Senator John Alario Shares the Shovel

Senator John Alario has been hanging around the state capital almost as long as the dinosaurs inhabited our earth.  Well maybe not quite that long, but since 1972.  He was twice speaker of the House before becoming Senate president.  A longtime Democrat who served in a leadership position under former Gov. Edwin Edwards, Alario became a Republican in recent years and joined the legislative leadership under Gov. Bobby Jindal.  Alario has faced no opponent since 2007.

Tuesday, Mr. Alario made the announcement that the present $1.6 billion budget shortfall can’t be fixed this legislative session because it is simply too big.  He admitted that, “We don’t have time now to come up with a long term solution.”  “The hard work will come next year.”  Consequently the cuts will be forth coming to health care and to a lesser extent education.  Mr. Alario’s statements make it appear as though he has no responsibility for this present mess, when in fact he and the rest of Jindal’s minions had 7 years to prevent this budget catastrophe, but instead chose to support Jindal’s “kick the can down the road” solution.  Something Alario is perpetuating yet again.

John Alario, as Senate president, was the point man for ALL of Bobby Jindal’s budgets including this year’s.  During those years he stood side by side with Jindal as he continued to dig the budgetary grave that has finally come to fruition this year.

Not once during the seven years of smoke and mirrors budgets did this man, considered by many as one of the most powerful lawmakers in the legislature, even remotely challenge Jindal.  In fact, he even blocked attempts to call special sessions to override Jindal’s vetoes of bills offered by some legislators to prevent the present budget collapse.  Alario has been a loyal puppet to Jindal and has been rewarded many perks for this loyalty.

However, he need not insult the intelligence of the Louisiana voter by acting as though he is trying to solve a budgetary situation that was simply handed to him by an incompetent governor.  John Alario shares equal responsibility with Jindal for the bankruptcy of Louisiana.

In six months the residents of Louisiana will get a chance to elect a new governor along with 144 legislators.  It's time to throw all these legislators out of office and start anew.