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GOVERNOR JINDAL ACT LIKE A CONSERVATIVE

By Jeff Crouere

Friday, May 09 2008

On Friday, in a presentation to the Revenue Estimating Conference, state economists predicted that Louisiana would receive about $1 billion in extra revenue this fiscal year and into the future. The revenue bonanza is mainly caused by skyrocketing oil and gas prices. This surplus should not be spent on growing government, instead it should be returned to the taxpayers of Louisiana. Unfortunately, Governor Bobby Jindal has called for “investing” the surplus dollars to handle “unanticipated needs that may arise in the future.”   Sorry, Governor Jindal, the biggest need right now is to provide relief to Louisiana taxpayers who are reeling from burdensome taxes, surging costs of gasoline, high grocery prices and inflated insurance premiums. Thousands of people are still trying to recover from the devastation of Katrina and Rita. So, it should be the primary mission of politicians in Baton Rouge to serve the taxpayers and create a more livable environment in Louisiana.   A good method of providing tax relief is Senate Bill 87 by State Senator Buddy Shaw (R-Shreveport). It was designed to reduce state income tax rates to the levels that existed prior to the passage of the Stelly plan. It was amended by the State Senate to totally phase out personal income taxes over the next ten years. Now, it moves to the State House where it is running into frenzied opposition from groups who are complaining that state spending will have to be reduced. Well, that is exactly the right idea, especially since we have a surging surplus and a state budget that has tripled in the last twelve years.   If the bill is passed, Louisiana will join seven other states with no income taxes: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. Since all of these states are doing better than Louisiana, why don’t we try to emulate them?   Unfortunately, Governor Jindal is not supporting this bill; however, as a candidate, Jindal ran on a platform of cutting taxes and reducing government spending. Since he has been elected Governor, he has not followed through on his campaign promises despite the obvious need to provide relief from the high tax rates in Louisiana. Recently, the respected Tax Foundation reported that per capita Louisiana has the 11th highest rate of taxes in the nation.   Jindal should remember that he was elected to pursue conservatism in Baton Rouge. The bedrock principles of conservatism include cutting taxes and reducing government spending. Jindal should support any bills which further those laudable goals. Instead, according to legislators, the administration is resistant to fiscal reform efforts to limit the scope of government. For example, the administration proposed a state budget of over $30 billion, an inflated figure that should be cut significantly.      It is time for the voters of Louisiana to remind Governor Jindal why he was elected. We need massive change in our state. The accomplishments of the first two special sessions, passing ethics reform and enacting minimal business tax cuts, are good but real fiscal reform is mandatory. Eliminating the state income tax would send a positive message to the nation that Louisiana is reducing the size of government and creating a state that is attractive to all people who want to limit the amount of their income they send to the black hole of state government.   Everyone who really wants to change this state for the better should place two calls. One call to their state representative to encourage a responsible vote for Senate Bill 87 and the next call to Governor Jindal to demand that he sign the bill if it passes the Louisiana Legislature. If this bill becomes law, then Louisiana will really start changing for the better.     --- Jeff Crouere is a native of New Orleans, LA and he is the host of a Louisiana based program, “Ringside Politics,” which airs at 7:30 p.m. Fri. and 10:00 p.m. Sun. on WLAE-TV 32, a PBS station, and 7 till 11 a.m. weekdays on WGSO 990 AM in New Orleans and the Northshore. For more information, visit his web site at www.ringsidepolitics.com. E-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Bookmark

 

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