Two recent articles in the Times Picayune dated 3/27 by Julia O'Donoghue is a good example of governor Edward's determination to have his policies reflect reality and priorities in order to move the state forward. In the first article the governor put a hold on construction projects not yet started on university campuses or other state property in favor of moving forward on projects that advance the states greatest needs.
Edwards will prioritize road projects and deferred maintenance on existing state buildings and college campuses. That at least $80 million would be put toward road funding this year and the governor believes Louisiana must do a better job at shoring up the facilities it already has. He also pointed out public universities and colleges alone face a $2 billion backlog in needed maintenance.
The second article concerns part of the governor's agenda that would reverse some of Jindal's so called legacy. According to O'Donoghue, Edwards is pushing a higher minimum wage, equal pay for women, medicaid expansion, limits on TOPS, real ID license that complies with federal security regulations, primary and secondary education and others that Jindal opposed and would not accept.
Those two articles indicate what "PolitiDose" has said from day one, that Edwards would not govern by ideology but by policy that takes on the issues facing the state and its people. Ideology does not solve problems, policy with solutions that recognize a problem does. Governor Edwards knows when the state's deficit problem is so bleak, plans and priority are the first step to break the cycle of fiscal madness. Only then can the state move forward with real progress for the people.
Governor Edwards is beginning that process.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
