Letter: Jindal doesn’t care about Louisiana

Since when did Gov. Bobby Jindal care about helping retires?

He doesn’t care that lots of people can’t afford health insurance. Jindal only wants cuts that affect the poor and middle class. He has shown repeatedly that he is not worried about helping the state. His only concern is looking good for the national Republican Party.

I will be glad when his term is finished. Maybe then we will get a governor who will put the needs of all the people first instead of the few wealthiest.

Windell Crowder

retired state employee

Livingston

Comments

1) Comment by M. Soileau-Coleman - 04/04/2013

One can only hope the years this idiot has left in office go by in a flash! I will not live in Louisiana again until this idiot and his supporters are pushing daisies! Poor Louisiana, I miss the way you used to be.. The Longs and Edwards may have been no good, but at least they were honest about it. This fool hides behind a political party to voice his racist views. The day will come... God doesn't like ugly and Karma is something else..

2) Comment by Thurston_Howell_III - 03/04/2013

Jindal only cares about Jindal.

3) Comment by InPVille - 01/02/2013

@SuzanneMS: IF President Reagan used the term "trickle down", he was seeking to make understandable an idea of economist Arthur Laffer to explain the Laffer Curve: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Laffer+curve&id=E217775EDC0514DE3D153EB585832D3685487355&FORM=IQFRBA. Liberal Demagogues latched onto the phrase using it as a place mark for strawman arguments. Mankind has survived because of his ability to adapt. In the measure by which we adapt to changes in the physical environment and the tax environment, we succeed or fail. Liberal demagogues would have you believe that they can keep raising taxes and behavior to the taxed will remain unchanged so the more taxes are raised, the more revenue will accrue to the government. A simple example will prove this economic idea is fallactious. The Omnibus Budger Reconciliation Act of 1991 created a luxury tax on yachts which was predicted to generate about $31 Billion dollars to the government. What actually happened was that the behavior of yacht purchasers changed and that industry was brought to it's knees in the U.S. as companies folded and thousands of workers lost their jobs. Yacht purchasers bought their yachts overseas where the tax did not apply. -[**]- Back to the Laffer Curve: The idea states that as long as tax rates do not reach the level where they become burdensome enough that people decide to change their behavior, tax increases will generate increased revenue. Cutting taxes before the "burdensome" benchmark is reached will tend not to increase revenue. Beyond a certain level though, increases will change behavior and diminishing returns takes over. Another example would be a recent strong increase in the UK to taxes of the wealthy. The next year the number reporting such income was drastically reduced. -[**]- As for sales taxes, the wealthy in the U.S. already pay a larger proportion of the nation's taxes than do those in other wealthy nations where it is realized that insufficient revenue will be generated to support programs. This is done through the mechanism of VAT(Value Added Taxes) which apply to most items sold. Of course those nations also tend to spend more than even the additional revenue will support. -[**]- As for 401(k) and other similar plans, the taxes are paid when the funds are withdrawn. Taxes are just paid at a later date than when earned.

4) Comment by foldgers - 31/01/2013

Now, I am not Bobby's biggest fan, but this letter sounds like it comes from the typical democrat/Obama voter who believes EVERYTHING Obama and his administration say and no matter what, all republicans are liars. First off, if you are going to write a letter, use specific examples... don't just blah blah blah what you hear others say. Do your OWN research. Read and listen to BOTH sides without any bias and then come back and write a letter that looks like it comes from an educated person instead of someone just blabbing on how bad someone is. I have a family member who is die hard democrat and democrats can do no wrong, even if they cheat on their wife in the oval office with an intern. But, if a republican says the sky is blue, they are lying. Every time we hang out, I mess with them because they only have their side and this Christmas I had facts about the OTHER side of the argument that she had never heard or read about. Why? Because she only watched liberal media and never surfed the net to look up ALL of the facts. I just told her to please, learn both sides before you go off about a topic. I have voted democrat, republican and independent... I vote for who I think will do best for the country, not themselves and their friends. I vote for Kip, so do not come at me with skin color arguments either. Second, go to fairtax dot org. READ it. Unbiased and see why losing income tax and replacing it with sales tax would possibly be a great thing. Imagine, NO taxes coming out of your paycheck whatsoever. Keeping EVERY penny you earn. Only paying extra taxes if YOU choose to buy something that is a WANT and not a NEED. Illegal invaders finally paying into the system they use. All those who work for cash and never pay taxes finally paying into the system they all use. Same goes for criminals. And the best part... NEVER filing a tax return again or worrying about the IRS banging at your door. YOU get to choose if you pay taxes or not based on what you buy, not what you EARN.

5) Comment by brhope - 31/01/2013

Ban all Republicans or do background checks into anyone who wants to be a Republican.

6) Comment by tradewinns - 31/01/2013

is the advocate censoring the comments and deleting those they don't like? mine is missing.

7) Comment by Marvin6 - 31/01/2013

He believes in taking money out of the pockets of the middle class and the less fortunate and giving it to those who really don't need it!!! Which is exactly what his tax proposal will do!!!

8) Comment by ScotB - 30/01/2013

Maybe it's time to go back to work? The concept of "retiring" is predicated on saving enough money so that you can afford to do so. In historical terms, this is a relatively new idea. Perhaps it is not that Jindal doesn't care, but on principle he does not believe in taking money out of some citizens' pockets to be distributed to other citizens. This not being the proper function of government.

9) Comment by KilgoreTrout - 30/01/2013

Facts Here are some recent facts* from the Official Revenue Forecasts for the state of Louisiana: – In the 2011 Fiscal Year, $11.4 BILLION in state revenues were actually collected. – In the 2012 Fiscal Year, $11.7 BILLION in state revenues were actually collected. – For the 2013 FY (ending June 30, 2013) $12 BILLION in state revenues are projected. – For the 2014 FY (Starts July 1, 2013) $12.2 BILLION in state revenues are projected. In other words, despite the use of the term “revenue shortfall” state revenues are growing and are expected to continue to grow. They just don’t grow as fast as the leges are spending them. Or as former State Representative V.J. Bella used to repeat when he served as a member of House Appropriations Committee: “If your outgo exceeds your income then your upkeep will be your downfall.” *Source: http://lfo.louisiana.gov/rev Solution Amending the constitution or other laws won’t solve the problem. The options are simple; either 1) reduce the growth of spending plus set better spending priorities or 2) raise taxes. It’s ironic that Bobby Jindal can see the exact same problem at the Federal level, but cannot recognize it right here in Louisiana.

10) Comment by Melisse3 - 30/01/2013

Amazing that grown people cannot understand the simple concept of a balanced budget requirement. If revenues fall, you either (1) cut, or (2) raise more revenue/taxes. This governor campaigned on no more taxes. The residents of Louisiana agreed with that, and he won. Now this is how he is governing. And I am quite sure Jindal would love to be governing during a roaring economy with rising tax revenue. What an easy job that would be. You may not like the cuts he proposes/makes. That is fair enough. I don't agree with all his choices either. But to say he "doesn't care". Grow up.

11) Comment by agagent - 30/01/2013

Maybe Democrats should learn from Wisconsin. The allies of the union, the Democratic Party, ran Wisconsin for years. Since unions control public sector jobs in Wisconsin, Democrats sat on both sides of the table when the state negotiated with their public sector unions. The results were huge deficits, a bloated government, a struggling economy, and union contracts which prevented the state from addressing the budget problems. The union workers had a pay scale greater than the private sector, and paid very little toward the cost of their cost health insurance and retirement. Unions were making a killing by selling over-priced health insurance to Wisconsin school systems. After Republicans were elected to fix the problems budgets were balanced, taxes were cut, unions were limited to negotiating on salaries, union members paid a little more toward their health insurance and retirement, schools were given an option to buy health insurance on a bid process, and the economy recovered.

12) Comment by Whatchange - 30/01/2013

Another disgruntle state employee.

13) Comment by twinkie1cat - 30/01/2013

For DMJ: As 2016 approaches it will take the people of Louisiana to warn America NOT to pick Jindal as the Repub candidate for either President or Vice President. He is going to dress up the GOP message and try to become part of the "bigger tent" they pretend to want and with a brown face he may actually convince some people the GOP has changed.

14) Comment by twinkie1cat - 30/01/2013

Are you just catching on? I think he would sell his own children if it would guarantee Jindal the presidency. We need to pressure our legislators for impeachment. Meanwhile, pardon Edwin Edwards. We all know why.

15) Comment by mcarter - 30/01/2013

You are right, Mr. Crowder. We need to get rid of Jindal and elect a governor like the great state of California.

16) Comment by ex-louisianian - 30/01/2013

"He has shown repeatedly that he is not worried about helping the state." I would put it differently: He has shown the same insouciance towards deficits and indifference towards fiscal management of the state budget as every Republican since Ronald Witless Reagan. Rack up deficit upon deficit, leave the state in a parlous shape, all to show the groundlings that "government don't work" and needs to be sold off bit by bit to the best connected crony.

17) Comment by bourbon-soda - 30/01/2013

"There are two ideas of government. There are those who believe that if you just legislate to make the well-to-do prosperous, that their prosperity will leak through on those below. The Democratic idea has been that if you legislate to make the masses prosperous their prosperity will find its way up and through every class that rests upon it." - William Jennings Bryan "Cross of Gold" speech, 1896, http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5354/ . Exact phrase "trickle down" for economics has also been attributed to Will Rogers, who died in 1935. I am not able to see why the "stimulus" has been other than "trickle-down" or "leak through;" maybe someone can explain.

18) Comment by DMJ - 30/01/2013

Amen, Windell. I only hope the rest of the country is smarter than Louisiana and won't vote for him for Pres or VP or whatever he decides to run for next. The man might be the world's biggest hypocrite. He lectures the GOP about not being stupid, about having stale ideas and then, with a straight face, offers the same old, stupid ideas the GOP has been pushing for decades. I guess he thinks people will think they're new if they're coming out of the mouth of a brown guy? Who knows? Who cares? I'll be glad to get rid of him as well.

19) Comment by crazycajun - 30/01/2013

rgerald, you must have missed most of the nineties. Reagan left the country in a budget mess which was mostly cleared up when Clinton left office. Sorry buddy if trickle down would have worked as advertised the middle class would be in a hell of a lot better shape today. The middle class is and has been in the worst shape for quite a while now. Although those at the top have been doing quite well. I guess they missed that I'm supposed to trickle down memo.

20) Comment by [e-mail] - 30/01/2013

Seems to me the Reagan "trickle down" approach worked pretty well, it lifted us out of the doldrums due to the Carter debacle and gave us a roaring economy, unilke the present situation with Obama.

21) Comment by SuzanneMS - 30/01/2013

No, InPVille, "trickle down economics" was the phrase used by your boy Ronnie Raygun to describe his economic theory of cutting taxes on the wealthy, who would then spend it and the money would "trickle down" to us little peons at the bottom. I heard him say it. Strangely enough, though, I agree that retirees should not be exempt from income taxes on money that was not taxed when it was earned. Most of us deduct the amount we contribute to our retirement plans, whatever they are (401(k), IRA, pension plan, 403(b), TRSL, LASERS, ORP). Many of us have that money taken out pre-tax and do not pay taxes on any dividends that are reinvested. SS above a certain amount is subject to tax because it is not a savings plan; the money we get is not the money we paid in. Sales taxes are regressive; they tax the poor at a higher rate of total income than they do the middle class or the wealthy. The poor would be taxed on close to 100% of their income; the middle class on about 50%; the wealthy on something like 20-25%. Our income tax system is the fairest method of taxing citizens. It taxes everyone on their disposable income, and assures most of us of a minimum standard of living -- that's what deductions and exemptions are all about. Retirees who are living solely on Social Security pay no income tax; they are not making nearly enough. Retired state employees whose retirement is at or near the poverty level would not pay income tax. It will come as no surprise that exempting retired state employees from paying income tax benefits primarily retired administrators and legislators. They are the ones pulling the large retirement payments from money that was not taxed in the first place.

22) Comment by crazycajun - 30/01/2013

L'il booby has deceived the people of Louisiana and the legislators, I might add, since day one. On more than one occasion he's out and out lied to get what he wanted done. If I only tell u part of the story to get to see it my way leaving out the most important part I am deceiving you. The only way to put it is I'm lying to you. Yeah some of you should be real proud of this clown. Don't any of you wonder why this moron has not granted one interview since he's been in office? You are not even allowed to ask questions when he makes a public appearance. Don't believe me just try to do it and see how far you get. His agenda is so bankrupt even he cannot defend it.

23) Comment by InPVille - 30/01/2013

@spqr: Why then has Congress changed law to require Social Security payments to be included in Federal Taxes? Actually retired persons are often(but of course not always. . . nothing is always such as if you get caught in a downward business/economic cycle!) better off than people who have just or recently entered into the ranks of the employed. With their children grown and finding themselves capable of drawing higher salaries with decades of work experience behind them, many older Americans see their wealth blossom as they near retirement. If Federal and State Legislators do not increase the tax base, there is no way the debt can ever come under control.

24) Comment by InPVille - 30/01/2013

If only the world was as simple as ideologues such as postscript56 imagine it. Trickle down economics(A strawman theory created by demagogues as a truncheon with which to bludgeon their political opponents). is the sole cause of recessions. What a load of "insert your favorite foul substance here". While the goal of economic policy is to keep national economies in a healthy growth rate, there is no way for any entity to possess and exert this much control. . . business, investors, consumers, politicians, natural events, foreign competition, and etc. Think Monetary Policy(Monetary Policy: policy of central bank: a government's or central bank's policy for control of the amount of currency available and the rate at which people can borrow money.) Think Greenspan who subsequently admitted that the economic model he was using was flawed. See Washington Post Article "What Went Wrong: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/14/AR2008101403343.html?hpid=topnews&sid=ST2008101403344&s_pos=

25) Comment by spqr - 30/01/2013

Be honest InPVille...why should the retired who have worked for decades be at a disadvantage now? They have served their time, paid taxes for 40-plus years,and deserve a break in their later years.

26) Comment by agagent - 30/01/2013

States like California are experience credit down grades for not addressing their pension liability problems. California’s low credit rating will cause them to waste a lot of money on interest. Many cities are going bankrupt because they ignored the deficits of their employee pension plans. States like Illinois and California want to keep their bloated state governments and irresponsible spending so they increased taxes. The taxpayers are leaving those states in droves while revenues declined instead of increasing. Louisiana should not follow their lead.

27) Comment by postscript56 - 30/01/2013

Louisiana has lower unemployment than the national average because of hiring in the petrochemical industry, which is due entirely to the low cost of natural gas and nothing at all to do with Jindal's policies. Everything else agagent lists is due to the 2007 recession brought on by Republican top-down/trickle-down style of government. And it is totally predictable that some radical right nitwit would remark on the letter writer being a retired state employee - as if working for a living is the same as mooching for a living. Don't knock state employment as long as you are voting for a guy that has never held a private sector job. I challenge both of y'all to calculate how a 4% sales tax increase will affect you. I did and based on rough estimates I'll spend about $200 more per year in sales taxes than I would have owed in income taxes. All so some wealthy person can escape the burden of income taxes cause Bobby thinks a person earning $250K/yr is exactly the same as someone earning $30K/yr.

28) Comment by agagent - 30/01/2013

I am sorry that Jindal created the Medicaid mess. Each year he takes hundreds of millions of dollars from other budget categories and shovels it into the Medicaid deficit. Next year he will shovel more than $300 million from other parts of the budget to feed the Medicaid beast he created. Wait a minute, Medicaid was not created by Jindal but by those caring, compassionate liberals. Now they blame Jindal. Typical liberal strategy: create the mess and blame it on someone else. Now the taxpayers are stuck with the mess.

29) Comment by agagent - 30/01/2013

Let me guess. Here is a person who would say Obama is doing a great job when the national unemployment rate is 7.8%, yet Jindal is doing terrible when Louisiana’s unemployment rate is 5.5%. Crowder probably commends Obama for decreasing the average household income, shrunk the middle class, had a record number of people on food stamps and disability, increased the percentage not in the labor force, increased the percentage of people living below the poverty level, and increased the percentage of the population on Medicaid. Sorry you will be pleased that the state does not increase spending by 25%, add about $6 trillion to its debt, and have annual deficits of over a trillion dollars. Only a federal government controlled by Obama and Democrats in Congress can do that.

30) Comment by Stephen - 30/01/2013

This letter is proof that the Jindal image is starting to crumble. He will lose the next time he faces the Louisiana voters. He is washed up.

31) Comment by InPVille - 30/01/2013

@BigHug: In case it has escaped your attention, tax revenue is what funds state programs. Since the State Constitution mentions a requirement to balance the state budget, if revenue is insufficient, programs must be cut. Since, as has been variously mentioned and ignored so often in the past by Letter to the Editor and Editorial View columns, Health Care and Education are about the only things NOT PROTECTED from cuts by the Constitution. Under which governor was constitutional change passed?

32) Comment by Bighug - 30/01/2013

Where does the letter mention state income taxes? If the King has his way, we will be paying around 15% sales taxes. Even state retirees have to buy things.

33) Comment by InPVille - 29/01/2013

Be honest Mr. Crowder. How much in State Income Taxes do you pay from your retirement? The same amount as all retired state employees. $0. That helps your bottom line. Now doesn't it?