If we've written a lot about the long-term problems facing state government's finances, that's because the prospect in just a couple of years is grim.

While the Legislature raised taxes to fill the budget holes left by ex-Gov. Bobby Jindal, many of the revenue-raisers are scheduled to expire, creating a "fiscal cliff," in 2018.

About a $1.1 billion financial cliff, as estimated by the Legislative Fiscal Office, should worry citizens and particularly businesses, who see a quilt of new tax levies or reduced tax breaks that have the result of raising more money.

But even before the cliff, there is the likelihood of a payday loan by state government being needed.

A short-term borrowing plan is under development and may be used this fall, because of potential cash-flow problems.

Treasurer John Kennedy told the State Bond Commission said the state's expenses and its cash intake timelines don't match up. Most of the state's money comes in during the second half of the fiscal year, while expenses are often "front-loaded," he said. "This is the cash flow problem."

This is remarkable, because Louisiana had in the past been able to shift money from savings accounts as needed to keep up. Those pools of money, including a Medicaid trust fund and contingency fund in the Division of Administration are now gone, Kennedy said.

We agree with him that reckless budgeting during Jindal's years caused today's problems, because the then-governor — with the approval of a supine Legislature — preferred to use one-time money to pay for recurring expenses.

Not surprisingly, Kennedy's analysis tracks with that of Jindal's successor, John Bel Edwards.

“Year after year, they would rob Peter to pay Paul, and they spent down the cash cushion that traditionally our state kept in place to pay bills each year," Edwards said. "Unfortunately, as I’ve said, that has severely limited our ability to pay our bills this year and going forward until we are able to stabilize our revenue sources and budgeting process in Louisiana."

The long-term crisis that faces the state when it approaches the big fiscal cliff of 2018 is bad enough. As the Public Affairs Research Council recently noted, that ought to be concentrating the minds of lawmakers, business and the governor on a fiscal reform plan.

The payday loan for the state is officially a "revenue anticipation note," and Kennedy pointed out that local governments — where revenues like property tax payments typically come in once a year — often need to use the short-term borrowing.

But it's the first time in a generation that Louisiana has had to borrow in this way. It's a sign of how deep and long-lasting the financial repercussions of Jindalism are going to be.