Jindal's War on Louisiana: New Attack

Da Gov's attack on the Middle Class and the Poor isn't flashy or headline-grabbing like Scot Walker, Rick Scott, or Chris Christie, but it is relentless. Yesterday, Lt Gov Jay Dardenne told the House Appropriation Committee that State Parks, libraries, Arts, and tourism would be hurt by Jindal's budget. Jindal created this budget crisis by cutting taxes on the rich and corporations (the same thing happened in Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin) and he is using this fake crisis as an excuse for cutting all Public Works.

In a related story, LA will opt out of creating a Health Insurance Exchange and is returning the million buck grant to the Feds. This, however, is a good thing for us. The Feds will now administer the Exchange for Louisiana, moving us closer to true National Health Care.

Wednesdays at Lafayette Square

No excuse for missing this free bonanza. Here is the schedule for Wednesdays at Lafayette Square:

MAR 30	The Radiators
APR 6	Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue + Soul Rebels Brass Band
APR 13	Kermit Ruffins + Coot
APR 20	Anders Osborne + Honey Island Swamp Band
APR 27	Irvin Mayfield & the Jazz Playhouse Revue
MAY 4	Marcia Ball + Gal Holiday & the Honky Tonk Revue
MAY 11	George Porter, Jr. + The Lee Boys
MAY 18	The Iguanas + Los Po-Boy-Citos
MAY 25	Tab Benoit + Navy Band New Orleans Full Steam Brass Band
JUN 1	Eric Lindell + The Revivalists
JUN 8	Galactic + Marc Stone
JUN 15	Cyril Neville and Monk Boudreaux + Gravy

What Would Holmes's Have Done?

Does sponsoring a racist, anti-choice, homophobic, misogynist organization make you racist, anti-choice, homophobic, and misogynist? Dillard's Dept Store doesn't think it does.
Houston's Dillard's Memorial Village is sponsoring a prayer meeting and fashion show to raise money for Heroic Media to fund their anti-abortion campaign. Heroic Media was founded by Brian Follett who is the registered agent for Life Always, the group that put up that stupid racist billboard in Soho, New York. It is ironic that the prayer/fashion event is called Sowing Seeds for Life, which is a clear infringement of the group Sowing Seeds for Life, part of America's Second Harvest, so maybe they will get sued.
I'd like to think that D. H. Holmes would never have stooped to support such a vile group. Sign the petition, please.

Petitions by Change.org|Start a Petition »

Down With Shark-Fin Soup

California is about to ban the sale of Shark-Fins. Nice of them to make a move just before sharks go extinct. The practice of finning sharks is cruel and barbaric and wasteful. The fishermen pull the shark onboard cut off the fins and toss the creature overboard to die a slow and painful death or to be killed by other sharks. If fins were the by product of harvesting sharks that would be acceptable--if the shark population were sustainable and not on the verge of extinction. We are at a crossroads where our action or inaction will have profound effects upon all life on Earth, including ours.

But for those of you who pine for Shark-Fin Soup, try this:

Faux Shark Fin Soup

Peter Pahk, Kingsmill Resort, Virginia, 11 March 2011

1 ounce Chinese black mushrooms (shiitake)

8-10 pieces of dried tree ear mushrooms

2 ounces cellophane noodles

2 ounces skinless raw chicken breast, sliced into thin strips

2 ounces lean raw pork, sliced into thin strips

2 cups unsalted chicken broth

2 cups water

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

Dash of sesame oil

White pepper, to taste

Salt, to taste

2 tablespoons cornstarch

4 tablespoons water

1 egg, lightly beaten

1. Soak the black mushrooms, tree ear mushrooms and cellophane noodles separately in hot water for 4 hours until they soften. Drain well.

2. Remove the hard stems of the black mushrooms (you can save them to cook with other Chinese soups) and cut the remaining pieces into small strips. Chop the tree ear mushrooms into small pieces and cut the cellophane noodles into 1-inch pieces with scissors. Set aside.

3. Bring broth and water to a boil. Add chicken, pork, and mushrooms and cook until all ingredients are cooked through and softened. Add the cellophane noodles, soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper and salt to taste.

4. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water to make a thick slurry. Return the soup to a boil, stir in the cornstarch mixture and beaten egg and mix well. Remove from heat and serve in small bowls.

Message to Jindal: Trains Make Sense!

Mad Men On Trains from Rich Sommer

Jindal is But a Cog in the Machine

Bobby Jindal's onerous cuts to Public Education, Public Health and Public Transportation are just a piece of the puzzle. Have a look at how the Republican Budget would sabotage the Economic Recovery--welcome back to 1937.

The Republican budget would: 

1. Destroy 700,000 jobs, according to an independent economic analysis. 

2. Zero out federal funding for National Public Radio and public television.

3. Cut $1.3 billion from community health centers—which will deprive more than 3 million low-income people of health care over the next few months.

4. Cut nearly a billion dollars in food and health care assistance to pregnant women, new moms, and children.

5. Kick more than 200,000 children out of pre-school by cutting funds for Head Start.

6. Force states to fire 65,000 teachers and aides, dramatically increasing class sizes, thanks to education cuts. 

7. Cut some or all financial aid for 9.4 million low- and middle-income college students. 

8. Slash $1.6 billion from the National Institutes of Health, a cut that experts say would "send shockwaves" through cancer research, likely result in cuts to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's research, and cause job losses.

9. End the only federal family planning program, including cutting all federal funding that goes to Planned Parenthood to support cancer screenings and other women's health care.

10. Send 10,000 low-income veterans into homelessness by cutting in half the number of veterans who get housing vouchers this year.

We've got to get the word out about this awful budget—right away. Please, share this with your friends on Facebook and Twitter, or by forwarding this email, today. 

Sources:

1. "GOP spending plan would cost 700,000 jobs, new report says," The Washington Post, February 28, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206357&id=26418-1370066-YDxBKAx&t=6

2. "GOP budget would cut funding for public broadcasting," The Washington Independent, February 14, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206513&id=26418-1370066-YDxBKAx&t=7 

3. "NACHC Statement in Response to the Budget from the House Appropriations Committee," National Association of Community Health Centers website, accessed March 4, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206514&id=26418-1370066-YDxBKAx&t=8

4."Bye Bye, Big Bird. Hello, E. Coli.," The New Republic, February 12, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206104&id=26418-1370066-YDxBKAx&t=9

House Republican Spending Cuts Target Programs For Children And Pregnant Women
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206566&id=26418-1370066-YDxBKAx&t=10

5. "Obama and the GOP's Spending Cuts: Where's the Outrage?" Mother Jones, February 18, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206569&id=26418-1370066-YDxBKAx&t=11

6. Ibid.

7. "Deficit Reduction on the Backs of the Most Vulnerable," Center for American Progress, March 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206518&id=26418-1370066-YDxBKAx&t=12 (PDF)

8. "The GOP Budget and Cancer—Why New Research Is at Risk," Politics Daily, February 27, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206515&id=26418-1370066-YDxBKAx&t=13 

"Republican Budget Cuts at Heart of Medical Research: Albert Hunt," Bloomberg, February 20, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206516&id=26418-1370066-YDxBKAx&t=14

"Durbin: Cuts to NIH put research jobs at risk," Business Week, February 28, 2011
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9LLSCB00.htm

9. "GOP Spending Plan: X-ing Out Title X Family Planning Funds," Wall Street Journal, February 9, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206105&id=26418-1370066-YDxBKAx&t=15

10. "House GOP Spending Cuts Would Prevent 10,000 Low-Income Veterans From Receiving Housing Assistance," Think Progress, March 1, 2011
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206517&id=26418-1370066-YDxBKAx&t=16

Did Jindal's Berms Make Us Happy?

Did you know that Gallup maps out a Well-Being Index? The high is 73, but Southeast Louisiana scores 63. Not bad considering Katrina, the Federal Flood and the BP Disaster.

It must have been Jindal's berms--oh, wait, where did they go?

Is Jindal Selling Our Children?

The short answer is Yes. Jindal has spent most of his life trying to dismantle Public Health, Public Schools, and Public Jobs. So the latest news about his wife's Foundation scheme comes as no surprise. The Daily Kingfish wrote a nice short piece about it. Jindal is very creative in getting money out of corporations like Marathon Oil, AT&T and Northrop Grumman.

Of course, donating money to Supriya Jindal Fund for Louisiana's Children sounds good, but AT&T donated a quarter million and got the right to sell cable television services without having to negotiate with each Parish.

Marathon Oil was approved to increase production after donating the same amount to the fund.
Yet Jindal's press secretary said "It is a completely nonpolitical organization created by the First Lady, who as an engineer and the mother of three children, has a passion for helping our young people learn science and math."

Oh, yeah, no quid pro quo, just coincidence.