Four States Operate in the Black (Louisiana is Not One of Them

          "Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditures nineteen nineteen and six, result happiness.
          "Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditures twenty pounds ought and six, result misery."
                    Good advice from David Copperfield.

Kiplinger reports that four states -- Alaska, Arkansas, Montana and North Dakota -- are the only states
operating in the black. With the exception of Alaska the other three states are not rich in natural resources and only Arkansas has much population.  They have this in common -- they spend less than they take in.

The other 46 states are taking a variety of ways to help  the situation.  Some are cutting programs, some are adding taxes, some are waiting on the federal government to bail them out, and some are doing nothing.  In which category does Louisiana fall?  Well, the legislature cut some departments but still increased spending and added to the deficit.  Our current legislature seems incapable or unwilling to meet this crisis. Someday soon, and the sooner the better, the state is going to have to take on the unfunded liabilities in retirement programs.  Someone will have to inform employees that they will have to work more years before they can retire and their retirement checks  may be less than they counted on.