Last week, the Fax-Net published the report card handed out on state legislators by the Louisiana Association of Business and Industrry (LABI).
This week, we want to let our readers know how our area legislators fared with LSU students and others interested in higher education funding.
In developing the report card, three main goals that were wished to be accomplished were laid out. They are a fix for the current budget situation, long-term revenue sources for higher education, and increased administrative autonomies that bring decision-making closer to the students.
After seeing the voting results of several bills dealing with those objectives, here is the report card for area state legislators:
- Sen. Robert Adley (R) – A.
- Sen, Sherri Cheek Buffington (R) – A.
- Sen. Barrow Peacock (R) – A.
- Sen. Greg Tarver (D) – B.
- Rep. Roy Burrell (D) – A.
- Rep. Thomas Carmody (R) – A.
- Rep. Henry Burns (R) – B.
- Rep. Gene Reynolds (D) – C.
- Rep. Jim Morris (R) – C.
- Rep. Barbara Norton (D) – D.
- Rep. Patrick Williams (D) – D.
- Rep. Richie Burford (R) – D.
- Rep. Alan Seabaugh (R) – F.
- Rep. Mike Johnson (R) – F.
Electile Dysfunction?
The Republican Party may be facing a case of electile dysfunction as billionaire candidate Donald Trump continues to stir controversy at every turn.
But the party finds itself between a rock and a hard place because Trump continues to lead all GOP presidential candidates in national polls.
Even worse, he is threatening to run as an Independent if he feels he has been mistreated by the national GOP. Doing so would likely guarantee a Democratic victory in 2016.
While many were appalled at Trump’s comment that U.S. Sen. John McCain, who spent five years in a POW camp during the Vietnam war, is not a hero, a national poll paints a different picutre.
Rasmussen Reports found that 53% of likely Republican voters view Trump favorably compared with 51% who have a favorable opinion of McCain. And 26% had a very favorable opinion of Trump while only 14% had a very favorable opinion of McCain.
The rift between the two began when McCain accused Trump of firing up the “crazies” by linking illegal immigration to crime in America. Trump is not one to accept criticism. So he fired back at McCain.
Interestingly, Rasmussen says that its survey reveals that 53% of all voters agree with Trump on illegal immigation.
Recently, Trump discarded Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal as a serious presidential candidate in an interview with the New York Times.
Trump was quoted as saying, “You get guys like (former Texas governor) Perry, he’s not registering. Bobby Jindal was very vehement – oh, bah bah. I think he’s at zero.”
The latest national poll of Republican candidates: Trump 18%, Jeb Bush 15%, Scott Walker 10%, Ted Cruz 7%, Marco Rubio and Rand Paul 6%, Mike Huckabee 5%, Dr. Ben Carson, Chris Christie and John Kasich 4%, Rick Perry 3%, Rick Santorum and Bobby Jindal 2%, Carly Fiorina and Lindsey Graham 1%.
And while some GOP candidates and leaders are calling for Trump to exit the race, another poll among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, indicates that 52% want him to stay in the race.
The poll also showed that respondents chose Trump as the number one candidate they would like to see in the nationally televised debates.
Lou Gehrig Burnett is a seasoned veteran of politics. He publishes Fax-Net Update, a weekly political newsletter.
