This presentation accompanied stories shared by citizens at the Together Louisiana Statewide Assembly with gubernatorial candidates Rep. John Bel Edwards and Sen. David Vitter held on Friday, November 13th. Includes stats and background on cuts to higher education, the backlog of transportation and state infrastructure projects, healthcare, Medicaid expansion, food access, the Healthy Food Retail Act and low-wage workers in Louisiana. Includes questions asked of gubernatorial candidates.

1. Statewide Assembly
with Gubernatorial Candidates
November 13th, 2015

2. Change in state, higher ed spending per
student, 2008 to 2015Higher Education
Largest cuts in the nation.
Since 2008, $4,941 per
student in cuts.

3. Higher Education
Same period: Incomes
declined by $3,000
Tuition increased $2,939 per
student since 2008 – 67.2%
Percent change in higher ed
tuition, 2008 to 2015

4. • 62% of roads in poor or
mediocre condition
• 29% of bridges structurally
deficient or obsolete
• $12 billion in transportation
projects
• $575 million in transportation
trust fund
Transportation & Infrastructure

5. Projected budget deficits
2015-16: $1.6 billion
2016-17: $1.6 billion
2017-18: $2 billion
How did we get here?
Our Budget

6. 6Source: Legislative Fiscal Office historical data and latest REC forecasts of January 2015
FY90 FY91 FY92 FY93 FY94 FY95 FY96 FY97 FY98 FY99 FY00 FY01 FY02 FY03 FY04 FY05 FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19
Total TLF 4,615. 4,923. 4,842. 5,413. 5,606. 6,101. 6,390. 6,701 6,839 6,793 7,242 8,064 7,968 7,904 8,315 9,219 10,028 11,688 12,055 11,155 8,919. 9,563. 9,939. 10,233 10,300 10,391 10,534 10,877 11,222 11,634
Pre-Storm Path 4,616 4,833 5,062 5,301 5,551 5,813 6,087 6,375 6,675 6,991 7,321 7,666 8,028 8,407 8,804 9,219 9,526 9,833 10,140 10,447 10,754 11,061 11,368 11,675 11,982 12,289 12,596 12,903 13,209 13,516
-
2,000.0
4,000.0
6,000.0
8,000.0
10,000.0
12,000.0
14,000.0
16,000.0
Total State Tax Receipts (REC-based)
Pre-storm trend
FY06, Storm Year
Katrina/Rita
FY08
Post-Storm Peak
FY10 Trough, Post-Storm, Great
Recession, Energy Price Drops, Tax Cuts
Post-Storm and Great Recession
Recovery Forecast Trend
FY12
FY11 FY15 - FY19 Forecasts
as of 1/26/15 REC
FY90 - FY05, 4.7% annual growth average FY10 - FY19, 3.0% annual growth average
FY13
Actual growth Forecast Growth
7.2% 3.9% 3.0% 0.7% 0.9% 1.4% 3.3% 3.2% 3.7%
Pre-Storm Path
FY14
#1) We lost nearly a
billion with cuts to Stelly
Plan.
#2) We give away $1.1
billion per year in industry
tax exemptions.

7. How will you address our state’s structural
budget deficit? (Be specific.)
Time limit: 90 seconds per candidate

8. Our Health
Louisiana ranks:
•2nd highest in cancer
•2nd highest in obesity
•2nd highest in overall poor health outcomes
•3rd highest in premature death
•4th highest in diabetes

9. 785,105 of our
people don’t have
health insurance.
(64,635 are kids)
Our Health
8 times

10. Medicaid Expansion
would provide health
insurance to 400,000
Louisiana residents.
(4 Tiger Stadiums)

11. 1.3 million
Louisiana residents have low
access to grocery stores.
Sources: USDA data fro 2014 and The Reinvestment Fund 2014.
Louisiana is
3rd in the nation
in difficulty
accessing healthy food.
RED = Worse!
ORANGE = Low Access

12. to attract grocery
stores to low-access
neighborhoods
But… no funding!
2009 Healthy Food Retail Act

13. Our Health: Question
How will you address healthcare access in our state?
• Will you visit the fresh food financing initiative with us in New
Orleans during your first year in office?
• Will you accept Medicaid expansion and on what terms?
• Time limit: 90 seconds for each candidate.

14. •21% below the poverty line
•40% in or near poverty
•77% of fast food workers
on public assistance
•police officers in Tallulah
qualify for food stamps
Our People: Work and wages

15. Worker productivity
increase: 35%
The Big Disconnect:
1979 - 2012

16. Our People: Work and wages
•How will you prioritize issues facing low-wage
workers in our State?
•Will you visit NOVA, the workforce intermediary in
Monroe and northeast Louisiana, with us during
your first year in office?
• Time limit: 90 seconds for each candidate.

17. If elected, will you meet with Together Louisiana
at least twice per year to address these and
other issues?
Our Relationship