Louisiana under Landry... (1 Viewer)

[nolaspe]

Welp...

Jeff Landry pushes bill that would block public from viewing government records

Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, who touted transparency on the campaign trail and in his push to overhaul Louisiana's criminal justice system this year, on Wednesday backed an effort to gut

www.nola.com

Top employees at Louisiana environmental agency resign in clash with leader, an ex-Trump official

They were recently appointed by new Gov. Jeff Landry, but are already quitting their jobs or getting transferred to different departments. Here's a look at the turmoil bubbling up inside the Louisiana DEQ.

www.nola.com

Louisiana House passes 'Don't Say Gay,' pronoun bills aimed at LGBTQ+ community

The chamber passed bills to limit talk of gender identity and sex in schools. Both bills head to the Senate.

www.nola.com

Here is some bonus stuff from scotus...

The Supreme Court effectively abolishes the right to mass protest in three US states

It is no longer safe to organize a protest in Louisiana, Mississippi, or Texas.

www.vox.com

 

[efil4]

Louisiana voted for this. As far as I'm concerned, they got what they wanted.

Maybe if they had to live with the consequences of their votes, they might stop voting against their best interest.

I just want my federal tax dollars to stop bailing them out when a hurricane hits them. They don't believe in climate change and are doing all they can to make it worse. Let them live with the consequences of it.

Whatever happened to pulling yourself up by your bootstraps?

Whatever happened to being responsible? Why don't these states have special funds to cover the damage so that the rest of us don't have to?

Also, it's not just taxes, it's home insurance and it's not just Louisiana. It's also Texas and Florida.

We all see our home insurance rates increase because a hurricane hit. The insurance company isn't going to just pay out and not increase rates on all of us because of it. I know it started with my home insurance in the 90s. I was with Allstate at the time. A big hurricane hit Florida and all of a sudden, my rates more than doubled. I called Allstate to ask why and they told me it was because of the hurricane in Florida. It happens every year now. It's gotten out of control.

I don't know about others but I'm tired of my federal tax dollars bailing out those who refuse to take steps to combat climate change, who do all they can to make climate change worse, who refuse to properly have a special fund that covers the damage from hurricanes and those who don't even care about preventing the damage. I know I'm tired of my home insurance increasing because of a hurricane in a state thousands of miles from me.

your insurance didnt double in the 90s from one hurricane, i can assure you.

It may have been what your agent told you as it was an " easy explanation". The real explanation is layered and can be quite boring and convoluted.

For starters, there are differences between insurers. Companies like Allstate/State Farm- they are "nation wide" writers of insurance from West coast to East and Gulf to Great Lakes. So they enjoy a lot of "diversification of exposure" in their overall book of business. Second, and not widely known, is insurers make the bulk of their profits from investing. Very conservative investments that are primarily US Treasuries. Thirdly, insurance companies pay big money to actuaries- these folks are the numbers/odds folk. They are tasked with creating the rate structures vs odds of losses to keep a company in the green ( aka more premium coming in than losses paid )

If a carrier is paying more in losses than premium coming in, thats a problem. Because they are not only losing money on losses, they are also losing money from the inability to purchase investment vehicles that is their primary source of revenue. So its a double-whammy. When that happens, they have to adjust accordingly. Tightening restrictions, increased premiums vs the exposure a particular region has for them, maybe reducing exposure in a particular region if they are "over-sold" etc etc.


Over the years, insurance companies relied on weather modeling for part of their decision making. Many many years ago, this modeling was based on 10yr averages.

Then 2005 hit. 27 named storms? They could no longer afford to base rates on 10 yr models. So it went to 5 yr models. Well, as you can imagine, a 5 year model will have greater impact on premium than a 10 year. Then it moved to a 1-3 model.

As companies start to take repeated losses in an area, they have no choice but to make corrections. They simply arent in business to lose money. One correction method is increased premium. The other is no longer operating in a "high risk" zone. ( pulling out the market ) - They will do the first and only do the second when they feel its no longer an option to operate in that area. Its business.

Now in Louisiana, for decades, we not only had the La Dept of insurance, but we also had the Louisiana Property and Casualty Insurance Commission. If an "admitted" company wanted to increase rates, they had to appear before the commission with quantifiable data. ( Keep in mind the LPCIC was not made up of actuaries lol ). If the LPCIC decided that the requested 17% was too much, they could either flat out deny or counter-offer ( say ok we see 10% ). No joke. We had a panel of folks who decided what carrier got what increase ( if any ) on an annual basis. Works well at first. Then you realize just how much power these "commissioners" wield. And they arent privy to giving it up.

So companies like Allstate and State Farm played the game for years. But it got to a point where they started to realize this is BS. We need these rate increases to REMAIN but werent getting them ( and not just them ) . So option 2? Pull out market.

When that happens you are left with a bunch of smaller, semi-national/regional insurers that arent as protected against large cat claims like your national/multinational carriers. Yet they are writing a whole bunch of business in high risk areas. Then you go 5-7 years with NO STORMS...they raking in premiums, market is good so they are making good revenue. No one is paying attention to the law of averages. A storm will come and you better be banking that profit. But no, they are expanding operations into states with same exposures. Or different ones.

Then the big one hits and you find out that they werent prepared and then you have what we had in 2021-current...a market in absolute turmoil.


All this to say, its not as simple as a "Cane in Florida" affects LA. While it does, it does for a whole different set of reasons.

 

[zztop]

Guess I'll post this here, since there is a quote by Landry about it

SWAT, NOPD officers pour onto Tulane's campus overnight, move encampment

Multiple demonstrators were taken into custody as SWAT officers surround an encampment that was set up Monday

www.wdsu.com

“My appreciation goes out to Tulane President Michael Fitts, the Tulane Police Department, Tulane Police Chief Frank Young, New Orleans Police Chief Anna Kirkpatrick, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Louisiana State Police for safely clearing the Tulane campus of those who sought to illegally occupy the campus! Many colleges across our country may allow this lawlessness, but Louisiana will NOT. This State will not tolerate those who seek to disturb the peace by means of criminality,” said Governor Jeff Landry.

 

[GrandAdmiral]

Mick Jagger calls out at Louisiana governor during Jazz Fest, Landry fires back

According to WWL Louisiana reporter Lily Cummings, Jagger referred to Landry as "real inclusive" and said he was taking the state back to "the Stone Age."

www.wwltv.com

 

[LovesMusic7360]

That's some serious broad sweeping stereotypes.

All of my family is in southwest LA in the Lake Charles area. That's were I was born and grew up. No one in my family is in a good position to just up and move somewhere else. They're barely making ends meet.

Not everyone in LA is "drill baby drill" or climate change deniers.

Washington has the ticking bomb of the Cascadia subduction zone and dormant volcanoes that can become active without much warning. Most of the country will be devastated when the Yellowstone caldera erupts again.

Are people leaving those areas? Should they not receive our compassion and help either?

Your statements above are the flip side of the same coin that throws out judgemental statements like, "why should my tax dollars go to those moochers on welfare."

My post never said anyone should move.

I posted about not doing anything to combat climate change and putting the cost of making climate change worse on the rest of us.

I disagree about the welfare comment. I support welfare. People need a place to live and food to eat. I'm happy to provide that.

I have a problem with the majority, not all, of the people in Louisiana, Florida and Texas who don't believe in climate change and elect politicians who don't believe in climate change and refuse to do anything about it. In fact they are making it worse.

Personally I believe if they had to live with the consequences of their horrible choices, they would stop making those horrible choices. I believe enabling them is a bad choice and I'm tired of our nation making those bad choices.

The majority of Louisiana voted for this. I believe they should live with it.

 

[efil4]

My post never said anyone should move.

I posted about not doing anything to combat climate change and putting the cost of making climate change worse on the rest of us.

I disagree about the welfare comment. I support welfare. People need a place to live and food to eat. I'm happy to provide that.

I have a problem with the majority, not all, of the people in Louisiana, Florida and Texas who don't believe in climate change and elect politicians who don't believe in climate change and refuse to do anything about it. In fact they are making it worse.

Personally I believe if they had to live with the consequences of their horrible choices, they would stop making those horrible choices. I believe enabling them is a bad choice and I'm tired of our nation making those bad choices.

The majority of Louisiana voted for this. I believe they should live with it.

101623 Governor election map

LOUISIANA GOVERNOR ELECTION RESULTS: Republican Governor-Elect Jeff Landry came in first in 60 parishes in Saturday's election, winning a majority in 48 parishes. His top opponent, Democrat Shawn Wilson, came

www.nola.com

Look at SELA vs remainder of State.

Simply not enough votes to overcome the choices of folks who are pretty well insulated from the main issues you posted about previously.

I10 corridor has long been a "Dividing line" for LA when it comes to politics. The parishes below I10 that vote heavily in favor R- pure Oil n Gas revenue and that will never change until the oil n gas runs dry. Those folks would cut off their nose to spite face if it means there is a glimmer of hope that their candidate will keep the O&G industry pumping and them a good paying job.

For those folks, when you attack with "climate change" or " we need to get off fossil fuels" they view that as a direct attack on their livelyhood. Its all they know, its how they earn a living and dont know how to do anything else. And its been good for them.

 

[LA - L.A.]

I disagree about the welfare comment. I support welfare. People need a place to live and food to eat. I'm happy to provide that.

And that's exactly why people who's income depends on the fossil fuel industry don't want to lose those jobs, because without those jobs they don't have a place to live or food to eat.

Are you going to give them a job if they help end the industry that currently gives them a job?

I hope you understand now and can see the entirety of their situation, free of uninformed pre-judgement.

I have a problem with the majority, not all, of the people in Louisiana, Florida and Texas who don't believe in climate change and elect politicians who don't believe in climate change and refuse to do anything about it. In fact they are making it worse.

You're pre-judging while also lacking a lot of information. These type of broad generalizations about people are one of the main problems we are facing. It's what's ripping us apart as a society.

How do you expect to work with people when you see and describe them as you keep doing?
How do you feel when people make broad, derogatory generalizations about people in your state?
Does it make you want to listen to them and work toward solutions with them?

Personally I believe if they had to live with the consequences of their horrible choices,...

This statement is so ignorantly uncompassionate. Trust me when I say, the majority of the people along the gulf coast are very much suffering from the consequences of what you refer to as "their horrible choices."

For the majority of them, "their horrible choice" is taking whatever work they can find to provide food and shelter for themselves and their families. That's the same "horrible choice" that most Americans have to make everywhere in the country.

Do you never fly?
Do you only use non-fossil fuel burning cars and powered equipment?
Do you get all of your electricity exclusively from a sustainable, non-radioactive waste producing, technology?
Do you drive an electric car to buy all of your food directly from a local source?
Do your food sources exclusively use non-fossil fuel burning equipment and non-fossil fuel derivative chemicals?
Are you completely plastic free?
Do you refrain from using the internet?

If you answered no to any of those questions, then you are not doing everything you can to end climate change. My point is we are all guilty of not doing everything we can do, so none of us are in any reasonable or rational position to be throwing stones at other people.

Besides, when you throw stones at other people, they are going to throw stones back, so the end result is everyone is throwing stones at everyone leaving very little time and energy to come to an agreement on how to make lasting changes.

The majority of Louisiana voted for this. I believe they should live with it.

Well, then it should give you comfort and satisfaction to know they are actually dying from it. Here is just one of the ways they are dying from it:

Cancer Clusters Along the Mississippi River

In the 1980s, toxic waste from industrial plants along the Mississippi River led to clusters of cancer cases in parts of Louisiana, dubbed Cancer Alley.

www.verywellhealth.com

Shuttered EPA investigation could’ve brought 'meaningful reform' in Cancer Alley, documents show

Environmental advocates and residents of the Louisiana chemical corridor known as Cancer Alley have spent decades calling for change in the way industrial activity is regulated there.

apnews.com

I hope you feel that the above, combined with many having lost their homes or having to live in damaged homes they can't afford to repair, and a whole myriad of other life shortening health issues, seems like an appropriate level of suffering on their part for "their horrible decisions."

 

[CoolBrees]

This is just the random reminder that this site is an offshoot of the SaintsReport.com website - a former sub forum at that.

As in the New Orleans Saints.

Myself living in a place everybody has an opinion about, I tend to think it best not to comment on states with locals.

 

[LovesMusic7360]

101623 Governor election map

LOUISIANA GOVERNOR ELECTION RESULTS: Republican Governor-Elect Jeff Landry came in first in 60 parishes in Saturday's election, winning a majority in 48 parishes. His top opponent, Democrat Shawn Wilson, came

www.nola.com

Look at SELA vs remainder of State.

Simply not enough votes to overcome the choices of folks who are pretty well insulated from the main issues you posted about previously.

I10 corridor has long been a "Dividing line" for LA when it comes to politics. The parishes below I10 that vote heavily in favor R- pure Oil n Gas revenue and that will never change until the oil n gas runs dry. Those folks would cut off their nose to spite face if it means there is a glimmer of hope that their candidate will keep the O&G industry pumping and them a good paying job.

For those folks, when you attack with "climate change" or " we need to get off fossil fuels" they view that as a direct attack on their livelyhood. Its all they know, its how they earn a living and dont know how to do anything else. And its been good for them.

That election map pretty much proves my point. Most of the state voted for Landry. They voted for what they are getting. I see no reason to insulate them from the consequences of their votes.

As far as jobs go. They are making the exact same mistake as the coal workers.

They hated Hillary for telling them the truth and offering them training/education for a new career.

They were too lazy to actually do the right and responsible thing. That is learn something new to keep up with today's economy. As a result they lost their jobs and had no training or education to get a new one.

They aren't any different from the rest of us.

Did we keep big computers that run on computer cards just to protect the jobs of keyhole punch operators? No we didn't. We offered people education and training for a new career. There have been many, many industries that are no longer here. People went and got new training and education.

Those who work in the oil industry need to do the same thing. Oil will always be needed and used but it doesn't always have to be burned and used as energy.

My state, Washington state, and Hawaii prove that it's very easy to get off coal for energy. We also show that it's practical to drive a hybrid, EV or EV/hybrid vehicle. At least half the vehicles on the roads in Washington state are either EV, hybrid or EV/hybrid. Charging stations are common too.

I bought my first hybrid in 2001. I made the choice then to never buy another regular gas car again and I haven't. So the high price of gas in the bush boy years and now aren't a problem for me. I fill my car for around 30 dollars and that one tank lasts a month if I don't do any road trips. The one I have now is my fourth hybrid. The next one will be EV/hybrid.

Destroying the one planet we have, there is no planet B to go to, just to preserve some jobs is really stupid.

The planet is more important than money.

All the excuses for their votes and beliefs aren't any excuse for the rest of the nation to have to keep bailing them out year after year.

And certainly not any excuse to keep destroying the planet.

If they want to ignore climate change and make things worse, don't do it on the taxpayer's dime.

We have to pay for them to cause the problem and we have to pay to clean up the mess.

Let them clean up their own mess. It's stupid to keep doing the same thing and expecting different results.

Maybe if they had to honestly live with the consequences of their votes and actions, they just might change their behavior.

 

[LovesMusic7360]

And that's exactly why people who's income depends on the fossil fuel industry don't want to lose those jobs, because without those jobs they don't have a place to live or food to eat.

Are you going to give them a job if they help end the industry that currently gives them a job?

I hope you understand now and can see the entirety of their situation, free of uninformed pre-judgement.



You're pre-judging while also lacking a lot of information. These type of broad generalizations about people are one of the main problems we are facing. It's what's ripping us apart as a society.

How do you expect to work with people when you see and describe them as you keep doing?
How do you feel when people make broad, derogatory generalizations about people in your state?
Does it make you want to listen to them and work toward solutions with them?


This statement is so ignorantly uncompassionate. Trust me when I say, the majority of the people along the gulf coast are very much suffering from the consequences of what you refer to as "their horrible choices."

For the majority of them, "their horrible choice" is taking whatever work they can find to provide food and shelter for themselves and their families. That's the same "horrible choice" that most Americans have to make everywhere in the country.

Do you never fly?
Do you only use non-fossil fuel burning cars and powered equipment?
Do you get all of your electricity exclusively from a sustainable, non-radioactive waste producing, technology?
Do you drive an electric car to buy all of your food directly from a local source?
Do your food sources exclusively use non-fossil fuel burning equipment and non-fossil fuel derivative chemicals?
Are you completely plastic free?
Do you refrain from using the internet?

If you answered no to any of those questions, then you are not doing everything you can to end climate change. My point is we are all guilty of not doing everything we can do, so none of us are in any reasonable or rational position to be throwing stones at other people.

Besides, when you throw stones at other people, they are going to throw stones back, so the end result is everyone is throwing stones at everyone leaving very little time and energy to come to an agreement on how to make lasting changes.

Well, then it should give you comfort and satisfaction to know they are actually dying from it. Here is just one of the ways they are dying from it:

Cancer Clusters Along the Mississippi River

In the 1980s, toxic waste from industrial plants along the Mississippi River led to clusters of cancer cases in parts of Louisiana, dubbed Cancer Alley.

www.verywellhealth.com

Shuttered EPA investigation could’ve brought 'meaningful reform' in Cancer Alley, documents show

Environmental advocates and residents of the Louisiana chemical corridor known as Cancer Alley have spent decades calling for change in the way industrial activity is regulated there.

apnews.com

I hope you feel that the above, combined with many having lost their homes or having to live in damaged homes they can't afford to repair, and a whole myriad of other life shortening health issues, seems like an appropriate level of suffering on their part for "their horrible decisions."

I tried to read all that but the insults and your own generalization really got old.

You put up a link to the map of the governor election. The large majority voted for Landry.

I did further investigation and found that Landry only got 51% of the vote Wilson only got 25% of the vote.

That tells me that the democratic vote was suppressed.

I'm sorry for those who didn't vote for Landry but it looks like they just didn't vote. The gerrymandering in the state has obviously succeeded in suppressing the democratic vote. They see no reason to vote, their vote is meaningless.

Maybe if those who did vote for Landry had to live with the consequences of their votes they just might think twice next time.

Your rant about jobs is just ridiculous. No I'm not going to give them a job. I AM GOING TO GIVE THEM TRAINING OR AN EDUCATION to be able to get a job in our economy.

As our nation has been doing for decades.

Human beings are able to change. Yes many don't do it unless they have no other choice but they do change. Humans can get new training for jobs as they have been doing for decades.

I wasn't making any broad generalizations. I posted MOST. Not ALL. And I'm correct. If you look at the map you put up, it's mostly red. The majority of voters voted for this. They shouldn't be sheltered from the consequences of it.

It's called being an adult and taking responsibility for your life, actions and words.

As for the rest of your rant, I didn't read most of it and I won't read any of any reply you have to this post from me.

You seem to lack the capability to see that the people of Louisiana voted for this and all I'm saying is let them live with their choices.

And yes, I've been to Louisiana. I was shocked at the third world conditions I saw. With lavish wealth along side. It was very eye opening.

I experienced their prejudice for those who aren't from the south. I couldn't even get directions back to the freeway when I got lost. I stopped at 3 gas stations. The first two told me to "Get the F out of here B." The third did give me directions but didn't give me my change from my 20 dollars when I bought some water from them. When I asked for my change I was told "there is no change."

I finally realized if I talked with a southern accent, people treated me normal.

But ONLY when I talked with a southern accent.

It was a good thing my mom is from the south. She taught me the English the knew and spoke, the southern English. I spoke Southern English until I went to public school. I can speak with that accent.

I will post again, money isn't more important than the planet.

 

[efil4]

I tried to read all that but the insults and your own generalization really got old.

You put up a link to the map of the governor election. The large majority voted for Landry.

I did further investigation and found that Landry only got 51% of the vote Wilson only got 25% of the vote.

That tells me that the democratic vote was suppressed.

I'm sorry for those who didn't vote for Landry but it looks like they just didn't vote. The gerrymandering in the state has obviously succeeded in suppressing the democratic vote. They see no reason to vote, their vote is meaningless.

Maybe if those who did vote for Landry had to live with the consequences of their votes they just might think twice next time.

Your rant about jobs is just ridiculous. No I'm not going to give them a job. I AM GOING TO GIVE THEM TRAINING OR AN EDUCATION to be able to get a job in our economy.

As our nation has been doing for decades.

Human beings are able to change. Yes many don't do it unless they have no other choice but they do change. Humans can get new training for jobs as they have been doing for decades.

I wasn't making any broad generalizations. I posted MOST. Not ALL. And I'm correct. If you look at the map you put up, it's mostly red. The majority of voters voted for this. They shouldn't be sheltered from the consequences of it.

It's called being an adult and taking responsibility for your life, actions and words.

As for the rest of your rant, I didn't read most of it and I won't read any of any reply you have to this post from me.

You seem to lack the capability to see that the people of Louisiana voted for this and all I'm saying is let them live with their choices.

And yes, I've been to Louisiana. I was shocked at the third world conditions I saw. With lavish wealth along side. It was very eye opening.

I experienced their prejudice for those who aren't from the south. I couldn't even get directions back to the freeway when I got lost. I stopped at 3 gas stations. The first two told me to "Get the F out of here B." The third did give me directions but didn't give me my change from my 20 dollars when I bought some water from them. When I asked for my change I was told "there is no change."

I finally realized if I talked with a southern accent, people treated me normal.

But ONLY when I talked with a southern accent.

It was a good thing my mom is from the south. She taught me the English the knew and spoke, the southern English. I spoke Southern English until I went to public school. I can speak with that accent.

I will post again, money isn't more important than the planet.

What gas station? Where exactly.

I'm calling bs now. That 3 separate stations told you get out of here, stole your money etc.

So now we have settled that you don't even live in Louisiana, you are making assumptions you have no clue about.

Not quite sure what your point is other then "yall get to live with yalls choices" when 2/3 of that map I posted isn't affected by ever increasing insurance or slowed spending.

You have no idea of the multiple dynamics withing the demographics of North/ West Louisiana and SELA ( greater New Orleans area ). And I'm not spending time trying to explain all the factors that pit N vs S. But the easy one is religion. Many more than that.

 

[SaintForLife]

Thank goodness

 

[LovesMusic7360]

What gas station? Where exactly.

I'm calling bs now. That 3 separate stations told you get out of here, stole your money etc.

So now we have settled that you don't even live in Louisiana, you are making assumptions you have no clue about.

Not quite sure what your point is other then "yall get to live with yalls choices" when 2/3 of that map I posted isn't affected by ever increasing insurance or slowed spending.

You have no idea of the multiple dynamics withing the demographics of North/ West Louisiana and SELA ( greater New Orleans area ). And I'm not spending time trying to explain all the factors that pit N vs S. But the easy one is religion. Many more than that.

I don't remember the names of the gas stations. This happened in the late 90s When I worked for the House of Blues Concerts.

Just because you don't like my experience doesn't mean it didn't happen.

It did.

I've experienced stuff like that in the other southern states I've been to. Florida and Texas.

The last time I was in Texas I was driving my car with plates from my blue state. I drove through the panhandle. My mom and her family are from that area. Plus I wanted to go to the Cadillac Ranch to photograph it.

I lost count how many times someone tried to run me off the road or rolled coal on me. By the time I reached New Mexico, I had a raging sinus infection from the horrible dirty air and rolled coal so many times.

At the Cadillac Ranch gift shop, the woman who was working there and I got into a conversation about music. I told her what I did for a living and showed her some my photos I downloaded to my phone. I let her scroll through the photos to see them as I was looking for tee shirts to bring back home for friends and family. I looked up to see her take a photo of one of my Santana shots with her phone. When I confronted her and asked her to delete it, she refused. I then told her about the exclusive contract I have with Getty Images as one of their photographers and that the very large legal department they have would be more than happy to sue her. She then deleted the images.

My experiences are my own and I don't give a rat's arse whether you believe what I type. You are just someone on line. What you believe means nothing to me.

If you have to lie to yourself to feel better, that's your problem.

Not mine.

 

[LA - L.A.]

I tried to read all that but the insults and your own generalization really got old.

That's what you've been doing to an entire state of people?

Maybe you could reflect on that.

You put up a link to the map of the governor election.

No, I did not. You are mistaking me for another poster.

Maybe if those who did vote for Landry had to live with the consequences of their votes they just might think twice next time.

Your rant about jobs is just ridiculous.

Lack of empathy and prejudice are what's ridiculous.

No I'm not going to give them a job. I AM GOING TO GIVE THEM TRAINING OR AN EDUCATION to be able to get a job in our economy.

Send me a check and I'll get it to some people I know in Louisiana that would gladly train for another job. Unfortunately, the federal and state government aren't willing to help them as much with that as you seem to be.

Until they actually get that help from you or the government, they'll have to keep the jobs they have so they can keep a roof over their heads and food on their table. Most of them can't afford to quit their job, move somewhere else, or go to school for a different job.

As our nation has been doing for decades.

Have you not been paying attention to what's been going on since the 1970's? The help you think is there is not there in most states and it's definitely not there in Louisiana.

Human beings are able to change.

Not when they have to spend all their time and energy on getting their base needs of food and shelter met. It's basic Maslow's Hierarchy.

Yes many don't do it unless they have no other choice but they do change.

They can't change if they don't have their food and shelter needs met and most people in this country, not just Louisiana, spend all of their time, energy and resources just getting their food and shelter needs met.

That leaves them with no time, energy or resources to put toward changing their situation and that is true for the majority of Americans.

Humans can get new training for jobs as they have been doing for decades.

That's simply not true. Most people in America don't have the time, energy, or resources to train for new jobs and in most states their is no effective assistance with training for new work anymore. You live in Washington and I'm in California. We are both fortunate that our states provide a lot of help to its residents. Most of the states in America provide little to no assistance to its residents who need it. Louisiana is one of those states.

I wasn't making any broad generalizations. I posted MOST. Not ALL.

You haven't really clearly made that distinction until now and even now you're still saying they have to face the consequences of their choices as if they are not.

I clearly pointed out to you how they are suffering a lot and you haven't acknowledged that. You seem to think they, like "welfare queens," are living the high life off of your taxes. The vast majority of them are living in or just barely above the poverty level.

Do you know the average income in Louisiana and the income levels of the vast majority of people living there? Based on what you've said, I don't think you do.

And I'm correct. If you look at the map you put up, it's mostly red.

Again, that was another poster, not me.

It's called being an adult and taking responsibility for your life, actions and words.

This is the judgemental, authoritarian lack of empathy spoken by the Republicans in Congress and those who run the state of Louisiana toward people that need help.

I'm honestly surprised to hear this coming from you based on other things you've written, like shockingly surprised.

As for the rest of your rant, I didn't read most of it and I won't read any of any reply you have to this post from me.

You've been ranting against an entire state of people as if they are all the same. I'm simply pointing out why I think that's a mistake and prejudicial.

It's cool if you don't want to listen to what I have to say, because I'm not important.

I recommend you check this out this book and/or find interviews in which the author talks about their book and their experience.

She had the same mindset and opinion that you do until she spent time getting to know some of the people of southwest Louisiana which is where grew up.

Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the …

In Strangers in Their Own Land, the renowned sociologis…

www.goodreads.com

In Strangers in Their Own Land, the renowned sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild embarks on a thought-provoking journey from her liberal hometown of Berkeley, California, deep into Louisiana bayou country – a stronghold of the conservative right. As she gets to know people who strongly oppose many of the ideas she famously champions, Russell Hochschild nevertheless finds common ground and quickly warms to the people she meets – among them a Tea Party activist whose town has been swallowed by a sinkhole caused by a drilling accident – people whose concerns are actually ones that all Americans share: the desire for community, the embrace of family, and hopes

You seem to lack the capability to see that the people of Louisiana voted for this...

My capability to understand the entirety of the situation is just fine. I'm not lacking anything in that regards.

...and all I'm saying is let them live with their choices.

And I showed you they are already suffering from their choices. People in every state have made choices that they suffer from and we should help everyone in every state as much as we should when they are suffering.

When we someone is drowning we don't think "live with your choices that got you there." We throw them a life ring.

Maybe think about it like this. Louisiana has strict anti-abortion laws. There are a lot of women, who voted for the politicians that put those laws in place. A lot of those same women are going to suffer from those strict anti-abortion laws.

Would you say, "let them live with their choices" if someone asked you to make a donation or pitch in some other way to help save those women from suffering from the anti-abortion laws in Louisiana?

And yes, I've been to Louisiana. I was shocked at the third world conditions I saw. With lavish wealth along side. It was very eye opening.

I don't care for describing anywhere as "third world country," not even the countries that are considered to be that. There's an inherent insult of judging as inferior built into that language, because it was born out of a bigoted and prejudiced insult. I'm not saying that's how you intend it. I'm just letting you know what I think of using that description.

Tragically, every state is plauged with a wealth gap.

There are distinctly different regional cultures in Louisiana. I have been talking about the region of Louisiana immediately above and south of Interstate 10. That is where the fossil fuel industry and agriculture are the primary drivers of the economy and employment.

I experienced their prejudice for those who aren't from the south. I couldn't even get directions back to the freeway when I got lost. I stopped at 3 gas stations. The first two told me to "Get the F out of here B." The third did give me directions but didn't give me my change from my 20 dollars when I bought some water from them. When I asked for my change I was told "there is no change."

There's no excuse for you being treated that way and it's a terrible way to be treated. What city did that happen in out of curiosity?

Most of the people in Louisiana, just like in every state, are not like that. I think you had terrible luck of the draw and encountered a couple of jerkholes. Unfortunately, everywhere you go on this planet has some of those, proably off this planet too.

I finally realized if I talked with a southern accent, people treated me normal.

But ONLY when I talked with a southern accent.

It sounds like you were somewhere north of I-10, because there's not a lot of the traditional southern accent south of I-10.

South of I-10 people mostly speak in variations of a Cajun accent from Lake Charles to New Orleans. New Orleans has variations of their own unique accent. In fact, New Orleans pretty much has it's own distinct culture.

I will post again, money isn't more important than the planet.

And money isn't more important than people's well being and doing what we can to help them when they need help.

 

[SaintForLife]

More good news

 

[GrandAdmiral]

And here I thought we'd finally have a thread everyone could agree on. And yet here we go again. @SaintForLife and I will continue our Landry-bashing if you all don't mind.

 

[GrandAdmiral]

More good news

Which is crazy considering how the newspaper here in EBR has headlines how with the exception of insurance, Landry is apparently more popular than when he was elected.

 

[SaintForLife]

Which is crazy considering how the newspaper here in EBR has headlines how with the exception of insurance, Landry is apparently more popular than when he was elected.

It's a scary thought that he has that popularity, but hopefully with more time people will see him for what he is. If people don't wake up to what a danger he is, Landry is going to surpass Jindall as the worst governors in recent history.

Luckily they aren't buying his bullshirt about having to change the state constitution. What's crazy is he refuses to even say what he thinks needs to be changed.

 

[efil4]

I don't remember the names of the gas stations. This happened in the late 90s When I worked for the House of Blues Concerts.

Just because you don't like my experience doesn't mean it didn't happen.

It did.

I've experienced stuff like that in the other southern states I've been to. Florida and Texas.

The last time I was in Texas I was driving my car with plates from my blue state. I drove through the panhandle. My mom and her family are from that area. Plus I wanted to go to the Cadillac Ranch to photograph it.

I lost count how many times someone tried to run me off the road or rolled coal on me. By the time I reached New Mexico, I had a raging sinus infection from the horrible dirty air and rolled coal so many times.

At the Cadillac Ranch gift shop, the woman who was working there and I got into a conversation about music. I told her what I did for a living and showed her some my photos I downloaded to my phone. I let her scroll through the photos to see them as I was looking for tee shirts to bring back home for friends and family. I looked up to see her take a photo of one of my Santana shots with her phone. When I confronted her and asked her to delete it, she refused. I then told her about the exclusive contract I have with Getty Images as one of their photographers and that the very large legal department they have would be more than happy to sue her. She then deleted the images.

My experiences are my own and I don't give a rat's arse whether you believe what I type. You are just someone on line. What you believe means nothing to me.

If you have to lie to yourself to feel better, that's your problem.

Not mine.

You haven't proved they happened. At all. No city, no station name. It's why it's BS. It's purely made up imo.

It means something (to you) because you broke into yet another anecdote about how you were treated in some other southern state.

This is a thread about Louisiana politics and since you you chimed in with very minimal knowledge, tossing around BS anecdotes about your insurance then personal treatment, expect replies. Especially from me.

What you posted previously was disparaging to all LA citizens and especially those who didn't support Landry for Governor.