by Jim W. Miller

Readers who labor under the Pelican state flag learned Thursday night that our new governor doesn’t play fair! Gov. John Bel Edwards marked his 30th day in office with a televised warning to all residents that if their elected legislators don’t solve the state’s budget deficit, there won’t be football next fall! He declared that unless a solution is found, student-athletes in all sports could find themselves ineligible immediately and looking for a place to play. Wow! Talk about a crisis! People slough off threats of higher taxes or cutting services, but no football?

Governor Jon Bel Edwards as provided more details about the TOPS program which is at risk for the State of Louisiana due to the impending budget crises.

Viewers of Gov. John Bel Edwards’ televised speech to the public prior to the start of the Louisiana Legislature’s 2016 First Extraordinary Session should not let the transparency of his tax-and-spend agenda and the insufferableness of the way he pursues it distract them from what needs to doing to resolve the state’s current and future budget difficulties.

It might be an understatement, to declare that the Louisiana universities are in panic mode. According to recent government figures, the state is roughly $950 million in the hole for the balance of this fiscal year and $2 billion in deficit for the fiscal year starting July 1, 2016.  Historically, because the way the legislature has devised the budgetary system, higher education and healthcare needs are the victims when cuts occur.