Wacko alarmists miss real LA CPRA report story

Predictably, environmentalist wackos took the draft 2017 master plan issued by Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority and spun it to fulfill Luddite fantasies, thereby missing the actual story.

Every five years the state prepares one, which outlines the kinds of projects and estimated dollar amounts of these to protect the coast. As part of the process, it tries to gauge the utility of these through a forecast of future scenarios, including the input of climate change. This expresses itself through an estimation of sea level rise (SLR).

The draft 2017 version outlines three scenarios for the rise. In Oct., 2015, a team of scientists and others forwarded their best guesses concerning the range of estimates. Naturally, given the notorious imprecision and lamentable track record in past predictions of this nature, the data they used was fraught with peril. For example, the research leaned on work from the National Climate Assessment (NCA) issued in 2014 by the Pres. Barack Obama Administration, a document replete with overstatements and mischaracterizations that made it more a sales pitch than informed source, and also the 2014 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report long on politics and short on science. As another, it utilized a Maryland report the conclusions of which those data simply did not support.

Term limits deter insufficiently-committed legislators

Another term-limited Louisiana legislator trying to jump ship early just adds to the data points confirming the wisdom of term limits on the position.

In the past year seven legislators in their final term either have left their posts early or have signaled a desire to do so. With two, state Rep. John Schroder and state Sen. Neil Riser, they hope to become Sen. John Kennedy’s successor as treasurer in a special election, a definite chance for promotion of which they may availed themselves even if not in their third terms as they don’t lose their current jobs if unsuccessful. But former state Reps. Bryan Adams, Joe Lopinto, and Jack Montoucet left shortly after their elections for other jobs in government, former state Rep. Tom Wilmott made a downhill move in a parish council seat, and state Sen. Danny Martiny has become the latest, looking to emulate Wilmott.

Possibly except for Schroder and Riser, none likely would have sought to leave before term’s end, and probably would have run for fourth terms, without term limits. However, given their natures – like tigers who when killing a human find they acquire a taste for us – these politicians have discovered they like wielding power and having taxpayers compensate them for it.

Edwards looks to collect RINOs as House strategy

Perhaps Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards has thrown in the towel concerning state House of Representatives elections, judging by his pick to head the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Or has he simply shifted to a new strategy?

His selection of Democrat former state Rep. Jack Montoucet to lead DWF significantly departs from the preceding secretary Charlie Melancon. His pick a year ago seemed forced from outside, as Melancon had no real experience in that policy area, and while they ran around in the same political circles they had no real relationship prior to his becoming governor. By contrast, Montoucet and Edwards came into the Legislature together, became friends and allies, and Montoucet in his post-firefighter retirement runs a business related to DWF.

That all will help as Montoucet navigates tricky waters stirred by Melancon’s divisive leadership, wherein the former secretary tried to use the department as a shill for Edwards’ big government ideas, to run counter to other Gulf states’ policies on red snapper management, to halt next-to-no-cost popular programs with recreational fishers, and to kowtow to large commercial interests allied with fringe environmentalist elements. This resulted in internal turmoil, feuds with the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission that co-administers policy and with Republican Rep. Garret Graves, and an investigation into departmental practices that has political overtones.

The Advocate column, Jan. 2, 2017

In Medicaid expansion, there is no free lunch
http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/jeff_sadow/article_f95ea4d6-cc8b-11e6-bb1c-b355bfae32f4.html

Links:
http://www.ldi.la.gov/docs/default-source/documents/publicaffairs/commissionerscolumn/october-column-aca.pdf
http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/business/article_1eb8e894-9d1c-11e6-9760-eb195eb81968.html
http://jeffsadow.blogspot.com/2006/09/bumbling-blanco-burns-political.html
http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/ViewDocument.aspx?d=1012493
http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/ViewDocument.aspx?d=1012540
http://house.louisiana.gov/housefiscal/DOCS_APPBudgetMeetings2016/Dec7/Department%20of%20Health.pdf
http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/legislature/article_b361e964-bcd4-11e6-8cff-03319055977b.html
http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2013/05/02/oregon-study-medicaid-had-no-significant-effect-on-health-outcomes-vs-being-uninsured/