With the governor’s race officially on the two Republicans contenders say they’re ready to take the fight to Governor Edwards, in their own ways.
Congressman Ralph Abraham says the Governor has presided over substantial tax increases, and he’d begin unraveling those policies if he takes the Mansion…
“We have either the first or second-highest sales tax in the nation. We know that our corporate business tax is one of the highest in the south. We know that our severance tax on oil and gas is the highest in the nation.”
The last time a governor cut taxes wholesale, healthcare and education received massive cuts to balance the books. Abraham says his tax cut proposals won’t have the same results Bobby Jindal’s did…
“We will cut a lot of issues, but they will be where the waste fraud and abuse are, they won’t be in the services that the people need, I can assure you that.”
Abraham says his waste, fraud, and abuse target number one would be the Medicaid program, but he reiterated his support for Governor Edwards’ Medicaid expansion.
GOP gubernatorial candidate Eddie Rispone says Governor Edwards has been lax on illegal immigration, and the governor has stood by as large numbers of undocumented immigrants have come to the state.
“If you are saying that 70,000 illegal immigrants in our state is not a problem? 70,000, that’s the sixth-largest city in Louisiana.”
Immigration law is almost entirely governed by the Feds, but Rispone says he would empower local authorities to take a more active participation in immigration policing.
There are no officially declared sanctuary cities in Louisiana, but Rispone repeated his claim that New Orleans is functionally a sanctuary city. He says if New Orleans refuses to cooperate with him on immigration…
“The first thing I’m going to do is be outspoken about it. If they are going to spend their money there, well then when they come to ask for more money from the state then I’m going to say that you are not spending it very wisely to start with.”
Abraham announced his campaign has made a two-million-dollar TV ad buy, which will begin airing statewide next week.
