Spineless legislators cry foul

I’m sure most folks are aware of the old proverb, “You reap what you sow.”   Apparently our esteemed legislators in the state House of Representatives need a refresher course on its full meaning.  When given many opportunities in special sessions to deal with the ludicrous tax break incentives offered to industries and corporations in this state, coupled with an inadequate individual income tax system, they chose to do nothing.

Republican House representatives further choose to continue to absolve themselves of all fiscal responsibility by producing a budget during this session that they admit is seriously flawed, but passed anyway.  Their cry was “Let the Senate fix it.”  The only problem is the budget is so flawed it can’t be fixed by the Senate.

  

The House passed budget plan would nearly defund the state's safety-net hospitals; a move that the Louisiana Department of Health predicts would shutter hospitals in New Orleans, Shreveport, Monroe, Lafayette and Bogalusa.

The budget only funds 80 percent of the money needed for the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, which would lead to cuts to scholarships for college students.  It would also drastically reduce funding for medical education programs in the state, potentially leaving Louisiana with no functioning medical schools. Additionally, it would eliminate funding for thousands of nursing home residents.

As a defense for passing such a ludicrous budget House Republican Caucus Chair, Lance Harris, of Alexandria, stated, "This is what a responsible budget looks like – dealing with the actual figures, the actual money that's available to the state today. The state cannot spend money that it doesn't have." Certainly no one can argue against this statement, but what Rep. Harris conveniently omits is the fact that House GOPs had three special session opportunities to develop a plan to generate more revenue without putting these consequences on the backs of individual tax payers.  They lacked the spines to do it.  Instead, they once again allowed the LABI, headed by the former chief of staff for Bobby Jindal, Stephen Waguespack, and other powerful corporation lobbyists to call the shots in the legislature.  Yes, Jindal’s influence lives on in many of our illustrious legislative proceedings.

Ironically, now our esteemed Baton Rouge leaders are upset with Governor Edwards over the budget because he has shown the public the real world impact their budget would have.  Letters have gone out to the elderly and disabled telling them to be prepared for loss of their state funded care.

House GOPs can’t stand this move because it created the worst case scenario for them, a negative ground swell from their constituents. If there’s one thing a Louisiana representative hates, it’s to hear from those they represent. Over the years I have written many times to our representatives and only received an acknowledgement of my correspondence from four individuals, one being our present governor.  Joyfully, their offices are now flooded with constituents’ feedback about their ludicrous budget and they literally can’t stand the heat.

House Republicans “Reaped what they sowed.”  This couldn’t happen to a more deserving group of individuals.