Da Gov is Marching on, Like Sherman Through Georgia

Da Gov is steamrolling his way through the LA Public Sector. After Katrina, he fired teachers and set up Charter schools to destroy the Public School System.  That system was in bad shape (due to lack of state funds, mostly) but was certainly as good as the Charters, often better.  His next move was to reject Medicare money from the Feds to cause a lack of funding for Public Health. Naturally he had to cut funding to the LSU Public Health System.

Last week the Legislature started to wake up. Maybe they realize that when the Clinics and Public Hospitals restrict access or close, they will have angry villagers railing at their walled communities, perhaps having their political heads. On metaphorical pikes, I hope.

Jindal, of course, will weather this storm off in TeaParty Land, basking in the glory of having cut taxes AND Government spending. The little darlin'.

Jindal tried last year and again this year to make deals to privatize LA prisons. I have no doubt he would like to sell our toll bridges and maybe the highways. It is a quick fix for a stupid budget that has cut taxes, mostly for the rich, but it will come back to roost in a very few years. Selling the Avoyelles Correctional Center would net the state $35 million but would cost 300 jobs and there is no assurance that cost per inmate would not quickly rise.

Jan Brewer did this same thing in Arizona. She went further and sold the State Capitol  in 2010 and leased it back from the purchaser. neither move saved the state money. Earlier this year, she decided that they should buy the capitol buildings back, because leasing it didn't make economic sense, and they would only lose $25 million. Nice deal for Management and Training Corp.; they make a $25 million profit on a 2 year investment, and that is over their profit from operating the prisons,

Think that won't happen here? Jindal won't buy it back, but his successor (Vitter?) will have to, if LA has the money.

While we wait for that to happen, Healthcare in our glum state has been dealt a serious blow. The sick will get sicker and it will be the children who suffer the most.