The news media in general, Television, Print and Radio and particularly talk radio are just now realizing how the states fiscal year budget deficit for fiscal year ending 6/30/15 is hurting the state because of a $300 million deficit. And are now talking about devastating cuts to next years budget that is projecting a $1.6 trillion deficit. Where have these people been? Every budget Jindal has proposed has run a deficit that had to be closed before the end of the budget year with cuts but the media voices have been silent and actually said he was doing a good job.
Jindal has 11 months left in office and now the news media is sounding the alarm. But "PolitiDose" was there early on in commentary to point out what was actually taking place with Jindal's fairy tale budgets, unemployment, the fiscal disaster he will leave the next Governor in January 2016 and a host of other actions that has hurt the state and its people. The news media need not be nasty in their reports, just report the facts and why Jindal's policies have failed.
All of the signs were there early after he took office. A broad reduction in taxes along with the massive give away of tax breaks for business that eroded Louisiana's revenue base. Cutting government jobs for privatizing is not a job creator. The news media should have know the outcome of those irresponsible acts because it is the same as "trickle down economics" that was tried and failed on the federal level by republican administrations.
In fact the Jindal administration along with the republican controlled state legislature is a mirror image of the G.W. Bush administration that ended in disaster for the country and its people. Bush inherited balanced budgets and surpluses from the Clinton administration and blew it big time. Jindal inherited a $877 million surplus when he took office from democratic governor Kathleen Blance and blew it big time. That should have been the news media"s first key to understand just what Jindal was up to.
Cuts to state spending has not worked to improve Louisiana's fiscal house, its revenue base, job creation, lower unemployment or balance budgets. According to a Times Picayune story of 2/14, two of three significant U.S. credit rating agencies moved Louisiana from a "stable" to a "negative" outlook based on the state's budget woes. Jindal now blames the latest budget problems on the falling price of a barrel of oil but Jindal's past budget problems occured during a period of time when the price of a barrel of oil was sky high. It is his way of trying to escape responsibility for his own failed policies.
The $8 billion in tax cuts and incentatives for business is an albatross around the neck of the state and its people. It represents approximately 25% of the state budget and no state, especially Louisiana, can give up that amount of revenue and be productive. It negates the natural benefits the state has to offer business. So what do our political leaders do? They dole out tax breaks that are not needed and to top it off the tax revenue for the state is not there that these businessess are supposed to produce. Unemployment is up in Louisiana since Jindal took office. It is down nationally but one would never know that from the news media. But you do know that if you read "PolitiDose". The media now smells MEAT in the water late in the game and will be on Jindal's case for the next eleven months. But it is too little too late. The die has been cast and Louisiana's fiscal house is in deep trouble.
Republican conservatives were giving an opportunity to run the state and they have failed because of a right wing ideology. Past democratic governors and a democratic controlled legislature has always produced better results for the state and its people. It is a matter of fundamental governing and a serious attitude toward policy. Conservative ideology as practiced by Jindal and republican leaders have no probative value.
Understanding the past is still the key to a better future. The news media, like the republican party have a blind eye toward the past and failed to learn from the past 7 years Of Jindal's time in office. The news media can not force the people to believe but they still have an obligation to report the facts that are taking place in government and the reality of what is taking place.
"PolitiDose" your daily dose of political commentary fills that void.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
