Incomplete Medicaid expansion report misleads

Present one-sided information to the public and you’re likely to shape public opinion in that direction, a result recently captured by some academic researchers found echoing from the works of others.

Revealed publicly piece by piece, the latest installment of the 2018 Louisiana Survey conducted by Louisiana State University’s Reilly Center for Media and Public Affairs focused on public attitudes about Medicaid expansion and criminal justice reforms. This came on the heels of a study released by the Department of Health that purported to show a positive fiscal impact from expansion.

The survey said 69 percent of Louisianans approved of expansion, and the report claimed state revenues over costs from expansion climbed $55 million while local governments received an extra influx of $75 million. It also asserted health care gains would accrue from expansion.

The Press-Herald column, Apr. 18, 2018

SWEPCO’s Wind Catcher is not necessary
http://press-herald.com/swepcos-wind-catcher-is-not-necessary/

Links:
http://bossierpress.com/swepco-announces-louisiana-settlement-supporting-wind-catcher-energy-connection/
https://www.heartland.org/news-opinion/news/wind-industry-subsidies-under-fire-in-oklahoma
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-29/giant-wind-farm-wants-payment-guaranteed-in-advance-thank-you
http://newsok.com/wind-catcher-costs-request-gets-negative-recommendation/article/5583199
http://interchange.puc.state.tx.us/WebApp/Interchange/Documents/47461_290_972505.PDF
http://www.leesvilledailyleader.com/news/20180221/swepco-announces-arkansas-settlement-supporting-wind-catcher-energy-connection
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-14/-made-in-the-u-s-a-turbines-complicate-u-s-offshore-wind-plan
http://www.theenergycollective.com/gail-tverberg/2409208/researchers-underestimating-cost-wind-solar
https://www.ktbs.com/news/arklatex-indepth/cutting-your-energy-costs-who-s-behind-the-proposed-wind/article_3d7e9b72-1e33-11e8-8275-136d98b2e7fe.html

Unify command to improve jail performance

Plenty of reasons abound to end the experiment known as the Union Parish Detention Center Commission.

Prior to commencing its operations, the state passed a law removing it from the authority of the parish sheriff. Uniquely among Louisiana jails, it does not have a constitutionally-specified entity controlling it, but a committee comprised of the sheriff, the (3rd Judicial) District Attorney, police chief of the city hosting it Farmerville, a member of the Union Parish Police Jury elected by its members, and the president of the Police Jury. It contracts with the sheriff to operate the facility and legally is considered a component of parish government run by the Police Jury as that body funds it.

And it’s weathered a lot of bad public relations, right from the start. Initially, the Commission contracted to a private operator, whose efforts proved so slack that most work-release inmates found access to consume illegal drugs. This led to yanking that program that returned in 2015, as well as eventual takeover by the sheriff.

Political conflict necessary for LA to advance

At the very end of a recent piece by my Advocate colleague Mark Ballard comes an interesting quote, summing up exactly why Louisiana over several decades dug itself such a deep policy hole.

Said by former House of Representatives Speaker, Commissioner of Administration, and chairman of the 1973 constitutional convention Democrat Bubba Henry, in reference to the late former Republican state Rep. and state Sen. Tom Casey’s passing and his role in bringing about institutional reform: “But then, we were interested in the subject matter. They [today’s legislators] seem to be more interested in ideology.” Here, he made reference to battles in the past two years over general appropriations and capital outlay budgets, and tax policy related to that.

This echoed his remarks last year at a CC 73 reunion. When asked about having a new convention, he said, “If legislators can’t agree on the legislation to eradicate the debt [i.e. budget deficit] that we have, I don’t know what they could do in the constitutional convention that would be helpful to the state.”

The Advocate column, Apr. 15, 2018

Keeping inmates' work program wages low represents their debt to society
http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/jeff_sadow/article_42778f18-3de0-11e8-be4b-a3a625e53809.html

Links:
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2018/04/louisiana_house_passes_bill_to_1.html
http://house.louisiana.gov/H_Video/VideoArchivePlayer.aspx?v=house/2018/mar/0322_18_CJ
http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/ViewDocument.aspx?d=1081920