Edwards food stamps neglect costs taxpayers

Besides dysfunction in child protective services, Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards’ administration has left another negative legacy in the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services – high error rates in the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program that cost both federal and state taxpayers.

Heads rolled in DCFS when shockingly lax casework endangering children was uncovered. The condition persisted for years under Edwards’ purview, and fortunately now appears to be on the mend.

But another casualty from neglect there deals with food stamps. Both major error rates in benefits distribution soared during his second term, indicating both the federal government particularly upon Democrat Pres. Joe Biden entering the White House turning a blind eye towards fraudulent, whether intended, successful applications and Edwards’ indifference in preventing waste of the federal dollars which entirely comprise the payouts.

Desperate LA left rooting for conservatives

Behold the panic setting in with Louisiana’s leftist chattering class that it actually roots for a conservative Republican to get into the governor’s race that to this point looks to be GOP Atty. Gen. Jeff Landry’s to lose.

Landry scares the mainstream media and its derivatives, because of all elected officials in the state to date he most effectively has articulated and acted upon a full-spectrum conservatism. He is the closest thing in Louisiana to the left’s biggest bogeymen in state government, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

These politicians worry the left to no end, because they take the fight to it. They challenge and expose for what these are the left’s core beliefs, which highlights the disconnect not only between those beliefs and reality but also that these beliefs majorities in society repudiate, which in turn activates electorates and other elected officials to thwart the left’s ambitions for power and privilege, if not to reverse leftist policy gains.

Nungesser deferral causes shifts in other races

Trickle-down impacts from statewide contest choices continue to ripple through Louisiana campaigns, but finally the fields seem to be settling down.

When Republican Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser announced a reelection bid rather than a run for governor, this upset plans of a pair of potential successors. One, GOP former Rep. John Fleming, switched his attention to the treasurer post being vacated by Republican John Schroder as he set his sights on becoming governor.

Fleming announced formally this week, bringing his congressional experience, background working in the GOP Pres. Donald Trump Administration, and private sector business achievements to the table. In the last he has been highly successful and as a result can bring a lot of resources to bear in a campaign, and it shows on his 2022 campaign financial disclosure where he raised about $100,000 and then threw in over $200,000 of his own loaned money.

Landry can escape move to outflank his right

In Louisiana’s gubernatorial sweepstakes where opponents seek to stop the juggernaut GOP Atty. Gen. Jeff Landry candidacy, Republican state Sen. Sharon Hewitt put forth something that she hopes could help her muscle into the conservative space he has so effectively occupied.

Meeting with representatives from the energy industry, last week Hewitt said as governor she would disengage the state immediately from any litigation attacking energy producers over their past activities in coastal areas, criticizing this as a legally-unsound form of retroactive law-making and suggesting any actual violations under law go through the usual process of citation and adjudication. Some parishes have engaged counsel to sue firms on the basis that companies degraded land to cause problems such as flooding, despite companies having permission from the federal and state governments to engage legally in various acts such as dredging canals.

The state intervened in one of these suits, between several parishes and Freeport-McMoRan, to settle on behalf of four parishes dissatisfied with the arrangement, with that effort led by Landry. Conservatives in particular see such suits as little more than an unjustified money grab by certain parishes and trial lawyers that harms the economy and discourages economic development. Thus, the perception becomes Landry complicity with old-school jackpot justice.

Bossier City should sink too risky water deal

In present form, the water deal proposed by the Port of Caddo-Bossier is all wet that the Bossier City Council should sink.

This week, the Council will take up the offered cooperative endeavor agreement that would allow the Port to pass on the cost of a water distribution and treatment facility to the city which would operate it and generate sales from it to the Port and its tenants over a period of 99 years. The city also could use capacity beyond that required by those entities for its other customers.

Last week, the Council met in a workshop to allow for councilor and public questioning about the deal. Port Executive Director Eric England fielded inquiries about the terms and financial aspects of the arrangement.