[StBernard] Hopefuls debate $1 billion's fate

Westley Annis Westley at da-parish.com
Fri Sep 21 18:13:37 EDT 2007



>The surplus would give state government two

>back-to-back years of having nearly $1 billion

>left over once the books are closed.


Yeah baby...spend dat money. Of course it would look
good to the Feds if they would plow a good bit of that
into the Road Home program before going to the Hill to
beg for more.

Jim






-----------------------------------------------------
Hopefuls debate $1 billion's fate

By MICHELLE MILLHOLLON
Advocate Capitol News Bureau
Published: Sep 20, 2007 - Page: 1A

One candidate for governor wants to build roads with newly found
state
money. Another wants to pay down debt and a third wants to study the
markets.

The better-funded candidates for governor began Wednesday to
formulate their
spending plans for the $1 billion in extra funds anticipated by
state
economists on Tuesday.

There are limits to how the money can be spent. The extra funds can
be used
primarily on one-time expenses such as construction, paying down
debt,
coastal restoration and road projects.

Unless a special session is called before the end of the year, the
next
governor and the next Legislature will determine how the extra money
is
spent.

U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal is taking a cautious approach, saying he
wants to see
what kind of financial condition the state is in by December.

"I'm certainly glad (legislators) didn't know they had the money six
months
ago because they would have spent it if they had," he said.

Jindal, R-Kenner, said he also wants to watch Wall Street to
evaluate the
amount of return the state could get from leveraging the offshore
revenue
stream to restore the coast.



S N I P P E D





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