Changes

==Career==

==Career==

In 1961, Beam became a reporter for ''The American Press'' and was promoted to city editor in 1965, to co-editor in 1982, and editor in 1992. Since 1975, Beam has covered the Louisiana legislature and writes regular political columns which have won awards from the Louisiana Press Association, the Louisiana-[[Mississippi]] [[Associated Press]], and the Louisiana State Medical Society. His publications include ''Positively Beaming,'' a collection of 110 of his favorite columns, and ''A Matter of Trust,'' an excerpt of his Master’s Thesis that appeared in the Fall 1994 issue of ''The Tulane Lawyer.'' In 2000, Jim Beam was selected by the Advertising and Press Club to be the first “Lake Area Legend.” Although officially retired as editor, Beam continues to covers the state legislature and write editorials for ''The American Press.''<ref name=bio/> In 2017, Beam was inducted in the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame in Winnfield.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/2017/03/11/las-political-legends-take-their-place-hall-fame/99050436/|title=La.'s political legends take their place in Hall of Fame|publisher=''The Monroe News-Star''|date=March 11,2017|author=Greg Hilburn|accessdate=February 20, 2018}}</ref>

In 1961, Beam became a reporter for ''The American Press'' and was promoted to city editor in 1965, to co-editor in 1982, and editor in 1992. Since 1975, Beam has covered the Louisiana legislature and writes regular political columns which have won awards from the Louisiana Press Association, the Louisiana-[[Mississippi]] [[Associated Press]], and the Louisiana State Medical Society. His publications include ''Positively Beaming,'' a collection of 110 of his favorite columns, and ''A Matter of Trust,'' an excerpt of his Master’s Thesis that appeared in the Fall 1994 issue of ''The Tulane Lawyer.'' In 2000, Jim Beam was selected by the Advertising and Press Club to be the first “Lake Area Legend.” Although officially retired as editor, Beam continues to covers the state legislature and write editorials for ''The American Press.''<ref name=bio/> In 2017, Beam, along with four others, was inducted in the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame in Winnfield.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/2017/03/11/las-political-legends-take-their-place-hall-fame/99050436/|title=La.'s political legends take their place in Hall of Fame|publisher=''The Monroe News-Star''|date=March 11,2017|author=Greg Hilburn|accessdate=February 20, 2018}}</ref>

Most beyond Lake Charles have learned of Beam through the [[Moon Griffon]] [[radio]] talk show; now a sharp Beam critic, Griffon earlier had expressed admiration for the editor's independence. The website The Hayride: Southern Politics and Culture in 2012 dubbed Beam "a wolf in sheep's clothing," a columnist who "hides behind the so-called mainstream mantra, when clearly [his] opinions are [[liberal]]. Bean has proposed means testing of the state Taylor Opportunity Scholarship Program, named for the [[New Orleans]] businessman Patrick F. Taylor (1937-2004). TOPS has been a particular benefit of the middle class. ''The Hayride'' claimed that Beam is trying to foment [[class warfare]].

Most beyond Lake Charles have learned of Beam through the [[Moon Griffon]] [[radio]] talk show; now a sharp Beam critic, Griffon earlier had expressed admiration for the editor's independence. The website The Hayride: Southern Politics and Culture in 2012 dubbed Beam "a wolf in sheep's clothing," a columnist who "hides behind the so-called mainstream mantra, when clearly [his] opinions are [[liberal]]. Bean has proposed means testing of the state Taylor Opportunity Scholarship Program, named for the [[New Orleans]] businessman Patrick F. Taylor (1937-2004). TOPS has been a particular benefit of the middle class. ''The Hayride'' claimed that Beam is trying to foment [[class warfare]].

The real problem is the failure to hold our higher educational administrators accountable. The biggest flaw in the TOPS program is that it allows higher education a pot of cash each time the Legislature trims the.budget because with each budget cut from the Legislature comes with a tuition increase from the universities. When tuition increases, TOPS must increase the benefit – allowing the higher education leaders to pillage the taxpayers rather than becoming more efficient. And that is the problem with government.<br>

The real problem is the failure to hold our higher educational administrators accountable. The biggest flaw in the TOPS program is that it allows higher education a pot of cash each time the Legislature trims the.budget because with each budget cut from the Legislature comes with a tuition increase from the universities. When tuition increases, TOPS must increase the benefit – allowing the higher education leaders to pillage the taxpayers rather than becoming more efficient. And that is the problem with government.<br>

Until the government becomes more efficient and Louisiana’s journalists like Beam write the truth, we will only see a further expansion of liberal ideas and failed policies.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thehayride.com/2012/12/liberal-jim-beam-wolf-in-sheeps-clothing/|title=Liberal Jim Bean: Wolf in Sheep's Clothing - The Hayride|publisher'=Thehayride.com|date=December 31, 2012|accessdate=February 20, 2018}}</ref></blockquote>

Until the government becomes more efficient and Louisiana’s journalists like Beam write the truth, we will only see a further expansion of liberal ideas and failed policies.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thehayride.com/2012/12/liberal-jim-beam-wolf-in-sheeps-clothing/|title=Liberal Jim Bean: Wolf in Sheep's Clothing - The Hayride|publisher=Thehayride.com|date=December 31, 2012|accessdate=February 20, 2018}}</ref></blockquote>

 

*Beam's column challenging the claim by LSU journalism chair Robert "Bob" Mann that Louisiana is "a sick and dying state."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.americanpress.com/opinion/jim-beam/is-louisiana-sick-and-dying/article_4a1af3a0-9943-11e7-a22e-775bf9b57699.html|title=Is Louisiana 'sick and dying'?|author=Jim Beam|date=September 14, 2017|accessdate=February 20, 2018}}</ref>

References==

References==

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beam, Jim}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beam, Jim}}

[[Category:Louisiana People]]

[[Category:Louisiana People]]

[[Category:Journalists]]

[[Category:Journalists]]

[[Category:Democrats]]

[[Category:Democrats]]

[[Category:Liberals]]

[[Category:Liberals]]

[[Category:United States Army]]

[[Category:United States Army]]