You may have heard his name mentioned as a possible vice presidential running mate, but if you don't know anything more about Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, you should.
Governor Jindal is leading a revolution of conservative reform in Louisiana. He is the most transformational young governor in America today. The principles that motivate his Louisiana Revolution are the same pro-innovation, pro-competition, anti-bureaucracy and anti- big government principles that I urge each week in this newsletter - the same principles that are so desperately needed in Washington, D.C.
For those of you who don't yet know him, I'd like to take a moment to introduce you to Governor Bobby Jindal. And for those of you already familiar with this rising reformer, read on. You may just learn one more reason why Bobby Jindal is a reformer to watch, regardless of whether or not he gets a spot on the 2008 presidential ticket.
The first thing to know about Governor Jindal is that he has been in office as governor for just six months.
Six months.
And in just six months he's accomplished more than most elected officials accomplish in a lifetime.
Governor Jindal has built his impressive record of conservative reform through an innovative, aggressive leadership that should be required learning for officials in Washington, D.C.
He didn't wait for the Democratic controlled Louisiana legislature to come to him. He went to it, calling two historic special sessions before the regular session of the legislature even had a chance to begin.
In the first special session back in March, Governor Jindal began his reform agenda where it had to begin: fixing the culture of corruption and cronyism that has long dominated Louisiana politics and damaged Louisiana's economy.
The ethics reforms won by Governor Jindal catapulted Louisiana from a state with one of the lowest rankings to among the states with the highest ethics standards.
Thanks to Bobby Jindal, today Louisiana ranks as the number one state in financial disclosure requirements of its elected officials. And this new transparency and accountability in government is having real world results.
New financial disclosure requirements for public officials that went into effect last week have prompted mass resignations from state boards and commissions.
Said one Louisiana voter: "I don't know about anyone else, but I'm kinda liking the fact that this is resulting in 'out with the old and in with the new.' ... A new day Louisiana, a new day!"
In yet another special session of the legislature and the regular session which ended just last week, Governor Jindal has built a spectacularly impressive record of accomplishment for the people of Louisiana.
Here are just a few of the highlights:
* Six Major Tax Cuts worth more than $500 million, including eliminating taxes on business and capital investment and the largest personal tax cut in the history of the state - a $300 million reduction in personal income taxes, worth up to $500 for an individual and $1,000 for a family.
* Governor Jindal brought about a Transformation of Job Creation and Retraining. He completely eliminated the Department of Labor and passed a guarantee for employers that Louisiana educational institutions will train its workforce to meet their needs, and if they fail, they will retrain workers for free.
* He created $10 million in Opportunity Scholarships so 1,500 poor children in New Orleans can escape failing public schools.
* Jindal led the passage of The Health Care Consumers Right to Know Act, creating transparency of cost and quality for the first time in Louisiana's health care system.
* Bobby Jindal expanded the number of charter schools in Louisiana from 42 to 100.
* He passed legislation cracking down on child molesters and also passed a resolution calling for the creation of involuntary civil commitment of sexually violent predators to keep them confined for treatment after they complete their prison terms.
All this, and Governor Bobby Jindal is just getting started. Just last week he vetoed $9 million dollars in pet projects and pork barrel spending in the legislature's budget - another area in which this 37-year-old governor is showing the way to Washington.
Not coincidentally, Jindal also announced that for the third time last week, Louisiana's bond rating had been raised by a major credit rating agency.
The Governor was also in the news because he vetoed a bill that the legislature passed doubling members' current salary and guaranteeing future pay raises. Jindal had previously said he wouldn't oppose the pay hike, but he came to the conclusion that it was incompatible with his reform agenda.
His earlier comments, the Governor admits, were a "mistake," one that he chose to correct by vetoing the bill. And Jindal's correction has cemented his reputation as a principled conservative reformer.
Here's how one would-be opponent of Jindal's put it:
Dear Governor Jindal: I wanted to leave you a quick note that I plan to withdraw my recall petition effective tomorrow (July 03, 2008). I filed the recall petition about an hour before you announced your veto. After researching your record, your goals, and your vision for Louisiana, the only conclusion I could come to is that the world needs more Bobby Jindals.
"The world needs more Bobby Jindals." I couldn't agree more.
In addition to this glowing endorsement, Jindal is capable of standing in the face of tremendous pressure, and making the right decision:
Last month, the state legislature in Baton Rouge voted itself a pay raise — more than doubling their salaries, from $16,800 to $37,500 (with more to follow).
The move put Jindal in an awkward position. He had promised the largely Democratic legislature that he would leave them alone — that he wouldn't veto a pay raise. Slapping them down would promise to be a headache for Jindal, who has a long to-do list that has to get through the statehouse. Refusing to veto the pay raise, however, would contrast with the reform governor and conservative rising star's image — and campaign platform. His profile as a refreshing, clean-living leader for Louisiana would be tarnished.
So, what did he do? He led.
On Monday Jindal did the right thing and said the words a politician rarely utters: He said he made a mistake. At a press conference, Jindal announced that he had "clearly made a mistake by telling the legislature that I would allow them to handle their own affairs," Jindal said. "As with all mistakes, you can either correct them or compound them — I am choosing to correct my mistake now."
Jindal added: "I have opposed this pay raise at every turn and from the very beginning. A doubling of legislative pay is clearly excessive and it takes effect prior to the next election, which I believe is bad policy." Governor Jindal said: "This bill would also have set up a system to give legislators automatic pay raises in the future without additional legislative votes — which is a lack of accountability that we cannot accept."
Jindal was considering letting the unpopular raise stand, in the hopes that the legislature would be more cooperative on the to-do list he and the state's voters are counting on getting passed in the coming months. But having vetoed the pay raise — which would have made the Cajun legislature the best-paid legislature in the south — Jindal can hold legislators to a much higher standard than political compromise: their obligations to the voters of Louisiana, so in need of good representation, ethical politics, and responsible spending and governance.
Wow! Not only is he effective, but he is honest and accountable to the voters first! Does it get any better than that? Jindal is literally transforming Louisiana from one of the most corrupt states into one of the least, and he is doing so despite the deeply entrenched opposition of the Louisiana establishment. How? By harnessing the power of the people of his state - he has connected with them directly, essentially forcing the middlemen (the state Senators and Representatives) to follow along with his reforms. This is what Reagan did. Jindal's principled stances and thorough grasp of conservative policies are guiding him to make radical changes that will benefit the state in huge new ways, though the full effects of those changes will probably not be felt for some time (though some will be immediate). Rest assured they will be felt all the same. Don't be surprised if we start seeing Louisiana as a new up-and-coming economic powerhouse in the next few years.
Conservatives need to pay attention to this young rising star. He has all the tools to become the next Ronald Reagan, and he is developing the experience that is so badly needed to play ball successfully on the national level (which, may I remind you, not everyone has...ahem, Barack Obama...). Jindal has the full portfolio, and will only get better with time. There is also a buzz around him already, so don't be surprised to see a grass-roots swell of support for future Jindal campaigns on a national level.
It would do the country good.
There's my two cents.
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