The spending train and the giving train are on a collision course.
by JIM BEAM - The American Press (excerpt)

Senate President Don Hines, DBunkie, sized up the situation well last week when he told members of the Louisiana Municipal Association “the spending train and the giving train” are on a collision course.

Democrats generally favor big government, so they want to invest most of the money on education, roads and other expenses. And those are definitely worthwhile causes, but the big question is how much is enough.

Republicans, for the most part, come down hard in support of tax breaks for the folks back home and spending the extra money on one-time projects. Members of both parties have filed enough tax credit or tax break bills to spend that $4 billion two times over.

Somewhere in between the two philosophies of government there should be a workable compromise. However, that isn’t always easy to achieve in a Legislature that is becoming more partisan than ever.

The scary part of all of this maneuvering is how much fat is going to be slipped into the state budget while the rest of us are focusing on the big picture.

We are already hearing about the House Appropriations Committee’s plan to add personal amendments and pet projects next week to the governor’s $29.2 billion budget for 2007-08. Senators also get a bite at that apple before the session comes to a close on June 28.

Last year, those pet projects totaled over $32 million, but some believe it may have actually been twice that much.

If there is one thing that gets legislators’ attention, it’s hundreds of voters looking over their shoulders and staring them in the face.