forgotston.com

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words.

In this case, the cartoon above, compliments of my friend and editorial cartoonist Hank Wilson* says it all about how the Jindal Administration plays the budget game.

The Jindal Administration threaten cuts to Higher Education and Healthcare. They make no cuts to billions of dollars in pork barrel projects and programs, vacant positions, slush funds, etc.

One of these days the taxpayers of our state will wake-up and say they’ve had enough of the game. Until then, we shall remain hostage to the leges, a governor and bureaucrats; forced to accept higher taxes, higher fees and more legalized gambling in lieu of fiscal responsibility.

Jindal’s so-called “reform” administration plays the game exactly as did the “bad ol’” EWE administrations.

Been there; done that, too many times.

I’m still looking to elect at least a few folks who have the best interest of the taxpayers instead of those of government as their top priority.

C.B.

*Hank’s cartoons are published weekly in various newspapers around the state and posted on this website (see link) on Wednesdays.

1 CB 8:33 am

Last week, the LA Board of Commerce and Industry was whining about the fact that we citizens were complaining about the lack of economic development activity in LA because we citizens “didn’t understand.”   (Story here.)

According to the board, that is overseen by the ethically-challenged head of LED, Stephen Moret, the suggested solution was more publicity, i.e. spend more of our money.

Later, we learned that the Baton Rouge Press Club had been forced to cancel its meeting on December 15 because the invited speaker stiffed them.   Yep, you guessed it.  The speaker was to be Stephen Moret who could have publicized his department’s fine work for nothing.

One can understand why Moret wouldn’t want to face the media after it was revealed that he was spending $600,000 to hire a consultant to pursue the automotive industry to build plants in LA.  Maybe that money could have been spent to publicize the great works his department is doing so we citizens wouldn’t be so ignorant.

C.B.

1 CB 8:06 am

There is a tendency to take everything said by the Jindal Administration at face-value, especially on fiscal matters. Apparently, this is because Bobby Jindal is a self-declared “fiscal conservative.” Perhaps it is just because of an extended “honeymoon” with the leges.

If an Edwin Edwards’s administration had just announced a $2 BILLION budget shortfall, the Republican leges would have been up-in-arms. The media would be inundated with information, commentary and quotes from the Repubs exposing the $2 BILLION myth.

It’s not happening.

The only “drilling down” (deep analysis) thus far, is coming from the private sector. In his weekly column (here), Dan Juneau, President of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (”LABI”) challenges the unchallenged, fiscally-irresponsible, statements coming forth from the State Capitol.

Juneau mentions the “special funds” hidden throughout the state budget. A big one is over $400 Million in the Industrial Megasite Fund to bribe a business to come to LA. This $400 Million is part of the “continuation budget” to which Juneau refers. In other words, the shortfall envisions an additional $400 Million added to the fund in the next fiscal year for a total of $800 Million.

Watchdogs

Juneau’s group is not known as a “watchdog” by the media. Perhaps it isn’t a “watchdog.” Perhaps LABI’s effort is simply a matter of self-preservation.

This isn’t Juneau’s first rodeo. Ignoring the fiscal rhetoric will result in higher taxes and fees on his members and a reduction in essential services.

Regardless, it benefits all of us in LA to become better informed. Besides the so-called “watchdogs” aren’t barking.

Kudos to Juneau for doing the necessary “drilling down.”

C.B.

1 CB 6:57 am