Quite properly, Louisiana legislative committees
yesterday rejected
an unnecessary softening of the state’s ballot integrity as it pertained to
postponed presidential preference, party governance, and local elections, an
action which can lead to a far more elegant solution that seeks a problem.
Already
pushed back from the beginning of April at the behest of Republican Sec. of
State Kyle
Ardoin and verified through a Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards proclamation
due to the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic, the two tag-teamed again to delay
these again from Jun. 20 to Jul. 11, and any runoffs from Jul. 25 to Aug.
15. They pursued this despite increasing evidence of the pandemic’s subsidence,
as yesterday the seven-day rolling average increase in cases came to just four
percent.
However, this time the two went further than just
wanting to change dates. They also jointly endorsed a plan to increase vastly
the potential for mail-in balloting as well as increase from 7 to 13 days the
amount of time available for early voting, also changing up a few early voting
and polling places. Ardoin explained he had to set all of this in motion now
because of logistical concerns such as ordering supplies, ensuring availability
of adequate numbers of personnel, and possibly finding extra protective gear.
Jeffrey D. Sadow is an associate professor of political science at Louisiana State University Shreveport. If you're an elected official, political operative or anyone else upset at his views, don't go bothering LSUS or LSU System officials about that because these are his own views solely. This publishes five days weekly with the exception of 7 holidays. Also check out his Louisiana Legislature Log especially during legislative sessions (in "Louisiana Politics Blog Roll" below).
15.4.20
In virus gloom, LA govt lends helping hand
In all of the gloom about the Wuhan coronavirus
pandemic, here’s an Easter story showing off how Louisiana government can work
well.
The news has been full of stories about the need for ventilators for virus victims. Behind the scenes are those people who use them on a daily basis just to breathe. For users with respiratory failure living at home, typically the household would have two such as on a wheelchair and beside a bed; thus, if one stops working correctly that person would be far less likely to die within minutes having another nearby.
Deshae has used these for over 17 years, most recently through Louisiana State University System’s self-funded insurance plan, through a supplier that will remain unnamed but is owned by a bunch of investment partnerships managed by the Blackstone Group. But earlier this year after botching attempts to transition her to a vent from a different manufacturer, the provider declared, despite its contract with LSU, that it no longer would supply vents particularly to her.
The news has been full of stories about the need for ventilators for virus victims. Behind the scenes are those people who use them on a daily basis just to breathe. For users with respiratory failure living at home, typically the household would have two such as on a wheelchair and beside a bed; thus, if one stops working correctly that person would be far less likely to die within minutes having another nearby.
Deshae has used these for over 17 years, most recently through Louisiana State University System’s self-funded insurance plan, through a supplier that will remain unnamed but is owned by a bunch of investment partnerships managed by the Blackstone Group. But earlier this year after botching attempts to transition her to a vent from a different manufacturer, the provider declared, despite its contract with LSU, that it no longer would supply vents particularly to her.
14.4.20
LA Legislature must stop Edwards end run
It’s time for the Louisiana Legislature to snuff
out any attempt by Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards to
use the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic as an excuse to make an end run around the people.
The coming of the virus brought understandably drastic measures to limit gatherings that attenuated commerce. A series of Edwards proclamations has closed many businesses and swaths of state and local government activities, on the theory that reducing human physical interactions would slow the spread of disease.
Never mind that decisions made by Edwards created the least effective, most painful solution. Even with a growing amount of evidence that Carnival created a supercharged environment for transmission (all too apparent now to members of the famous New Orleans Krewe of Zulu), Edwards failed to urge the state laboratory and hospitals – some of which receive billions of dollars a year from the state as designated charity hospitals – to develop testing capacity to implement a rapid check and quarantine system before any cases developed in the state, as did some other states.
The coming of the virus brought understandably drastic measures to limit gatherings that attenuated commerce. A series of Edwards proclamations has closed many businesses and swaths of state and local government activities, on the theory that reducing human physical interactions would slow the spread of disease.
Never mind that decisions made by Edwards created the least effective, most painful solution. Even with a growing amount of evidence that Carnival created a supercharged environment for transmission (all too apparent now to members of the famous New Orleans Krewe of Zulu), Edwards failed to urge the state laboratory and hospitals – some of which receive billions of dollars a year from the state as designated charity hospitals – to develop testing capacity to implement a rapid check and quarantine system before any cases developed in the state, as did some other states.
13.4.20
Cancer myth doesn't explain virus pattern
If Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards is doing
his utmost not
to let a crisis go to waste, so are his ideological fellow travelers with
their own leftist agenda focused on the environment and economy.
Bad timing with Carnival and bad policy by Edwards exacerbated the impact of the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic on Louisiana. As of today, the state continues to rank third in both infection ratio and mortality per capita, behind New York and New Jersey.
Worse, New Orleans and Jefferson Parish have become, outside of the New York counties in and surrounding New York City, the nation’s epicenter of the virus. An incredible 1 in 77 people are infected in Orleans and Jefferson, although even more incredibly most of the New York City counties have an even lower ratio, led by the almost-surreal nearly 2.5 percent of Rockland County.
Bad timing with Carnival and bad policy by Edwards exacerbated the impact of the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic on Louisiana. As of today, the state continues to rank third in both infection ratio and mortality per capita, behind New York and New Jersey.
Worse, New Orleans and Jefferson Parish have become, outside of the New York counties in and surrounding New York City, the nation’s epicenter of the virus. An incredible 1 in 77 people are infected in Orleans and Jefferson, although even more incredibly most of the New York City counties have an even lower ratio, led by the almost-surreal nearly 2.5 percent of Rockland County.
12.4.20
Easter Sunday, 2020
This column publishes five days weekly after noon U.S. Central Time (maybe even after sundown on busy days, or maybe before noon if things work out, or even sometimes on the weekend if there's big news) except whenever a significant national holiday falls on the Monday through Friday associated with the otherwise-usual publication on the previous day (unless it is Thanksgiving Day, Independence Day, Christmas, or New Year's Day when it is the day on which the holiday is observed by the U.S. government). In my opinion, in addition to these are also Easter Sunday, Memorial Day and Veterans' Day.
With Sunday, Apr. 12 being Easter, I invite you to explore this link.