The headline of the story at the top of the front page of Wednesday’s Hammond Daily Star knocked the breath out of me.

It screamed: “Parish puts more money in roads.” How shocking! I thought the only way to get more money for roads in Louisiana was to raise taxes, build toll roads or implement tolls on the existing roads. Despite my many years of dealing with government in Louisiana, the concept outlined by the Tangipahoa Parish Council was a new one on me. Remember: this came on the heels of the Tangipahoa Parish School Board voting to lower our property taxes for this year.

Here’s how the unusual plan works.

Sales Tax revenues are up more than 40% in Tangipahoa Parish. At the suggestion of Parish President Gordon Burgess the Parish Council voted to spend a substantial portion of the extra funds on roads. In fact, during the current year, the Tangipahoa Parish Council will double the amount normally spent on roads each year.

Contrast this common sense (uncommon with LA public officials) approach with that of the LA Department of Transportation and Development. According to Johnny “Tollman” Bradberry, the state needs a couple of hundred million dollars in a revenue stream that it can bond (See TIMED Program for reference.) to help out the with the billions of dollars in backlog of road needs statewide. In order to generate the necessary funds to fix our roads, the state needs more revenues. Bradberry’s only solution is either placing tolls on the roads that we already have or RAISE TAXES. It’s that type of thinking that has led us to be last among states in places to do business.

Earlier this year, the state of LA recognized an additional $750 MILLION in STATE revenues. These were RECURRING funds which were promptly placed into the State General Fund (a.k.a. the Fiscal Abyss) to be spent on, among other things, local projects (a.k.a. pork barrel projects). In other words, it was estimated by the LA Revenue Estimating Conference that this money would be flowing into the state indefinitely.

This begs the question of why didn’t the governor and “Tollman” didn’t suggest using a portion of the new STATE revenues to leverage the billion dollar road building program.

However, there is an economic downside to such unique thinking (common sense). This will definitely put a damper on business at the front-end alignment, tire, body shops and auto dealerships in Tangipahoa Parish. Fortunately, the people of Tangipahoa Parish also travel on Interstate Highways 10, 12 and 55. That should keep the auto maintenance people in business for a few more decades.

I think I’m finally home.

C.B.