[StBernard] SESSION ENDS; Statement by Gov. Blanco

[Westley Annis]

SPECIAL SESSION ENDS 
Statement by Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco


2006 DECEMBER SPECIAL SESSION 
SINE DIE REMARKS
December 15, 2006

Today we passed permanent insurance rate relief and established an economic development fund keep us in competition for the biggest mega-project this state has ever seen. I thank the legislature for their support of these measures. 

My plan was simple. I believe some of the surplus belongs to the people of Louisiana. My plan puts people over partisan politics. 

Unfortunately for Louisiana, at the very beginning of this session, House Republicans set a sour tone and decided that party politics was more important than our people. They voted three time, three times, against the people who....teach our children, keep our communities safe, and serve our people. 

These are the people who are the glue that holds the state together and keeps our state moving. But a political agenda was more important to the Republicans than our people and that's the great tragedy in this session. 

Republicans say they took a stand to prove a point. As they stated, we have a difference in philosophy. I agree nothing could be more true.

The point is that they stood together against the very teachers, police, firefighters, sheriff's deputies and state employees that they represent.

I have a message for the hard working public employees who were left standing in the dust. You the salt of the earth. You may not be the Republicans' priority but you Ccertainly are mine.

I am most disappointed that the legislative process prematurely shut down and our people lost both the child tax credits and tax cuts for businesses, both small and large. 

I know that our families are working harder than ever before to make ends meet and that businesses recovering from the storms are fighting to survive. 

We had a plan to cut taxes for both families and businesses, but Washington-style politics divided the legislature and failed our people.

Washington gridlock is a tough thing.

My question is this...how much longer must we wait to do something about roads in Louisiana? For the citizens I talked to...they say do it now.

How much longer must we wait to invest in our teachers, our state workers, our school bus drivers, our sheriffs and our firefighters as well? How much longer does it take to get fair pay for our citizens? How much longer must we wait to cut taxes for our families and businesses?

Everyone says they want better roads. Everyone says they want better pay for public servants, to pay down state debt, to cut taxes and to improve health care. These are universal issues. We could have easily done all these important things in this session, but for political games that got in the way.

In the end, it is not talk but action that moves our state forward. In the end you have to put the money where your mouth is. We missed an incredible opportunity. 

Let me assure you though, that I will be back in the Spring continuing the fighting for the same priorities-investing in our people and our communities. In the meantime, I'll work hard to break the gridlock. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. 

Click here for more news from the Special Session.
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The Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation
Louisiana's Fund for Louisiana's People
www.louisianahelp.org