The city has spent a lot of money fixing up the parts of the city that Super Bowl visitors will see. But just a short walk from the Superdome, Central City is still dealing with the double-whammy of Hurricane Katrina and generations of poverty.
More than twice as much of their income, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.
Gov. Bobby Jindal has pointed to Florida and Texas as models for his plan to cut income taxes and rely more on sales taxes. But those states rely heavily on two taxes he dislikes: business and property taxes. Would Louisiana rely on a "one-and-a-half-legged stool"?
“Simply put, the Ray Nagin of 2013 is almost unrecognizable as the man who swept New Orleans off its feet in 2002," writes Gordon Russell.
The governor would have to raise about $3 billion a year in order to abolish income taxes in Louisiana. As his administration figures out how to fill that gap, business groups are warning against raising sales taxes too high or wiping out their own tax exemptions.
Have other courthouse insiders posted inappropriate comments on NOLA.com?
