A few weeks ago Louisiana students across the state woke up knowing they had TOPS. When they went to bed that night, some were unsure if they’d be able to keep it.

Why?  The Louisiana budget just isn’t working anymore and something has to change.

I have seen so many students and parents panicking. I have also seen so much misplaced blame.

First let’s establish one thing: this is not newly elected Gov. John Bel Edwards’ fault.

This is years of mismanagement on the part of the state of Louisiana.

We went from a billion dollar surplus when Jindal took office to looking at $957 million in debt when he left.

“But why does that effect higher education?” you ask.

Because of the Louisiana constitution. Louisiana is not allowed to end the year on a deficit. We have to end the year at zero or, in better times, a surplus.

We are bound by law, our own law and that is just how it is.

Well $957 million dollars is not zero, not even close.

But again, you ask “Why does this affect higher education?”

Let’s break it down.

Louisiana has $26 billion dollars in available revenue.

Only $9 billion of that is the state’s general fund, the other $17 billion is money the state can’t touch without constitutional change (it is self-generated revenue, statutory dedications and federal money).

From the available general fund, only $3 billion is touchable, the rest is non-discretionary, and the state can’t touch it without constitutional change.

The discretionary money goes to health and hospitals, higher education, the department of education and the remaining is the money the state can touch.

This is the only money that the governor has to work with without legislative action (like raising taxes or changing the constitution).

Our deficit is MORE than the higher education budget.

So what can Gov. Edwards do with what he has to work with?

Cut TOPS, cut the public hospitals, cut university funding and at the end of it still be in the hole because of his predecessor.

He has to raise taxes.

The State of Louisiana has to raise taxes and get rid of all of the tax breaks it is giving to companies (we are losing money off of them, not making money.)

To do that our Legislature has to meet, they have to give up partisan politics, work for the state of Louisiana and pass a bill to raise taxes.

In my opinion that is the only choice. The only way to fix this budget and save the state university system.

Work together and work for us, not for parties.

It’s up to the legislators. They must support our governor and help bring some stability to our budget.