Louisiana Blanco Losing House Spending Spree

BayouBuzz ^ | 12/11/06

[LdSentinal]

Gov. Kathleen Blanco was ready to go shopping. Her treasury was flush with money. The Republican Legislators said her proposals were dead on arrival. Many Democrats weren’t fond of her session ideas and wanted to discuss Road Home and real insurance reform, instead.

Blanco wanted to spend a profusion of one-time money on many one-time spending items. The House of Representatives has told her to do it on her own time, not theirs.

On Monday, Blanco failed to get the House of Representatives to approve a revised, reduced version of her spending plan. She has been unable to get the two-thirds vote required to raise the spending cap necessary for her to spend money on the one-time items.

Critics say she is trying to spend too much money, too quickly. Even during Christmas--a time of giving.

The budget cap this year is 194 million and she would need the two-third vote to override that cap. First, she tried $2 million in spending, then $800 million but the House would not approve falling short by 11 votes. At issue are funding pay raises, road construction, a major steel mill, and money for pay raises for educators, first-responders and other state employees.

With the special session lasting only ten days, some legislators believe she must get her package out of the House by Wednesday at the latest.

[LdSentinal]

The House cast a 59-40 vote in favor of increasing the state's annual spending limit to fund proposals sought by Gov. Kathleen Blanco. But the vote was short of the 70 votes needed for passage.

[Hambone02]

Good. I can't wait till Blankstare is gone.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Election day until Gov-elect Bobby Jindal: November 6, 2007.

[Hambone02]

That would be great! If Orleans Parish was out of the picture, Louisiana would have an excellent group of lawmakers...

[Lancey Howard]

At issue are funding pay raises, road construction, a major steel mill, and money for pay raises for educators, first-responders and other state employees.

Surprise, surprise.

[Huntress]

Critics say she is trying to spend too much money, too quickly. Even during Christmas--a time of giving.

Unnecessary little dig that exposes the reporter's bias.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Thanks to the population drop, LA is starting to elect more and more statewide Republicans.

[ken5050]

"First she tried $2 million in spending, then $ 800 million...."

Something doesn't sound quite right here..can you possibly shed some light on this?