<p>To my old friend, Forever LSU, hang in there. Went through this back in the early eighties as newlyweds. Like many southern jobs, it’s feast or famine. Those who buy expensive houses and cars during the feast will be sweating it for a few years, but just hang in there. It may take eight years, but the cycle will come around again.</p>
<p>Yet another reason to get some addition skills/courses under your belt. If you haven’t taken any computer classes yet, do it now. Any type of programming, no matter how obsolete it will seem, C, Java, Fortran, heck, even Cobalt. If you can fit it in your schedule and doesn’t cost you extra in tuition, do it. You can always go to a temp staffing company and pick up hourly work that will pay better than flipping burgers at Mickie D’s, although not by much, but heck, it will put food on the table.</p>
<p>As for dems and reps, remember, it is our dear rep governor that is putting all these budget cuts on higher education, which is really shocking, considering how educated he is. I’m really not very politically savvy to engage in meaningful colloquy on this subject, but as a parent, I for one am glad I didn’t put all my hopes on sending my kid to college with TOPS. While it was in danger of becoming a need only program, I’m afraid the whole thing is going to go away in a short order. I know Mr. Taylor had something to do with creating it, but I don’t know if the government has a hand in its funding or not. </p>
<p>Again, like I said, tighten your belts, hang in there, we go through this every 20 years or so.</p>
<p>My brother is an attorney over in Houston, and he’s feeling it big time over there as well, so it’s not just Louisiana that’s going to suffer, it’s all of us.</p>
<p>Interested to hear how Oklahoma is affected by all of this.</p>