La. Senate, House lock horns
by JIM BEAM - The American Press (excerpt)

Louisiana legislative sessions would be awfully boring if the House and Senate didn’t have their annual sparring matches. Both chambers have completed work on the state’s $28.7 billion budget, and they have drawn their lines in the sand about how it should be financed.

Two senators tried to trim some of those salaries Friday with amendments to the state budget. They knew they wouldn’t succeed, but they were trying to make a point about the large number of highly paid people working in state government.

Sen. Troy Hebert, D-Jeanerette, is a maverick, but he has a good grasp of public sentiment about critical issues. He served in the House, which is often called “the people’s House.” “They’re going to keep their high salaries,” Hebert said when he tried to cut their pay. “They’re going to keep their car allowances. They’re going to keep their housing allowances on the backs of the little people. I don’t want to break their backs. I just want them to help carry the load.” Would cutting those salaries really help much? No, but it would send a message that higher education’s priorities are in the right place.

Along those same lines, legislators crying “wolf” about budget cuts need to look closer at their own priorities. The House and Senate added $28 million to the budget for pet projects in their legislative districts. That is probably just the tip of the iceberg when other local expenditures are added to the mix.

Higher education and a number of other state agencies could make good use of that $28 million. Makes you wonder whether legislators are all that serious about funding the most critical areas of state government.

No wonder taxpayers are confused about what is going on at the state Capitol.