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Op-ed: Budget group responds to criticism

Thursday, March 1st, 2012

By Jan Moller
Special to The Political Desk

Twenty-two years ago, back when bipartisanship was still possible on Capitol Hill, the U.S. Congress passed a bill that required all packaged food to be labeled with detailed nutritional information.

With the stroke of President George H.W. Bush’s pen, supermarket shoppers across the country were suddenly entitled to know how many calories, carbs and grams of sugar were in their morning cereal. Freedom-loving Americans could still start their day with a bowl of Fruit Loops or a Pop-Tart, but it was a more informed choice.

(Today, such a bill would no doubt get attacked as a socialist, free-market-destroying Big Government conspiracy).

It was in this spirit of disclosure and accountability that the Louisiana Budget Project released a paper last month that called for testing and accountability requirements to be included in Gov. Bobby Jindal’s plan to expand the availability of private-school vouchers. Click to continue »

Posted in Budget, Education, Health Care, Letter to Editor, Media Citation, News/Updates, Report, Revenue and Taxes | 1 Response »

Sign the Better Choices for a Better Louisiana petition today!

Tuesday, February 28th, 2012

Posted in Budget, Education, Health Care, News/Updates, Revenue and Taxes | 1 Response »

Gov. Bobby Jindal’s School Voucher Plan Gets An ‘F’ For Accountability

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project finds that Gov . Bobby Jindal’s plan to dramatically expand the state’s private school voucher program is lacking the strong accountability and transparency requirements that parents need to make informed decisions about their children’s educational needs.

“Private schools receiving state vouchers should be held to the same accountability standards as public schools,” says Jan Moller, director of the Louisiana Budget Project.

“Assessment tests allow parents, as well as Louisiana taxpayers, to see what results they are getting for their money.”

The report recommends that voucher schools should be required to test all their students, and that students from the worst-performing public schools should be given first priority for vouchers.

Read the full report and press release.

Posted in Budget, Education, Health Care, News/Updates, Press Release, Report | 1 Response »

Statement From LBP On The Governor’s Executive Budget

Thursday, February 9th, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, February 09, 2012
Contact:
KAREN MILLER
225.929.5266, x220
JAN MOLLER
225.929.5266 x224
225.819.7715 (cell)

STATEMENT FROM LOUISIANA BUDGET PROJECT ON THE GOVERNOR’S EXECUTIVE BUDGET

“This is an unbalanced budget that would kill jobs, raise payroll taxes on hard-working state employees and cut services essential to protecting the middle class and building a strong economy.

“We are disappointed that the budget continues the irresponsible pattern of meeting ongoing needs by raiding state funds set aside for specific purposes.

“Selling and privatizing state assets to meet the state’s obligations is a short-sighted approach that won’t provide the resources we need to invest in schools, transportation, public safety and other necessities for long-term growth.”

-Louisiana Budget Project Director Jan Moller.

For more information on the Louisiana Budget Project, visit www.labudget.org.

Posted in Budget, Education, Health Care, Media Citation, News/Updates, Press Release, Revenue and Taxes, Workforce Development | No Responses »

LBP’s television appearance on Louisiana Public Broadcasting

Thursday, February 9th, 2012

LBP appeared in a segment on Louisiana Public Broadcasting’s “Louisiana: The State We’re In” discussing Governor Jindal’s proposal for a statewide voucher program for education. Watch the full segment here.

Posted in Budget, Education, News/Updates, Revenue and Taxes | No Responses »

Budget News and Notes

Friday, February 3rd, 2012

By: Jan Moller

Gov. Bobby Jindal will release his 2012-13 budget plan in less than a week, and that’s when we’ll find out how he proposes to close the $895 million shortfall. But so far it looks like more of the same is on the way: tax breaks for those who need them the least, with higher costs and fewer services for those who need them the most.

If you’re a Fortune 500 chief executive, the state wants to pay 25 percent of your moving costs if you agree to put your headquarters to Louisiana. That should help defray the cost of hauling all those Mercedes and BMWs to the Pelican State, though who knows how the CEOs will react when they see our
roads. Click to continue »

Posted in Budget, Education, Health Care, News/Updates, Revenue and Taxes | No Responses »

Budget News and Notes

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

By: Steve Spires

The 2012-13 budget shortfall: $895 million.

That’s what Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration told the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget  last Friday when the “continuation budget” was released. The continuation budget represents what it would cost to maintain current levels of government services, and the shortfall—unfortunately—was larger than many were expecting.

The Associated Press broke down what is driving the budget gap. Most significant, and troubling, is that the shortfall is in large part of result of all the “one-time money” the administration used to plug last year’s budget hole:

“At least 40 percent of the gap is tied to the use of one-time money that propped up parts of the current budget and that is expected to fall away in the new fiscal year that begins July 1, most of it used in the state’s Medicaid program. . . Click to continue »

Posted in Budget, Education, Health Care, News/Updates | No Responses »
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Commentary: Constitutional Amendment No. 1 Is the Wrong Prescription for Louisiana

Friday, November 11th, 2011

A proposed constitutional amendment on Louisiana’s November 19 statewide ballot to prohibit taxes on the sale of homes or businesses would damage the ability of state and local governments to provide revenue needed to support health care, education, and other essential services.

Here is an excerpt:

Real estate transfer taxes (RETTs) are charged on the sale of immovable property, such as homes or businesses, and are generally paid by buyers. Louisiana is among 37 states and Washington, D.C. with some form of real estate transfer tax, either at the state or local level. . .

. . . While there is currently no movement to establish RETTs outside Orleans Parish, a Constitutional prohibition against all such taxes would unnecessarily tie the hands of future policymakers at the state and local level as they grapple with budget challenges. . .

. . . As state government continues to retrench, it has been asking parishes and municipalities to shoulder an ever-increasing share of the cost for public education, transportation and other critical services. Parishes need more flexibility, not less, as they cope with these challenges. Amendment 1 is a step in the wrong direction.

 To read the full commentary, go to www.labudget.org and read “Constitutional Amendment No. 1 Would Make It Harder To Provide Essential Public Services.”

Posted in Budget, Education, Health Care, News/Updates, Outreach/Advocacy, Press Release, Report, Revenue and Taxes | 1 Response »

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