Grasshoppers, ants and Louisiana

Better than 2,500 years ago, Aesop wrote the fable of the grasshopper and the ants. While the grasshopper frittered away the abundance of the day and saved nothing for the future, the industrious ants planned for the coming winter. Long story short: the grasshopper died cold, wet and hungry. And even though the ants had sacrificed a bit of comfort in the good times, they were well-prepared for the bad.

With that in mind, check out Associated Press reporter Melinda DesLatte’s column about the Louisiana Legislature’s (and Governor Jindal’s) recent irresponsibility. Big tax cuts and giveaways are fun when the state treasury is flush, but now we’re facing that cold, wet winter like a bunch of shivering grasshoppers.