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Can anyone say scapegoating?
 It should not have come as a surprise earlier this week when the House Appropriations Committee peeled off some $82 million from the state's so-called economic development megafund to offset proposed cuts to other state agencies.
Let's recall the Legislature is in the midst of the regular session, hammering out a spending plan for the state's 2011-2012 fiscal year, which begins July 1. Lawmakers are dealing with about $1.6 billion in less revenue for the new fiscal year compared to the 2010-2011 fiscal year, or the current fiscal year. That means the Legislature is looking high and low for every penny it can find to approve a budget that's balanced, which the state constitution requires.
It also shouldn't have come as a surprise when the state's point man on economic development, Stephen Moret, as well as officials in Ouachita Parish howled to the heavens that the Appropriations Committee's move to pick off that $82 million all but killed efforts to put Next Autoworks in business in the former Guide plant in eastern Ouachita. Can anyone say scapegoating?
Before we delve any further, does anyone remember Next Autoworks?
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