The countdown is on. The end of the semester is near.

Sunshine and summertime sound a lot better than 8:00 a.m. classes and coffee-fueled nights.

However, current and future college students in Louisiana wonder if there’ll even be an 8:00 a.m. class available next semester.

Louisiana is in a financial mess.  And state programs are under the microscope.

TOPS, higher education, hospitals, road quality, museums and state parks  will be affected.

Many lash out at the governor. But John Bel Edwards isn’t the one to blame.  Instead, blame years of state mismanagement, self-interest and misplaced priorities.

Edwards inherited a mess. And it’s more knotted than that scarf you tried to knit in fifth grade.

But for the first time, someone is doing something for the state.

Dealing with the consequences of bad choices aren’t easy. Especially when it’s not your fault.

However, there are three ways to climb out of this financial hole, and they aren’t easy or enjoyable.

Raise taxes, reduce government spending and stop protecting large areas of the budget.

Think of it like a personal budget. Sometimes, you have more money one month than the next. You plan for lean months and adapt until there’s more money to spend.

In the past, the government (your budget) has assumed it’s above the economy (your paycheck.) Instead, the government must be able to move with the economy as it grows and shrinks.

It’s too late to say sorry, but it’s not too late to rally for a better Louisiana.