(First Published April 5, 2021)
When state legislators assemble April 12, they should think about Louisiana’s children and whether they’ll want to continue to live in Louisiana as adults.
As of now, here’s where we stand:
Louisiana is among the lowest ranked states in health and education, infant mortality, infrastructure, and more. Our coastline and wetlands are threatened, too many crumbling roads and bridges can’t handle the traffic, flood control and ancient pumping stations make us vulnerable, broadband internet is lacking in many areas, and industrial toxins in land, water and air risk our health – especially those who have to breathe in what oil refineries and wells belch out.
U.S. News and World Report ranks Louisiana last – 50th, right behind Mississippi – in quality of life. Health care and education heavily influence the rankings, followed by state economies, infrastructure, opportunities for citizens and fiscal stability. The environment and crime also factor in.
The rankings are not new. We’ve been stuck at the bottom for years, thanks to legislators who don’t act and Louisianans who don’t put enough pressure on them. Why. Why. Why …
Maybe too many of us – certainly, our legislators – can’t find empathy for voiceless Louisianans most affected by the state’s shortcomings. Maybe we’re too willing to ignore them simply because there’s so much else to love about Louisiana -- our swamps and bayous, rich history and culture, unique music and oh, the food! Let the good times roll.
Maybe, we could argue, state rankings would be different if the U.S. News & World Report rankers had eaten some crawfish, caught some beads, shaken sugar on a beignet, canoed a bayou, strolled Jackson Square, toured the World War II Museum or enjoyed the wonder of what license plates call A Sportsman’s Paradise.
But what we love won’t endure for our kids and grandkids if we don’t invest in quality-of-life issues where we’re woefully short. Louisiana’s population continues to decline, as seas rise and the oil industry recedes. In many ways, we’re a better place to visit than to call home.
We can fix that, and the Covid-related infusion of federal money could help – reducing state debt owed to the feds for beefed-up flood protection after Katrina, cleaning up abandoned oil wells, helping with other infrastructure needs. But Louisiana’s future depends on what happens in Baton Rouge, not a one-time lifeline from President Joe Biden and Congress.
There’s a consensus among lawmakers that Louisiana’s tax system needs reform. Some are calling for the income tax to be lowered or eliminated, because Louisiana ranks 14th highest in the country. But when all Louisiana taxes and myriad exemptions are included, we’re actually 9th lowest in overall tax load.
Considering all that needs fixing in quality-of-life services, such as higher ed, early childhood learning and teacher pay at all levels, we need tax reform to generate more state revenue, not less.
There are many ways to get that done. We could eliminate the federal income tax deduction, a personal tax break allowed by only six states. We could do away with the state Industrial Tax Exemption, a giveaway unique in the country and one that starves local governments of revenue – including public school districts. And how about a reasonable tax increase at the pump – hasn’t been raised in 31 years – to fix more roads and bridges?
If we want the kids to stick around, if we want more taxpayers moving in than moving out, we need to make Louisiana better.
— Paul Anger, 2nd vice chair, Jefferson Parish Democratic Executive Committee, April 5, 2021