The state's budget deficit for fiscal 2012 was in the news once again in an article published in the Times Picayune of 2/25/11 by staff writer Bill Barrow. The Jindal administration has run a budget deficit every year since his election as governor. And every year Jindal announces the budget is in balance only to have to acknowledge by the middle of the budget year the budget is out of balance by millions of dollars and more cuts will have to be made. In other words it was not really balanced in the first place. Elected officials are noted for playing games with budget numbers.
Now comes the largest deficit of all projected to hit $1.6 billion for fiscal 2012. According to Barrow's article House Speaker Jim Tucker said, you've got four choices, raise taxes, cut spending, use one time money or eliminate tax exemptions. Past decisions by Jindal and the legislature has failed to bring the deficit under control because they lacked the courage to do those things that would increase state revenues sufficiently and they lack the courage to eliminate the waste in the yearly $7 to 8 billion of tax exemptions that is a give away to business. They should start with the Saints and Hornets and work down the list. Barrow also noted that Jindal and the legislature used federal stimulus money to balance the last two budgets. Remember how Jindal hates those federal dollars.
Once again Business who basically pay no taxes have been spared any budget cuts while the middle class suffers the burden of the budget.
Former governor Blanco left the Jindal administration a $1 billion surplus and he and the legislature blew it all. The sad part about Jindal and the legislature can be understood when in Mr. Barrow's article house speaker Tucker said, this $1.6 billion is not a number that we didn't know was coming.
Our state leaders are marking time until the national economy gets fully back on track. They have no record of really balancing the state budget, have no record of creating jobs despite the $7-8 billion give away to business and have no record of courage to do those things that really matter and make a difference for the state and its people. Those democrats who recently turned republican are showing their true colors. They joined the do nothing party.
