Modern News

Do you hear that? Once again, it’s that time of year again when state legislators create a giant sucking sound as they poach money out of dedicated state budget categories to feed their insatiable unionized supporters.

Louisiana’s Times-Picayne sounds off today about the LA House voting to siphon $48.6 million out of an economic development fund to give one-time $1,000 bonuses to school support workers (read: unionized employees.) These employees received a raise last year, which not only was not in the state budget, but also ensured their salaries and benefit packages are equally or more generous than comparative private sector jobs.

From the article:

The House may view the economic development fund as a painless source of money.

But the state is in discussions with a steel company that apparently is interested in the same 4,061-acre site along the Mississippi River that intrigued ThyssenKrupp last year. The $307 million economic development fund is reportedly a key selling point for Nucor Corp., which is looking to build a $2 billion mill to manufacture crude iron for its processing plants.

Shrinking the development fund by almost $49 million in the middle of those discussions doesn’t seem like a smart move. But the approval of the support worker bonuses wasn’t about being smart, it was about being political.

Once again, union-friendly legislators choose paying off their union pals over creating new economic opportunities for their citizens. I agree with the title of the Times-Picayne editorial, It’s a Matter of Priorities. Louisiana House Members: We’re watching yours.