The constant fiscal crises in Baton Rouge have affected governments throughout the state—64 parishes and sheriffs, 300 municipalities, 70 school boards, and other special districts. Our Constitution centralizes too much control with the state legislature in ways that preclude parishes from managing their own affairs. As part of constitutional reforms, state government should remove the strings from local authorities, giving them more flexibility to provide services at the local level and enhancing accountability at all levels of government.
This week, reports surfaced showing the city of New Orleans erroneously collected more than $460,000 from an expired French Quarter sales tax. Now that this money has been taken unnecessarily from consumers, the city of New Orleans is stuck with it and can’t even spend it. Will they give the money back to taxpayers instead? Unlikely....
Voters in New Orleans will elect a new District Attorney this fall, and the person elected has the potential to transform the city’s criminal justice system for a generation. To get to know the candidates and where they stand on the issues, the Pelican Institute invited each qualified candidate to participate in a live PeliCast...
It’s no secret to the people of Louisiana that things aren’t going well. The state has a shrinking labor force, an antiquated budget system, a struggling education system and a backlog of infrastructure projects that are in need of addressing. Given these issues, it’s no surprise that there is a sizable population that is leaving...
It shouldn’t surprise you to hear that Louisiana’s so-called “revenue problem” isn’t really a problem at all. Indeed, Louisiana’s real “problem” lies in our state government’s overspending, and that issue is exacerbated by its convoluted local government system. So, how do we solve the core problems with Louisiana’s local government system and ensure it encourages...
Now is the time for real openness and transparency when private lawyers are hired by the Attorney General to work for Louisiana taxpayers. This practice should not be done behind closed doors, as it is now.
Mayor Mitch Landrieu has requested limited removal of seniority privileges from consideration in city lay-offs, and the local chapter of the Service Employees International Union is unimpressed.
On July 15th, Kenneth Feinberg used three Louisiana town hall gatherings – in Houma, Port Sulphur, and Lafitte – to explain how the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF) will work. Animated and lively, with a little Bostonian humor, Feinberg held the attention of each overflowing crowd for approximately 30 minutes, followed by 20 minutes of questions from the audience.
As the National Oil Spill Commission began in New Orleans, those not invited took to the streets to voice their concerns.
Even as an acute victim of the spill, she and her husband spoke of how this area, and perhaps the entire nation, depends the Gulf oil industry. “If [the rigs] leave, they may not be back for years,” given the long-term nature of the contracts.