Former Louisiana Governor Blanco decided not to run for reelection because she thought the aftermath of Katrina would dominate the campaign instead of the many other issues important to Louisiana and its people. That was a courageous decision. Most elected officials put self before any thing or anyone else.
The people elected Bobby Jindal as governor. A republican has not occupied the governor's office seat very often and the word was spread that a new era in Louisiana politics would began for the better. Politics concerning the proposed budget that is in deficit reflects the same old political solutions. Higher education, health care and funding for the arts are taking a heavy hit. Nothing new there and so far no original thought. The increase in property taxes is once again with us and home owners are mad. Nothing new there either. One member of the legislature is proposing a tax rebate to help out and also will introduce legislature to raise the homestead exemption to $150,000 to replace the present $75,000. Nothing new there because the problem is still with us after many years of debate and elected officials seem to be all over the ball park.
More and more people are writing to the Times Picayune letters to the editors expressing their disapproval of governor Jindal's many trips out of state to raise campaign contributions. Nothing new there either. A lot of our past governors have been AWOL. Jindal tells the people often how lucky the people of Louisiana are that the economic down turn has not been as severe for its people as other parts of the country. Yet the Times Picayune reported 3/30/09 that Louisiana's rate of personal income growth in 2007 was 10.2% and dropped to 4.2% in 2008, a decrease of 6%. That number would be pretty severe to a lot of folks.
The people are told finding new revenue sources is not easy. Is that supposed to mean our elected officials can't make the hard decisions when necessary? Former republican governor David Treen resurrected just recently a way for the state to raise new revenue. Its called CWEL, "Coastal Wetlands Environmental Levy." The levy would produce substantial revenue with the impact on Louisiana hardly noticeable says Treen. The problem is that elected officials are afraid to do their job when anything that looks like a tax is mentioned. Instead, they find a way to get into the consumers pockets a hundred different ways.
Our politicians tell us they know a lot about oil and gas in this state. Yet they got carried away with their budget projections on revenue from oil and gas which was part of the budget problem. They thought the price of oil was going to stay sky high. They acted like they were from Nebraska. Is there any one in Louisiana who knows the price of oil will come down. Nothing new there either.
At this point I don't believe any one can say with a straight face a new era has begun in Louisiana. The people who run government still lack any original thought.
