Monday, February 15, 2016

Desperation in Baton Rouge




Hypocrisy was in full view Thursday night following Governor Edwards’ address to Louisiana citizens.
After the governor finished his speech about the financial crisis facing Louisiana, John Kennedy, State Treasurer, the man once regarded by our Republican legislators as a non-entity, had been elevated by his cohorts to that of the savior of the state and anointed with the honor of presenting the official Republican rebuttal speech. The fact that it was designed to kick off his bid to run for David Vitter’s job is of little consequence.  What was amazing was, that for eight years during Jindal’s reign, Kennedy had preached the same thing and during that time our esteemed Republican legislators considered him a malcontent and ignored his suggestions; 400 according to Kennedy’s latest count. Even when he questioned the Jindal administration’s budgetary projections they religiously ignored him and accepted the Jindal voodoo.  In their eyes Kennedy had no viable solutions.
The legislators supported Jindal’s Republican conservative fiscal mismanagement for eight years and share equally in the present fiscal disaster.  However, by selecting  Kennedy as their rebuttal speaker they are now portraying him as a fiscal expert, someone to which Governor Edwards should pay allegiance.  What a group of hypocrites!  How dumb do they think we Louisianans are in not being able to see through this hypocritical veil. 
After Edwards’ speech, the social media ignited bashing Governor Edwards’ proposals to raise revenue, which include tax increases.  Tangipahoa Parish, in particular, was extremely vocal.
However, let’s step back and take a deep breath.  The governor of Louisiana can propose whatever he wishes; for they are just that, proposals.  It is the legislators in the Republican dominated House that create revenue generating bills and pass them on to the Senate Republicans for modification and/or approval. If the final bailout includes any tax increases, it will be the doing of the House and Senate Republicans, not Governor Edwards, for he can only approve or veto the legislation presented to him.
Eight years ago most Republican representatives elected by the voters in this state, including Tangipahoa Parish, boarded the Jindal train to fiscal destruction and rode it silently to where we are today. Yet, now these same Baton Rouge folks would like you to believe that the present disaster was all Bobby Jindal’s doing.  Not true, he only proposed the voodoo, they made it a reality.   Hypocrisy is alive and well among Republicans in the Capital.

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