[StBernard] Reduce Spending, Demand Value

[Westley Annis]

Dear Friends - 

The national economic climate and budget challenges facing nearly every
state in the country make it clear that our state is currently spending more
than it can afford and delivering less value than Louisianians deserve. 

We must find a way to not only live within our means but to deliver more
value to Louisiana taxpayers.  As I wrote recently in the Houma Courier
<http://cl.publicaster.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c205%7c9390&digest=%2b
DjZwDRP6oXOVNbZN4Idag&sysid=1> , we know this can be achieved because we've
already done it with great success in many crucial fields. 

Site Selection magazine recently ranked our economic development department
as one of the top 10 agencies for the first time in history. Even better
news for Louisiana, the Baton Rouge Advocate
<http://cl.publicaster.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c206%7c9390&digest=P8A
Sh4Aiig1itKxQaFNdMA&sysid=1>  recently reported that Site Selection magazine
ranked Louisiana as having one of the top 10 business climates in the
nation. Louisiana was the most improved state in the country. That is
fantastic news for our state and comes despite the challenges of the
national economic downturn over the past two years.  Our Department of
Economic Development has certainly been able to do more with less.

Additionally, our Department of Children and Family Services was able to
increase child support, reduce the number of children in group homes by 28
percent, improve the food-stamp application process, and improve the
timeliness of adopted foster children to 2nd best in the nation.  They
improved all these outcomes while reducing their staff by 20 percent.

These examples show we still have room for improvement in government
services, and we can improve while living within our means. 

In higher education, our state spends the ninth most taxpayer dollars on
higher education funding as a percentage of state taxes in the nation - yet
our graduation rate is a low 38 percent, which is 15 points less than the
Southern average. Budget reductions may result in fewer sabbaticals and may
force more professors to spend more time in the classroom teaching, but
that's a good thing that will improve our students' education. Additionally,
other sources of funding like the GRAD Act passed by the Legislature last
year are offsetting state funding reductions to higher education. LSU in
Baton Rouge, for example, has actually seen a 0.3 percent increase in total
funding since 2008 with their new GRAD Act funding.

Finally, I want to send a message to those who just want to raise taxes on
our people and our industries - we will not raise taxes in Louisiana.
Instead, we must demand more value from the tax dollars already being
invested in government.

Sincerely,
Governor Bobby Jindal