Political Horizons for March 22, 2009

• By MARK BALLARD
• Advocate Capitol news bureau editor
• Published: Mar 22, 2009

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Back in the late 1980s, the late Jim Finks, then-general manager of the New Orleans Saints, kept getting interrupted during an interview by phone calls, as he and some player’s agent angrily negotiated details of a contract.

Finally, Finks slammed down the phone. A deal was struck.

Then, aware that all of this argument took place in front of a reporter, Finks quickly said he wasn’t happy with the deal — the Saints gave too much.

But Finks said the player also was dissatisfied.

So, Finks concluded: If everyone was unhappy, that meant the deal struck was probably the best one.

The Saints went on to win 12 games that year.

Last week, members of the Louisiana Legislature huffed at Gov. Bobby Jindal for refusing $98.4 million in federal money from the $787 billion package President Barack Obama hopes will stimulate the economy. Lawmakers stood on the State Capitol steps to criticize the governor and continued carping in committee rooms.

Frankly, the issue is so complex that a healthy debate over specifics would help Louisiana taxpayers get a feel for what deal is the best one. So far,however, the debate has not progressed beyond jingoistic terms that are light on specifics and heavy on sound bites.

Obama is reacting to increasing joblessness. Unemployment-insurance laws in many  states — Louisiana included — have failed to keep pace with changes in the way people are hired and are laid off.

For instance, many restaurants, retailers and other service industries use low-wage employees and part-time workers. These employees don’t meet the income levels and time-worked standards needed to qualify for unemployment benefits. This is the kind of work most open to Louisiana’s many poorly educated and untrained residents.

Obama is asking that states modernize their systems by, for instance, allowing more recently earned wages to count towards financial eligibility. He also wants states to pay benefits for workers who quit their jobs for compelling family reasons — such as caring for an ill spouse — or moving when a spouse gets a better job elsewhere — or escaping an abusive spouse.

Louisiana taxpayers should know how much those services would cost. Does the cost outweigh the benefit?

Jindal says the expansion endangers the trust fund to which employers contribute and from which benefits are paid.