Though some hard times for state government lay ahead in the next two years, brief February seemed a sweet oasis.

   Of course, it was a mirage. According to the state's leading revenue indicators released last week, February sucked. Collections for the two big workhorse taxes, sales and personal income, which were running below forecasts all year, fell off more. Much more.

   February historically is a big month for income tax receipts. Instead, for the first time in 27 years, more money went out in refunds than came in from payments. Also, the fans who bought anything with the Saints or Who Dat on it apparently spent little on anything else, as sales tax receipts fell to 20 percent below last year.

   The sucking sound set off alarm bells in the halls of government, with the prospect of $250 million to $400 million in cuts having to be made in the last three months of the fiscal year.

   College officials who thought their budgets were intact for now were told to submit plans for whacking another $84 million from their campuses during this semester. Department heads looking to reduce their workforces by attrition were told to plan for layoffs. Under pressure from the governor, the Civil Service Commission did the previously unthinkable by suspending the annual 4 percent pay raise for 60,000 classified workers for next year, which Jindal followed up with a salary freeze for all unclassified workers.

   The March numbers might brighten the picture some and forestall the worst case for now. Either way, this is not the springtime of 2010 that Bobby Jindal envisioned two years ago when he signed the repeal of the so-called Stelly income tax plan. The February refunds that freaked out state analysts are the first bulk of money returned to taxpayers from the big income tax break for the middle class.

   The governor at first opposed reversing the Stelly plan, out of well-placed caution, but he got behind it when legislators rushed to pass the bill. Once it became law, Jindal, looking forward to this tax time, might have seen himself traveling the state handing out poster-sized refund checks to the people, thousands at a time. Instead, he dare not celebrate the $354 million tax cut now because the public would link it to the current plight of colleges, hospitals and people in need.

   There are more causes to the state's current financial travails than the Stelly repeal. Yet imagine enacting the biggest personal tax break in state history and not wanting to talk about it when residents start getting their money.

   Instead, the fiscal policy that Jindal is better known for these days is the recently and suddenly announced $15 increase in the four-year driver's license fee. What did he think would be the reaction when he slapped a 70 percent surcharge on about 3 million motorists? Double damage was done. It made many residents hopping mad, and they expressed their fury in irate calls to their legislators, who, just as surprised, blamed the governor for blindsiding them.

   Had he given lawmakers a heads up and made his case for the fee, they might have given him some cover, or persuaded him to phase in the increase over three years. It's called communication.

   This is going to cost Team Jindal more trouble than making up the $13 million lost when legislators inevitably repeal the $15 fee increase. At the very worst time, the governor has further strained the thinning reservoir of good will he needs to maintain with the Legislature for the tough times ahead--times for which, regardless of his backspin, the Jindal years will be remembered.