According to the Associated Press story: “[T]he fastest growing segment of the economy over the past year has been state government, which added 8,900 jobs ­ 1,800 more than in the petroleum sector, construction and manufacturing combined.”

“This is a huge increase in state government,” said Loren Scott, professor emeritus of economics at Louisiana State University. “As long as it’s not the only growing factor, it’s not terrible. But you have to watch this. It’s not the textbook example of how to grow your economy.”

Mixed messages

Governor Blanco’s recent veto of the tax relief on businesses’ utilities only serves to exacerbate the problem.

Governor Blanco continues to go on junkets to England and elsewhere to recruit businesses while screwing the businesses already in LA. That attitude is not lost on those she seeks to recruit. That why she has had so little success in getting new businesses in the state while exodus of existing businesses continues unabated.

Government retarding the economy?

This data shows the result of expanding state government and ignoring the private sector economy.

While it is only anecdotal evidence, it suggests that the private sector is not growing because of the growth in state government.

C.B.