Gov. Bobby Jindal sat down with college leaders Tuesday to discuss next year’s budget shortfall, after receiving criticism he has focused too much time traveling and promoting his book and not enough on the state’s financial troubles.
Jindal’s meeting with the presidents of the four university systems and a leader of the Board of Regents was the first of several gatherings the governor has planned with “stakeholders” in the budget discussion.
Those include people who want to offer thoughts for how to cope with the $1.6 billion budget shortfall facing the state in the 2011-12 fiscal year — or at least want some insight into what Jindal will recommend for the new budget for the year starting July 1. Jindal said he’ll talk with elementary and secondary education officials Wednesday and health care representatives Thursday.
“This is an opportunity to share ideas. Everything is going to be on the table. We’re going to talk about how we work together,” the Republican governor said before the higher education discussion began.
The governor described the conversations as a way to get suggestions, but it’s also clear the meetings are designed to combat complaints that Jindal has focused too much on out-of-state campaigning and on touting his book “Leadership and Crisis.”
The discussion with higher education officials comes after Jindal suggested previous rounds of budget cuts haven’t been as bad as they’ve been portrayed by college leaders and as he tries to gain hold of the debate before new cuts are made on campuses next year.
In recent speeches, the governor has said it’s not that college and university budgets can’t be reduced, but that administrators need to find efficiencies and trim unnecessary spending. He has talked of a need for leaders to stop whining, and his administration has said tuition and fee hikes on students have offset a large portion of college budget cuts so far.
College officials have said the cuts already made to state funding of colleges — $310 million since the reductions began two years ago — have forced program closures, the loss of student services and fewer educational opportunities for students.
They say the cuts looming for the next fiscal year — estimates range from $290 million to $500 million — would be devastating.
The state is estimated to be short $1.6 billion in state general fund income next year to continue all current services and account for inflationary increases. The state is spending about $7.6 billion in general fund money this year in the budget of more than $25 billion.
Lawmakers will make the final budget decisions in the 2011 regular legislative session, but often the budget recommendations submitted by a governor are largely followed by legislators. Jindal presents his spending proposal in March.
“We are going to protect our critical priorities, and those priorities include education and health care,” Jindal said. “We’re going to get through these tough times.”
Several lawmakers have said they’ll push for at least temporary tax increases to try to stop some higher education cuts. Jindal opposes tax increases, and he reiterated that stance Tuesday.
 
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