lawmaking-for-dummies

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.