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How ‘bout those wild and wacky state senators, whose idea of a practical joke is to take a simple tax cut bill and turn it into the elimination of state income taxes.

Let me stop laughing long enough to report that’s what happened last week when Senate Bill 87—designed to restore state income tax rates to their 2003 B.S. levels [before Stelly], saving individual filers up to $500 a year and couples filing joint returns as much as $1,000—was amended by a 19-18 vote to simply do away with state income taxes all together after a 10-year phaseout.

That crazy Cajun Sen. Nick Gautreaux of Abbeville crafted the amendment, and the punch line was delivered by Sen. Joe McPherson, who immediately apologized after casting the winning vote, saying he didn’t mean for the amendment to pass.

“I was playing one of my cutesy deals, and I messed up,” he muttered.

McPherson’s cutesy deal and the Senate’s sense of humor took a bill with a $302 million annual price tag and ballooned it to $3 billion.

With intellect like this, I can see why Sen. Ann Duplesis wants to increase legislator pay 317% to $70,000 and triple the monthly expense allowance. What would we do if we lost this enormous brainpower to the private sector? As funny as these folks are they ought to qualify for an entertainment tax credit.

If we’re lucky, the House will join in the jocularity, tacking on an amendment wiping out state sales taxes as well.

How great would that be? Eliminate income taxes and state sales taxes and most of our problems would be solved. Corporations and small business owners would flock to our eroding shores. Skilled workers would leave their jobs elsewhere to come here, erasing our dire labor shortage. Louisiana expatriates would return home. All of us could afford $3.70 a gallon gasoline.

With that kind of bang for your buck, Rep. Karen Carter Peterson’s outrage over Stephen Moret’s $320,000 salary as head of economic development becomes moot. Just fire the guy—who needs him once the tax-free prosperity ensues?

So where’s the downside?

Some might suggest the loss of billions in revenue would force state government to shut down. And the downside to that would be what?

The teachers’ unions will cry the state’s public schools would have to go on summer vacation forever. But would that really be a big loss considering the best district in the state is no better than mediocre when compared to national standards? Heck, without income and sales taxes everyone could afford the private school of their choice. Episcopal for everyone!

Sadly, most of us will never know the joy of writing that $14,000 per child tuition check.

Gov. Bobby Jindal has already said he’ll veto any bill eliminating state income taxes, on the off chance it gets through the House.

The reality is, as usual, the joke is on those of us firmly entrenched in the middle class.

The simple truth is the Jindal administration, which earlier this year called a special session to hack and slash business taxes, didn’t want the original bill—the one cutting taxes for individuals—to pass. Jindal and others claim the $32 billion—that’s with a b—budget can’t handle a $300 million—that’s with an m—hit, especially when those in the know predict the state’s post-hurricane revenue boom is quickly coming to an end.

Funny how that always happens right around the time politicians get around to helping the middle class.

But Jindal didn’t want to have to veto a tax-cut bill that was certain to pass in the Legislature. [Who wants to get drilled on the campaign trail about voting against income tax reductions?] So what do you do? Get your legislative allies to alter the bill so that it’s so ridiculous no one in their right mind would ever pass it.

Instead of wasting time on such shenanigans, maybe state government could spend its days tackling real fiscal reform. Heck, I’ll even make my annual plea for a constitutional convention to overhaul the system and lessen the fiscal power of state government.

Maybe instituting that $50 meal cap was a bad idea. Look what happens when our legislators, no longer able to be plied with steaks and liquor, are forced to sober up.