REMINDER: John Bel Edwards Is Just Another Tax And Spend Liberal

Governor John Bel Edwards (D-LA) is in Washington, D.C. today for a meeting of the National Governors Association. While Edwards has tried to differentiate himself from the Democratic Party, today’s meeting at the White House only highlights that any objective look at Edwards’ tenure as governor shows he’s a typical tax and spend liberal who bends to powerful unions.

On taxes, Edwards has flip-flopped from his campaign pledge to not raise taxes. During his time as governor, Louisiana has been subject to billions in new taxes.

Like national Democrats, Edwards is also under the influence of the powerful teachers’ unions. During his campaign, Edwards promised Louisiana’s children that vouchers were safe from cuts. Yet once the teachers’ unions came calling, Edwards cruelly cut funding, causing children to lose vouchers:

“Less than a month before the new school year starts, state budget cuts are hitting some parents hard. Some state-issued scholarships that allow low-income families to send their children to private schools have been revoked…The department made 1,814 new scholarship awards to students this year, and 1,480 registered with their new school and accepted their award. The department will likely be able to honor between 900 and 1,100 of the 1,480 new awards immediately.”

The final flip-flop that shows that Edwards is a big government liberal concerns the growing salaries for high level government officials. Edwards promised to cut the salaries of cabinet secretaries which he called “exorbitant.” Once again Edwards failed to follow through with his promise. According to the Associated Press, Edwards actually increased salaries he once called “exorbitant”:

“Edwards is paying the leaders of two executive branch agencies more than they received under his predecessor, according to payroll data and pay rate announcements reviewed by The Associated Press. And the governor has kept most other cabinet secretary salaries intact even though some were criticized as excessive when Jindal hired people at those rates. Top advisers in the governor’s office are getting higher paychecks as well, with more six-figure salaries for Edwards’ executive staff than Jindal paid.”

With a record this liberal, Edward will never be able to make Louisiana voters forget he’s just another tax and spend Democrat.