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Stories in today’s newspapers about proposed budget reductions at some Louisiana state agencies raise some questions.

…Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine said Wednesday the job losses won’t result in service cuts, as the residents of the group homes will be transferred to private facilities that perform the same functions at a lower cost. Times Picayune, December 31, 2009

Levine said the average daily cost for a resident of a state-run group home is $366, compared with $208 in a private facility. Ibid.

Questions

Why did it take so long to determine that these services could be provided cheaper in existing private facilities?

Is the purpose of government to provide jobs or to provide services to the citizens of our state?

Other reductions

Reductions in the budgets at the state prisons are interesting.

The state Department of Public Safety and Corrections which oversees prisons released a long list of cost-saving ideas….

It might be a sandwich and a piece of fruit or chips instead of a hot meal for either lunch or dinner, said Pam Laborde, the agency’s spokesperson. The (Baton Rouge) Advocate, December 31, 2009.

Also being pursued — Buying food in bulk. Ibid.

Questions

Does everyone in LA eat or even need 3 HOT meals a day? Some of us only eat two and very often they are not hot.

State prisons which house hundreds and in some cases thousands of prisoners are not already buying food in bulk?

If finances are so tough in the state agencies why is the state still funding local government programs and Non-governmental agencies (NGOs)?

Finally, if the budgets are being so drastically reduced why are there still spokespersons for government bureaucrats?

I’m old enough to remember when only the governor of the state had such a person.  Back then public officials and public employees spoke for themselves.  Given the current salaries of these folks who manage state agencies, it seems that they would be capable of communicating with the public and the media.

A return to common sense

The above reductions seem like common sense. If instituting some common sense into state government was caused by revenue losses, it seems we need more revenue reductions.

C.B.

1 CB 8:15 am

There’s been a lot of concern over the latest round of budget cuts to Higher Education in Louisiana.   The “Roads Scholar” just ordered that $84 Million be cut from the current budget of Higher Education.

Obviously, those folks who are concerned about the funding reduction simply “don’t understand.”

Higher Education in Louisiana is still adequately funded.

How do I know that? Because here is what Bobby promised while campaigning for governor in 2007 about Higher Education:

–We have to invest in higher education with a focus on research efforts that partner with the private sector to meet the needs of our state. Source: Jindal Campaign brochure: Economic Reform: Expanding Innovation, Investment and Opportunity for all Louisianians.

As Governor, I will commit to developing nationally competitive state research departments here in Louisiana, improve the focus on technology transfer and commercialization, and work with universities to pursue top faculty with competitive salaries and endowments. Ibid.

–LSU must be supported so that it can compete with the other leading research universities around the country.  We can no longer afford to be penny-wise and pound foolish by allowing valuable researchers that can bring in millions of dollars in grants to leave because we refuse to pay to repair crumbling infrastructure and facilities. Ibid.

–If we are to utilize the strengths of Louisiana’s educational institutions to expand our economy, we must adequately fund higher education. Ibid.

Adequate is defined as “enough: sufficient in quality or quantity to meet a need…” Encarta® World English Dictionary [North American Edition]

Therefore, unless one believes that Bobby has broken a promise to the people of Louisiana, one must assume that Higher Education is adequately funded.

Clearly, Higher Education in Louisiana was over-funded prior to the latest reduction.

C.B.

1 CB 8:00 am

Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

I’m no Einstein, heck I’m not even a Rhodes Scholar, but I’m not insane either.   With a new year approaching we need to start thinking about how to improve things in Louisiana and not about just maintaining the status quo.

It’s with that in mind that I offer some solutions to our state’s problems.

Solving problems

Corruption is the most oft mention problem with our state.  One of the biggest fiscal “time bombs” is the ever-growing Unfunded Accrued Liability (”UAL”) of the state retirement systems.

Both of these problems could be addressed with one simple piece of legislation; a constitutional amendment to prohibited public servants (state and local) from receiving retirement benefits if they are convicted of a felony in connection with their job.

Currently, there is no financial disincentive for a public servant to make money from his public position.  At worst, if they are caught by the Feds (There is no effort by the state and local authorities to address corrupt public officials.) he goes to a Fed prison for a few years at taxpayers’ expense while his family lives comfortably with as much as a 6-figure pension for the remainder of his life.

An additional benefit to the taxpayers of prohibiting a felon from receiving a public pension is to limit the growth of the UAL.  At the rate that the Feds are convicting our public officials it might actually solve the UAL problem that plagues the taxpayers of Louisiana, their children and grandchildren.

Angola or bust

One additional suggestion about stopping corruption.   Congress should pass a law that requires any public official convicted of a felony in the U.S. Courts to serve their time in the state’s “hard labor” prison rather than a Federal facility.

In Louisiana that would be the state prison at Angola.   A side benefit of this would likely be some significant improvements at the current facility compliments of the leges.

To our elected officials, if you don’t like my solutions come up with your own.  Again, to quote Einstein: “Significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.”

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

C.B.

1 CB 8:00 am