Gov. Jindal attacks Louisiana art, culture with cuts

Louisiana wouldn’t be Louisiana without music and culture.

Arguably, no place possesses its uniqueness without some semblance of culture, but this state — and more specifically, New Orleans — wouldn’t be home to some of the greatest music, art and culture the world has ever known.

Obviously, Gov. Bobby Jindal either has no rhythm or has never been to Jazz Fest.

The biggest travesty to ever hit the state made itself known through Jindal’s 2009-2010 budget, which includes a debilitating 83 percent cut to a grants program that aids small arts programs across the state, along with a 31 percent cut to another program that assists local symphonies and theaters, according to The Monroe News Star.

The arts community wouldn’t let this stand, and they made their voices heard the best way Louisianians know how.

Hundreds of people took to the streets Wednesday in what was dubbed a “jazz funeral for Louisiana arts and culture.” Beginning in Lafayette Park, armed with drums, guitars and voices, the crowd mournfully danced through the streets and in front of the state Capitol in protest of the funeral of what makes Jindal’s home state as incomparable as it is.

In total numbers, the 83 percent cut seems small — a reduction from $3 million in funding to a little more than $500,000 — considering the $239 million expected cut in higher education.

But this struck a chord with Louisiana residents, who decided to do something about it.

Susan Brunner, art gallery owner and chair of the Louisiana Partnership for the Arts, told The News Star the 31 percent cut — $798,628 — from the $2.4 million Statewide Arts Grants would have a $4.8 million negative impact on state finances, while the arts and culture activities provide jobs to 144,000 people.

“It shows what a huge impact culture has on Louisiana,” Brunner said. “We bring money to the state. We’re the second largest employer in the state. There’s a $10 billion industry at stake.”

Ten billion dollars says Jindal’s never heard the Rebirth Brass Band rock Tipitina’s until four in the morning.

I doubt he’s ever even heard of Dr. John.

The governor doesn’t know what makes his state thrive. It isn’t the work ethic or the empowerment of working-class citizens.

Jazz great Wynton Marsalis knows what makes it unique, as he, along with pop legend Linda Ronstadt and opera singer Josh Groban, lobbied Congress on Tuesday for $200 million in funding for the National Endowment for the Arts.

For Marsalis, in the world of music, basic rules of math and science are out the window.

“One plus one equals three — me, you and the two of us together,” Marsalis told The Times-Picayune last week. “I’ve got my thing, you’ve got your thing and we come together.” It’s that intangible feeling we get whenever we go to Mardi Gras, dance in the rain or listen to anything from Fats Domino to the Funky Meters.

The jazz funeral shows our dedication to the lifeblood of our culture. Joyfully combining the sadness of losing a fellow friend with the greatness of knowing that person in the first place, jazz funerals are our way of saluting our dearly departed by saying, “It’s sad to see you go, but we loved having you here.”

Our music and culture are adventures in self-discovery, consuming our souls and spirits into one mean expression of life and heritage that will never be taken from us, no matter how big the budget cut.

Louis Armstrong once said, “My whole life, my whole soul, my whole spirit is to blow that horn.”

If Jindal knew anything about that, he would get off his high horse, stop trying to please his own supporters and show some real dedication to the state that elected him.

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Unity ‘09, One Voice ‘09 betray tickets for political gain

Student Government elections are all about empty promises and bogus campaign tactics.

Most of the empty promises I can live with. I didn’t actually expect SG President Colorado Robertson to follow through on his promise of a live, public feeding of Mike the Tiger.

But this election season saw a little bit of everything.

From a vice presidential candidate missing a live debate on TigerTV because of a sorority chapter meeting — that would be you, Laura Boggs — to the owner of a used car dealership with shady ties to a frat he left without the slightest bit of honor — hello, Ari Krupkin — I saw the best of the worst personalities on campus.

Friday saw the ugliest side of campaigning and the benefits of shunning an entire ticket for an endorsement with the potential for a staff position.

Both the Unity ’09 and One Voice ’09 tickets — headed by Krupkin and Melanie Oubre and Greg Upton and Boggs, respectively — endorsed Andy Palermo and Phoebe Hathorn’s
The Next Level ‘09 ticket for today’s run-off election.

In doing so, the four contradicted themselves in citing reasons as to why Stuart Watkins and Martina Scheuermann’s More ‘09 campaign didn’t merit endorsement.

“We have argued that this campaign is not about who has the most experience, but who is the most capable to bring about the change that SG needs,” Krupkin said, right before his running mate, Oubre, said she believed Palermo’s ticket has the most experience.

This happened right after Upton cited both Watkins’ and Scheuermann’s lack of experience in SG — despite his support for the novice Vice President Shannon Bates in their 2008 Foundation campaign.

This was after Boggs cited Palermo as the most experienced candidate.

Upton and Boggs have every reason to be bitter. After all, the pair almost contributed as much to their campaigns — $1,889.26 each — as the More campaign spent, $3,933.80, according to SG expense reports.

In supporting The Next Level, the former heads of Unity and One Voice decided to pretend their own candidates aren’t still in run-off elections today.

I would now like to pay homage to these candidates in today’s runoff, betrayed by the tops of their tickets.

From the Unity campaign:
Brandon Burke, Business vice president; Annie Jacobson, Education Senate; Adam Lagneaux, UCAC Senate; and Michael Jones, UCFY Senate.

From the One Voice campaign:
Ashley Johnson, Agriculture Senate; Brittany Bourg, Agriculture Treasurer; Sarah Bertrand, Agriculture President; Chaylon Brignac, Arts and Sciences Senate; Steven Belflower, Arts and Design Treasurer; Matt Babineaux and Beau Bebeau, Business Senate; Kelly Springet, Business Secretary; Katie Peaslee, Education Secretary; Beth Higginbotham, Education Vice President; Will Delaney and Steven Menard, Engineering Senate; Gabriella Arroyo, Engineering Executive Secretary; Blaine Fuselier, Engineering Vice President; Robert Ingram, Engineering President; Kyle Mancuso, UCAC Vice President; Brooke Story and Cody Wells, UCFY Senate; and Hannah Chambers, University Court.

A total of 5,467 votes were cast for the One Voice run-off candidates, while the four Unity run-off candidates received a total of 906 votes.

The Unity and One Voice campaigns officially sacrificed a total of 6,373, presumably in the name of their collective future.

By throwing these candidates off their already derailed buses, Unity and One Voice have proven to be anything but united or speaking in unison. They traded their tickets for whatever political gain Palermo and Hathorn can give — that is, if Palermo and Hathorn win today.

Congratulations, SG. You wreaked havoc on Free Speech Alley for the past two months in the name of your individual resumes.

No wonder more than 2/3 of this campus didn’t vote at all last week.

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Michelle Obama has right idea about healthy eating

I have a huge crush on first lady Michelle Obama.

And no, it has nothing to do with her beautifully sculpted biceps.

She has arguably the keenest intellect of any first lady since Eleanor Roosevelt.
Instead of engaging in the mainstream media’s desire to turn her into a fashion model,

Obama is using her talents and platform to preach a new message about healthy eating and lifestyle choices.

Did she rebel against 24-hour fast food eateries or criticize the makers of mass consumption foods?

No. She planted a vegetable garden.

Armed with shovels, rakes, pitchforks and fifth graders, the first lady broke ground Friday on a 1,100-square-foot, L-shaped patch of grass on the South Lawn of the White House.

The garden will include spinach, broccoli, at least four different kinds of lettuce and berries, and various other fruits and vegetables, including a beehive.

The 26 fifth graders from Bancroft Elementary School in Washington, D.C., assisted in shoveling up dirt, raking leaves and wheelbarrowing dirt into a central location. After finishing their work, the children were treated to apples, apple cider and cookies in the shape of a shovel.

This garden is the first kitchen garden planted on the White House lawn in 60 years.
The last first lady to plant a garden?

Eleanor — with her Victory Garden planted during World War II.

The first lady’s decision to plant a vegetable garden on the White House lawn — complete with a wish list from the White House kitchen in terms of fresh produce — comes at the same time as a disturbing report from the New England Journal of Medicine.

The study concluded African-Americans suffer heart failure at a rate 20 times higher than their white counterparts. It found heart failure rates for African-Americans in their 30s and 40s are the same as white patients in their 50s and 60s.

It also found one in 100 black men and women could develop heart failure before age 50, according to CNN.

This study frames the importance of the White House vegetable garden in a whole new light. It’s a symbol of sustainability — clearer than anyone testifying to Congress on C-SPAN and visible from E Street on the South Side of the White House.

And the garden idea has others jumping on the freshness bandwagon.
California first lady Maria Shriver announced on last Tuesday plans for an edible garden on the grounds of the state Capitol.

Both gardens have been championed by noted California chef Alice Waters, who has lobbied for a White House garden for the last decade.

“Fresh, wholesome food is the right of every American,” Waters told The Associated Press. “This garden symbolizes the Obamas’ commitment to that belief.”

In an age where we can order tacos, cheese sticks, bacon, egg and cheese biscuits and double decker burgers all at the same place at any time of the day, this new garden will send a powerful message about the benefits of local, homegrown produce — both in terms of physical and financial prosperity.

Locally grown fruits and vegetables are not only healthier than their canned and processed alternatives packaged in bulk at most supermarkets, they taste infinitely better and cost much less. The conveniences of the 21st century have allowed this nation — and this state in particular — to get increasingly fat, myself included.

But we can cut back. We can show the world we aren’t a nation of lazy slobs addicted to high fructose corn syrup as if it were crack.

With one day of hard work, Michelle Obama proclaimed it from the loudest megaphone in the world.

I love her.


Originally published in The Daily Reveille...

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New tax creates Catch-22 triangle of death

All smokers, huddle up.

What in the world are we going to do April 1?

Do we give up for ourselves, or do we give up on ourselves?

These are the questions we need to ask ourselves before April Fool’s Day when — like some sick joke — a new tobacco tax goes into effect to finance the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, known as SCHIP.

In signing the Children’s Health Insurance Recovery Act into law Feb. 4, President Obama expanded SCHIP — already covering 7 million children — to provide coverage for another 4 million children who have working parents and don’t qualify for Medicaid but can’t make enough for private health insurance.

However, to pay for this nearly $33 billion expansion of coverage, the tax on a pack of cigarettes will increase 62 cents, single cigars go up 40 cents and — for those of you saving money by rolling your own Joes — loose tobacco receives a $23.53 a pound hike.

The resulting dilemma apparently eluded the president when he said, in his remarks before signing the bill, “In a decent society, there are certain obligations that are not subject to tradeoffs or negotiations, and health care for our children is one of those obligations.”

By forgetting how we come closer to a decent society, Obama neglected to address how this bill would be funded, but he did promise to “tackle smoking and obesity and helping people live longer, healthier lives.”

Since the bill was signed, however, a backlash has been felt in many different ways.

First of all, most smokers live at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty line. This means the tax will adversely affect low-income families who statistically smoke and drink more often but still can’t afford medical coverage, according to the New England Journal of Medicine.

Secondly, although unintentionally, many states are impeding the flow of money to children’s health insurance by not allowing smoking in many public places. Under former Gov. Kathleen Blanco, Louisiana passed such a law in June 2006, preventing smoking in restaurants and bars whose primary income is food sales.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, manufacturers are preparing for a drop off in smoking because of people quitting to save money. Anyone purchasing a pack of smokes at any Baton Rouge Circle K knows this, as its cash registers currently feature a sign titled “DON’T BLAME US!!!” in explaining to consumers the changes in prices.

Companies including Altria Group, parent company of Philip Morris, as well as RJ Reynolds are increasing their prices in response to the tax.

“Cigarette sales have been declining in recent years. We don’t think it makes a lot sense to fund an important government program with a revenue source that continues to deliver less money than the year before,” Bill Phelps, spokesman for Altria, said to Bloomberg on Monday.

So smokers, I leave you to your best judgments. You really only have three options:
Stock up on as many cigarettes as you can before the federal tax goes up, which — coupled with manufacturer increases — will make cigarettes worth their weight in gold.

Quit smoking altogether and ruin the futures for millions of low-income children.

Or make a difference in some special person’s life and keep infesting yourselves with cancer.

After all, the garbage we’re spoon fed about how the children are the future — especially since real news is relegated to back page news whenever one of them goes missing — maybe we should act on it.

As California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger might say, “It’s not a tumah.”

It’s health coverage for millions.


Originally published in The Daily Reveille...

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My 22nd birthday present — no more cable

Before we start, let’s have a moment of silence for Molière, who died 326 years ago today.

Do any of you know how it feels to have the government steal the flavor out of your birthday?

I do.

Today, February 17th, is my birthday, and the government has been planning a huge present not just for me, but for everyone watching cable television.

Today was supposed to be the day the analog signal died as the country switches to digital television.

It felt good for a while to see commercials for the transition, especially the one where they display the date “February 17th” stretching across the entire screen over a major metropolitan skyline.

The voiceover would then bellow, “Are you ready for February 17th?”

It felt really good to know so many people cared.

Alas, it wasn’t for me — or Michael Jordan, Lupe Fiasco or Paris Hilton, whose birthdays also land on the 17th — it was for television.

Meanwhile, I finally have my own “less than 1 percent” issue to anger me about President Obama’s economic stimulus.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act — known to most as the economic stimulus package — provides an additional $650 million for coupons for those still watching television on analog sets. The digital converter boxes — between $40 and $80 — were initially funded by the Department of Commerce, but customers were still short of coupons, according to the Senate Web site.

The Department of Commerce reached its $1.34 billion spending limit, potentially leaving millions with snow on their sets after the transition. The House of Representatives followed the Senate’s lead in postponing the digital switch until June 12, saying many weren’t ready for the switch.

Regardless of the necessity of coupons, as anyone purchasing cable or satellite television is already prepared for the switch, another question is raised from the postponement of the transition.

Do we really need cable television anymore?

Aside from watching live news or sports events, there’s no point to watch cable in the Internet age.

Many Web sites, like Hulu.com, provide free television shows and movies with ads interspersed. As a product of last year’s Writers’ Strike, networks and Web sites have created a means for artistic products to be properly compensated with one 30-second ad between scenes.

Instead of a three-minute commercial break, viewers are treated to one 30-second commercial dividing the scenes.

With some appearing at least 12 hours before the original airing, major network Web sites stream their television shows on their sites with the same ad model, capitalizing on revenue from the ads and providing TV watchers a free, legal way to enjoy their favorite television shows.

This move in the correct direction will naturally reduce piracy, as many will log on to their favorite show’s Web site and watch it there, in lieu of illegally downloading the series from a torrent Web site and risking disconnected Internet or even a lawsuit.

In short, there’s no reason to pay for cable television anymore.

As pleasing as it may be to have Ren and Stimpy available on your DVR, chances are you can find it online for free.

Congress and the president should work harder to make this more of a reality. The Internet provides a tremendous boon in terms of consumer content, and our new direction should reflect ever-changing, yet ever-present, realities.

While I finally have an issue with an item in Obama’s stimulus package, he’s giving me a silver lining.

He’s signing the entire bill into law today in Denver.

On the 22nd anniversary of my birth, a new America is born.

Be sure to tune in.

Originally published in The Daily Reveille...

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Hitting the bong was far from Phelps’ worst offense

Olympic champion Michael Phelps got caught smoking from a bong at a party at the University of South Carolina. A picture of his alleged illegality was sold to a British newspaper, and immediately sent shockwaves across the world.

The terms “double standard” and “free ride” have been strewn about so flippantly — certain truths must be made clear.

First, Phelps didn’t win more gold medals than anyone else because of pot.

Second, Mary Jane is not a performance-enhancing drug.

Third, this isn’t the worst thing Phelps has done to his image.

Flashback to 2004, when Phelps, fresh off eight medals at the 2004 Athens Olympics, was arrested and charged with drunk driving after speeding through a stop sign. When pressed by the trooper to admit his drunkenness, “The defendant replied, ‘I know. I’m sorry. I was just scared because I have a lot to lose.’”

The fact that his DUI is seen as the second worst thing the Olympian has ever done is mind-boggling.

In 2006, nearly one-third of all traffic-related fatalities — a total of 13,470 deaths — were because of drunk driving, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. And we’re mad Phelps got high at a party, away from the road and children?

In his apology — the role model, not Phelps — for drunk driving, he said, “I recognize the seriousness of this mistake. I’ve learned from this mistake and will continue learning from this mistake for the rest of my life.”

In his apology — again, the role model, not Phelps — for hitting the ganja, he said, “I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment. I’m 23 years old, and despite the successes I’ve had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again.”

I’m calling shenanigans.

Phelps is not sorry he hit a bong at a party.

He’s sorry he got caught and is now forced to feign an apology for the world and the millions of future swimmers he continues to inspire.

But this raises a question about the era of the role model in our 21st century world, where any escapade can be caught, filmed and distributed to anyone with an Internet connection within seconds.

We should not expect Phelps to “learn from his mistake,” especially considering the puerile criticism of Phelps more closely resembling the Salem witch trials than a criminal investigation.

When seemingly every major sporting event is sponsored by Budweiser, when Diddy can endorse Ciroc premium vodka, when everyone has a photo function on their phones, can we really expect every public figure to be held to the same inane standards in public now that their private lives can be displayed on the web quicker than Rosetta Stone can teach Chinese?

Phelps’ mistake was not hitting the peace pipe but being a world-famous athlete with an inherent responsibility to millions of children to act a certain way.

But even then, this doesn’t set aside the fact that Phelps was doing what more than 97 million Americans have tried, according to a 2007 National Institute of Health study.

The list of people who have tried marijuana include President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton, although not successfully — it only works if you inhale. According to Obama, “that was the point.”

No shortage of statistics exist on the fallibility of our marijuana laws, but citing these sources over and over again won’t change the disastrous results of our archaic drug war.

With law enforcement spending billions per year trying to fight this disastrous war, the pot industry itself — although illegal — still generates billions per year, with many wishing money could be taxed and given to the federal government.
Marijuana smokers could provide the single biggest stimulus this economy has ever seen.

Pot is only illegal because of the billions upon billions given to the pharmaceutical industry for less effective, still fatal drugs. Those drugs are getting weirder as well.

The FDA approved use of milk from genetically engineered goats to produce a drug to be marketed and sold in the hopes of preventing the spread of blood clots, according to The New York Times.

The next time you see a commercial for a prescription drug in which the narrator says, “A few studies, some fatal, have been reported with the use of this drug,” think about Phelps, President Obama and the rest of the 97 million of us prevented from using pot responsibly.

Would you rather illegally smoke an herb or legally take a drug made out of goat pleasure?

Originally published in The Daily Reveille...

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