Louisiana: The State We Are In

The news media in Louisiana, radio, TV and printed told the fairy tale that the state and its people were conservative under the administration of Bobby Jindal.  The facts tell a different story to those who paid attention as to what was taking place.  The news media and the pundits were so wrong and had their head in the sand.

The latest information on the state's budget that ends June 30 is out of balance to the tune of $750 million.  That number will have to be accounted for before June 30 and is the same budget Jindal and the republican controlled legislature said was balanced after the last legislative session.  To top it off the reports also point out that next years budget that begins July 1 is already in deficit by $1.9 billion.  That is a total deficit of $2.65 billion that has been turned over to a new governor's administration that has been in office a total of only 12 days as of this date.

All of Jindal's budgets ended up the same way.  They were declared balanced and then declared in deficit only a few months later.  People who read "PolitiDose" were given the true story long ago but the news media and the pundits continued to brag about Jindal's budget cutting and swallowed the fairy tale, until things got so bad they had to finally respond.  They are the people who are supposed to be looking out for the citizens best interest.  Yeah, right.

Jindal and conservatives who say you can balance the budget by cutting spending have proved their warped ideology completely wrong.  Louisiana has a revenue problem brought about by special interest tax breaks to the tune of $8 billion a year plus other breaks given to business.  There are other problems in the way the state estimates revenue and the use of unsound principals of projecting revenue and expenses.

If any one thinks the $2.65 billion projected deficit can be handled by cutting spending (Jindal tried that for 8 years and failed) without raising revenues and put the state's future budgets on a sound fiscal base they need to move in with Jindal.  The foundation for the states's fiscal carnage was laid by Jindal and the republican controlled legislature under a radical and false conservative idea of budget cuts and trickle down economics that favor the business community.

Of course all of the fiscal carnage now falls to governor Edwards who has to make some tough decisions.  This writer will be surprised if the republicans will cooperate and work with him and only time will tell.  Don't look for the news media and the pundits who gave Jindal a free ride be willing to give Edwards a fair shake.  The evidence is there for all to see.  Jindal, the state and the voters of Louisiana were not conservative during the Jindal administration concerning the state's fiscal health.  And that really says it all.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio