Conservative writer James Varney for the Times Picayune in his column of March 6 probably did not realize that his commentary actually makes the case that the next Louisiana governor should be a democrat.
Varney points out that state Treasurer John Kennedy is looking to fill Jindal's shoes when he leaves office in 2016 and that Kennedy said Jindal uses a credit card to balance the state budget. This writer has pointed out in politidose many times how Jindal has not really balanced any state budgets and why.
Jindal's team according to Varney shot back that Kennedy was keeping with the administration's earlier conclusions Kennedy's computations of Louisiana's bonding and debt service capabilities have been wildly erroneous. I don't know where the treasurer gets his numbers from and also that Kennedy has a long track record of half baked gimmicks.
Other contents in the article concerns shrinking state government as if that is the cure all for everything. But Varney, Kennedy and Jindal never touched upon the $8 billion of tax breaks for business that is approximately 25% of the state budget. That corporate welfare is off the table when it comes to cutting spending.
Former democratic governor Blance whom Jindal succeeded not only balanced the state's budget but left the Jindal administration with a $1 billion surplus and Jindal blew it big time just like George W. Bush did with the balanced budget and surpluses of the Clinton Administration.
The conservative ideology and talk of the republicans in Louisiana has never moved the state forward. Unemployment was 3.8% when Jindal took office and it has never gotten back to that number yet. Kennedy and Jindal's opinon of each other's performance in office sounds like a soap opera and Louisiana needs a good democrat to clean up their mess. Gimmicks and credit card governing will continue as long as Jindal and Kennedy have their way.
Commentary written by John Lucia
