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This statement proves that if one keeps their expectations low enough, even the Louisiana Legislature can achieve success:

“[The 'career option' diploma is] probably the most significant piece of legislation that came out this year …” said Rep. Frank Hoffmann, R-Monroe. Monroe News-Star, July 29, 2009.

In case you are unaware the “career option” diploma is for those students in the LA Public Schools who are unable to handle the tough curriculum required to get a traditional High School diploma.   Already almost a third of the school systems in Louisiana have already requested permission not to offer this “less-than-a-high-school-diploma” diploma.   Obviously, those systems suffer from high expectations for their students.

Rep. Hoffmann holds a Doctorate of Education degree.  Nuff said.

C.B.

1 CB 8:00 am

According to the report, below, from the BR Business Report, Louisiana will return to the status quo, economically, by 2012.

Is that good news or bad news?

On the surface it might seem to be good news because being better than where we are currently seems like an improvement.   However, if one looks where we were before the recession/depression it might not be.

The status quo

Before the recession/depression LA ranked 49th out of the 50 states in terms of the state’s economy.   That ranking included the activity from the billions in Federal dollars to repair the damage inflicted on us by the incompetence of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Currently, we are being asked by the politicians at the national and state level to accept as “good news” that the rate of the economic decline is slowing.   That’s like saying that we were drowning in 12 feet of water, but now we are drowning in 10 feet of water because some of the water has evaporated.   For those of you who choose to look at the glass being half-full instead of being half-empty that might pass for good news.  However, for the realists among others, the fact remains we are still drowning.

Thus, if you can tread water until 2012, you will only drown in 10 feet of water.   However, if you choose not to drown, it’s time to demand that the elected officials in Louisiana do better than what they have done.

A suggestion

A suggestion from one who chooses not to drown is to forget making government more efficient as is the only plan in motion from the Jindal Administration.  Instead, call a special session to immediately repeal all business taxes, fees and regulations not mandated by the Federal government and down-size government in Louisiana to whatever size can be sustained by the remaining consumer taxes.

If businesses are willing to come to our state for cash bribes and tax breaks in spite of the fact that we rank last in quality of life issues, then surely they will flock here if there are no state business taxes at all.   Why wait to 2012 to get back to where we’ve always been — at the bottom.

All it takes is political courage by our elected officials to throw us a life line instead to telling us to continue to tread water.

If anyone has a better suggestion please let me know. I’m open to any suggestions other than telling me to tread water and pretend that I’m actually going somewhere.

C.B.

Baton Rouge Business Report’s Daily Report July 30, 2009

Report says La. will recover from recession by 2012

The number of jobs in Louisiana is expected to return to pre-recession levels by 2012, according to a new report. IHS Global Insight says the state will recover quickly from the recession, since there was never a housing bubble and because of the oil industry.

According to preliminary figures from the Louisiana Workforce Commission, the state had about 15,000 fewer jobs in June, when compared with numbers from a year earlier. IHS says states in the Northeast and industrial Midwest will emerge more slowly from the recession; Connecticut, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Rhode Island aren’t projected to return to pre-recession job levels until after 2015.

1 CB 8:00 am

On Monday, Bobby Jindal addressed the first meeting of the latest group to be formed to “streamline” state government. Bobby outlined what he wanted THEM to do (see story here).

Thus far, the effort has raised a collective yawn from the public for good reason.  Such groups have been formed since Dave “Formerly Clean” Treen was governor.   The net result is a bloated state government which still manages to spend every dollar it can get its hands on.

The purpose of the latest group per Act 491 of 2009 Regular Session:  It is essential that the state act now to reduce the cost of state government, through all means available, including efficiencies, economies, greater effectiveness, and other means to streamline government in order to … ensure that available state tax dollars are being spent efficiently and effectively.

Inefficiencies

I thought that the job of the governor included the purpose of the commission.  LA Constitution Article IV, Sections 5 (B) and (C) state:

(B) The governor shall, at the beginning of each regular session, and may, at other times, make reports and recommendations and give information to the legislature concerning the affairs of state, ….

(C) When requested by the governor, a department head shall provide him with reports and information, in writing or otherwise, on any subject relating to the department….

Ironically, it appears that the commission’s purpose is a duplication of functions; thus, itself an inefficiency in state government.

Recommendation

It is interesting that Bobby has all the answers when it comes to the nation’s healthcare and other weighty matters nationally which are NOT his job, but doesn’t know what to about the state’s inefficient government which IS his job.

The first recommendation of the commission should be that the commission be abolished and tell Bobby to do the job we pay him to do.

C.B.

1 CB 7:23 am