Gov. John Bel Edwards hasn’t even issued the call yet for a special legislative session to deal with the state’s budgetary woes and already state lawmakers appear to have the collective attention span of a gypsy moth.
A couple of years ago, a person who knows me well (my wife) commented that after Bobby Jindal leaves office, I would have nothing to write about. She’s dead-on with most of her evaluations but with this one, she failed to take into account we still have a legislature.
That’s the body that allowed Bobby Jindal to run roughshod over this state for eight long years with hardly a peep of protest. And that’s the body that must, in the final analysis, be held accountable for the damage inflicted by Bobby.
The legislature allowed Jindal to rape higher education. It looked the other way when he gave away the state hospitals. It was shamefully mute when he closed or privatized mental health hospitals and cut funding for the developmentally disadvantaged.
No questions were asked when it was revealed on this blog that Department of Public Safety Undersecretary Jill Boudreaux picked up an extra $46,000 in spare change by taking advantage of a retirement incentive offer (along with an additional $13,000 in unused leave) in April of 2010 only to return to work the next day—at a promotion from deputy secretary to undersecretary (Funny, when Sally Clausen did that at the University of Louisiana System, the mainstream media was apoplectic).
Lawmakers blindly went along with a last-minute amendment to a bill in the closing hours of the 2014 session that would have given State Police Superintendent Mike Edmonson an additional $50,000 or so in retirement income in violation of an irrevocable decision he had voluntarily made years before that locked in his retirement. Only when LouisianaVoice stumbled upon the amendment and publicized it was action taken to rescind the amendment.
So now here we are in January of 2016, staring down the barrel of a $2 billion-plus budgetary shortfall for next fiscal year and about $700 million just to make it to the end of this fiscal year (June 30).
I’m about to make citizens angry at legislators’ lack of focus. I’m going to make women furious at lawmakers’ lack of sensitivity towards equal pay for them. I’m about to make those struggling to feed a family on minimum wage wonder (actually, they’ve never stopped wondering) if anyone in elective office even cares. And I’m about to send state employees who have gone for years without a pay raise into orbit.
And no matter which group you fall into, you can look to the legislature as the cause of your continued struggles.
And just so you don’t forget, I want to remind you that it is legislators like Senate President John Alario (R-Westwego) who use not their own money, but campaign contributions to dine at the finest New Orleans restaurants, purchase season tickets to LSU athletic events and to Saints and Pelicans pro football and basketball games, and to lease luxury vehicles like BMWs and Mercedes. Others use funds to pay fines for campaign violations (the ultimate irony) and to even pay personal federal income taxes as well as to purchase season tickets to athletic events.
The Baton Rouge Advocate on Wednesday (January 13) ran a front page story about Legislative Fiscal Officer John Carpenter’s attempt to convey to House members just how severe the state’s financial plight really is.
So the House members were riveted to Carpenter’s presentation, hanging onto every word, right?
Wrong. Elizabeth Crisp, writing for The Advocate, said the budget talk was “met with mild interest” from members “who mingled about and talked throughout the more than two hours of presentations.” http://theadvocate.com/news/14553820-123/state-house-members-hear-gloomy-budget-outlook
The chamber was called to order, she said, in an attempt to quiet the “loud chatter” and some members posed questions in an attempt to get fellow members’ attention, “though it had little effect,” she wrote.
What the hell? I mean, WHAT THE HELL?
Did we send a bunch of juvenile delinquent dumbasses to Baton Rouge to party and have a good time at taxpayer expense? Apparently so.
If these legislators had kids who got their hands on dad’s credit cards and maxed them out and the kids started chattering and laughing during the lecture on fiscal responsibility that followed, dad would—and should—jerk a half-hitch in them. We, in our parental roles, should remind these jerks, these spoiled brats in no uncertain terms why they were elected.
Remember State Sen. Neil Riser (R-Columbia)? He’s the one who slipped the infamous Edmonson Amendment in during the closing hours of the 2014 session. That was the amendment that would’ve kicked Edmonson’s retirement up by some $50,000.
Well, guess what? Though he was frothing at the mouth to get Edmonson his money in 2014, he went on record today (January 13, 2016) as opposing any increase in the minimum wage. Greg Hilburn, writing for the Monroe News-Star, quoted the incoming chairman of the Senate Labor Committee as justifying his opposition to an increase: “The Louisiana economy is struggling,” he sniffed.
Well, DUH!
Yes, Senator, the economy is struggling. When you have people trying to exist on $7.25 an hour, they’re going to struggle. They won’t be able to purchase appliances, cars, or homes, the very consumer products that drive the economy. Where did you get your economics degree, Senator? Oh, that’s right, I forgot. You run a couple of mortuaries. Do they teach economics in embalming school? I bet you don’t pass up an opportunity to increase prices on those shiny coffins, do you? How much do you charge for a funeral today as compared to say, ten years ago? Five years ago? One year? Betcha a dollar to a doughnut those rates haven’t remained stagnant.
There was no one in Louisiana more skilled than C.B. Forgotston at chronicling the antics of those he referred to as the leges. C.B. sadly is no longer with us, so it falls to those of us who can only aspire to his observational skills to keep Louisiana’s citizens abreast of the shenanigans of the 144 members of the Louisiana House and Senate.
With that said, here’s another reason the economy in Louisiana is struggling: Women in Louisiana, on average, make 66 cents for every dollar paid a man for the same job. Where is the equity in that, Senator?
Here’s a news flash for you. Politico Magazine has just issued its annual “States of our Union” report. Any guesses as to where Louisiana ranks?
If you said 50th, you would incorrect. We’re 51st. It seems the District of Columbia was also included in the rankings (coming in at 39th overall).
There’s a thing called the Gini coefficient, or Gini index, factored into the rankings. The Gini coefficient is a measure of statistical dispersion intended to represent income distribution, or more accurately, to reflect income disparity (the gap between the haves and the have-nots).
In that measure, the District of Columbia is the worst but we’re not far behind. We have the nation’s fourth-worst income inequality. But Neil Riser doesn’t want to increase the minimum wage.
Here are a few other rankings that contributed to the state’s overall anchor position:
- Per capital income: 11th worst at $24,775;
- Unemployment rate: 6th worst at 6.3 percent;
- Percentage of population living below poverty level: 3rd worst at 19.8 percent;
- Percentage of high school graduates: 3rd worst at 83.6 percent;
- Life expectancy at birth: 4th worst at 75.7 years;
- Infant deaths per 1,000 births: 5th worst at 7.49.
And just for good measure, another survey shows that Louisiana is the sixth most violent state in America with 514.7 violent crimes per 100,000 population. The state’s murder rate (10.3 per every 100,000 residents) is the highest in the nation and more than double the national rate (4.5 per 100,000 people). http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/01/12/the-10-most-dangerous-states/2/
Statistics provided by the U.S. Department of Justice show a direct correlation between poverty and crime. http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=5137
But let’s not raise the minimum wage, Senator.
Here’s the real irony with Riser: he represents one of the poorest senatorial districts in the state which means he is undermining the interests of his own constituents. Could it be he does not want to pay his employees more?
At least Edwards has signed an executive order expanding Medicaid which will provide health care to some 300,000 citizens who were denied it under the Jindal administration.
And finally, for those state employees who have gone without raises, I’m sure by now you are well aware that state troopers received back-to-back raises totaling some 30 percent over a six-month period last year. http://theadvocate.com/news/legislature/12940806-123/state-troopers-get-hefty-back-to-back
But did you know that Edmonson is working quietly behind the scenes to implement an automatic annual pay increase for state troopers in addition to the usual merit raises (which, we need not remind you, have been denied other state employees)?
That’s right. He calls it a “longevity” increase and if he is successful, it will give state troopers, many of whom already make six-figure incomes, automatic raises each and every year, merit be damned. Longevity means by virtue of hanging onto one’s job, troopers get automatic raises.
While state employees may belong to a union (The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees—AFSCME—is the main player), state civil service rules prohibit state employees from striking. But why not a state employee association? That’s a pretty benign term. We have RSEA, the Retired State Employees Association of Louisiana. Members pay their own dues and a state employee association could be set up in the same manner. No one has the authority to ban an employee association—especially if there is no payroll deductions for dues. And for the more sensitive types, it removes the stigma of the word union from the discussion. (People forget, however, that it was unions’ efforts that ended child labor in oppressive sweat shops. Unions gave us the 40-hour work week. They fought for a minimum wage and for our retirement and medical benefits. And it was unions that led the fight for equal rights for women and minorities. We should never lose sight of those facts because unions, like ’em or not, were instrumental in creating America’s middle class that Republicans seem hell-bent on eliminating.)
An association, after all, would only be a large social club—sort of like that other organization…what’s it called? Oh, yeah, the Association of Louisiana Lobbyists. Or maybe the Fraternal Order of Police.
And such an association would never call for a widespread sickout of state employees in order to make a point (wink, wink) on an issue like say, longevity pay increases for state police while civil service employees continue without even cost of living increases for years on end.
Seriously, if leges (with apologies to C.B.) don’t get their collective heads out of… (and we’re not talking about sand here), they will end up creating just such an organization. People (teachers, state employees, women, minorities—all voters, mind you) are tired of being dumped on. They’re tired of patchwork budgets, tired of legislators turning deaf ears on their problems, tired of the elitist attitudes and campaign-funded perks of the power structure.
They want solutions and the leges would be wise to pay attention in class and to take their jobs seriously—or get out so someone else will.
Louisiana Voice 
I was also totally appalled at the Advocate account of the behavior of our legislature during the budget analysis. Who do they think they are? I think we need someone to name names and publicize exactly how poor their attention is to the issues at hand. Thank you for the column. I feel so frustrated and helpless when hearing things like this.
I have said this before the election. Not one incumbent who supported Jindal should not have been re-elected. Alas, we voted them back in. They think they have been rewarded for being such good legislators. And we get the government we voted for. Gov. Edwards is in for a long hard slog and Louisiana will be the worse for “rewarding” these crooks& liars.
C. B. would be proud of you, Tom.
I totally agree with your assessment of the Legislature. This is nothing more than a “good ole boys” club that also includes some women. They are not interested in solving The problems of the State. They live high on the hog from the State trough. The one issue that you forgot is that the newly installed Governor was one of these before becoming Governor. He now says says he wants to change the way the legislature works, but I don’t recall him speaking out against the Legislative pay and perks while he was enjoying them. Will be interesting to see any changes Edwards suggests cor the Legislature and their spending.
In reviewing John Bel Edwards’ campaign expenditures, I do not recall seeing any athletic tickets, automobile leases or expensive restaurants among them. And I do recall him speaking out on many occasions during committee hearings. He will make mistakes and he will do things with which I do not agree but I would not be so quick to criticize. Give him a chance. You may be pleasantly surprised.
I will give him a chance, but will be looking to see the cuts he recommends which affects the actions of the Legislators. All I have heard concerning the financial problems facing the State is raising revenue. I am anxious to hear the recommended cuts and real cuts in spending.
Tom, I thought things would get better in Louisiana. After reading your report it looks like “Mother-Earth” needs to make more piñata’s!!! Thank you for keeping us informed.
Tom’s analysis represents one big piñata. We the People need to beat this one to a pulp. The leges obviously did not get the message represented in the election of a little-known Democrat over a well financed, high profile republican career politician. Tom threw down the gauntlet and the rest of us need to slap the leges’ collective cheeks with it. These people have no shame, no sense of duty and no common sense.
Excellent analysis, Tom. Keep fighting the good fight.
Many of them were not voted back in – nobody ran against them! Leges is a great term; Molly Ivins used it to describe the members of the Texas Legislature. I’m sure C.B. wouldn’t mind you carrying it on.
This is going to be a rough six months. I look forward to your reports.
Nice to see another Ivins fan aboard.
Tom, you have it right, except the legislators are not the only dumbasses, we the people, should share the title…
So true. Most “leges” play a similar game to that played by our former governor in which their priorities are 1) enhanced personal power 2) re-election or election to something else 3) – 9) or lower – Other things unrelated to governing 10) or lower – governing and concern for their constituents and the needs of the state. We play this game, too. Guess who loses.
Let’s hope JBE governs in such a way that more focus shifts to the leges. They make the laws, not him. He can only recommend and then execute the laws they enact, including the budget. We must never lose sight of this.
We all have or can obtain our own “Leges’ ” email address. I will send this column to them with a note that I and others will be watching their every act and vote. I hope others will do likewise.
I believe there is a union for state civil service employees, but it is so poorly publicized that few state workers, including me, know about it.
On the other hand, RSEA membership is open to active state employees as well as retiree’s for only $18 per year. And it has a successful record of scaring the jindal Commissioner of Administration into removing the OGB deductible from retiree’s health plans two years ago. Like any other Association, the more people who join, the more power they will have.
Back in the dark ages of my youth, I was a member of that union, AFSCME, and I think some municipal employees in Louisiana still are as are some state and local employees in other states. It’s contract with the state was so weak, the chapter to which I belonged existed mainly to provide financial support for the national organization. We did have some fun picnics and things, but those were about it and it never took off in but one state department as far as I know. The RSEA is effective.
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Be careful what you wish for – employee associations. The teaching profession has such a one called A+PEL in Louisiana. Its parent organization was created to destroy unions. A+PEL lobbies against the “public” in public education and enjoys the quiet support of those leges who reap the benefits. They are in the pocket of those members of the business lobby (LABI, CABL). Many of the teacher members don’t even realize this. They are even quietly promoted by public officials. In the past, BESE members Garvey and Dastugue along w a legislator or two, whose identities I can’t recall, have met locally w teacher friends for recruitment purposes at a local restaurant. While teachers are never referred to as teachers (they are unions) in the press, you will never see A+PEL listed or questioned.
“…employee associations…” possibly acting as –
Astroturf Groups
– which actually provides some self-funding of neutralization of political inertia as opposed to sole funding by conservative organizations.
Edwards has a huge problem. Price of oil. If he starts spending huge amounts of money, which he already is doing he will plunge the state into a huge hole.
International politics are driving this. It is much easier to meet the state budget on $80/bbl oil in the world market, than one that is plunging towards $10. It is lot more than just the excise tax on Louisiana oil, it will be all the industries supporting the oil industry that will stop working drying up those taxes as well.
The other thing to remember is now that we are on the hook for ACA, we are also on the hook for ACA’s costs past 2018 when the federal revenues dry up. One only has to look at other states that got onto the ACA bandwagon and are now bailing out, Is Louisiana diving in, when cooler heads might be staying out?
Money goes where it is wanted and rewarded. The people who have money generally know how to make money as well. You don’t want them to keep or move their money, you want them to churn their money.
Certainly oil prices are a factor in our state budget troubles. But it is an international economics, not politics, issue as you stated. Louisiana can’t affect international oil prices, only adjust to their impact.
On the other hand, we do control our tax policy. Businesses and rich folk have had a great tax holiday under Jindal with corporate taxes reduced more than 70%. Edwards should tell LABI and the people of Louisiana that all this corporate welfare has TOTALLY FAILED to improve the state’s economy and that he will endeavor to restore tax level to what they were 8 years ago. The Louisiana economic miracle is how we could get so little for what we gave away.
There are two problems with suggesting that the state budget should be further reduced. First is that the budget has already been cut over the last eight year beyond the point that effective operations can be sustained. Aside from the obvious cuts in operational budgets, resulting in reduced services, capital budgets were also slashed. The state has to replace all of its old, unreliable equipment soon. The second is that we know that budget cuts fall primarily on Health Care and Education, two of the areas most people think are most important.
I agree. And, wouldn’t it be a real miracle if our business community decided to support reasonable tax increases to dig us out of this economic hole. Surely, they saved some of the welfare that they have been receiving and would love to cooperate?
Your third paragraph is so true. If the state could somehow slowly ween the locals off of the state supplements. A huge one is supplemental pay for local law enforcement personnel. Monies for NGOs is another. But, the problem is that when you turn the faucet on, it takes a strong will to turn it off. If you cut off supplemental pay, the locals will have to increase taxes to makeup for the loss of the state monies. Locals can’t fund NGOs. NGO monies are essentially the old rural and urban slush funds.
James, lets give the governor a chance. Also, before I left the employ of the House of Representatives, I worked with then Rep.Edwards on some legislation. I found him to be courteous, honest, and easy to work with. During his time as a House member, he often led the charge against the Jindal Administration. Also, as Tom has said do not place him in that category of legislators that you described above. As for spending cuts, he has a tough row to hoe.
I think everyone’s already being too easy on him. I want to see a detailed plan on how he intends to handle our budget deficit, and this prior to ‘signing off’ on any other of his program proposals other than a minimum wage and equal pay for women. Being a campaign donor, I get requests from his administration on this every day. Do not think that a minimum wage and equal pay are not strategies for increasing state revenues. Taxes have always been part and parcel of democrat revenue strategies and is one of the reasons that Republicans have been able to increase their influence through promises to hold the line on taxes yet all the while giving tax decreases only to their corporate supporters and selling off the farm.
Hold his feet to the fire by demanding to see a detailed budget plan on his Twitter and Facebook sites lest you again be led blindly down the garden path. He states that he wants public engagement on these issues and I think it irresponsible to deny him that request, but demand that he engage as well.
I understand your point. However, he is having to deal with a spending plan that has too much one time money in it and numerous amounts of dedicated funds he cannot touch. In my humble opinion he has to begin the process of weening the locals. A treasury flushed with oil and gas revenue in the 70s-80s allowed state government to provide local governments with extra money. What used to be called the “rural” and “urban” slush funds are now called monies for NGOs. Local nongovernmental organizations who receive funds from the state for various purposes. Purposes such as putting synthetic turf on football fields, constructing halls, etc. Ask Treasurer Kennedy about this. Lets stop that gravy train. Whoa, wait up. That’s how the leges bring the bacon home. Only they can stop that. Supplemental pay! Supplemental pay is that portion of the salaries of local law enforcement personnel that is funded by the state. Why do we do that? Anyway, I am not sure what more he can cut, but if he could eliminate that local funding, maybe that would help alleviate the problem. But, he can’t eliminate such without the leges help. Answer this: What lege will introduce legislation to repeal supplemental pay? What lege will introduce legislation to eliminate funding to NGOs?
I have faith in JBE and attacks on the legis’s, though well deserved, will not solve our problems. I wonder how many saw the Eagle at Inaugural ceremony?? JBE’s speech was real and he is not afraid of any Republican, and our state Republicans know that. let’s work together! love always ron thompson
I watched the legislature in session once–what a revelation! Every LA citizen should experience the shenanigans, lack of decorum and civility..almost like a frat party sans the alcohol (I think). I have lost all respect for our legislators.
@clifford55
Thanks for sharing your insights garnered from experience. Still, sooner or later he’ll need any pressure we can bring on our reps. in support. He won’t get that leaving us in the blind. Plus, I want to see some of the useless corporate subsidies killed to boot. I’d love to hear more opinion from you on this as you are able. I’d really like to see the O&G companies take it on the chin for the depletion allowance but don’t know if that is at all possible. Plus there’s the failure of Louisiana to collect O&G taxes that Tom wrote about not long ago.
@clifford55
Another quick point and I’ll leave it alone for the time being. Despite your protestations that the current budget is a mess and difficult, all the program proposals I’m getting from the administration give the appearance he wants to add even more expense. This is giving the appearance of some surreal horrible joke. And believe me, no one in this neck of the woods thinks that it is at all funny. We have oil field workers that are coming home with no prospects for employment with vehicles they’ve just bought and will default on, the smaller E&P companies will soon be bankrupt and even the majors are going to see some serious draw-down of revenues. The low and middle income classes are tapped out with no prospects for the future.
“useless corporate subsidies” and “The low and middle income classes are tapped out with no prospects for the future.” Two true comments. As I don’t have enough knowledge about all of the various incentives, tax breaks, tax credits, and such, I can’t speak to them. However, there is one that boggles the mind. Not sure if it still exists and I am sure there are others out there who can enlighten me. Tell me why do we give tax breaks or incentives to big oil to come and drill. Do we honestly believe they will not come if we don’t do so. One more thing and I will leave it alone also, I hope he is not adding new programs on top of an already bloated budget. We have to stop at some point.
the worst is the horizontal drilling tax exemption. This has allowed $6 Billion per year of Louisiana oil shale assets to be extracted without a penny of compensation to the state. Repealing this exemption should also have a fairly quick benefit to the state.
OneStateWorker, that’s the one I was writing about. Thanks.
Correction for AsYouLikeIt: I did not write that story about the oil and gas tax revenue. The research and writing on that great piece was the thorough work of Mike Stagg. He was kind enough to allow me to post it on LouisianaVoice.
I would like to bring up the columns written by Jeff Sadow in The Advocate. I have read, I think, the last four articles and all have blasted Governor Edwards, all of which were written even before he was sworn in as Governor. His negitivism, anger, and irrational comments are very Trump-like. He is supposed to be a professor, teaching college students.I would hope that a course he teaches should have some balance, but I doubt it. I think that most people will end up not reading what he writes, as they will always be able to predict what he will say.