Letter to the Editor regarding;

TimesPicayune Point of View 11/26, Deficit demands new look at taxes, Edward Ashworth

http://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2009/11/louisiana_deficit_demands_new.html

Mr. Ashworth states that a failure to increase taxes for additional state revenues risks, “…damaging the state’s economy for when prosperity returns.”  His line of reasoning presents a simple choice; will Louisiana prosper with more money in the hands of state government or with companies and taxpayers keeping more of their own money for investment and savings?  These statements of fact surely allow a reasonable taxpayer to believe state budget cuts, not additional taxes, make the most sense.  The state budget has more than doubled over the last 10 years; in fact our FY2009/10 budget ($29.6B) increased over 225% from FY1999/00 ($13.1B).  Louisiana has many more state employees than any other state of comparable population.  There are well over 3000 state employees making over $100,000 per year.  Who could possibly argue the state has been delivering, to its citizens, services anywhere near these levels of spending?  Imagine if the state budget had only grown at the rate of inflation these last ten years, there would have been an additional $12B available in the private sector for economic growth!  That figure makes the Dept. of Economic Development’s efforts over the same time period look like a pittance.

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John K Roberts

President

Taxpayers Union of Louisiana