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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 »

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.

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

Medicaid in Louisiana: Improving Health, Protecting Children

Thursday, December 15th, 2011

It is hardly a secret that Louisianans, on average, are poorer and less healthy than other Americans. But Louisianans would be even worse off without assistance from Medicaid, the federal-state program established to expand access to medical care.

As Louisiana’s Medicaid program prepares for an era of rapid change, a new report by the Louisiana Budget Project highlights the importance of the state’s health-care safety-net for children and families, as well as the state’s economy. It is the first in a series of two papers highlighting the key role Medicaid plays in protecting the state’s most vulnerable citizens.

Medicaid provides vital health care services to nearly 30 percent of Louisianans. In 2010, three out of five children in Louisiana received Medicaid. This means nearly 775,000 kids relied on Medicaid for everything from routine checkups to specialty care for serious health conditions.

Read the full report and press release.

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

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 »

Amendment No. 4: A Sensible Solution to Stabilize the Rainy Day Fund

Thursday, October 13th, 2011

A recent commentary by the Louisiana Budget Project urges voters to approve Amendment No. 4 on the October 22nd primary ballot. The measure is sound fiscal policy that will both strengthen the Rainy Day Fund and allow for greater flexibility in future budget shortfalls.

Amendment No. 4 institutes a more specific repayment schedule for Louisiana’s Rainy Day Fund, a savings account that can be used to fill in temporary budget shortfalls in tough economic times. The proposed amendment solves an unintended flaw in how the fund is replenished. Currently, when the Legislature withdrawals money from the Rainy Day Fund, the Fund is automatically replenished with oil and gas revenues during the same fiscal year. This requirement worsens the fiscal situation it was meant to solve.

The proposed amendment would prevent money from automatically flowing into the Fund for two years after money is taken out. After that, the money taken out of the Fund would be paid back over the next three years.

“Amendment No. 4 is a prudent solution that strikes a balance between fiscal flexibility and fiscal responsibility,” says Edward Ashworth, Director of the Louisiana Budget Project. “This amendment will make it easier for the Legislature to use the Rainy Day Fund for its intended purpose to prevent cuts to critical services such as education and health care.”

Read the full commentary and press release.

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

Proposal to Raid Tobacco Settlement Fund Benefits the Well-to-Do

Thursday, September 29th, 2011

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project urges Louisianans to vote against Amendment 1 in the upcoming October 22nd election. It analyzes the ill effects of using the constitutionally-protected Millennium Trust Fund to free additional dollars in the state general fund.

Should it pass, the proposed amendment to the state constitution would cap the amount of money in the Millennium Trust Fund at $1.38 billion, redirecting yearly payments Louisiana receives from tobacco companies to the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) that provides college scholarships primarily to students from families that can afford to send their children to college without state subsidies.

“Amendment 1 is an unsound fiscal policy that represents our legislators’ misplaced priorities during the 2011 Regular Session,” says Eddie Ashworth, Director of Louisiana Budget Project. “Louisiana needs a long-term solution to its fiscal crisis that includes well thought out revenue increases, not a quick fix that comes from raiding what are supposed to be protected funds.”

The proposed amendment would make it hard for the state to constrain the costs of the TOPS program that mainly benefits middle- and upper-income families. Redirecting the tobacco settlement money to TOPS means fewer dollars available for health care and public education, areas vital to the state’s economic future.

View the full report and press release.

Posted in Budget, Education, Health Care, News/Updates, Outreach/Advocacy, Press Release, Report, Revenue and Taxes | No Responses »

Tax Free Weekend: Popular But Not Prudent

Thursday, August 4th, 2011

Louisiana’s sales tax holiday, scheduled to occur on the first Friday and Saturday in August, is one of the most generous in the nation. According to a policy brief by the Institute on

Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), a non-partisan research organization, sales tax holidays put a strain on states’ budgets, and are too temporary to significantly change the regressive nature of a state’s tax structure. The exemption is projected to cost $3.7 million this year.

“A sales tax holiday is ill-timed and irresponsible at a time when our leaders are making significant cuts to critical services,” said Edward Ashworth, Director of Louisiana Budget Project (LBP). “This is just one more giveaway that contributes to Louisiana’s fiscal crisis, jeopardizing funding for education, health care, and infrastructure.”

Over the past decade, a growing number of states have been offering similar perks to families with children before the school year begins. Louisiana’s tax holiday exempts from state sales taxes the first $2,500 of consumer goods purchased for personal use. Proponents exaggerate the benefits of sales tax holidays for working families. Unlike wealthier families, low-income families do not have the luxury of shifting the timing of their purchases to coincide with a sales tax holiday.

The $3.7 million in revenue lost will ultimately have to be offset elsewhere in the budget, either through spending cuts or higher taxes. LBP recommends that Louisiana follow the example of Georgia and suspend the holiday. “Though not politically popular, this would be a prudent step in Louisiana’s fiscal future,” says Ashworth.

The Baton Rouge-based Louisiana Budget Project provides independent research and analysis of Louisiana fiscal issues and their impact on low and moderate income residents.

For a full report on sales tax holidays and more information on LBP, visit www.labudget.org and read ITEP’s brief “Sales Tax Holidays: A Boondoggle.”

For the full press release click here.

Photo credit: Louisiana Department of Revenue

 

 

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

Payday Lenders: Trapping Louisiana’s Working Families in a Cycle of Debt

Monday, July 25th, 2011

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project exposes the predatory lending industry.

Payday lenders promise predominantly poor and working-class clients quick cash with minimum documentation requirements. However, this “easy money” comes at a high financial cost to the borrowers and can lead to a downward financial spiral ending in personal bankruptcy.

Louisiana’s predatory payday lenders provide credit to desperate borrowers at annual interest rates that can exceed 600 percent. With the second highest poverty rate in the country, Louisiana provides an attractive market for payday lenders to exploit.

According to the report, Louisiana has one of the highest concentrations of payday lenders in the country, with one outlet for every 4,800 people—more than four times as many payday lenders as McDonald’s restaurants.

The Louisiana Budget Project urges lawmakers to put an end to blatant usury by requiring improved tracking and reporting and by strengthening regulation of the payday lending industry.

View the full report and press release.

 

Payday lending maps by city:

How much does payday lending cost Alexandria, LA
How much does payday lending cost Baton Rouge, LA
How much does payday lending cost Lafayette, LA
How much does payday lending cost Lake Charles, LA
How much does payday lending cost Monroe, LA
How much does payday lending cost New Orleans and Metairie, LA
How much does payday lending cost Shreveport, LA

For more detailed maps or information contact Tim Mathis, policy analyst at 225.929.5266 ex. 225 or e-mail tim.mathis@lano.org.

Posted in Budget, News/Updates, Report, Revenue and Taxes | 1 Response »
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