Last year, New Orleans welcomed 9 million visitors to the city, another fantastic success for the tourism industry. While this is impressive, it pales in comparison to the goal of 13 million visitors for the tri-centennial of New Orleans in 2018.

Photo from Darian Trotter

Unfortunately, this goal will be unattainable if more incidents like the Mother’s Day shooting occur on the streets of New Orleans. In an amazingly brazen attack, police claim that Akein Scott and his brother Shawn Scott, members of a vicious 7^th ward gang, shot 20 people at a second line parade.

This incident made front page news around the globe, sending a horrible message that New Orleans is a city awash in violent crime. This message is accurate for the city is nowhere close to getting a handle on the crime problem. For years, New Orleans has earned the disastrous title of Murder Capital of the nation. While the number of murders has declined in 2013, the number of people shot has not dropped.

On Sunday, no one was killed, but there could have been 20 dead in the hail of gunfire. NOPD officials are limited in their ability to provide security at such parades as there are too few police officers. There has only been one recruiting class since Mayor Landrieu took office. In that time, the attrition rate of officers has skyrocketed to approximately 100 per year. Currently, there are only 1200 members of the NOPD, while 1600 were on the force only a few years ago.

The administration is in the process of changing the detail policy, which will lead to more defections from the NOPD. In addition, the ludicrous policy of reinstating the residency requirement will drive more officers from the ranks of the NOPD.

While another new recruiting class is forthcoming, the situation will only get worse in the short term. When veteran officers leave, they take years of experience on the streets of New Orleans with them. It is a loss that cannot be replaced by a rookie just graduating from the academy.

While the NOPD is shrinking, the criminal population is robust in New Orleans. Lenient judges contribute to a revolving door criminal justice system. Akein Scott had been arrested numerous times, but his bail was set at only $15,000 after his last brush with the law. On Mother’s Day, he should have been in jail, not terrorizing a second line parade.

The answer is not providing midnight basketball in crime infested neighborhoods or giving criminals multiple chances to turn their lives around. The only answer is a return to strict law and order procedures in New Orleans. A deterrent must be established again in the Crescent City. Criminal penalties are much too lenient. For example, there have been 5,000 people murdered in New Orleans in the last two decades, but no one has been executed for those crimes. It is almost impossible to secure a death penalty conviction in a New Orleans court room. The death penalty can be a deterrent if it is used, but, in New Orleans, criminals are literally getting away with murder.

Until there is a functioning criminal justice system and an adequately staffed NOPD, there will be more incidents like the Mother’s Day shooting. This will continue to impact our tourism industry and cost the city millions of dollars as untold number of visitors will be scared to visit our city.

This issue needs the attention of city leaders because it is important to both public safety and our economy. Platitudes and soft headed approaches are not working, a hardnosed crackdown on criminals will be the only way to turnaround this situation.

It seems every few weeks; there is an election in Louisiana. Whether it is a special election or a school board wants to pass a tax issue, voters are being overloaded with too many elections.

This causes voter fatigue and low turnout as citizens become tired of continually going to the polls. Ideally, Louisiana should have one or two election days per year and a combination of issues should be placed on a ballot together. Instead, we have the current situation where a school board can place a tax issue on the ballot with nothing else to attract voters to the polls.

For example, last weekend in St. Tammany Parish, the school board engineered a low turnout election. The board forced an election that featured only three public education items, including one that was a property tax increase.

Not surprisingly, only a few St. Tammany Parish voters went to the polls because there was nothing else on the ballot. The School Board was able to mobilize their supporters to vote and was successful in getting their tax approved as the opponents were not funded or energized. If the election would have featured more items on the ballot and more voters participated, the tax issue would have surely failed.

While St. Tammany Parish voters were once again manipulated by the influential political forces that have been dominating the parish for decades, the voters in Jefferson Parish are not as gullible. In fact, there is a voter revolt ongoing in Jefferson Parish as people are sick and tired of the “establishment “and have started to vote “no” on a regular basis. All of the tax renewals failed, as did the tolls on the Crescent City Connection.

In Jefferson Parish, the controversial toll issue and a heated judicial race helped increase turnout slightly. In contrast, St. Tammany voters only had a few school board issues on the ballot, which guaranteed a low turnout. Whenever these types of taxes are proposed, they tend to be placed on the ballot on an obscure election date solely for the purpose of passing the tax while the majority of voters are asleep.

This obscene practice must come to an end. In the past few years, we have made some progress. Secretary of State Tom Schedler was successful in passing legislation that limited the number of elections. No longer will there be Louisiana elections scheduled in the months of January or July. Much more work needs to be done as we should eventually consolidate the election calendar to just a few dates per year

The Louisiana way is not working, we cannot afford it. According to Secretary Schedler, each election costs taxpayers approximately $1,250.00 per precinct. In a state with budget woes, eliminating unnecessary elections would save taxpayers millions of dollars. Schedler found that in a recent five year period, Louisiana held 70 elections, the most in the south, and the third highest in the entire nation. The southern state with the next highest number of elections was Georgia with only 36 in that five year period, one half of our total.

Louisiana voters love politics and we have a very interested electorate, as 84% of eligible voters are registered. However, it is unfair that these voters repeatedly be asked to go to the polls.

Each election must be approved by the Governor, so he can stop the madness by refusing to allow so many special elections. In addition, the Louisiana Legislature should vote to drastically reduce the election calendar. This will provide relief to taxpayers, ensure higher turnout in the elections that are scheduled and guarantee results that truly reflect the wishes of the electorate and not just a few political insiders.

In the politically correct world of sports today, it is no surprise that the media went crazy in praising Jason Collins, the first gay professional athlete to go public.

Collins is a 7 foot free agent center who is a 34 year old journeyman in the NBA. After his announcement, Collins was greeted with overwhelming support. He received a phone call from both President Obama and former President Clinton. Among the thousands of supportive tweets he received were positive messages from the First Lady and his college classmate Chelsea Clinton. Collins was besieged by requests for media interviews and had to admit that he was humbled by the strong show of encouragement.

Collins does not have to worry about any type of discrimination. As an openly gay professional athlete, Collins will be given more opportunities in the NBA and will likely receive lucrative endorsement deals. His career as a personality will go into overdrive, even while his playing career winds down.

In the meantime, evangelical Christian athlete Tim Tebow was released by the New York Jets. Although he was signed with much fanfare, Tebow was never given a chance by the Jets, even though he could have contributed to a team that struggled last year. After being released by the Jets, Tebow declined an opportunity to criticize the team, instead he tweeted a quote from the Bible. This was another indication of Tebow’s character and class, qualities rarely seen in the world of professional sports.

In the aftermath of Tebow’s release, plenty of so-called sports experts were quick to criticize the quarterback. They said he had limited talent, could not throw the ball accurately and had a style that did not mesh with the NFL. Such comments are ridiculous for Tebow clearly has plenty of ability. At the Florida Gators, he won the Heisman Trophy and led the team to two national championships. He set numerous SEC records by accounting for 145 overall touchdowns, 57 rushing touchdowns, 12,232 yards of total offense and a passing efficiency of 170.8.

After his stellar college career, Tebow was a 1st round draft pick by the Denver Broncos. In his second year, Tebow took over the starting job when the team was 1-4. Tebow led the team to the playoffs and engineered a victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers.When the Broncos signed future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, Tebow was traded to the New York Jets and the rest is history.

Throughout his brief NFL career, Tebow has been the subject of unfair criticism. It seems his Christian beliefs were a lightning rod for the sports media. Tebow has been maligned and ridiculed from the moment he was drafted in the NFL. He has been criticized for being a strong Christian and wearing his faith on his sleeve.

It seems Tebow is controversial for no other reason than he is a strong Christian. He does not cause problems with other teammates or get into trouble with the law. He sets a great example for youngsters and has the type of values that should be welcomed in every locker room.

Hopefully, at least one NFL team will have the courage to sign an athlete with tremendous heart, unquestionable talent and a track record of success. Hopefully, at least one NFL team will not be intimidated by the politically correct environment that discriminates against people of faith.

If Tebow is still without a team by the start of the next football season, there will be no doubt that discrimination exists today in the world of professional sports; however, it is not directed against gay athletes, instead it is directed against devout Christians like Tim Tebow.

The United States of America has reached the nightmare levels outlined in George Orwell’s famous classic, Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Orwell wrote of a “big brother” government with constant surveillance of individuals, who are persecuted for independent thinking and not allowed any sort of privacy. These draconian policies are carried out by a massive government bureaucracy all in the name of the “greater good.”

In our country today, our federal government has become Orwellian. It continues to grow with reckless abandon. Our national debt is approaching $17 trillion as more people become dependent on government services to survive. A shocking 90 million Americans are not involved in the labor force as nine million Americans are receiving disability payments and almost 50 million Americans are forced to accept food stamps.

Sadly, both the private sector and the concept of privacy are under attack. In the last labor report, a mere 88,000 jobs were created while 663,000 people exited the workforce due to frustration, retirement or disability.

In the toxic environment, our federal government is expanding and it is becoming harder to earn a living in the private sector and remain free of government control. This will only get worse in 2014. The President’s healthcare plan will extend the reach of government to over 20% of our economy. This is being done without the support of the American people and the very effort may cripple our healthcare industry.

This week, gun control legislation is moving through Congress with Republican support. It will create universal background checks and will be ineffective without a national registry of guns, which the President supports.

On Thursday, it was revealed that the IRS has the right to review email communications. This shocking disclosure was condemned by Republicans and Democrats alike. The IRS contends that it does not need a court order or any type of approval to examine the electronic correspondence, including text messages, of unsuspecting Americans.  This extensive attack on privacy is a violation of the Fourth Amendment, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

Clearly, to review text messages or emails the government should obtain a warrant and it should be limited to terrorist suspects. The assault on privacy was accelerated by the Patriot Act, passed in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks; however, these new IRS powers are taking government surveillance to an entirely new level.

The IRS claims that Americans do not have a “reasonable expectation of privacy in such communication.” This assertion is unwelcome news to millions of Americans who do indeed expect their electronic communications to be free from government oversight.

U.S. Senator Mark Udall (D-CO) said that the revelation is “an affront not only to our system of checks and balances, but also to our fundamental right to privacy.”  Udall said that this IRS power is an “overreach.” He is imploring his colleagues to overhaul the Electronic Communications Privacy Act.

Obviously, this act needs to be strengthened at a minimum to deal with new forms of Internet usage and communication. For example, IRS agents are also being accused of checking Facebook postings of Americans without permission.

In our Orwellian state today, Americans are constantly being monitored by cameras, drones and other types of security measures. While this is being done in the name of keeping us safe, it is also eroding our precious right to privacy.

It is time we turned the tables on the oppressive government and demanded an end to this obnoxious and illegal monitoring.

Americans should also be free to lawfully engage in electronic communication or, heaven forbid, buy a gun without the oppressive oversight of a federal government hell-bent on accumulating power and limiting the God given rights of its citizens.

President Barack Obama is accustomed to receiving awards he does not deserve. In fact, the President received the ultimate prize in November of 2008. He was elected President of the United States despite scant credentials for the world’s most important position. He benefited from very inadequate vetting by the liberal news media; former political watch dogs turned lap dogs in the age of Obama.

Right after his inauguration, Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize. This ludicrous decision was not based on the President’s few accomplishments, but rather on the hope that he would successfully pursue peace during his term. Of course, no other U.S. President would have ever received such an award without any qualifications.

So, what do you get for the man who has everything? How about an Oscar? It makes sense for Barack Obama is a glorified actor portraying a President. He is impersonating a leader, without showing leadership. He has never managed any organizations and has no executive experience, yet he is the Chief Executive Officer of our nation. He clearly does not know how to govern, so, instead, he continues to engage in his favorite activity, campaigning.

He is not the Commander-in-chief, but the Campaigner-in chief. In the process, he plays the role of President perfectly, fooling more than half of the American people, approximately 51% in the last election and in recent approval ratings.

Barack Obama appears presidential, sounds presidential, lives in the White House and uses Air Force One. Everyone calls him “Mr. President,” and he even welcomes world leaders to our nation’s capital.

It is clear that he is an excellent actor, he knows enough to look and act the part of President, but, just like in the movies, it is make believe. In reality, behind the facade, Barack Obama is a truly clueless and ineffectual President. For example, his lack of leadership in the sequester debate has been astounding. Instead of cobbling together a sensible deal, he has demonized Republicans and threatened our national security.

While he plays a role, our nation’s problems are only getting worse, our country is becoming further divided, and there is no bipartisan compromise, only bitter confrontation in Washington D.C. This situation is exacerbated because Barack Obama is only acting in a role that he has no idea how to actually embody in the real world.

This persuasive acting performance has certainly convinced one group of supporters, the liberal elite who control the entertainment industry. They know a good actor when they see one.

This community treats the President and his family as virtual monarchs. So, when Queen Michelle wants to appear on television programs, it happens. The First Lady has been on a whirlwind media tour in recent weeks, appearing on practically every television show that will give her air time.

She reached the apex of exposure Sunday night when the top brass of Hollywood gave her the unprecedented and highly inappropriate honor of announcing the Oscar for Best Picture. She appeared via satellite as a reigning monarch, in a glittering dress, surrounded by military personnel. It was a completely shameful misuse of our brave service members and another example of how the First Couple uses people as props to further their agenda.

Last week, President Obama was campaigning against the budget sequester with first responders behind him. He recently signed executive orders on gun control surrounded by selected children who had written to the Oval Office. Clearly, the First Couple will use anyone they need at any time to accomplish their political goals.

In this latest outrage, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was only too happy to be used by Mrs. Obama. Never before had a First Lady been given such a privilege. Even Nancy Reagan, a former actress, was denied such a distinction. Of course, the Hollywood liberals hated anything associated with Ronald Reagan, although he spent years as an actor and President of the Screen Actors Guild.

The infatuation with the President and First Lady is so extreme that the movie industry may want to take a bold step for 2014. Instead of staging the awards in Hollywood, they might as well do it right in the Rose Garden.  They should invite Mrs. Obama to expand her role and become the permanent host and presenter of all awards. In that way, she can award the Oscar for Best Male Actor to the person who really deserves it, her partner in celebrity, Barack Obama.

Just imagine the scene, as the President accepts the award from his wife, the camera pans to the Hollywood sycophants in the audience all rising in unison, paying tribute to their heroes, with a standing ovation.