Louisiana's growing state payroll strains budget (JindalWatch® Alert)

Times Picayune ^ | February 15, 2009 | Robert Travis Scott

[abb]

In a House budget hearing last week that addressed the growing size of the state government's payroll, Rep. James Morris, R-Oil City, summed up his alarm by remarking, "I don't know how we can continue to afford that."

The state has about 105,000 people on its payroll, with base salaries totaling $4.6 billion annually, the highest level in its history. Add retirement and benefit expenses and state supplements for teachers and other local public workers, and the state's overall annual obligation for personnel comes close to $8 billion. That is more than four-fifths of what the state general fund will get in taxes and other direct revenue this year.

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During Gov. Bobby Jindal's first 11 months in office, when the total state budget decreased because of declining federal subsidies, the state's employment rolls increased by 3,198 jobs, or 3 percent, according to Office of Civil Service reports. The new employees and pay raises boosted the state's base payroll by $278 million, or 7 percent.

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Also, state jobs have increased in the New Orleans area as public health care institutions and other services have refilled hundreds of staff positions wiped out by Hurricane Katrina. About one-third of last year's state-worker increase was attributable to New Orleans health care operations.

Jindal also has championed the state's community and technical colleges, which have been allowed to increase positions to meet a pent-up public demand for their jobs-focused brand of education.

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[abb]

Once again, FReepers are warned that Bobby Jindal is a Big-Government Republican™.

[abb]

JindalWatch® Ping

[netmilsmom]

>>No control over health care

As of Jan. 30, the “warm-bodies” count showed that state employment had increased by 1,768 since Jindal took office a year before, according to the Division of Administration. Of that increase, 87 percent of the jobs were attributable to areas that the administration says it has no direct control in restraining, namely higher education and the Louisiana State University health care system, which includes the charity hospitals.

The governor does not have the same authority over those institutions that he has over his Cabinet secretaries and their departments. The administration and the Legislature can restrict the university budgets, and the governor can make many of the appointments to the ruling boards of the higher education systems.

But the schools and hospitals still can create new jobs by dealing directly with the state Office of Civil Service. While this might seem like bureaucratic trivia, it can be a stumbling block in the governor’s effort to control the number of overall state jobs, Davis said.

“That’s going to be an important area that we have to make some policy changes in,” Davis said.<<

So how did Jindal cause this if he doesn’t have control over the 87% of the increases?

[abb]

http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20090215/NEWS01/902150316/1002
Jindal faces test in how he uses stimulus money

[I_Like_Spam]

It would seem that Louisiana still has a way to get their affairs under control.

Pennsylvania is a lot larger state yet has only about 110,000 active employees(extracted the number from the state employment retirement system website), and isn’t exactly the model of frugality.

[abb]

From a year ago.

http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/03/state_senate_waives_spending_c.html

State senate waives spending cap; Jindal can spend additional $1 billion
by Ed Anderson
Friday March 14, 2008, 3:22 PM

By Ed Anderson
Capital bureau

BATON ROUGE — The Senate voted Friday 38-0 to break the existing spending limit for this year, allowing the Jindal administration to spend an additional $1 billion on ports, roads and levee improvements.

Senators voted 30-8 for House Concurrent Resolution 1 by Rep. Jim Fannin, D-Jonesboro, legally raising the state spending limit for one year only from $11 billion to $12 billion. The vote was the final one needed to approve the new spending limits and free up the use of the additional $1 billion.

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[PGalt]

Interesting. It would be interesting to see the percentage increases or decreases/sarcasm for every state (and the feds) year after year (or month after month) and WHO was the driving force behind each increase or decrease/sarcasm of the “state” leviathan.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

It seems to me that by using politics to his advantage (from an executive position), he could have threatened these institutions with future budgetary cuts if they grew beyond what he deemed a rate that was “SUSTAINABLE”.

Yes, the term is deliberate. Leftists whine and moan and protest that everything must be sustainable...except, of course, the economy, which should be able to find some magical funding source to pay for everything they demand.

[ync1994]

I hope Jindal doesn’t disappoint us.

He is heavy on the social conservatism, though, and they tend to be big government spenders, as well.

He has the chance to turn that state around to be an example of true limited government.

[netmilsmom]

It says right in the article that the Dem proposed this.

[abb]

See the link at post #6. This was a year ago. We conservatives in Louisiana were flummoxed to see the allegedly fiscal conservative Bobby Jindal pushing to overturn in-place spending caps. These caps were designed to reign in runaway spending.

I will be accused on this thread of Jindal Bashing. But I WILL NOT be deterred from exposing the facts to as many FReepers as possible.

[abb]

It says right in the article that the Dem proposed this.

And Jindal could have vetoed it. He was pushing for it. I'm sorry I can't make you see what is before your very eyes.

[abb]

More.

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/capital/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1205212833281810.xml&coll=1&thispage=1

Jindal’s plan to exceed spending cap advances
Resolution gets OK of House committee
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
By Ed Anderson
Capital bureau

BATON ROUGE — The Jindal administration won its first battle in spreading more than $1 billion around the state for highway improvements, economic development, coastal protection and other needs, getting the House Appropriations Committee to agree Monday to exceed the state-set spending cap to accommodate the new projects.

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[netmilsmom]

>>He was pushing for it. I’m sorry I can’t make you see what is before your very eyes. <<

Wait a second, don’t get snippy. You are sitting down there in the thick of things and all I can do is read the articles that YOU are presenting.

I’ve resolved that any FReeper who snipes me, and there has been tons of nasty people here lately, are moving to my ignore list.

Later, bye!!!

[abb]

Who? It’s all right here.

http://www.wwltv.com/topstories/stories/wwl031008jbsession.3e063ee4.html

Jindal seeks tax breaks and surplus spending

06:54 AM CDT on Monday, March 10, 2008

Melinda Deslatte / Associated Press

BATON ROUGE — Republicans repeatedly stalled former Democratic Gov. Kathleen Blanco’s attempts to break an annual cap on state spending, but lawmakers said they expect Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal to have less of a battle for his push to do the same.

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[UCFRoadWarrior]

And I heed that warning....

Like Michael Steele, too many have been focusing on Jindal’s skin color than his conservatism...or lack thereof.

[abb]

That’s not it. Bobby talks the talk as well as any politician I’ve seen. He has many fooled. And to be fair, he’s better than what we’ve had in Louisiana for many years.

But he likes government and he likes to spend taxpayers money. The record proves it.

He is a Big-Government Republican™.

[sionnsar]

Bobby Jindal — does he call himself a conservative too?

[RouxStir]

"The state has about 105,000 people on its payroll" Once state payrolls have expanded to a certain percentage of the state population, it is nearly impossible to reduce the number of employees. Consider that these 105,000 people are NOT going to vote for a governor who supports or legislator who votes for the reduction of state employees. Also, consider that these 105,000 employees probably have a spouse and/or close relative{s) who will vote the same way. If you use a factor of an additional 1.5 voters per state employee, that is 262,500 votes for statewide candidates supporting big government....a eminant defeat for any candidate campaigning on reducing the size of state government. Jindal knows this and realizes that he may be running for reelection. Jindal received 699,672 votes in the last election. 262,500 (or more) votes lined up against any candidate is a death sentence. It sucks but it is the reality of government gone wild...pretty much the same, and getting worse daily, in the federal government.

...time for secession.

[abb]

Bobby Jindal — does he call himself a conservative too?

He does. And his voting record in congress was good. However, his fiscal decisions since taking office as Louisiana's governor are at best questionable. The facts speak for themselves.