Political Horizons for Dec. 14, 2008
Print
Email
Save
Reprints
Twitter
Share
Del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Reddit
- Page 1 of 2
- SINGLE PAGE VIEW
Normally, Gov. Bobby Jindal’s chief of staff, Timmy Teepell, devotes his days to making pitches to legislators about the governor’s agenda.
But Teepell descended into the depths of the State Capitol last week to pay a call on Press Row with a handout entitled “Current year budget: Confusion v. Facts.”
The handout is rather confusing in itself, with explanations about ongoing expenditures, mandated increases, one-time money and cost drivers.
The point was to debunk an Associated Press story on the spending increase in the current year’s state budget. The AP was the latest news organization to point out inconsistencies in the Jindal administration’s spin on the budget.
The story reports legislators’ confusion over the fact that state general fund spending grew by $1 billion during Jindal’s first year in office.
No doubt contributing to the confusion is the fact that Jindal keeps telling everyone he cut the budget.
“We cut spending in our state by 12 percent,” the governor told FOX News’ Greta Van Susteren last month. “We’ve cut the number of government jobs by 1,000. We’ve actually cut taxes six times.”
Naturally, lawmakers were perplexed when they were told the state is facing a $1.3 billion shortfall for the budget year that starts July 1, 2009, and that the budget actually grew in the current year.
“So, our state budget grew? Can you explain that?” state Rep. John Schroder, R-Covington, asked legislative staff during a recent committee meeting.
Other lawmakers also were confounded.
The Jindal administration actually cut 720 jobs — not 1,000 — then state government hired 2,400 people.
No doubt legislators are pounding on the governor’s door asking for an explanation, especially as they prepare to lower the ax on state agencies to cut costs.
The situation is a conundrum.
- NEXT PAGE »
- 1
- 2
 | ||||
| Most Popular | Most Emailed | Hot Topics | ||
