computergirl

You choose which is the most important; children or computers?

According to knowledgeable public servants, LA is about to fall off of a financial “cliff.”  Apparently, the Rhodes Scholar-in-chief has been out in the hinterlands of our state regaling the masses with all that HE has accomplished, he either doesn’t know or doesn’t care what is going on right under his nose in Baton Rouge.

We have been told that the poor, the elderly and the children of our state will lose many of their existing healthcare benefits unless the state can come up with $700 Million plus in state dollars to match available Federal Medicaid dollars.

While The Rhodes Scholar is out campaigning (for whatever office he will next seek), State Treasurer John Kennedy has rolled up his sleeves and is working on the fiscal problems about to befall our state.

Computers vs. people

Friday, while making an appearance on the statewide Moon Griffon radio show, Kennedy proposed another common sense approach to addressing the alleged “cliff.”

Kennedy is proposing that the state cancel or freeze an existing $150 to $200 Million contract for a new computer accounting system (which shows no promise of any return on the investment) and use the savings to match Federal Medicaid dollars.  The savings combined with the Federal match could produce over $600 Million in healthcare services for our people.

Kennedy poses a very straight forward option: computer accounting upgrades or our citizens lives?

The Rhodes Scholar should answer the question.  It’s solely within his control.

Thus far, the response of the Jindal Administration to Kennedy’s solutions to problems has been either stony silence, to throw up barriers to solutions or to pose more problems for which Kennedy must find solutions.

It’s long past time for The Rhodes Scholar to stop grandstanding to the masses and start doing the heavy lifting necessary to benefit the masses.

He should lead, follow, or get the hell out of Kennedy’s way.

C.B.