Pattern emerges after another subpar audit

As an election swings into place, it has become clear that appointees of Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards will defend aggressively – if unconvincingly – missteps made by state government under his watch.

Earlier this month, the Louisiana Legislative Auditor issued a rather critical report about Department of Public Safety activities. Some of its officials tried to wiggle out of the blame, citing inconvenience and alleged shortcomings of past administrations, but what it really came down to was a failure of will of Edwards appointees to take seriously proper stewardship of taxpayer dollars.

The pattern repeats now with an audit released earlier this week concerning the Department of Revenue. This reviewed procedures in place to ensure accuracy in preparation of the state’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. The state uses this information to predict revenues for the fiscal year, among other things. Inaccuracies could lead to surprise budget deficits.

Wrong about it, Edwards resists system change

I can’t do it. Not with this governor, at least.

On his call-in radio program last week, Gov. John Bel Edwards fielded a question about changing Louisiana’s blanket primary system. The Democrat said, “Somebody has got to really come in and convince me that there is something that I am unmindful of in terms of a benefit that we would have if we went back to that system.”

“That system” referred to closed primaries, in which party primary elections occur to nominate candidates for a general election, wherein only voters who choose to affiliate with a party may participate in one party’s primary. Louisiana’s blanket primary system, unique among the states, technically serves as the general election instead, where all voters regardless of affiliation may vote on all candidates regardless of affiliation running together in which the winner receives a simple majority, but if not secured then the two with the most votes advance to a runoff.

Christmas Day, 2018

This column publishes usually five times Sunday through Friday after noon (sometimes even before; maybe even after sundown on busy days) U.S. Central Time except whenever a significant national holiday falls on the Monday through Friday associated with the otherwise-usual publication on the previous day (unless it is Independence Day or Christmas or New Year's when it is the day on which the holiday is observed by the U.S. government). In my opinion, there are six of these: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Veterans' Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas. My column for The Advocate will run on Easter Sunday.

With Tuesday, Dec. 25 being Christmas Day, I invite you to explore this link.

Board shouldn't expand ethics exceptions

The truism that you should stick by the choices you make in life and not expect others to subsidize you for them applies to a future electoral candidate request to the Louisiana Board of Ethics.

Last month, the Board ruled that candidates cannot use campaign funds on child care expenses. Almost two decades ago, the board ruled differently; it has discretion over this issue because the state’s Ethics Code doesn’t address the matter. A majority of the board now in place saw differently from the past.

The request came from a putative candidate next fall for House District 66, Morgan Lemandre. She also affiliates with the group Emerge Louisiana, which supports hard left Democrat women running for office, and as a result will lose big to incumbent Republican state Rep. Rick Edmonds.

The Advocate column, Dec. 23, 2019

Louisiana would have spent money it did not have without Cameron Henry, Taylor Barras 
https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/jeff_sadow/article_27b84d44-04ae-11e9-a084-6b8eaa45ea0b.html

Links:
https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/legislature/article_4921719e-ff05-11e8-b8e8-3f1739144f61.html
https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/legislature/article_2462218c-f26c-11e8-9434-b352d354851e.html
http://lfo.louisiana.gov/files/revenue/1A%20REC%20Fcst%20Error%20WriteUp%20Complete%20FY18.pdf
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/eia-cuts-2018-2019-oil-price-forecasts-2018-12-11