You would think Louisiana Democrats would embrace Derrick Edwards as the perfect candidate for state treasurer. But the party’s litmus test plus its aversion to looking impotent instead makes him an outcast.

At its most recent meeting, the party’s executive committee failed to endorse Edwards despite his qualifying as the only Democrat in the contest. Moreover, he ticks off two victim class boxes, racial minority and person with disability; Democrats generally allege that American society discriminates against minorities and the disabled, mandating increased government efforts to redistribute resources their way. And, Edwards seems competitive as he polls in the lead for the spot.

Today is Katrina Anniversary.

Twelve years ago today, it appeared at the time the world came to an end for so many of us.

by Stephen Waguespack, President and CEO of LABI

Many have stepped up to help us over the years.
 
The horrific summer of 2005, dominated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, left an indelible mark on New Orleans and our entire coastal area that continues to influence many of our actions today. Hurricanes Gustav and Ike impacted most of our state just a few years later, triggering a collaborative effort that resulted in the largest evacuation in the nation’s history at the time.

On the 12th anniversary of the costliest hurricane in U.S. history, another killer storm is ravaging the states of Texas and Louisiana. Hurricane Harvey has been downgraded to a Tropical Storm, but it is still packing a wallop. In some parts of the Houston area, over 50 inches of rain has been recorded, the highest total in history. The storm will cause havoc for at least another day before finally moving north.