This week, people of Louisiana learned that the state is facing a budget crisis and that the population decline was even more serious than some had predicted.
How will Governor Bobby Jindal deal with these problems? For answers, the local media will have to monitor national cable news programs which seem to interview Governor Jindal on a daily basis or take a flight to the location of his next speech.
Tomorrow, Governor Jindal will leave for his another speaking engagement. Yet, this visit is creating plenty of national interest. On Saturday, Jindal will address the IowaFamilyPolicyCenter, a pro family group in the state that hosts the nation’s first presidential caucus every four years.
Although he denies any interest, it is no secret that Bobby Jindal wants to run for President of the United States. Jindal is the epitome of the frequent flyer and it seems clear that he is considering a presidential race. He has been all over the national airwaves in the last two weeks, commenting on why the GOP lost the election.
Jindal is clearly a darling of the news media and an inspiration to Republicans who are reeling from two successive electoral defeats.
Regardless of the wishes of Republican Party leaders, Louisiana voters want Bobby Jindal to tackle the daunting problems facing the state. In 2007, Jindal was elected to do a very difficult job right here in the PelicanState.
His constant travels and media interviews are starting to create a backlash among some of his supporters here in Louisiana. One GOP legislator commented that “the next four years are going to be very difficult for Louisiana. We can forget the Obama administration helping Louisiana if Jindal is positioning to run for President.”
While Jindal travels the nation granting interviews and making speeches, Louisiana is still ranked at the bottom on most key rankings.
According to a new population survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, Louisiana is still losing thousands of people per year. We are losing productive tax paying citizens who contribute to our quality of life. If we continue to lose the best and brightest, the tax burden will continue to be shared by a smaller and smaller group of citizens, leading to more and more outward migration.
Louisiana has suffered the worst population decline in the nation since 2000. Although the hurricanes played a role, the outward migration was going on before the storms and has continued after the hurricanes. In 2000, Louisiana had a population of 4.5 million citizens, but by 2007, it had declined to 4.29 million and it has continued to drop.
Jindal needs to address this population crisis, our stagnant economy and our budget crisis. Currently, forecasters are predicting that Louisiana will face a deficit of $1 billion next year. In a budget that has tripled in 12 years there are many areas which can be cut, but the Governor needs to take the lead on this controversial issue.
Voters in Louisiana not only need his leadership, we need his full attention. Running for President while serving as Governor of Louisiana is not what voters expected when he was elected in 2007.
If the Governor starts scheduling trips to New Hampshire and South Carolina in the months ahead, then all questions about his political motivations will be answered. It will also clearly lead to more criticism from Louisiana citizens who will rightly feel neglected. Voters elected Bobby Jindal to be a full time Governor, not a part time steward of state government.
Jeff Crouere is the Host of “Ringside Politics,” which airs at 7:30 p.m. Fri. and 10:00 p.m. Sun. on WLAE-TV 32, a PBS station, and 7 till 11 a.m. weekdays on WGSO 990 AM in New Orleans and the Northshore. He is the Political Analyst for WGNO-TV ABC26 and the Political Editor for NewOrleans.com. For more information, visit his web site at RingsidePolitics.com. E-mail him at jeff@ringsidepolitics.com.
Are you talking about Strongconcrete KPF? Between you, me, and the fence post….. I could really care less about Strongconcrete…… It is more of an epiphany or a blessing for me than anything else… I really never figured I would ever have a chance when it comes to it becoming a bigger reality than it already is……. This is America, it is un-American to succeed…….. I am no fool, I understand America completely…… If it isn’t franchised, or partnershiped, or incorporated, or geared to screw the most amount of people for the most amount of money in the shortest amount of time it is a blasphemy…. Or actually simply a big fairy tale that every poor heathen in Guatemala and Honduras, or any other backwards ass country is foolish enough to dream about….. Once they get here, they see what an absolute shithole it really is…… And a large extent of those masses act accordingly with criminality and a need to make things look like crap……. Oh sure, it is allowable to open a little family store in some obscure out of the way place to sell rice, and candy bars and cigarettes if tax dollars can be generated, as long as no one else is interested in that piece of property, but everything else is reserved for corporations, and economic development boards, and planning commissions…… And if you come up with something that someone else wants that has more ‘juice’ than you, well, you will be squashed like a bug…….. You see, instead of wandering around grumbling about the government is this and the government is that, I have actual first hand insight into what it really is…. And I am satisfied…. I am not grumbling about their not using Strongconcrete…… In reality, that would be like volunteering to stand at a wall in front of a firing squad…….. Have you really ever dialoged or met with some of the assholes that are planning and running things here in Louisiana?? Holy Shit!!!! You see, I care about Strongconcrete about as much as I would care about defending my country in reality…… And why? Because THEY are not interested in defending our country, or our State be it from a federal or a state perspective being the basis for why that statement would be taken into account…. So why should I put myself out? Now granted, if Uncle Sam were to give me a really nice sniper set up, with a great scope…. along with some gps location transponders, and promise to air drop me some MRE’s once every month or so with a homing beacon attached so I could find it in the dark, oh, and a really, really, really good set of observation binoculars, something like the Japs got during world war II I would be glad to crawl around on my belly in the mountains of Afghanistan until I got Bin Laden….. I think I could crawl around a mile or so a day on my belly, and hopefully, I might luck out and he would just happen across or within my line of sight and range one day… Oh, and I would want an assurance that they would send a chopper or at least some gunship support if I got into a serious firefight….. And I would like to have at least one automatic rifle on the side with a grenade launcher…….. Ehhhh, that all gets too heavy… I think some good camouflage netting, a knife, heavy leathers and my sniper unit would be good enough…… Ohh, and maybe a 9mm. Berretta side arm.. I could spend a year or two of doing that, if it was specifically asked of me……. But you see, they don’t really want Bin Laden….. And why? Well, because he is more valuable alive than dead……. Just like the way we here in Louisiana have been dilly-dallying around with our coastal erosion bologna for the past 2 decades…… It is only valuable, and it is only important if it ISN’T fixed…….. And it gives Louisiana great national media attention!!! Hell, even Soledad O’Brian is getting on the perpetual Louisiana media choo-choo….. again…….. “How do you save a city? One crime at a time” is her solemn mantra (my gawd that girl is beginning to get butt ugly…. Wait until she hits 48!!! Eeeeeyuuuuuuccckkkkkkkkkk!!!!) for this weeks Anderson Blooper /SollyDad segment (Ya just gotta luv media spin) Or if Unka’ Sam wanted me in Iraq, he would probably be able to send 10 or 15 of those boys that are already there home, I would be more than adequate in providing the same amount of offensive coverage as they could when it comes to select targets of opportunity…. I mean hell, with age comes experience……… (But what is the advantage in that? Because now Uncle Sam has 10 or 15 more men on unemployment back here on home turf and that would add to the numbers that already look bad, sooooooo, the hell with dealing with Iraq effectively, let’s keep the statistical charts and the bean counters happy, its more expeditious that way) …. Anyways, STRONCONCRETE IS A LOT OF WORK!!!!! WHO IN THE HELL REALLY NEEDS THAT KIND OF AGGRAVATION WHEN IT COMES TIME TO SERVE INGRATES??????? You see, I am not amongst the delusional masses that are just sitting around with opinion after opinion because they like to hear theirselves talk (although I have to admit, I do sometimes enjoy just getting carried away with the topics every now and then… Hey, it’s a boring world), No KPF, I have actually had the blessing of seeing first hand what a bunch of assholes we have leading us….. I understand their little underhanded tricks, and their reasonings, and I don’t pay much attention to conspiracy theories, because how can there be a conspiracy when you have a zillion different groups of unorchestrated assholes running around screwing things up for everybody at the same time……??? Oh sure, there is a commonality to some of these kooks, but locked arm in step progression? Nahhhhhh……. Do I have beliefs and dreams for Strongconcrete? Well sure KPF… It’s sort of like my kid……. And what parent wouldn’t want to see the product of its love doing something really great in the world???? But no…… I am not worried about STRONGCONCRETE… It is what it is…… It just gives me a rational focus point when I hear some more Piyush the genius bullshit and I can laugh at the ignorance of the fools that surround him…… But then again, I also consider the fools that allow him to do what he is doing……… Yeah, have a good millennium…. I sure as hell am glad I am not 16 years old and having to go through all this shit again……. Written by
on 11/21/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
While I symphatize with your frustration in getting your product used by the state I am far more concerned with government spending money that could be better used in the private sector, stealing money that could be better used in the private sector, and meddling in the market(a la "Community Reinvestment Act", what a joke that is, worst of all is that those responsible - instead of admitting to their error - claim they need MORE government involvement in the market). Of course, when the water starts to rise above my neck, my opinion may change. ;-) Written by kpf
on 11/21/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
I don't know KPF, perhaps when a person considers what the government has taken away, quashed, silenced, or disavowed it may be necessary for the government to give the gift 'at least letting an idea better than what they are practicing get a leg up'...... But that is just my personal opinion.... Of course I suppose that Shaw Group stock holders would have a different opinion, because if it weren't for the governements free gifts at the hog trough, they might have to face competition... Ohhhh, that would be a free market then now wouldn't it? AND WE CAN'T HAVE THAT IN AMERICA...... Written by
on 11/21/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
If Jindal wants to run for president in 2012, he should challenge David Vitter in the 2010 Republican primary for the US Senate. Vitter will have no choice but to yield and Mitch Landrieu can be a full time governor while Jindal campaigns for president full time. Written by David Quidd
on 11/21/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
What's holding our state back? Politicians or the people? Just what can a politician do for - say YOUR children - that they cannot do better for themselves? What do you want for your children? Do you want the government to provide their needs? Wouldn't you prefer them to be self-sufficient? (Hell, isn't your job as a parent to make them self-sufficient?) The promise of "change" this in last election will not have government providing any abled-bodied individual with more than they could do for their own selves. As long as a large percentage of our state's population is looking for "the way forward" in their lives to be provided by some politician, we will remain poor and dependant upon these government provided "gifts" that will never equal what one could do for one's own self. Written by kpf
on 11/21/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
yea, ok - but the potential payoff for Louisiana is huge if Jindal can win the presidency. Look what Lyndon Johnson did for Texas. Is there risk and downside - sure - but the State can't go much lower. Written by stevo
on 11/21/2008
REPORT SPAM OR ABUSE
This week, people of 
