Louisiana state government is filled with
unneeded positions that only add to our bloated budget. One perfect example is
the office of Lt. Governor. Maybe in good economic times, such a ceremonial
position can be justified, but not today.
For years, budget reformers have
recommended the elimination of this unnecessary position. Now advocates for
streamlined government are getting support from Louisiana Governor Bobby
Jindal, who broached the subject last week.
Clearly, this is one of the
Governor’s best ideas. The office of Lt. Governor has very limited duties and
is needless in our state government. Several years ago, the state eliminated
the position of Elections Commissioner. The duties of that office were assumed
by the Secretary of State’s office and the state of Louisiana did not suffer at all. Similarly,
we would survive if we eliminated the Lt. Governor position and the scant
duties of that office were assumed by another state office holder.
To abolish the position, the
Louisiana Legislature will have to pass a bill with a two-thirds majority. In
preparation for the upcoming session, State Representative Cameron Henry
(R-Metairie) is working on legislation which would shut down the entire office
of Lt. Governor and divide the few real duties of the position among other
state departments. Henry claims that there is strong support from both
Democratic and Republican legislators for his bill, which will save taxpayers
about $10.5 million per year. The position comes with a big salary, a big
staff, and a myriad of costly vehicles and offices.
If the bill passes, the issue
will go before the voters of Louisiana
. Since it will involve an amendment to the state constitution, it will require
the approval of the voters. There is little doubt that a strong majority of
voters support abolishing the office of Lt. Governor. For example, in an
on-line poll at www.lanewslink.com, 73% of respondents
supported the elimination of the office.
If the duties of Lt. Governor are
so important, how can Mitch Landrieu take a leave of absence every few years to
run for Mayor of New Orleans? Landrieu has used the office as a platform to
campaign for the job he really covets. While Landrieu has not embarrassed the
state and has seemingly done a decent job, most tourism officials cannot point
to any concrete accomplishments during his tenure. When I asked one local hotel
executive what Landrieu had done as Lt. Governor, he said, “I really don’t
know.”
After this mayor’s race, it will
be a perfect opportunity to consolidate state government and reduce an
unnecessary office. It will not only save taxpayer money, but it will give
politicians once less office to use as a stepping stone to another position.
While Governor Jindal has
expressed interest in abolishing the position, a host of other politicians are
lining up to run for the office in the next election. The motivation, of
course, is that Bobby Jindal may vacate the Governor’s office early. There is
rampant speculation that Jindal may be included in the 2012 GOP ticket as
either a presidential or vice-presidential nominee.
So, it seems the only real duty of
this position to wait for the Governor to leave the state or vacate the office.
By eliminating the position, the state would be moving, albeit in a small
direction, toward more efficient government. It is a good idea, as other states
have eliminated the position, so let’s follow their lead.
In this day and age, when budget deficits are out of
control, we need to eliminate any and all superfluous positions in state
government and save money for the abused taxpayers. Let’s start by getting rid
of the office of Lt. Governor.
