2009 is looking like a difficult year for Louisiana and its rising star governor, Bobby Jindal. Falling oil prices have hit state revenues very hard. Louisiana columnist and talk show host Jim Brown estimates a $1.2 billion dollars decline in oil-related tax revenues, forcing Governor Jindal into the unpleasant task of cutting budgets. Last year's state spending was $9.4 billion, while 2009 spending must be cut to $8.2 billion.Earlier this week, he proposed one such painful round. Michelle Milhollon writes: Gov. Bobby Jindal proposed a plan Tuesday to cut $341 million in spending by reducing health-care costs, laying off workers and scaling back on BlackBerries."Some think the job of government is simply to collect taxes and spend money. I do not subscribe to that view," Jindal said during a news conference at the State Capitol. Jindal was able to immediately cut $162 million in the current budget year that ends June 30. The rest of the cuts are merely a recommendation...(Read Full Post)