News/Updates

...now browsing by category

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 | No Responses »

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 »
Tags: Budget, Louisiana, Steve Spires

Medicaid Supports Economic Growth, Creates Jobs in Louisiana

Thursday, January 12th, 2012

Louisiana’s Medicaid program is more than a critical source of health care for families, pregnant women, children and people with disabilities. It also plays a key role in creating jobs and building a strong economy, according to a new report by the Louisiana Budget Project.

The report looks at Medicaid’s impact on Louisiana’s economy and is the second of two papers highlighting the program’s vital role in protecting the state’s most vulnerable citizens.

Medicaid pays for 20 percent of all health care in Louisiana, and supports an estimated 57,000 jobs—from doctors, nurses and pharmacists to home-health aides and ambulance drivers. Health care is the largest single source of jobs for the state, employing 286,000 Louisianans in 2010.

“Cutting Medicaid would be terrible policy for Louisiana,” said Louisiana Budget Project Director Jan Moller. “It would harm Louisiana’s most vulnerable citizens and put the brakes on economic growth at the worst possible time.”

Read the full report and press release and for more information on LBP, visit www.labudget.org.

For the latest in budget-related news and updates
follow LBP on Facebook and Twitter!

Posted in News/Updates, Press Release, Report | No Responses »

Budget News and Notes

Friday, January 6th, 2012

A few notable stories before Louisiana heads into a frenzied weekend of football and inauguration activities.

- The U.S. economy added 200,000 jobs in December, capping a year that saw the economy add 1.9 million private-sector jobs – the most since 2005. But the news would have been even better if 280,000 public employees hadn’t been pink-slipped last year. Jared Bernstein says sustaining this growth should be the top goal for policymakers in the months ahead.

-Locally, the Lake Charles American Press reports that the number of Louisiana residents on food stamps has climbed by 44 percent since 2007.

-In North Louisiana, residents are lining up to oppose Boysie Bollinger’s proposal to buy 195 billion gallons of Toledo Bend water at cut-rate prices so he can sell it to Texas.

-The Times-Picayune reports that Gov. Bobby Jindal’s plan to expand school vouchers could be paid for by raiding the Minimum Foundation Program. The details of the governor’s education agenda – which he refused to discuss in detail while seeking re-election this fall – will likely be unveiled at a Jan. 30 education summit hosted by Rep. Steve Carter, R-Baton Rouge, and others.

-Houma Today and other outlets report that Gov. Jindal plans to ignore a panel’s recommendation to cap the size of TOPS scholarships for mediocre students.

Posted in Budget, News/Updates | No Responses »

Corporate subsidies in Louisiana: few strings attached

Thursday, December 15th, 2011

Posted by: Tim Mathis

While Gov. Bobby Jindal has sought to make government transparency a hallmark of his administration, a new report finds that Louisiana asks for little in return when it comes to corporations receiving multi-million dollar subsidies.

The report by the non-partisan research center Good Jobs First gave Louisiana a D+, finding that the costliest tax credits, exemptions, and cash rebates don’t include the kind of strict performance standards needed to ensure that quality jobs are being created for the money that taxpayers spend. Louisiana Economic Development is the state agency responsible for overseeing and administering economic development subsidies.

The study evaluated five programs that cost Louisiana taxpayers more than $1.1 billion annually in a state report card:

Three of five programs do not prohibit job-shifting. States receive zero economic benefit from subsidizing companies that create jobs by simply moving from one part of the state to another.
Four of five programs lack wage requirements. Simply creating jobs will not lead to a stronger economy. Those jobs must pay enough to support a decent standard of living, and create economic ripple effects. Without wage requirements, the subsidies can result in jobs that pay workers so little that they must rely on social safety net programs such as Medicaid, food stamps, or the Earned Income Tax Credit.
Four of five programs have no health-care requirement. Although most people get health insurance from their employer, that percentage is declining. Subsidized workers unable to afford their own health insurance may fall onto the rolls of Medicaid, thus negating any positive economic benefits. Click to continue »

Posted in Budget, News/Updates, Workforce Development | No Responses »