The Founders Show

Hy and Christopher examine Louisiana’s deteriorating wetlands, and the major efforts that are being made to restore them. In the last 20 years, 800 acres of land have returned near Mardi Gras pass 1100 acres at Canaveron. There are a literal forest of Cypress trees where there once was just water. The state is about to embark on the multi billion dollar mid-Barataria diversion, to restore thousands of more acres, but the ideas controversial with oyster fishermen, who believed the freshwater and silt will destroy their oyster fields. To explore the desperate need to rebuild our coastline for hurricane protection, Hy and Christopher are joined by Simone Maloz, Campaign Director for Restore the Mississippi River Delta.

Hy and Christopher the address the woeful conditions of New Orleans’ parks, and then turn our attention to the Middle East. Israel’s missile strike early Friday morning on Isfahan, Iran was far more measured—and much smaller—than anyone expected. Could it be part of a bigger strategy to untie the IDF’s hands in a coming assault on southern Gaza? But first, we start the show talking about the New “Big Green Easy” Masterplan. It seeks to address racial & funding inequities in nola’s Park System. New Orleans is blessed with a multitude of green spaces; parks which seem to cover so many parts of the city so often sit neglected. Partly, this results from an accident of history as the city’s green spaces were often acquired by an absence of mind. Donations of land were made for other purposes and ended up as parks – as no one ever proposed another purpose. As a result, city leaders never drew up a plan of governance for our park system or how to adequately pay for their maintenance. A new masterplan being proposed to the New Orleans City Council on Monday, April 22, seeks to not only insure that funding remains equitable across the racial fabric of New Orleans, but, as one of the authors of the proposal explained to Hy and Christopher, to actually devote thought to “this green layer of jewels across of our city.” Civic leader Scott Howard and his allies have spent four years devising what they call the “Big Green Easy” masterplan. As he explains, “The organization that I work with ‘Parks for All,’ has advocated for a better park plan than we've had in the past. We've had other plans, but we've never had a comprehensive plan that really works, in the way that we’ve distributed our resources.” Howard continued to say, “We do have a lot of parks. You know, a national standard that was kind of introduced by the Trust for Public Land is that dwellers of cities be within a 10-minute walking distance of a park, and we actually satisfy that criterion pretty well. I mean, about 80 percent of our population are within such a park. But the question is, how good is the park and how easy is it to get to the park? I mean, really, the two of the primary focuses of the master plan are ‘access’ and ‘accessibility.’ By that I mean, by ‘accessibility,’ how easy is it to get to the park, and then ‘access’ … is getting to a park that’s worth going to! “And you know, what we found is that the distribution of quality assets is inequitable, and it expresses itself in the usage of the parks. To give you a specific statistic. Blacks form 57 percent of the population, but only 26 percent of park usage is by Blacks, whereas with whites it's the opposite, representing 31 percent of the population but 59 percent of park usage. And I don’t think it’s going out on much of a limb to guess that the reason for that is not because ‘Blacks don't like parks,’ but rather because the parks they’re able to access are not as good. And so the park plan thinks deeply about that – and how to address that inequity.” Some of the answer comes down to money, yet Howard explained that answers exist besides raising taxes. “We're not a rich city, and we have to be smart about how we expend our resources. One of the issues that the plan addresses is whether [the park governance system] is organized sufficiently that we…utilize our resources as effectively as we can. The [Big Green Easy] Report states that we’re the most fragmented park and recreation system in the country. There are fully 16 separate entities that control green space in the city; SIXTEEN! So the plan raises the question. It doesn't try to propose exactly how we go about changing this, but it encourages the administration of the city to undertake a separate analysis of how the Parks and Recreation entities are structured in order to identify perhaps a more streamlined structure, particularly looking at more at [The Department of] Parks and Parkways. So that we could derive some economic efficiencies out of...

This week on The Founders Show - could Gov. Jeff Landry’s school voucher program require a renewal of a 45-cent sales tax? And how could the 10 Commandments legislation actually avoid religious establishment complaints because school vouchers exist? Then the discussion moves on to Donald Trump‘s plea to leave abortion to the states. Could his stance make pro-lifers abandon him? And we close with a few words about the 250th anniversary of a great love story of two of The Founders of our nation. Hy and Christopher begin the show discussing how ESAs would provide scholarships to families of four making $75,000. MORE: Monday evenings, early in the Legislative Regular Session, are usually relaxed occasions for conversation and crawfish. On April 8, the tables were set up in the Pentagon Barracks courtyard for just that, mere steps from the Capitol Building. Crawdads, shrimp, vats of lima bean succotash and pastas, strawberry shortcake and extensive libations were waiting by 5 p.m., the time the La. House normally adjourns for the day at that point in the session. Yet, there were no legislators to be found. By the time that they arrived two hours later, looking beat up and exhausted, a contentiously divided La. House had managed to pass HB745, or the Giving All True Opportunity to Rise (LA GATOR) Scholarship Program, by a vote of 72-32, but with considerable wounded feelings. Some Democrats called the legislation “vouchers for the rich,” while others like Black Caucus member and New Orleans Rep. Jason Hughes made impassioned speeches on the bill’s behalf. Hughes argued that his life took a far different course due to the full scholarship to Jesuit High School, which opened opportunities for a young Black man and a kid from the inner city might never have otherwise had. The comments led fellow New Orleans Democratic Rep. Mandy Landry to note that the restrictiveness of private school entry policies could close the doors on many applicants from similar backgrounds as Hughes. In contrast, most Republicans and a few Democrats also argued that the “vouchers for the rich” perspective was misleading, noting that the ESAs would direct state funding for school tuition and expenses to families making less than 250 percent of the poverty level, or approximately $75,000 for a family of four. As one put it, it might extend the scholarships into the working middle class, but “nobody thinks a family of four making $75,000 is rich.” It was a point that several legislators repeatedly emphasized – countering press accounts in the daily paper that implied the ESAs were not capped at working-class income levels. In point of fact, the caps discussion led the debate to a discussion of whether the state could afford the scholarship program. Defenders like GOP Rep. Polly Thomas of Metairie noted that the ESAs would remain limited to the current voucher pool in year one. In year two, needs-based ranking would limit growth. By year three, however, the program would expand to its full potential student base – at least 41,000 students – yet legislative appropriators had the discretion to limit the size of the program based on revenue realities. Still, how to pay for that increase if offered to all eligible, estimated by the Legislative Fiscal Office at a cost of $258 million, remained the question for which few legislators had answers. In fact, several legislators privately mused at the crawfish boil afterwards, would other revenue sources be required, including the sales tax set to expire next year?

On this week’s show, Hy and Chridtopher wonder if a Hasty Constitutional Convention Presents Problems and whether bypassing a delegate electon is a good idea? A political cartoon once displayed a man walking into a library and asking, “Do you have a copy of the Louisiana Constitution?” The librarian replied, “I’m sorry, sir; we don’t carry periodicals.” From its enactment in 1974 to the present, the Louisiana State Constitution has grown to over 72,000 words, with voters approving 203 amendments to the original document. By contrast, the U.S. Constitution, which was ratified in 1789, contains 7,500 words and has only been amended twenty-seven times in 235 years. Perhaps a better parochial example comes from the Massachusetts Constitution, which has been in force since 1780 – yet only been amended 121 times. In contrast, Louisiana has written 10 constitutions since statehood in 1812, and if Jeff Landry gets his way, this year will mark the 11th. At least, that’s what his critics say. Defenders of the governor’s proposal to gavel in a constitutional convention argue that Landry simply wishes to remove unnecessary amendments and provisions, enshrining them in statute – as opposed to constitutional articles. Or at least, that is the stated objective of New Iberia GOP Rep. Beau Beaullieu’s House Bill 800. His plan, written at the governor’s behest, calls for 171 delegates, comprising all 144 state legislators as well as 27 other people Landry would select, to run the constitution writing process. The convention would convene in the House of Representatives’ chamber, with satellite locations possible as well. Lawmakers and Landry’s handpicked delegates would meet between May 20 and July 15 to rewrite Louisiana’s Constitution, under the proposal. Still, Beaullieu’s bill must receive the backing of two-thirds of each legislative chamber before the convention can convene. The governor currently lacks the votes, particularly in the Louisiana Senate, partially due to Senate President Cameron Henry’s skepticism that the convention could occur concurrently with the current Regular Session (due to adjourn on June 3), and an absolute certainty, as Henry has expressed, that no senator wants to stay in Baton Rouge throughout the summer. The proposed convention would begin two weeks before the end of the current session and run until July 15. However, some legislative critics also worry that the rushed process would eviscerate some politically popular spending and taxation limitations, while others worry that nothing would change from a fiscal flexibility standpoint. Gov. Landry has said that he would only seek to put current constitution provisions into statute form, changing nothing in reality save the length of the Pelican State’s unwieldy Basic Law. Nevertheless, once a constitutional convention gets underway, everything in the fundamental document would be on the proverbial table to be reviewed. History suggests that legislators would do little to improve Louisiana’s anti-competitive and still relatively regressive system of tax and spending. Articles VI (local government) and VII (revenue and finance) set forth the basic structure and operation of Louisiana’s fiscal systems. Broadly speaking, the Louisiana Constitution authorizes both state and local governments to impose and collect certain categories of taxes, including income taxes, sales taxes and property taxes. Yet, the La. Constitution also imposes important limitations on the government's ability to adjust revenue, primarily through mechanisms like numerical caps on the level of taxation and mandatory exemptions, credits and deductions that are available to many categories of individual and corporate taxpayers. Putting these provisions into statute could allow the Legislature greater fiscal flexibility for changing revenue circumstances. Still, of the 99 amendments to Article VII over the last 50 years, not a single one removed an existing fiscal provision from the...

Hy and Christopher reflect on the legacy of Joseph Lieberman, ‘No Labels’, and the increasingly bright chances for RFK Jr.— in part due to his new VP running mate. In the second segment, we answer questions debating New Orleans investing in a new NOPD HQ as well as Gov. Jeff Landry’s hope to reduce local representation on the S&WB to just three members. Concluding with a special Easter segment, we tell the story of Russian Gulag being rebuilt as a church— only to find out that the prayers of the original inmates foretold that destiny decades before.

Gov. Jeff Landry has floated the idea of a state takeover of the New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board. Hy and Christopher remind the audience that it IS a Louisiana state agency after all, but why isn’t there more local opposition? We explain. In our breaking story segment, we unveil the discussions about a possible deal—where a “property service fee” might take the place of the current property tax millage. Such a swap would mean homeowners pay less but tjhe S&WB raises more money! How, you ask? Tulane University, the Feds, and the Catholic Church pay up, of course. Also, we visit with Swine Krewe (www.swinekrewe.org) and the upcoming Hogs for the Cause. And then finally, in celebration of Saint Joseph’s Day (besides talking about the altars) Hy and Christopher recount the story of Santa Fe’s Loretto Chapel—and a miracle which may be scientifically proven?

Hy and Christopher are joined by Ben Capshaw of The Churchill Society of New Orleans to talk about teaching about how their 2024 essay contest keeps alive the memory of the great historical leader to high school students. MORE INFORMATION: The Churchill Society of New Orleans Then, Hy and Christopher move on to talk about “high rats” & a new NOPD headquarters, the practicality of bike lanes New Orleans East, the looming third-party challenges in the presidential race, and Chuck Schumer‘s criticism of Benjamin Netanyahu (and how it’s really criticizing the entire Israeli political structure) - yet we also observe that no one really knows what’s gonna happen in 2.3 million homeless Palestinians are crowded on the Gaza beaches with nowhere to go. We even throw in a miracle at the end that is scientifically proven!

Super Tuesday has passed, Nikki Haley is out, and the presidential race is on. Will Donald Trump be able to unify the Republican party, or will GOP divisions have impacts on downticket U.S. Senate races like Texas? Looking at the upcoming Louisiana legislative session, Christopher and Hy discuss the idea of New Orleans area legislators leveraging their votes for a new Mississippi River Bridge in South Baton Rouge in order to extend the Westbank Expressway into LA 3127, and widen that road into a four-lane super highway that goes all the way to Donaldsonville and which also intersects into I-310 and an expanded Earhart expressway that goes all the way to Armstrong Airport. The Founders Show broadcasts live this week from Colorado Springs and the US Air Force Academy. We share our incredible impression of the upcoming class of cadets, and reflect upom a military hero from the past. We also talk about the legacy of Zebulon Pike, who played a plays a key role in the history of the Louisiana Purchase and of New Orleans. Inadvertently, Pike may be the reason that the White House is painted white!

Hy and Christopher talk about Save Our Cemeteries: Run Through History at Metairie Cemetery on March 24 to begin, and then transition into talking about the end of the special legislative session on crime. They conclude talking about the budget deal in Washington and the chances that Mike Johnson might be a victim of his own success in passing the continuing resolution.

This week, Hy and Christopher explore how Louisiana government is doing nothing about either the Hundreds of American Queen cruise ship personnel who received a termination notice last week, or the announcement that Marsh McLennan, the world’s largest insurance broker, acquired two middle-market agencies—Querbes & Nelson (Q&N) and Louisiana Companies. These mergers may constitute one of the largest buyouts of local insurance agencies/brokers in decades, with tens of thousands of customers affected. The question remains whether the consolidation of the “insurance middlemen” in Louisiana is good for the consumer? Critics fear these consolidations — and many others like it—may leave smaller agents with fewer insurance markets to offer to their customers—driving up personal and commercial insurance rates. We then talk about it crime initiatives in the special session, and whether the death penalty is the “pro-life” position. Finally, on a related note, we an initiative by the Hungarian government which has cut abortions in half, without outlawing the practice. Basically, a woman had four children, she never pays income tax for the rest of her life. Should that be part of the Louisiana debate on abolishing the state income tax? Federally? Viktor Orban is wrong on many things, but the use of tax incentives bolster family demographics family demographics and reduce abortions?

Hy McEnery & Christopher Tidmore host Jon Gegenheimer, author of the new historical novel “Churchill v. Hitler”. We talk about the psychology of the great rivals which form of our world, and invite our audience to an event to premier the book on Feb. 25 at the Garden District Book Shop. From there, we ask the question if there are too many parades each evening during the last week of Carnival—and whether, the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday before Mardi Gras ought to be school holidays. We conclude by examining the 2024 presidential race through the lens of the loss of two key representative districts in New York and Pennsylvania and cite the fact that African-Americans have closed the employment gap with Caucasians. We even end talking about the Rex Theme and the life of Lafcadio Hearn!

It’s Carnival time all the time on this edition of The Founders Show, talking Mardi Gras traditions to the melodies of Armand St. Martin’s original musical compositions, heard exclusively on this week’s broadcast with Hy & Christopher.

State Rep. Michael Bayham has the unique distinction of being both a freshman legislator, and one of the most experienced legislative hands at the state capitol. He joins Hy and Christopher to talk about DC Mardi Gras, problems with the portNola expansion in Violet, possibilities of tax reform, and carnival politics!

It’s Christopher Tidmore’s 25th anniversary as a radio talk show host, and he and Hy are joined by Christopher’s original on-air partner, Jeff Crouere. They reminisce about major stories over the years - including David Duke’s tax dodges and other stories of Louisiana political malfeasance they exposed. The three also review the special session, the new minority district (and whether it meets constitution muster), and what’s going on in the presidential primary race. Is Nikki Haley going to be a third-party “No Labels“ candidate? All this and more on this week’s edition of The Founders Show.

You are invited, and so join us for a CUP of TEA, Hot and Spicy, to Listen to and/or Talk on The Founders' Show, a Politically Incorrect Christian Talk Show, with your host, the Spingiree Baba of New Orleans, Chaplain Hy McEnery and Christopher Tidmore.

You are invited, and so join us for a CUP of TEA, Hot and Spicy, to Listen to and/or Talk on The Founders' Show, a Politically Incorrect Christian Talk Show, with your host, the Spingiree Baba of New Orleans, Chaplain Hy McEnery and Christopher Tidmore.

You are invited, and so join us for a CUP of TEA, Hot and Spicy, to Listen to and/or Talk on The Founders' Show, a Politically Incorrect Christian Talk Show, with your host, the Spingiree Baba of New Orleans, Chaplain Hy McEnery and Christopher Tidmore.

You are invited, and so join us for a CUP of TEA, Hot and Spicy, to Listen to and/or Talk on The Founders' Show, a Politically Incorrect Christian Talk Show, with your host, the Spingiree Baba of New Orleans, Chaplain Hy McEnery and Christopher Tidmore.

You are invited, and so join us for a CUP of TEA, Hot and Spicy, to Listen to and/or Talk on The Founders' Show, a Politically Incorrect Christian Talk Show, with your host, the Spingiree Baba of New Orleans, Chaplain Hy McEnery and Christopher Tidmore.

You are invited, and so join us for a CUP of TEA, Hot and Spicy, to Listen to and/or Talk on The Founders' Show, a Politically Incorrect Christian Talk Show, with your host, the Spingiree Baba of New Orleans, Chaplain Hy McEnery and Christopher Tidmore.