At $9500 per person per year in 2019, Louisiana’s state and local government spending topped all twelve Southeastern states, plus Texas and Oklahoma, according to the Urban-Policy Institute. This is $1,000 higher per person than the fourteen-state average.  Louisiana’s annual welfare spending also ranks number one in those fourteen states at $1,000 higher per person than their average.

On the other hand, Louisiana highway spending ranked Number Eleven of the fourteen states.

Apparently, Louisiana’s Number One spending dollars disappear into a sink-hole before they get to highway spending.  Highways ought to be near the top.

Comparing to North Carolina, their state and local government spending was $1,000 per person less than Louisiana’s.

With a population of 10 million, North Carolina saves their citizens ten billion dollars each year compared to the rate at which Louisiana government spends.

The Baton Rouge Advocate said Louisiana ranked 50th in economic prosperity in 2019. Today they say that Louisiana is no better off. We rank near the bottom in prosperity, but informed people say that Louisiana government will collect $300-500 million more per year because of “reforms” in tax collection if Amendments 1 and 2 pass. Why should we feel bad if they don’t get it? Before passing measures that will boost Louisiana government revenue, honest answers should be publicly disclosed about how and why the state’s current revenue is distributed.

Since John Bel Edwards took the governor’s office, Louisiana’s annual state government spending has risen about 8 billion dollars. This approaches 5 percent spending growth per year, without compounding. Has the Louisiana economy (see above) or population grown five percent per year? According to the 2020 census, Louisiana’s population barely rose at all over the past decade.

Amendment One will consolidate all local sales tax collections in Baton Rouge. A proposal is troubling if it concentrates more government power and employment in Baton Rouge.

I resent, as well, that this legislature found ways to boost harmful habits (but most of all to raise government revenue) by:

• 1. Allowing a failing casino to move to a fresher gambling market where there is a moderately tapped market of potential gamblers.
• 2. Enabling online gambling which will entrap juveniles and gullible adults into gambling addictions and financial ruin.
• 3. Making it easier for marijuana users to get dope legally (and drive while stoned?)

And, while making ways for government revenue to be “stabilized,” House leadership is so weak, and compromised by alliance with Edwards and Far Left Democrats, that important bills were killed that would have protected women and girls from sexual deviants, and prevented Critical Race Theory’s dishonoring of America in government schools.

You’ll forgive me if I’m not for giving these people any help.

Gerald Holland is a concerned citizen from Springhill, Louisiana.