In Louisiana, Doing Less with Less

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

A guest column by LBP Director Edward Ashworth, published in the November 16, 2010, edition of the Times-Picayune, entitled “In Louisiana, doing less with less,” reviews Louisiana’s ongoing fiscal crisis and how the budget shortfall has negatively affected health care and higher education. Here is an excerpt:

“Real leadership” is what Gov. Bobby Jindal said was needed in response to the latest episode in Louisiana’s ongoing fiscal crisis, in which the state discovered it was $107 million short last year.

He then admonished his department heads to find ways to “do more with less.”

Under Gov. Jindal’s “real leadership” strategy, Louisiana is not doing more with less. We’re doing less with less, and we are the poorer for it.

The governor's plan will mainly benefit corporations and the wealthy, while working and middle-class families will pay more for services and products we use every day such as diapers, garbage collection, haircuts and home repairs. Louisiana’s tax system certainly needs to be improved, but this is the wrong way to do it.
Gov. Jeff Landry has called the Legislature into a special session to overhaul Louisiana’s tax structure.