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Story Archives: Bitter pill to swallow
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Bitter pill to swallow
 Earl Long once said, and I paraphrase, that there are two kinds of people in Louisiana – those who have state jobs and those who want them.
To appreciate Long's remark we must remind ourselves that the former governor reigned supreme when Louisiana was far poorer than it is today. Money was hard to come by back then, legally that is, and one of the best jobs a man or woman could secure entailed working for state government. Those state jobs didn't pay very well, but they offered security for people who, in many cases, had nowhere to turn to find a job other than government. And even back then state employees were promised an income when they retired.
We're reminded of Uncle Earl's acute observation from so long ago in light of the controversy Gov. Bobby Jindal ignited recently when he proposed that the retirement system for state employees (minus teachers and law enforcement personnel) must undergo a dramatic overhaul. The system needs tweaking because it represents a financial liability the state cannot afford to meet down the road.
Jindal should have included the education and law enforcement communities in his reform proposal, for it seems a bit unfair to target one group of government employees while allowing two others to escape unscathed. But Jindal probably felt that weaning one group of state employees from the government teat would be a difficult challenge in and of itself without bringing two influential special interest groups into the mix.For the full story, subscribe to the The Concordia Sentinel's NEW E-Edition! |
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