The Hayride

Has there ever been a local newspaper more out of touch with the market it represents than the Baton Rouge Advocate? It’s a question worth asking, and it has been for some time. Today’s assault on the tax relief granted to Louisiana’s citizens in 2007 and 2008 in that paper’s editorial pages brings to light [...]

Filed under: Economy, Media, State Budget, Taxes | 48797 Comments »http://thehayride.com/2010/07/baton-rouges-out-of-touch-rag-strikes-again/Baton+Rouge%27s+Out+Of+Touch+Rag+Strikes+Again2010-07-27+15%3A03%3A01macaoidh

State Rep. Greg Cromer (R-Pearl River) said the completion of the 2010 Legislative Session with the passage of an insecure budget was an unwise step that sets up the state for worse budgetary problems. “The application of $2 billion in one-time revenue for recurring expenses just makes no sense,” said Cromer, who voted against the [...]

Filed under: Bobby Jindal, Legislature, State Budget | 4188No Comments »http://thehayride.com/2010/06/cromer-budget-deal-will-cause-more-trouble-in-future/Cromer%3A+Budget+Deal+Will+Cause+More+Trouble+In+Future2010-06-23+15%3A43%3A06macaoidh

While the health care debate was raging in Washington, this column—on several occasions—noted that the “relief” for Louisiana that was included in the legislation was nothing in comparison to the hit to our state’s finances that would come from it. Recent comments from Louisiana’s Secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals, Alan Levine, adds [...]

Filed under: Health Care, Obamacare, State Budget | 3969No Comments »http://thehayride.com/2010/06/a-7-billion-problem/A+%247+Billion+Problem2010-06-11+20%3A42%3A05dan+juneau

Copies of the official paperwork accompanying Louisiana Commissioner of Higher Education Sally Clausen’s retirement and rehiring has been obtained by Lincoln Parish News Online. See the documents here. Note the signature of one Donald Vandal, who now is executive director of the Louisiana Optical Network Initiative (LONI).

Filed under: Education, Sally Clausen, State Budget, State Employees | 3737No Comments »http://thehayride.com/2010/06/clausen-retirerehire-paperwork-uncovered-sleaze-unfolds/Clausen+Retire%2FRehire+Paperwork+Uncovered%3B+Sleaze+Unfolds2010-06-01+23%3A34%3A09Walter+Abbott

OK, I know that you probably think that’s a horrible question to think, much less ask, and I don’t want it to be misinterpreted.  The death of the eleven men who worked on Deepwater Horizon is tragic, and I mourn their deaths with the rest of the state.   The ecological damage is also very sad.  No one [...]

Filed under: Economy, Environment, Gulf Oil Spill, Louisiana, State Budget | 369711 Comments »http://thehayride.com/2010/05/a-crude-and-insensitive-question-is-the-spill-good-for-las-economy/A+Crude+and+Insensitive+Question+--+Is+the+Spill+Good+for+LA%27s+Economy%3F2010-05-30+04%3A05%3A42Ryan+Booth

John Schroder doesn’t really look like Jim Caviezel. And he definitely doesn’t look like Gerard Depardieu. But he does come off as a pretty good Edmond Dantes nonetheless. And after a figurative banishment to the Louisiana legislature’s Chateau D’If, in which Schroder found himself bounced off the House Appropriations Committee by Speaker Jim Tucker in [...]

Filed under: Jim Tucker, Legislature, State Budget, State Employees | 3609No Comments »http://thehayride.com/2010/05/legislative-staff-salary-inquiry-provides-blowback-for-tucker/Legislative+Staff+Salary+Inquiry+Provides+Blowback+For+Tucker2010-05-26+12%3A57%3A47macaoidh

The defeat yesterday in the Louisiana House of Representatives (House) of House Bill 401 was the fault of Sally Clausen, Louisiana’s Commissioner of Higher Education, we suggest. The constitutional amendment would have allowed universities to raise tuition without legislative approval. Last week Clausen took leave of her senses and threatened the Legislature with closure of [...]

Filed under: Education, Legislature, State Budget | 33592 Comments »http://thehayride.com/2010/05/it%e2%80%99s-all-sally%e2%80%99s-fault/It%E2%80%99s+All+Sally%E2%80%99s+Fault2010-05-18+18%3A08%3A55Walter+Abbott

WAFB has the story on HB 1478, Rep. John Schroeder’s bill which would allow the Governor to eliminate paid state holidays at his discretion and save the state some $8 million per holiday. It didn’t do so well on the House floor tonight… State workers currently get around ten paid holidays throughout the year. The [...]

Filed under: Education, Legislature, State Budget, State Employees | 3341No Comments »http://thehayride.com/2010/05/state-holiday-bill-fails-on-house-floor/State+Holiday+Bill+Fails+On+House+Floor2010-05-18+05%3A21%3A21macaoidh

The legislative session this year centers almost entirely upon the state’s fiscal problems. After record state spending in 2007 and 2008, the financial market meltdown in the fall of 2008 brought fiscal reality back into focus among voters in Louisiana. It remains to be seen if that focus will carry over to our state elected [...]

Filed under: Legislature, State Budget, Taxes | 3182No Comments »http://thehayride.com/2010/05/the-voters-get-it/The+Voters+Get+It2010-05-07+17%3A33%3A48dan+juneau

Recent polls released in Louisiana and in Florida not only confirm Louisiana’s current conservative mood, but also show that the poll lead that Florida’s party switching Governor currently has is built on a very weak foundation that will erode as Election Day gets closer.

Filed under: 2010 Elections, Baton Rouge, Bobby Jindal, Charlie Melancon, David Vitter, Elections, Health Care, John Kennedy, Louisiana, Marco Rubio, Mary Landrieu, National, New Orleans, North Louisiana, Obamacare, State Budget | 3168No Comments »http://thehayride.com/2010/05/a-tale-of-two-polls/A+tale+of+two+polls2010-05-07+05%3A24%3A55JMC+Enterprises