Our Views: Jindal moves hurt families

Throughout his years in public office, Gov. Bobby Jindal has consistently touted himself as a leader who is pro-family. We have a hard time squaring that rhetoric with recent budget cuts that promise more misery for families already struggling with dire circumstances.

Because of the budget cuts, battered women’s shelters across the state will probably have to turn away more women who desperately need a haven from abusive spouses or partners.

In the most-recent round of cuts to the state budget, funding for family violence prevention and intervention was cut by nearly $1 million, a 16 percent reduction in total dollars through the contracts the state holds with shelters and other domestic violence prevention providers. Those reductions jeopardize the health and safety of family members touched by domestic violence, including children.

Other reductions in the state budget affect hospice services, health-care providers, dental benefits for pregnant women and contract services for the poor, the mentally ill and the drug-addicted. That’s no way to advance the cause of strong, healthy families in Louisiana.

Especially troubling in the latest round of budget cuts is the elimination of a state program that helps children with behavioral health problems.

The elimination of the Early Childhood Supports and Services program seems especially unwise at a time when recent episodes of campus violence have underscored the need for aggressive help for troubled individuals. Jindal administration officials have suggested that better, more-efficient methods can be found to help children assisted by the eliminated program. But as the basic infrastructure of state social services continues to be assaulted by yearly budget cuts, we are skeptical of claims that the needs of Louisiana’s most vulnerable citizens can be met.

Society is often judged by how well it treats those who need help the most. By that standard, Louisiana has much work to do. The state consistently places at or near the bottom in national rankings of key public health indicators. The latest round of state budget cuts won’t help improve those rankings, which diminish the quality of life for all citizens — and directly impact this state’s ability to attract outside investment and new business.

Being pro-family requires more than speech-making. A true commitment to strengthening Louisiana families obligates the governor to protect families at their greatest point of need.

By that standard, Jindal’s fiscal policies have failed.

Comments

1) Comment by Attila - 14/01/2013

@postscript56: you said " forcing poor families to assume an even greater share of the tax burden through sales taxes so that he can relieve the wealthy of their share of the tax burden from income taxes". I think it waaaayyyy past time that the so called "poor" paid their "fair share". Which is to say that any government benefits they collect should be taxed at a "fair" rate. If my taxes go up because of government fiat, the taxes of the "poor" should go up in proportion. If my standard of living is reduced due to an increased tax burden, is it "fair" that the so called "poor" not also have to suffer a corresponding reduction in their "government benefits"?

2) Comment by DMJ - 14/01/2013

You wanted less government? You got it. This is what it looks like.

3) Comment by ScotB - 13/01/2013

The function of government is not to be a nanny for every problem. Judging by that standard, Jindal is doing what we can afford.

4) Comment by tradewinns - 13/01/2013

the disfunctional families are no where near the average family, period. 8point6's comment on faith based groups is excellent. how many churches are in La.? what do they do with the money they collect? aren't they suppose to be helping the poor and all that? someone (that has an inside line) pick the largest church in BR and give a breakdown of their expendatures. with all the probems we have in BR, i hope i don't see money going overseas to help other's poor. what's wrong in helping our poor? also, during the past 5-7 years the poor haven't taken any hits, while the average low wage earner has sen income down, and expenses up. now taxes are going up probably 15-20 percent.

5) Comment by 8point6 - 13/01/2013

IMO, this medium will carry this article over to tomorrow, when most of my "progressive" friends will be at the "work" computers to comment on this.

6) Comment by prbeav - 13/01/2013

I remember all those Sunday helicopter trips to churches. Jindal has done more to make the case for separation of state from church than anyone since Vitter and before that Jimmy Carter. As long as the people, including the people in need, wait for government or a spirit to solve the problems, the people are bound to fail. It is past time for We the People to read our obligations and decide that the governed will at last govern. See both the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution, especially its preamble.

7) Comment by bourbon-soda - 13/01/2013

It could be argued that all these programs have incentivized and contributed to the disintegration of the family.

8) Comment by 8point6 - 13/01/2013

Here's a novel idea. Get the faith based communities to give from their donations to these organizations. IMO, these "families" have been disillusioned by "hope and change". oprah should be more than happy to support these organizations, also. After all, her income is over $1 billion per year. I mean, how much money do you really need?

9) Comment by Whatnow - 13/01/2013

Dental benefits for pregnant women? Heck I'm not on welfare and I can't even afford dental care in extreme emergencies. I have to skip paying some bills in that case. Drug addiction? Please... these families are never going to be strong, no matter how much money you throw at them. They will just be more dependent on the working taxpayers. Nothing has shown that this type of help is doing any good at all toward improving these families to step out of welfare.

10) Comment by [e-mail] - 13/01/2013

You seem to be assuming that the people you noted are typical of the families in Louisiana, and that is of course the Democratic Party view, but that is hardly the norm. Your statement "That’s no way to advance the cause of strong, healthy families in Louisiana" is a little myopic; those people are not "strong, healthy families" and the odds say that they will never be although any family might need help from time to time and some children will come from those circumstances stronger than the rest. Dysfunctional families will never be anything but that, because something's wrong with their basic structure. I think it's better to do what's best for all than to focus so much of available resources solely on the dysfunctinal and ignore those who make society work.

11) Comment by postscript56 - 13/01/2013

If you think you have a complaint now just wait untl Bobby gets done "reforming" the tax code by forcing poor families to assume an even greater share of the tax burden through sales taxes so that he can relieve the wealthy of their share of the tax burden from income taxes. Because, you know, that's more fair.