State government is running out of money and will have to find an additional $750 million to $800 million to meet its obligations over the next five months. Continuing the same spending into the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1, will require about $1.9 billion of adjustments in order to cover the revenues that will not be realized.
“It requires unprecedented, dramatic, profound changes in the delivery of service at every level of government,” Dardenne told the Press Club of Baton Rouge. “It’s not pretty. Legislators are not going to like it and the public isn’t going to like it.”
I've mentioned this before but if you remember the Roemer years you have a pretty good template for what the next four will be like. A politicaly cornered Governor will be faced each year with a slumping economy and irreconcilable budget puzzle.
Knives will be out on all sides. And I can promise you right now if the administration's only card it has to play is,"Shared sacrifice," and "Well at least we're honest about this bad news we keep bringing you," then reelection will be one heck of a challenge.
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