Moon Griffon, conservative radio talk show host, is our guest.  Since August 23, 1993 when he launched the Moon Griffon Show in Monroe at KMLB 540 AM, the program has steadily grown and Moon's audience includes listeners in Lafayette, Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, Monroe, Natchitoches, Shreveport, Slidell, Thibodaux, and Winnfield, as well as Natchez, Mississippi. He has broadcast his show from KPEL 96.5 in Lafayette since 2014.

A native of Plaquemine, Moon graduated from Redemptorist High in Baton Rouge, and went on to play college basketball and graduate from Northeast, now known as UL – Monroe. Early in his career, he worked in sales and as a caterer, drawing upon his contacts made during his playing days at Northeast. These contacts served him well as he began a new chapter in his life and began his own radio talk show.

An interest in talk radio in the early 1990's motivated him to start his own show that would give a voice to the middle-class, everyday citizen. Always focused on "God, Family and Country," Moon's early shows were centered on First and Second Amendment issues, along with local issues that drew in listeners who wanted a say in community affairs. He's always conducted his own research for the show and has just as passionate a voice today as he did back in 1993.

Moon recounted the struggles in growing his program and jokingly stated that he's learned valuable lessons from his failures and still learns each day from his experiences. An early riser, Moon is disciplined in his approach to maintaining quality programming and staying abreast of issues. The late C. B. Forgotson, a conservative, seasoned lobbyist and former House of Representative's staff attorney, was a beloved mentor to Moon and taught him the ropes in conducting accurate research into the state budget and how the legislative process works. Moon was careful to point out that he makes mistakes and is quick to apologize when needed.

Steadfast in his belief that Louisiana has got to change its way of operating to enable a climb out of its lagging economy with stagnant job growth and a net migration population loss, Moon thinks we need "leaders" rather than the "deal-makers" who have run the House and Senate the past few decades. We discussed the apathy of voters as he recounted a declining turnout over the past couple of decades. Upper and middle-class residents who have left Louisiana to chase better opportunities out of state reflect the same trends in fewer people showing up at the polls. He lamented the loss of our "best and brightest" who have had to migrate out to pursue employment; the long-term implications and ripple effect will result in fewer students, fewer jobs and fewer opportunities for our residents. Louisiana is the only Southern state losing population and statistics bear out his fears.

Passionate and fearless in expressing himself and his beliefs, this interview provides an opportunity to learn what drives Moon Griffon to host his call-in show five days a week, two hours a day. He loves Louisiana and challenges our elected officials to step up, prioritize and address unfunded accrued liabilities and infrastructure needs, and treat the "cancer" that has prevented our state from reaching its highest potential.

You can listen to the Moon Griffon show each weekday from 9 to 11 a.m. on KPEL 96.5. Visit https://kpel965.comfor more information.