Blanco's- Spend, Spend, Spend Agenda
by CARL REDMAN, Executive Editor - Advocate (excerpt)

If everything runs true to form, sometime early Thursday evening, shortly after the regular session ends, Gov. Kathleen Blanco will stand behind the lectern in her press room, flanked by her legislative floor leaders, and declare victory.

Blanco is going to get most of the spend, spend, spend agenda she proposed in late April. And, state, local and nongovernmental people and agencies across the state will have a share in the fattest state budget payday ever.

The problem with all the spending done during the current session is that while much of it seems worthwhile on the surface, very little is part of any long-range plan to move the state forward. The next governor and Legislature might have different priorities or approaches.