More proof of decline in Louisiana

A recent issue of the fax newsletter that LFT sends to members of the legislature posed the question, "Is Louisiana a state in decline?"

The article asked if the $24.9 billion budget proposed by Gov. Bobby Jindal is causing long-term damage to the state's quality of life.

Students graduating from Louisiana's colleges and universities "face life in a state with closed parks, shuttered museums, rutted roads and rickety bridges," the article said. Some wondered if that was an exaggeration.

In answer to that question, Advocate reporter Michelle Millhollon has this article in Sunday's edition:

State government’s money problems are translating into fewer hours to tell the story of the pirates, idealists, rock legends and political powerhouses who once called Louisiana home. The cutbacks to some of the state’s museums began in January with slashed hours and terminated student workers. Now another round of reductions is threatened because of the $1.6 billion shortfall facing the state in the fiscal year that starts July 1. Officials are worried about the impact on communities and culture while visitors are concerned about the decreased access to buildings that tell Louisiana’s history.