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The story in today’s Baton Rouge paper is an ominous warning. North LA is slowly dying. If a young person wants to stay in LA and get a good paying job – work for state and local government.

Government, according to the latest employment figures is the biggest source of job growth in the state. And leges want to keep it that way.

Legislation lacking

Friday was the last day that leges could introduce an unlimited number of bills. Between now and April 22, they each can introduce 5 bills.

Despite the dire warnings of population loss and the lack of attractiveness to business as outlined in the story, after reviewing the 1,782 bills filed, I found little evidence of efforts to make our state more financially attractive for businesses or individuals.

The leges seem hell-bent on expanding government.

I found one bill that attempts to reduce the State Personal Income Tax and it is constitutionally-flawed. It needs to be amended to simply reduce the tax rates. Adding exemptions and bracket changes cannot be addressed in the 2008 Regular Session.

The only other constitutionally-valid effort to “reduce” state taxes was a repeal of the State Inheritance Tax which has already been phased out. These bills offer language to clean-up of the statutes rather than to offer any real tax relief.

The “clean-up” bills do show what COULD be done in the upcoming session. Taxes and fees could be repealed.

Repealing or reducing the existing tax rates would not only make LA more competitive for businesses, but would make living here more affordable.

What could be done

The new (available in the 2008 R.S.) $1 Billion in recurring, excess and unallocated revenues could be used to repeal the entire Corporate Franchise and Income Taxes.

The billion dollars could be used to reduce the State Sales Tax from 4% to 2.5%.

The billion dollars could be used to lessen the effect of the Stelly Tax Plan by reducing the Personal Income Tax rates.

Lots could be done to help financially those of us who live in LA and work for a living. But to do so, the leges must at least try.

Why aren’t they?

What to do

Where’s the legislation to help us? It’s not too late.

It’s up to us.

Ask your lege to introduce and vote for tax rate reductions and repeals.

C.B.