The federal government’s response so far has consisted largely of scapegoating BP and ignoring its own responsibilities and lack of preparation, railing against Big Oil, while Congress makes plans to quadruple the federal gasoline tax, ostensibly to finance cleanups.
Never let a good crisis go to waste when there’s a chance to make big government bigger.
“We’ve been frustrated with the disjointed effort to date that has too often meant too little, too late for the oil hitting our coast,” Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said on Day 36 of the spill.
As of Tuesday morning, he was still waiting for the federal government to provide millions of feet in booms and to approve an emergency permit for a state plan to dredge and build new barrier islands to keep the oil from reaching the marshes and wetlands.
Jindal, who is so desperate for the islands that he says he’ll build them himself even if it means going to jail, states: “We need more booms, more skimmers, more vacuums, more jack-up barges that are still in short supply. Let’s be clear: Every day that this oil sits is one more day that more of our marsh dies.”
The leftist media was on Bush 48 hours after Katrina for “not doing enough”. But they’ve given Obama a pass for 37 DAYS (as of Thursday). Is that consistent? Well, it’s consistent with their enormous bias against conservatives.
I normally would not think that Obama should be blamed for this at all, because it’s not the federal government’s job to rush in and rescue states. But Jindal is no fool, and he seems to think that there are specific things that Obama should be providing. So why isn’t Obama providing them, and why doesn’t the media care about the environment now that Obama is President?
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal today cut off state funding for the community activist group ACORN.
Jindal has also blocked any state agency for entering into contracts with the organization.
The executive order also cuts off any future state funding of ACORN, on the heels of a series of embarrassing incidents for the organization.
The governor’s action follows a subpoena of documents from the group’s national headquarter office in New Orleans.
According to Jindal’s executive order, “ACORN’s actions make clear that financial involvement with ACORN is contrary to the public policy of the State of Louisiana and the best interests of its citizens.”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R.) sent a letter Wednesday afternoon to the director of the Minnesota Commission of Management and Budget ordering him to stop all state funding to ACORN (the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now).
UPDATE: Welcome visitors from the Anchoress! Thanks for the link! New visitors, please take a look around. My blog is 50% news and policy analysis, 50% defending Christianity in practical ways.
In the new post, he talks about cutting spending and imposing more reporting and accountability on the government departments:
Our budget will decrease by 9.8 percent compared to last year’s budget, including a 12.7 percent decrease in state funds… We have asked agencies and departments across state government to provide meaningful performance data, so that we can target underperforming and out-of-date programs while protecting high performing programs from severe reductions.
He outlines specific measures to deal with the economic downturn:
School funding based on performance
First, are calling on the Board of Regents to implement a new funding formula that will reform higher education spending. While the current formula too often rewards enrollment alone and results in duplication, a new formula should reward performance, and, for example, encourage schools to target specific programs that will provide degrees in high demand professions – aligning funding with our state’s economic needs.
Eliminate unnecessary government departments
Next, we will create a Commission on Streamlining Government, whose mission will be to examine agencies and departments throughout state government to ensure that their roles and missions are still relevant today.
Improve efficiency of civil service
Third, we will work to reduce the size of state government by implementing civil service reforms that encourage state workers to do their jobs well – not just to reach tenure.
Facilitate future spending cuts
Dedicated funds will have to be just as transparent as discretionary funds, and will sunset every four years beginning in 2010. We will change the current laws so that discretionary funds can be cut up to 10 percent, whereas currently they can only be cut 5 percent, and to remove the two year limit on cutting these funds.
Improve transparency and accountability in education spending
Finally, we will reform the current MFP funding process for our state’s K-12 schools. As the MFP funds are given to school district as a block grant, there is not enough accountability for how the funds are spent. We will require that beginning in FY11 districts must fully account for how these dollars are spent, and the Department of Education will develop an easy to use website allowing taxpayers to see how their hard-earned dollars are being spent.
The post goes on to discuss other initiatives, such as increasing economic growth. And that is when you read this startling statement:
The retention and expansion of jobs has been a top priority of this administration, and we will continue working to expand our economy in the coming months and years. In December, we were the only state in the nation to add jobs, and in January, we were the only state in the nation whose unemployment rate when down and not up.
Sigh. Shouldn’t we have elected Bobby Jindal instead of Mr. Teleprompter-Reader?
To find out more about Bobby Jindal, check out these links:
WINTERY KNIGHT 