Cuts coming to close the state deficit

[Turbine]

On the things that supposedly can't be touched . . .

I can't imagine the Constitution intended to protect all future whimsically enacted increases and line items that didn't even exist in 1974.

[Boomer]

Can somebody post a quick look at some of the Protected Areas that need to be slashed???

[BeauCajun]

Can somebody post a quick look at some of the Protected Areas that need to be slashed???

Real quick. Everything but higher ed & health care.

[cajun4life]

Can somebody post a quick look at some of the Protected Areas that need to be slashed???

Deleted

[Wing-over]

I go back to thinking that we have too many four year colleges in Louisiana for the population base. There needs to be some beginning discussions on long term planning for higher education in Louisiana as we obviously can't continue on the current track.

Who's up first to go down? Good luck with that. What a ____ poor state we live in.

[Boomer]

Who's up first to go down? Good luck with that. What a ____ poor state we live in.

-----SUNO----oh we tried to close that pillar of exceptional education!!!! Really if you can't get that done with a perfectly fine place across the street, what can be done???

[Cajunrunner]

Who's up first to go down? Good luck with that. What a ____ poor state we live in.

SUNO has a 6 or 8 percent six-year graduation rate. Absolute worst in the state. We can start there. Then we can look at geography. LSU-S, LA Tech, ULM, Grambling and Northwestern all within about an hour and half from each other. Grambling stays because of heritage/tradition, Tech stays because of size and success, and Northwestern stays because of how long they've been around. That leaves LSU-S and ULM. I would lean towards LSU-S being merged into Tech.

[Cajunrunner]

On the things that supposedly can't be touched . . .

I can't imagine the Constitution intended to protect all future whimsically enacted increases and line items that didn't even exist in 1974.

Thing that scares me about a Constitutional Convention.

Do we get real budget reforms, or does it become a politician/lobbyist field day? I could easily see the self-servants making term-limits go away. Term-limits isn't a cure-all, but it will hopefully help in keeping the career legislators from being in there 20+ years.

Does the Constitution then get changed to allow for income tax increases just by simple majority vote rather than the current 2/3's requirement?

[CajunSaint]

I'm sorry I voted for Him.

don't beat yourself up too much. he had you bamboozled like he did everyone who re-elected him. plus, consider the alternative we had. he's doing the same thing now to the sorry excuse for a national media, and i mean ALL media. i think, though, that once his record is closely scrutinized, he's a gone pecan from the national scene.

[Turbine]

Thing that scares me about a Constitutional Convention.

Do we get real budget reforms, or does it become a politician/lobbyist field day? I could easily see the self-servants making term-limits go away. Term-limits isn't a cure-all, but it will hopefully help in keeping the career legislators from being in there 20+ years.

Does the Constitution then get changed to allow for income tax increases just by simple majority vote rather than the current 2/3's requirement?

I don't see why they would need to go there.

They need to study how something that didn't exest -when the inclusions and exclusions were penned- is now somehow protected.

[Zeebart21]

SUNO has a 6 or 8 percent six-year graduation rate. Absolute worst in the state. We can start there. Then we can look at geography. LSU-S, LA Tech, ULM, Grambling and Northwestern all within about an hour and half from each other. Grambling stays because of heritage/tradition, Tech stays because of size and success, and Northwestern stays because of how long they've been around. That leaves LSU-S and ULM. I would lean towards LSU-S being merged into Tech.

SUNO?? Careful.you dont want to be labeled racist.

Z

[Cajunrunner]

I don't see why they would need to go there.

They need to study how something that didn't exest -when the inclusions and exclusions were penned- is now somehow protected.

But the thing is once a Constitutional Convention is called, EVERYTHING is on the table to be rehashed. You don't think the Alario-type politicians would have their hands all over trying to repeal term limits? Others will be looking at the 2/3 requirement to raise income taxes, ESPECIALLY groups like Louisiana Budget Project and those at the top of the Higher Ed community.

I'm not saying I'm against a Constitutional Convention. Not sure where I stand regarding one. There are budget reforms that desperately need to be made. I would prefer if we could make them via the Legislature rather than a convention. If a convention is the only way.then it's the only way. It just concerns me all the other issues the politicians and lobbying groups would no doubt want to bring out.

[Hammer58]

But the thing is once a Constitutional Convention is called, EVERYTHING is on the table to be rehashed. You don't think the Alario-type politicians would have their hands all over trying to repeal term limits? Others will be looking at the 2/3 requirement to raise income taxes, ESPECIALLY groups like Louisiana Budget Project and those at the top of the Higher Ed community.

I'm not saying I'm against a Constitutional Convention. Not sure where I stand regarding one. There are budget reforms that desperately need to be made. I would prefer if we could make them via the Legislature rather than a convention. If a convention is the only way.then it's the only way. It just concerns me all the other issues the politicians and lobbying groups would no doubt want to bring out.

Your concerns are laid. The problem with the legislature is that is they are the same guys that got us into this mess over the years.

[Turbine]

But the thing is once a Constitutional Convention is called, EVERYTHING is on the table to be rehashed. You don't think the Alario-type politicians would have their hands all over trying to repeal term limits? Others will be looking at the 2/3 requirement to raise income taxes, ESPECIALLY groups like Louisiana Budget Project and those at the top of the Higher Ed community.

I'm not saying I'm against a Constitutional Convention. Not sure where I stand regarding one. There are budget reforms that desperately need to be made. I would prefer if we could make them via the Legislature rather than a convention. If a convention is the only way.then it's the only way. It just concerns me all the other issues the politicians and lobbying groups would no doubt want to bring out.

They could cut something frivolous that came into being in the post "new" Constitution era and let a court decide.

[Cajunrunner]

The problem with the legislature is that is they are the same guys that got us into this mess over the years.

And we continue to re-elect them. A bright bunch we are.