by Paul Loy Hurd

In the regular legislative session that mercifully ended this week, the citizen-taxpayers of Louisiana learned many things about their newly elected “Reform” legislators. In November the political chorus of “Government Reform” was heard everywhere. With almost a clean sweep of the Edwardian “Good Ole Boys” and the election of a working majority of reform legislators lead by a young, vibrant new reform Governor, the foundation for 21st Century Louisiana prosperity had been firmly laid. The “Reform Revolution of 2007" was a voters’ fait accompli.

The common revolutionary pledge to the People was significant reduction of government’s burden on the taxpayers, businesses and families of Louisiana. We the People were promised a new day in Louisiana politics, built on smaller State government, real reductions in State taxes, more open government and selfless public servants. Political profiteering was out. Public stewardship and service was in. A strong reform Governor and an honest reform legislature was the promise to all. What a grand November for the voters and taxpayers of Louisiana. The voters had performed their democratic duty. Now it was time for the newly elected public servants to implement the details of our Louisiana Reform Revolution of 2007.

A mere six months later, with the first regular session of a Reform Legislature, the voters and taxpayers of Louisiana stand in furious amazement at the relentless legislative and gubernatorial betrayal of the reform voters. The open profiteering, the preservation of personal patronage and slush funds, and the gutting of ethics reform by self-serving exception, exposed the new Governor and the new legislators alike to be just another generation of gluttonous and out of control political profiteers. The failure of our new leaders was more than obvious.

Now that this first legislative session is over, the real question for the People of Louisiana is this: How respectful was your particular legislators to the promise of the Reform Revolution of 2007? There were many opportunities for implementing the Reform Revolution. From an immediate tax reduction, to eliminating “slush fund” patronage, to rejection of the biggest legislative pay raise boondoggle in American history, our legislators and Governors had their “opportunities” to implement reform and to eliminate yesterday’s profiteering and self-dealing. Listed below is a final exam for my legislators and Governor. This test provides a measure of each public servant’s success or failure in support of the founding principle of the Reform Revolution: smaller state government, real tax reductions; open government, and honest public service. With 130 points possible, a good score is 100 or higher and a bad score is 75 or lower.

Opportunity 1: Did you fight openly to stop the extraordinary legislative pay raise?
5 points Voted against it on floor
-10 points Voted in favor of it on floor

Opportunity 2: Did you vote against the Tucker Taking Amendment to delay the People’s income tax reduction until 2010, by not changing the tax tables?
10 points Voted against Tucker Taking Amendment
-5 points Voted in favor of Tucker Taking Amendment

Opportunity 3: Did you fight for taxpayers’ income reduction by repealing the Stelly Tax?
5 points Voted in favor of $300 million reduction on final vote
5 points Voted against Nick Geautreaux amendment

Opportunity 4: Did you support increased fees by Louisiana Universities? (HB734)
10 points Voted against increased fees for Universities

Opportunity 5: Did you publicly fight to limit or eliminate slush funding of “Non-Governmental Entities”?
5 points Did not sponsor a NGO in final bill
5 points Did not sponsor NGO request prior to Budget Bill
5 points Spoke out publicly against NGO funding

Opportunity 6: Did you support increased disclosure of NGO activities? (HB 1182)
5 points Spoke out publicly in favor of eliminating NGO’s
5 points voted in favor of additional information

Opportunity 7: Did you support the school vouchers in the failed New Orleans schools?
5 points Voted in favor of school vouchers

Opportunity 8: Did you vote in support of Annual Budget bill?
10 points voted against bloated budget

Opportunity 9: Did you vote in favor of disclosure of ethics complaint information to target before investigation completed? (HB906)
10 points Voted against early disclosure of ethics complaint

Opportunity 10: Did you vote against the “Koestelka Amendment” to Ethics bill that made enforcement of ethics violations much more difficult?
10 points Voted against Koestelka Amendment

Opportunity 11: Did you support increased disclosure of State government records before compromise on bill?
5 points Voted in favor of additional public disclosures
5 points Voted in favor of final bill with amendment

Opportunity 12: Did you support recreational use navigable waters in Louisiana by the public? (SB 291)
10 points Voted in favor of recreational use of public waters

Opportunity 13: Did you support dedication of highway and motor vehicle taxes to the repair and maintenance of State highways?
10 points Voted in favor of dedication of highway taxes to highways

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