Budget Time Is Nearly Here, And State Treasurer John Kennedy Is Making The Rounds

A couple of videos to show here, as Kennedy was on TV yesterday pushing the message of setting priorities, holding the line on spending and decrying the use of one-time funds.

Some of this is good stuff. Some isn’t. The part where he says tuition hikes are a tax isn’t a particular highlight; if we’re subsidizing tuition at public universities (and we are), then to raise tuition is to cut the subsidy. Cutting subsidies is not taxation.

Otherwise,  the Treasurer is right when he says Louisiana has too many public employees. Eliminating positions through attrition probably isn’t the optimal way to do it, though – reducing state agency jobs is going to involve letting people go. And that’s OK to do.

The first clip, from KTBS in Shreveport…

And the second, from KTAL in Shreveport…