Governor Jindal, Legislature Mooning Louisiana Over Pay Raise

Is our Governor--Jindal the Spineless, the Bonehead or the Deceiver?

It pains me to express such since two weeks ago I praised him effusively after a press conference.

Now, the question is whether Dorothy should help him find a noggin, starch for his courage shirt or a light beam to honesty. Something is now sorely lacking in our Governor. Meanwhile, the honeymoon clock is screeching. The love affair with Bobby Jindal is officially dead.

More importantly, the public needs answers, now, for Jindal to be effective in the future.

It appears that certain legislators put a legislative gun to Jindal’s head and threatened that the Jindal reform days were numbered unless his administration fulfilled a prior deal on legislative salaries.

It also appears that when Jindal realized the public outrage engulfing the legislative pay issue, his Administration tried to manage the disaster and minimize a “pledge” it previously made with the legislature. Breaking the pledge would have been breaking his word but keeping his pledge with the legislature meant breaking his word with the public.

On Friday after the House voted for a compromise, Jindal said, “. I will not veto this as it is very clear to everyone that the result would be a grinding halt to the tremendous reforms and progress our state is making.”

Which means the screws were turning on the Governor, yet, the Louisiana voters were getting screwed by the very government officials who were hired to represent our interests. .

After Monday’s (yesterday) Senate vote to support the House compromise on the legislative pay raises Jindal said, “I will keep my pledge to let them govern themselves”.

Which statement by itself raises a cache of questions:

Topping of the list is: Specifically, and in detail, what was the pledge, when was it given, to whom and what were the circumstances in terms of time, place and content?

Was the pledge a quid pro quo, which appears obvious? If so, did the quid involve his ethics reform package? Or did it involve legislation that specifically targeted his own campaign’s ethics transgression? We just don’t know, which is why we need to know.

More importantly, the public has a right to know. Unfortunately Jindal this session wants to put a Big Hush on administrative communications, calling them privileges. He wants more public privacy and less open government. What transpired this past week punctuates the compelling need for public access which he promised us when running for Governor and during various occasions after he was elected.

Regardless, it is absolutely astounding that Jindal would make such a bonehead pledge in the first place when budget cutting and halting government benefits for the privileged were basic “Jindal Revolution” tenets. Yet, something reeks terribly about the “pledge” and the facts and circumstances related to the entire selfish legislative grab bag.

For instance, why did the Governor (who certainly is known to be a “words smith”) say “I will keep my pledge to let them govern themselves”.

“Govern themselves”? Just how far does this “governing themselves” pledge go and what does it cover?

By contrast, why didn’t Jindal say “I will keep my pledge to let them set their own salaries”?

Yet, no matter how broad was Jindal’s “pledge statement” announcing an agreement to allow legislative self-governing, Jindal’s actions evidence inconsistency. So far this session, the Governor has vetoed legislation this session. So far this year, the Governor imposed his will on the legislature regarding income reporting and perks during Special Session I. But, when it came to pay raises, Jindal has decided to keep his pledge, so why the marriage to an undefined pledge?

In short, the people have the right to know if this pledge involved only the pay raise or other matters. If the pledge only related to pay raises, then why didn’t this “articulate” Governor say so in the first place?

The bottom line is—this entire controversy--from the pledge, to his decision not to veto the pay raise needs to be sharply investigated by the media and then possibly by law enforcement professionals. Jindal and legislators must meet the press and answer the hard questions or else doubt will forever linger and his administration will go down the tubes.

If we do not get straight answers, law enforcement officials should intervene. When threats were made about shutting down government that’s arguably extortion if personal matters (legislative income) was involved.

Only after a full vetting will the voters know the circumstances surrounding the pledge, whether serious laws were broken, and about the legislature-Administration dealings. Only then will the entire truth ever be told. Only then will true reform ever take place in Louisiana. Only then will Louisiana voters know if Bobby Jindal and his administration possesses the competence, the honesty the courage and the openness to take Louisiana into the “promised land”.

Until the voters secure these answers, the Jindal administration and the members of the legislature who voted green instead of clean, should not be trusted.

In the meantime, Jindal should veto this legislation and the people should demand total transparency in the administration. Our future is too important falling down the black hole the Governor wants to grant the public about his own affairs.

Bobby Jindal is no longer just the whiz kid. He is Governor. The public must always come first. Although he certainly appears to hold greater political aspirations, he will go nowhere, nor will the state until “Pay Raise Gate” is fully examined.

No honeymoon lasts forever. Reality sets in like the sun. Which is exactly what Louisiana needs immediately—sunshine on the administration and the legislative branch. Until then, we’re clearly getting “mooned”by our leaders.

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