Courage is a virtue that many political leaders lack. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal falls in that category. The governor just released another round of state budget cuts, mid year because the first rounds of cuts were not sufficient. Once again health-care, including the disabled and higher education are taking a big hit and will bear the burden in this round of cuts.
The states revenue shortfall is once again being blamed for the predicted deficits, originally pegged at over $1 billion for this and next years fiscal budgets. Revenue from oil and gas operations were over stated even though our estimators have the experience since Louisiana has been an oil producing state for many years. Tax revenues are also down including taxes business have to pay.
The governor, a so called conservative fits the mold of having no real plans to deal with the budgets problem outside of cutting spending. Mr. Edward Ashworth, Director, Louisiana Budget Project Louisiana Association of Nonprofit organizations, pointed out in an editorial dated 11/26 in the Times Picayune that an array of Louisiana tax exemptions projected in this years budget will cost the state approximately $6.5 billion in lost revenue. And this taking place at the same time the state needs revenue
Since the budget cuts had a negative affect on higher education, tuition has already been increased at many Louisiana colleges and now the heads of higher education want to be able to raise future tuition with out approval from the state. Jindal said that is fine with him. Most people with common sense realize that the middle class bear the burden of tuition increases. Jindal had an opportunity to do some thing positive during the budget process by opposing the Stelly plan legislation that took $300 million of revenue from Louisiana as was estimated by state officials. Instead of opposing that short sighted plan the governor supported it even though he knew what was happening to the budget and its loss revenue.
No courage, no real plans to move Louisiana forward, no real original thought to governing. Trickle down economics is alive in the Jindal administration and once again proven to be a fairy tale. All the while the people are the ones who pay the price for his warped ideology. Fairness in budget cuts and or taxation is no where to be found in the Jindal budget process.
