It’s a good thing Gov. Bobby Jindal doesn’t have Vince Lombardi as a boss.
Whenever one of his players became prone to fumbling, the legendary coach would make the player carry a football everywhere with him—when he was eating or sleeping or even in the bathroom—as a reminder to hold onto the ball.
Jindal would look silly sillier having to carry a copy of the state budget with him everywhere he went.
But it would be an appropriate punishment for the way he has fumbled the state’s finances throughout his administration. To simply blame falling oil prices is the worst cop-out. He is now into his eighth year in office and he has had a budget crisis every year—and this is the first time since he took office that oil prices have experienced a major drop.
The fact is, Bobby Jindal is simply inept and an embarrassment to the state that has had more than its share of embarrassments.
After sell-offs of state property, privatization of state agencies, wholesale layoffs of state employees, raids on Office of Group Benefits reserve funds, devastating cuts to higher education and health care, and cutting state contracts, we now learn that at least one agency—there most likely will be others to follow—is instituting an employee furlough plan that will result in employees losing about a month’s pay projected over a 12-month period. Hopefully, the furloughs will last only through the end of the fiscal year (June 30).
Secretary of State Tom Shedler announced today (Jan. 14) that yet another proposed $3.8 million mid-year budget cut for his agency by the administration will force the implementation of an agency-wide furlough beginning next week. He said he has been advised to prepare an impact statement to the Division of Administration (DOA) by Friday outlining how the reduction would be facilitated.
“This level of reduction this late in the fiscal year is truly daunting,” Shedler said. “After holding the largest election our state has seen in decades just this past fall, my office’s resources are down to the bone. The administration is asking for us to give up bone marrow and it is extremely painful. You can’t cut enough pens, pencils and travel allowances to get to this number.”
Schedler shared the budget numbers with his senior staff Wednesday morning, telling them that if the Secretary of State’s office receives an executive order calling for the cuts, he will immediately seek Civil Service approval of a furlough to begin next Tuesday (Jan. 20), or soon thereafter.
Once approved, all Secretary of State employees, both classified and unclassified (including Schedler), will be required to take one day off per pay period (state pay periods are every two weeks, meaning that over a full year, employees would be required to take off 26 days, or nearly a full month, without pay) through the rest of the fiscal year.
If the furloughs last only through June 30, that would mean about two weeks’ lost pay to employees, still better than the previous Jindal method of wholesale layoffs.
“Furlough days will be staggered throughout the agency so that office hours can be maintained for the public,” Schedler said.
He said the one-day-per-pay-period furlough plan would produce an anticipated savings of $1.1 million through June 30. The administration has requested $2.6 million in state general funds that otherwise would be used for elections, he said. The remaining balance would be achieved from various savings in operational costs. With primary and runoff elections for governor scheduled for this year, $2.6 million would be a lot for the office to absorb.
“I recognize that this kind of reduction is unsustainable in the long run,” he said. “So, as I have my entire career, I plan to be fiscally responsible. As we await an executive order and Civil Service approval, immediate action was necessary to maximize savings while continuing to look for a more permanent solution if the budget picture does not improve.”
Secretary of State Press Secretary Meg Casper added that some state museums may have to close additional days in order to meet the required spending cuts.
Casper said has not heard how other state agencies will handle the pending executive order from Jindal to reduce spending but an official of one other agency, asked if he knew of the pending executive order, replied, “Oh, yeah. It’s coming…and going to be brutal.”
Of course, as the fiscal crisis worsens in Louisiana, Jindal is nowhere to be found. The last we heard, he was planning to bash Hillary Clinton in a speech in London next week—before returning to his home base of Iowa.
We’re as yet unclear on how the London speech relates to Louisiana’s fiscal woes. Maybe it’s just us, but it seems he was elected governor of Louisiana and should be in Baton Rouge minding the store—especially when it seems the store is going bankrupt.
Louisiana Voice 
I’m convinced the McKneely law school enrollment has been a red herring. Jindal plans to announce at the 1/24/15 prayer meeting that Chance is his choice to succeed him. Chance McNeeley balloons will descend from the Maravich Assembly Center rafters, bands will fire up, and Chance will outline how he plans to continue Gov. Jindal’s forward-thinking policies to make Louisiana the greatest state in “these United States of America.” The crowd will all chant “Chance” on one side of the Assembly Center, followed by “McNeeley” on the other. This has all been well concealed, but now that I’ve exposed the master plan, we can all rest easy knowing Chance will see us through. Can I get an amen?
Former speaker of the house is a contract employee at above $100K salary. Do you know if he is included.?
Jindal is not inept. His sole purpose in governing has been to gain approval of the Republican right. He wants to be able to point to how much he has privatized the state and how much the government no longer does. Thus we can lower taxes. Remember the influence of the extreme Tea Party backers who hate all government except for defense (probably for its manufacturing contracts in their district), police and fire protection, and as little infrastructure as we can get by with. They feel government has no business in health or education, so they can privatize all that. Bobby is deliberately aiming to be able to say, “See how I have shrunk government in LA! Elect me president, and I can do the same in the US!”
He is a complete jackass and moron!!! And to think I thought Buddy Roemer was one dumb governor but JIndal takes the cake.
The best and most efficient way to cut and retain monies would be to eliminate all contracts with outside contractors, businesses and individuals that holds a contract with the State. By now they have all received big pay outs by the state and the jindal administration so they would not be hurting by a six month salary or profit. The millions saved would allow all state employees and retirees to receive that 30% raise along with the troopers. Lol. Whether those pay raises would occur is anybody’s guess but the money saved by the state would be enormous. There are hugh contracts out there and most can be eliminated without putting the hurt on state employees or retirees. Just let the employees do their jobs without bringing in outside contractors because for years guess what – the employees did their jobs even without computers.
Hey, how about reimplementing those taxes that Jindal gave to corporations and wealthy people. Those tax cuts are the main reason the state is in a financial mess.
New businesses can’t commence operations without the approval of the Secretary of State. So if the Secretary of State’s office can’t expediently process applications as it has in the past, businesses in Louisiana can’t expand. When the businesses and their attorneys complain, let Shedler and his staff instruct those complaining to contact Jindal and tell him how disgusted they are that he, Jindal, is hampering business, especially new businesses, in Louisiana. Put the “processing slow down” blame where it rightfully belongs. In Jindal’s lap.
How about letting Jindal pay for his own travel to help with budget cuts? Just seems like an obvious way to save a little money. Too simple?
Hey I got an ideal!! Why don’t you lay people off who are within 45 days of being able to take a 20-year retirement like Jindal did to me? Jindal is a jerk.
Jindal is a modern-day Nero, an Alfred E Newman and a P.T. Barnum all rolled into one. God help us!
The question of the day is: If the executive order comes down for all agency’s to furlough employees, will include the Gov’s office, and will he have to be off w/o pay too? Might as well, most of his time is in Iowa anyway.
Correct me if I’m wrong. Back in 2008 the politicians did away with the Stelly plan. And it just seems that since the plan was removed the state budget has been short. I guess I’m trying to find out is why has the budget been short of funds for the last 7 years? Was the budget shortage all smoke and mirrors? Just like with OGB issue. Why has this state gotten into such a mess? As far as the furloughs go, the lower paid employees are the ones that will surfer financial . The employees making 75,000 or more will be ok. On top of the furloughs increased Heath insurance premiums because someone didn’t pay attention to what was happening with Office of group benefits. Why does the state continue to spend dollars on consultants? I agree state police do need a cost of living but not 30%. All state employees need a cost of living. I’m surprise that the administration hasn’t claim those funds due to they have taken everything they can. What I’m asking who was asleep at the wheel?
Jindal has aimed to wreck state govt. from the beginning. His hand picked board guy, Bobby Yardbird from the meat company has rotarized this message from day one. Instead of big talk, like Roemer, BJ has seen to it and he ain’t through yet. I remember BJ’s pre-gubornatorial flyer stating his mom was a state employee and he was going to look out for teacher and state employees. Guess that feeling changed a bit like common core?