While most of the LSU student body and the world watched as Lil Boosie, aka Torrence Hatch, talked to the media on Monday for the first time since his release from prison, Gov. Bobby Jindal addressed the state Legislature as it began its 2014 session.
And we all were better off watching Boosie announce the creation of more than 1,000 new songs and an album than listening to Jindal spout off about the creation of jobs.
The latter spent the majority of his speech describing the success stories of eight Louisiana transplants who had left the state to look for work, only to return and find jobs here.
He praised the state for its economic growth, and he continually reiterated that jobs are being created in Louisiana.
He then turned his focus to students, who he emphasized need to be trained to fill the jobs available in our burgeoning economy.
But this flies in the face of everything Jindal has done in the past, and although clichéd, this speech proves actions speak louder than words.
Faced with dwindling revenue, Jindal has cut millions and millions from state higher education institutions.
In this year’s proposed budget, higher education would see a $140 million increase in funding, but most of this would come from raising tuition instead of any investment from this economically viable, job-creating state.
The one check mark in Jindal’s box is the newly announced WISE plan, which would reward universities that are meeting the demands of the workforce. But even that needed to first be initiated by a letter from the collective heads of the state’s higher education institutions to get Jindal thinking about their fiscal future.
Other than that, Jindal doesn’t have much to show from his time as governor in terms of support for higher education.
He must know that those with college degrees generally are in better health, rely less on welfare programs and are more likely to interact with their community, according to a study for Solutions for Our Future.
These are all potentially beneficial to the citizens and residents of our state.
If Jindal were really focused on bettering higher education, he’d toss some money to our universities’ professors, who are responsible for educating the next generation of workers and who are leaving our constantly shrinking departments for the promise of better wages.
If Jindal really liked those nice murals painted downtown in an effort to beautify the city and draw residents to Baton Rouge, he’d repair our campus’ dilapidated buildings that threaten to collapse on the next generation of Louisiana artists.
If Jindal were actually thinking about the future, he’d put his money where his mouth is and invest in students — for once.