February 20, 2009 (Ran In www.thenewsstar.com February 22, 2009)
Dear Editor:
Presidential candidate Jindal has announced that he might not take the federal stimulus money available for Louisiana; yet at the same time Mr. Jindal announces that Louisiana is nearly $2,000,000,000 in debt. Clearly Mr. Jindal is not concerned about the people who elected him to office. Mr. Jindal is more concerned about attracting a perceived national voting base important only to someone running for president.
Mr. Jindal came into office with a $2.000.000.000 surplus. Where has all the money gone? Mr. Gingrich one of his presidential campaign managers states on national television that Mr. Jindal is doing a wonderful job; that in spite of the difficult economic times Mr. Jindal has created new jobs in Louisiana. But the only jobs Mr. Jindal has created are 4,500 state jobs. So much for capitalism.
First of all Mr. Jindal has never held a real job. He has lived off of taxpayer’s money from start to finish: first for Congressman McCrery, then for Governor Foster, then for Senator Breaux, then as a Congressman, and now as a Governor. Mr. Jindal has never received a real check and never paid any real income taxes. A word for someone like Mr. Jindal is opportunist
If you want to see your governor Louisiana, then you had better be in North Carolina, Virginia, Iowa, Texas, Arkansas, or Florida. And you had better bring money!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Dear Editor:
Well there he goes again; Governor Jindal flew off for two days to North Carolina. While Louisiana “burns” up in debt, Governor Jindal goes off a “fiddling” around for presidential campaign contributions in Charlotte and Raleigh/Durham. What will it take to get our governor.to sit at our desk and work day in and day out to turn our economy around?
For example, it seems there is a company, NUCOR, in North Carolina that was considering building a steel manufacturing plant in Louisiana. It would seem logical to visit North Carolina to seal the deal and get NUCOR to come to Louisiana. But logic is not politic. Now it has been reported that NUCOR will probably go to Brazil instead.
A KNOE straw poll taken after the governor’s junket was reported by the AP showed that well over 60% of those voting thought Governor Jindal should not have made the trip. The last time polls were that bad was when Governor Jindal went AWOL on the legislative pay raises. Maybe Governor Jindal will stop all the gallivanting around for the same reason he stopped the pay raise, his election poll numbers are tanking.
Well there he goes again; Governor Jindal flew off for two days to North Carolina. While Louisiana “burns” up in debt, Governor Jindal goes off a “fiddling” around for presidential campaign contributions in Charlotte and Raleigh/Durham. What will it take to get our governor.to sit at our desk and work day in and day out to turn our economy around?
For example, it seems there is a company, NUCOR, in North Carolina that was considering building a steel manufacturing plant in Louisiana. It would seem logical to visit North Carolina to seal the deal and get NUCOR to come to Louisiana. But logic is not politic. Now it has been reported that NUCOR will probably go to Brazil instead.
A KNOE straw poll taken after the governor’s junket was reported by the AP showed that well over 60% of those voting thought Governor Jindal should not have made the trip. The last time polls were that bad was when Governor Jindal went AWOL on the legislative pay raises. Maybe Governor Jindal will stop all the gallivanting around for the same reason he stopped the pay raise, his election poll numbers are tanking.
Friday, January 16, 2009
U.S. States Losing Bets On Casinos, Other Gambling
from my friend ms. berlin:
U.S. states losing bets on casinos, other gambling01.15.09, 05:09 PM EST By Karen Pierog and Jim Christie CHICAGO/SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 15 (Reuters) - A number of U.S. states this decade bet the house on winning a share of legalized gambling's swelling jackpot. Industry revenues reached $91 billion in 2006, the latest year for which data is available from the American Gaming Association, thanks to a spree of casino openings beyond Nevada and New Jersey, states that long ago opted to sanction casinos. But with the U.S. economy in a year-long recession and consumers hoarding cash should hard times continue, casinos may no longer prove cash cows for state coffers -- as Kansas can attest. Kansas enacted a law for the first state-owned casinos in the U.S. in April, 2007, betting that $200 million could be raised annually for debt reduction, capital improvements and property tax relief. Now nearly two years later, private casino developers such as Penn National Gaming, LLC, and International Speedway Corp have dropped their plans for three out of the four casino sites, citing ailing economic conditions world wide. The Kansas Lottery, which is overseeing the state's foray into gambling, has reopened the bidding process but Keith Kocher, the state's gaming facilities director, doubts Kansas will meet the $200 million estimate. 'We feel certain we'll have bidders but probably for more scaled-down projects than before,' he said. With the U.S. economy in recession, consumers are reining in spending, including dollars many would have feverishly gambled in better times. States that had bet on the casino boom earlier this decade helping fill their coffers may be in store for a losing streak. 'This is not a long-term budget balancer,' said Robert Ward, deputy director of the Rockefeller Institute, which studies state and local government. 'There is a danger that the big growth period (for casinos) may be coming to an end.' ILLINOIS CASINO BIDS MISS TARGET In Illinois, officials had planned on pulling in $575 million from the sale of the state's long-dormant 10th casino license to help balance its fiscal 2009 budget, which is at least $2 billion in the red. But none of the three bidder finalists offered that much and the Illinois Gaming Board last month tapped the lowest bidder, Midwest Gaming & Entertainment LLC. It bid $125 million for a casino in the Chicago suburb of Des Plaines, along with a pledge of $10 million annually over 30 years. None of that money is expected to flow to the state in time to help the current budget, according to a legislative financial commission. Meanwhile, state tax revenue from the nine existing casinos dropped 32 percent to $46 million in December compared to $67.6 million in December 2007. California is likewise collecting weaker-than-expected revenue from the state's Indian casinos. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger early in his administration touted tribal casinos as an important source of new revenue for the state government. Today, however, tribal leaders fear hard times are in store for their casinos. One tribe recently wrote to Schwarzenegger to inform him it would halt an expansion of its gambling operations, which had held the promise of additional revenue for the state. 'Tribal casinos and other casinos nationwide are experiencing a lot of issues with relation to the pullback in consumer spending,' said Jason Dickerson, gambling policy analyst at the California Legislative Analyst's Office. 'There seems to be a broad consumer pullback on gambling,' Dickerson said. 'There was among some a view that casino gambling was this endless source of revenue that would never stop growing. But what we've seen in this recession is that that's just not true.' The recession has also deflated expectations in Ohio, where the state introduced Keno in August to raise money for primary and secondary schools. So far the wagering game has generated $45.6 million in sales, raising about $11.4 million for education. That is below projections it would achieve $292 million in sales its first full year with $73 million earmarked for schools. 'Those initial projections are high considering what the economy is at this point,' said Marie Kilbane, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Lottery. (Reporting by Karen Pierog in Chicago and Jim Christie in San Francisco, Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) Keywords: MUNICIPALS CASINOS/ (karen.pierog@thomsonreuters.com; 1 312 408 8647; Reuters Messaging: karen.pierog.reuters.com@reuters.net)Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved.
U.S. states losing bets on casinos, other gambling01.15.09, 05:09 PM EST By Karen Pierog and Jim Christie CHICAGO/SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 15 (Reuters) - A number of U.S. states this decade bet the house on winning a share of legalized gambling's swelling jackpot. Industry revenues reached $91 billion in 2006, the latest year for which data is available from the American Gaming Association, thanks to a spree of casino openings beyond Nevada and New Jersey, states that long ago opted to sanction casinos. But with the U.S. economy in a year-long recession and consumers hoarding cash should hard times continue, casinos may no longer prove cash cows for state coffers -- as Kansas can attest. Kansas enacted a law for the first state-owned casinos in the U.S. in April, 2007, betting that $200 million could be raised annually for debt reduction, capital improvements and property tax relief. Now nearly two years later, private casino developers such as Penn National Gaming, LLC, and International Speedway Corp have dropped their plans for three out of the four casino sites, citing ailing economic conditions world wide. The Kansas Lottery, which is overseeing the state's foray into gambling, has reopened the bidding process but Keith Kocher, the state's gaming facilities director, doubts Kansas will meet the $200 million estimate. 'We feel certain we'll have bidders but probably for more scaled-down projects than before,' he said. With the U.S. economy in recession, consumers are reining in spending, including dollars many would have feverishly gambled in better times. States that had bet on the casino boom earlier this decade helping fill their coffers may be in store for a losing streak. 'This is not a long-term budget balancer,' said Robert Ward, deputy director of the Rockefeller Institute, which studies state and local government. 'There is a danger that the big growth period (for casinos) may be coming to an end.' ILLINOIS CASINO BIDS MISS TARGET In Illinois, officials had planned on pulling in $575 million from the sale of the state's long-dormant 10th casino license to help balance its fiscal 2009 budget, which is at least $2 billion in the red. But none of the three bidder finalists offered that much and the Illinois Gaming Board last month tapped the lowest bidder, Midwest Gaming & Entertainment LLC. It bid $125 million for a casino in the Chicago suburb of Des Plaines, along with a pledge of $10 million annually over 30 years. None of that money is expected to flow to the state in time to help the current budget, according to a legislative financial commission. Meanwhile, state tax revenue from the nine existing casinos dropped 32 percent to $46 million in December compared to $67.6 million in December 2007. California is likewise collecting weaker-than-expected revenue from the state's Indian casinos. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger early in his administration touted tribal casinos as an important source of new revenue for the state government. Today, however, tribal leaders fear hard times are in store for their casinos. One tribe recently wrote to Schwarzenegger to inform him it would halt an expansion of its gambling operations, which had held the promise of additional revenue for the state. 'Tribal casinos and other casinos nationwide are experiencing a lot of issues with relation to the pullback in consumer spending,' said Jason Dickerson, gambling policy analyst at the California Legislative Analyst's Office. 'There seems to be a broad consumer pullback on gambling,' Dickerson said. 'There was among some a view that casino gambling was this endless source of revenue that would never stop growing. But what we've seen in this recession is that that's just not true.' The recession has also deflated expectations in Ohio, where the state introduced Keno in August to raise money for primary and secondary schools. So far the wagering game has generated $45.6 million in sales, raising about $11.4 million for education. That is below projections it would achieve $292 million in sales its first full year with $73 million earmarked for schools. 'Those initial projections are high considering what the economy is at this point,' said Marie Kilbane, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Lottery. (Reporting by Karen Pierog in Chicago and Jim Christie in San Francisco, Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) Keywords: MUNICIPALS CASINOS/ (karen.pierog@thomsonreuters.com; 1 312 408 8647; Reuters Messaging: karen.pierog.reuters.com@reuters.net)Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Defeat Gambling Issue In Teller County Colorado
Dear Editor (Colorado Springs Gazette):
I strongly oppose the vote in Teller County to expand gambling in Cripple Creek. The limits on gambling were placed there for good reason: gambling destroys families.
For one example, just look at what happened in Woodland Park (Teller County, CO) where a long-time finance department worker embezzled $582,922 for gambling from the school district's general fund, and that happened with the current limits on gambling.
Family members told arresting officers their mother "had attempted suicide" and left a note admitting her guilt. Just imagine what affect this tragedy will have on the family unit, husband and two sons.
I urge all of my friends at the Family Forum to call all of their friends in Teller County and urge them to defeat this family ruining measure.
I strongly oppose the vote in Teller County to expand gambling in Cripple Creek. The limits on gambling were placed there for good reason: gambling destroys families.
For one example, just look at what happened in Woodland Park (Teller County, CO) where a long-time finance department worker embezzled $582,922 for gambling from the school district's general fund, and that happened with the current limits on gambling.
Family members told arresting officers their mother "had attempted suicide" and left a note admitting her guilt. Just imagine what affect this tragedy will have on the family unit, husband and two sons.
I urge all of my friends at the Family Forum to call all of their friends in Teller County and urge them to defeat this family ruining measure.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Dewey Lee Fletcher to be named Chief of Staff in 4th CD
Unusually reliable sources report that Louisiana Ouachita Parish public relations executive Lee Fletcher will be named Chief of Staff by newly elected Louisiana 4th District Congressman John. Sweeny. Fletcher worked for 5th CD Congressman John Cooksey for about two years until he was allegedly eased out. Before that Fletcher worked for 5th CD Congressman Jim McCrery. Fletcher ran for 5th CD Congressman against Rodney Alexander and was defeated when his votes were diluted by Religious Right candidate Jack Wright. Word is Fletcher will be the real Congressman in the Shreveport until Dr. Sweeny, like Dr. Cooksey before him, figures Fletcher out.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Mr. Jindal AWOL
Dear Editor:
To Mr. Shexnayder, Ph.D. (The NewsStar, December 5) instead of the wunderkind you defend, what you see is definitely not what we get.
Instead of doing his job in Louisiana when all the paper mills are closing, he's in Iowa campaigning for president. He arrives in his helicopter after the International Paper company announces the loss of 540 jobs in Bastrop to offer his “condolences”. He announces a "secret meeting" of his handlers with "officials" at Smurfit-Stone in Hodge after they have already closed the plant.
He goes to Philadelphia to meet the president-elect, but won't answer phone calls from the press asking how he traveled there in the face of the stink about the three car companies privately flying to D.C. for a bailout.
He goes to Florida for the republic governor’s conference and the Beacon Hill Institute’s Competitiveness Report announces that Louisiana is next to last in attracting and retaining businesses that contribute to economic growth He ran the state health department and the American Public Health Association announces Louisiana is the unhealthiest state in the United States.
Mr. Jindal was AWOL when he ran the health department, AWOL when he ran higher education, and he's AWOL now as governor.
To Mr. Shexnayder, Ph.D. (The NewsStar, December 5) instead of the wunderkind you defend, what you see is definitely not what we get.
Instead of doing his job in Louisiana when all the paper mills are closing, he's in Iowa campaigning for president. He arrives in his helicopter after the International Paper company announces the loss of 540 jobs in Bastrop to offer his “condolences”. He announces a "secret meeting" of his handlers with "officials" at Smurfit-Stone in Hodge after they have already closed the plant.
He goes to Philadelphia to meet the president-elect, but won't answer phone calls from the press asking how he traveled there in the face of the stink about the three car companies privately flying to D.C. for a bailout.
He goes to Florida for the republic governor’s conference and the Beacon Hill Institute’s Competitiveness Report announces that Louisiana is next to last in attracting and retaining businesses that contribute to economic growth He ran the state health department and the American Public Health Association announces Louisiana is the unhealthiest state in the United States.
Mr. Jindal was AWOL when he ran the health department, AWOL when he ran higher education, and he's AWOL now as governor.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
SECOND CASINO PULLS OUT OF KANSAS
HARRAH’S FOLLOWS PENN NATIONAL OUT OF KANSAS Posted: November 24, 2008
How quickly things can change in just a few months. Harrah’s Entertainment became the second developer to say “thanks, but no thanks” to Kansas, dropping its plans to develop and operate a state-owned casino in Sumner County. Citing the "current economic conditions and the unprecedented disruption in the financial markets," the company will not build the proposed $535 million resort the south-central part of the state, according to a statement. The statement said it "was impossible" to finance the project now. Back in August, the Kansas Lottery Gaming Facility Review Board awarded a Harrah’s Entertainment-led partnership, Sumner Resorts-Harrah’s, one of fourth licenses to develop the new casinos in the state. Penn National was also awarded one of the contracts, but pulled out of the deal, claiming a tribal casino that opened this summer posed too much competition in a small marketplace. Cherokee County, where Penn National won its contract, has since sued the Pennsylvania-based operator for more than $52 million in damages and has won a temporary order from a local judge attaching a lien to a $25 million state gambling “privilege fee” that was due to be refunded to the company.
How quickly things can change in just a few months. Harrah’s Entertainment became the second developer to say “thanks, but no thanks” to Kansas, dropping its plans to develop and operate a state-owned casino in Sumner County. Citing the "current economic conditions and the unprecedented disruption in the financial markets," the company will not build the proposed $535 million resort the south-central part of the state, according to a statement. The statement said it "was impossible" to finance the project now. Back in August, the Kansas Lottery Gaming Facility Review Board awarded a Harrah’s Entertainment-led partnership, Sumner Resorts-Harrah’s, one of fourth licenses to develop the new casinos in the state. Penn National was also awarded one of the contracts, but pulled out of the deal, claiming a tribal casino that opened this summer posed too much competition in a small marketplace. Cherokee County, where Penn National won its contract, has since sued the Pennsylvania-based operator for more than $52 million in damages and has won a temporary order from a local judge attaching a lien to a $25 million state gambling “privilege fee” that was due to be refunded to the company.
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