Data show huge Medicaid expansion redistribution

Gov. John Bel Edwards won’t give up in trying to con the public into believing Medicaid expansion netted a win for Louisiana.

Periodically, his administration breathlessly announces with positive spin some new factoid about the program, which has put approaching a half million more Louisianans on the public dole. The latest comes from a survey that extrapolates the adult uninsured rate in the state has fallen by just about half from six months prior to expansion through 2017.

Fixating only on insured status does miss the larger point of access to health care. Perhaps less than in any other state, because of Louisiana’s archaic public hospital system, does the lack of insurance translate into no health care; plenty of those uninsured people had access to health care – for free – prior to expansion.

LA must appraise realistically ex-con homelessness

In addressing homelessness of ex-prisoners, now a growing concern with Louisiana’s recent changes in its criminal justice system, solutions that misunderstand the human condition will not alleviate this problem.

A recent report highlighted difficulties ex-convicts face in finding permanent housing. A report by the Prison Policy Initiative determined that about one percent were homeless, and another one percent lived in temporary shelter. The combined proportion doubles for freed multiple offenders. This contrasts with the general public, in which about 0.2 percent lived in one of these conditions.

Granted, two percent represents a very small portion of the overall formerly incarcerated. Still, if that exceeds the general population by 10 times, some factors must work to cause that. The question then becomes what public policy options may ameliorate this.

Letter lamentably misleads on Catholic doctrine

If Catholics want to have confidence in institutions surrounding their faith that sustain it, those in the institution not only have to act better, but they have to teach the faith accurately.

American Catholics have been rocked by news of the extraordinarily perverse actions of clergy in Pennsylvania, both in terms of sexual deviance and covering up the horrors from that. Now more than ever, to reassure Catholics that their belief is about the faith and not the people entrusted to minister to that faith, propagation of a true understanding of that faith is necessary.

Thus, it was disheartening to see a Louisiana example that fails in this regard. Recently, I authored a Baton Rouge Advocate column that in part addressed the death penalty. In it, I noted the Catechism change ordered by Pope Francis that withdraws support for capital punishment as part of Catholic teaching, which represents the first doctrinal change made by a pope in the Church’s history.

The Advocate column, Aug. 19, 2018

Why did it take Kyle Ardoin so long to withdraw from voting machine vetting process? 
https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/jeff_sadow/article_9dc96148-a19a-11e8-bb66-8fa1084297d7.html

Links:
https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/elections/article_b80dac1a-8ec8-11e8-b3ce-27bc6641f40a.html
https://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2018/05/louisiana_secretary_of_state.html
http://www.ethics.la.gov/CampaignFinanceSearch/ShowEForm.aspx?ReportID=71173
https://www.sos.la.gov/OurOffice/PublishedDocuments/20%20Sexual%20Harassment%20in%20the%20Workplace%20%2005-01-18.pdf
https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/stephanie_grace/article_83af1752-8e8b-11e8-ad3a-2f2b641a80eb.html
https://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2018/08/louisiana_voting_machine_contr.html
https://apnews.com/3246eabcb70f4b45856da32251aaafe9

Hypocritical Edwards should change his rhetoric

Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards ought to reconsider pitching stones from his glass house.

Last week, at an annual Aspen Institute meeting, Edwards opined along with other of his party’s governors on the state of politics, in particular on the issue of divisiveness. (This same meeting last year Democrat former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu didn’t leave early when his staff implored him to return to the city as it flooded.) His words of wisdom: “Folks are just anxious. We ought not to vilify anyone.”

That’s nice, and surely “anyone” means even those Republicans who may run against him next year for his job. Except he doesn’t see it that way, by his past rhetoric.

The Press-Herald column, Aug. 15, 2018

Campbell makes puzzling decisions
http://press-herald.com/campbell-makes-puzzling-decisions/

Links:

http://press-herald.com/claiborne-internet-deal-hits-roadblock/

http://press-herald.com/la-dodges-bullet-on-wind-catcher/

http://lpscstar.louisiana.gov/star/portal/lpsc/PSC/DocketDetails.aspx?DocketId=b46ba11f-a1ad-4a10-b884-8c1e26b84d1f

https://lpsc.louisiana.gov/_docs/_RFP/Power%20System%20Engineering%20Response%20to%20Claiborne%20Electric%20Fiber%20to%20Home%20Pr.._.pdf

http://www.ksla.com/story/11153019/access-for-all-push-for-rural-high-speed-internet?clienttype=printable&redirected=true

https://www.fostercampbell.com/144/

https://jeffsadow.blogspot.com/2011/11/politicized-meeting-no-help-in.html

Edwards to bill taxpayers for more Medicaid?

More Louisiana politicians are discovering you can’t win when it comes to running the state’s two northern safety-net hospitals – and especially taxpayers.

According to the Gov. John Bel Edwards Administration, in the coming weeks resolution will come to the saga of the state’s University Health hospitals in Shreveport and Monroe. The state appeared poised to switch operators from BRF to Ochsner Health Systems.

Under the gun five years ago to outsource operations of state’s charity hospitals after a congressional decision on Medicaid financing would have wrecked the state budget, the Gov. Bobby Jindal Administration quickly had to find private operators for these. Traditional institutional health care providers stepped in – except for north of Alexandria, where only BRF, then known as the Biomedical Research Foundation of Northwest Louisiana, seemed willing.

Edwards watches politicization of state police

If you thought the Louisiana State Police Commission would help to inspire confidence in the integrity in some actions of members of the Louisiana State Police, think again. Meanwhile, Gov. John Bel Edwards stands by and lets it all happen.

In Louisiana, the State Civil Service Commission governs the affairs of classified employees – those hired and fired according to standard merit standards – except for state police (and cadets). The LSPC does that and essentially mirrors the SCSC in membership – six appointees by congressional district by the governor, from three choices provided by the presidents of state’s private colleges (each assigned to one district), and a current trooper elected by his peers.

Last week, the body drastically reduced punishments meted out to troopers who had violated policies during an official trip last fall. They billed taxpayers for thousands of dollars in improper overtime, which when that information emerged led to the departure of former Superintendent Mike Edmonson.

The Advocate column: Aug. 12, 2018

On the death penalty and unanimous juries
https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/jeff_sadow/article_e301875c-9bf7-11e8-b445-cf257b9a346c.html

Links:
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/08/02/pope-francis-declares-death-penalty-is-inadmissible-in-teaching-reversal.html
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a5.htm
https://www.firstthings.com/article/2001/04/catholicism-capital-punishment
https://www.crisismagazine.com/2014/church-change-doctrine-usury
https://www.firstthings.com/article/2005/10/development-or-reversal
https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/reply-atlantic-death-penalty-john-r-lott-jr/
https://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/news/courts/article_d03c6c68-4201-11e8-b8e7-2be5a32762b2.html

Edwards ALEC connection part of myth building

Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards addressing the American Legislative Exchange Council? That’s not beyond belief upon understanding the requirements of the Edwards myth of centrism.

The group convened its annual meeting in New Orleans yesterday and heard from the governor. At first glance, that may seem odd, for the group’s conservative, good government agenda hardly squares with much of what Edwards has spoken favorably about and has pursued throughout his policy-making career.

Indeed, checking upon Edwards’ score as a legislator and governor on the Louisiana Legislature Log scorecard, as a member of the House of Representatives he averaged about 30 and as governor he has averaged around 47. Higher scores indicate higher congruity with voting for a conservative/reform agenda, while lower scores denote voting fealty to liberal/populist preferences.