? This looked to me like overkill.  

 

Calling the Georgia Secretary of State asking him to find 14,000 more votes that would have allowed Trump to carry Georgia? It depends on what Trump was asking. Was he suggesting that the Secretary of State illegally add more votes to the Georgia totals? Or was he merely asking that every effort be made to be sure that every single vote had been counted because Trump needed 14,000 more votes to carry the state.? I think the Georgia prosecutor has a big hill to climb to make her charges stick.

 

In an 1812 letter to Thomas Jefferson, President John Adams wrote: “Good God! Is a President of the US to be subject to a private action of every individual? This will soon introduce the Axiom that a President can do no wrong; or another equally curious that a President can do no right.”

 

The Supreme Court, in its recent ruling, did not define “official” or “private” action. So whatever people think of its decision, this matter is going to wind itself through the courts for years to come.

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VOTING MACHINE CHANGES NEEDED ACROSS THE COUNTRY!

Monday, July 1^st, 2024

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

 

VOTING MACHINE CHANGES NEEDED ACROSS THE COUNTRY!

 

After former President Donald Trump lost his reelection in 2024, there have been continuous allegations that election fraud has taken place all across the country. So here is the question. Can voting machine computers be hacked? Can the election process be manipulated? Is there widespread election fraud as many and others allege? I may be a pretty good source to give you an opinion. I did serve for eight years as Secretary of State, Louisiana’s chief elections officer. 

 

According to every legitimate watchdog group across the country, as well as judges who reviewed allegations in numerous lawsuits, the answer is no. And I would agree. With minor exceptions, I just have seen no evidence that anything improper has taken place in the nation’s election process. But half of the US population mistrust election results.  If so many people feel that way, then elections officials need to find out how to rebuild confidence in the elections process.

 

I was having lunch in the back room of Phil’s Oyster Bar in Baton Rouge a few months ago, where a recognizable face was sitting at the next table. Robert F Kennedy, Jr.  started to leave, then proceeded to sit down and visited with our group having lunch. He’s running for president now, and usually garners some 15% of the vote in national polls. Kennedy cannot be elected president, but his voters certainly willhave an effect on who wins the presidency in November.

 

We talked about the election process and why there is such a lack of confidence in the current system.  “US citizens need to know that everyone of their votes were counted, and that their election cannot be hacked”, he told me. “And a large number of voters do not believe that such is the case. We need to return to paper ballots to avoid electronic interference with elections.”

 

He's right.   Paper ballots were the way we conducted elections for years in Louisiana.  In today’s modern age, machines connected to the Internet and even simple electronic machines can be hacked or tampered with.  And if there is no paper trail, you can see why voters can be suspicious. If we want to have the gold standard for voter security, then paper ballots are the key.

 

The overwhelming majority of democratic countries require paper ballots in their elections. According to the Pew Research Center, paper ballot are used in 209 of the 227 countries that re democratic.. For example, the Associated Press reports that voters in France “use the same system that’s been used for generations: paper ballots that are cast in person and counted by hand.”  

 

Under my watch, Louisiana used large and bulky voting machines that had no electronic connections and gave a full paper display of the vote. The machines were opened after being removed back to a warehouse where any citizen could watch a review and final account. No one questioned the process.

 

And what happened to election day? It’s gone by the wayside. It used to be everyone voted on one day with military exceptions, and those who signed a notarized affidavit that they would not be present on election day. Now we have voting spread out over a month and absentee voting mailed to anyone who asks.  It’s become “too inconvenient” to drive a few blocks to a polling location.  The US is almost alone in not combining the voting process to one day.  So we now have election month.

 

Right now, there are lots of suspicions about the elections process, both in Louisiana and throughout the rest of the country. If voters are to have assurances that elections are legitimate, changes in the process have to be made. These changes are simply the procedures found in most civilized countries to assure sure voters there will be less fraud and more trust to the system. 

 

One of the ways to rebuild this trust is to use voting machines that provide a counting procedure that use paper ballots. A method that Louisiana used for many years. A simple system that takes us back to the future.

 

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.