Jindal resorting to desperate measures
There is a time-honored and oftenused saying: “Desperate times call for desperate measures.”
That phrase would be a perfect slogan for Gov. Bobby Jindal’s delusional bid to become the Republican presidential nominee in 2016. The Advocate reported Jindal spent 45 percent of his time as governor outside the state in 2014 campaigning, yet he is hardly a blip on the presidential campaign radar.
So, yes, these are desperate times for our ambitious governor as his reign as the state’s chief executive is coming to an end – thankfully – after eight disastrous years. He needs a new gig since he has spent most of his adult life either in appointed public office or elected office. But his resume in 2015 is not that impressive. He will likely go down in history – and in the present – as the worst governor Louisiana has ever had. In this blood-red state, he is less popular than President Barack Obama. A recent poll by Southern Media and Opinion Research shows Jindal with a 31 percent approval rating and Obama at 42 percent.
His latest political stunt was issuing an executive order (He has been critical of Obama for doing such) to put in place “religious freedom” provisions after a House committee voted 10-2 to shelve the controversial bill which was introduced by state Rep. Mike Johnson, R-Bossier City. It is an obvious attempt to gain support from far-right extremists. It demonstrates that Jindal does not care a tinker’s damn about Louisiana. He thinks he will be in the White House and no longer living in the Pelican State after the 2016 presidential election. (The “Laughter” sign is on.)
The same goes for Johnson. He is cut from the same cloth as Jindal. Hopefully, someone will run against him this October. Like Jindal, he is politically ambitious and will do anything to get noticed and promote his own agenda. Both pretend to be good Christians while spewing hatred toward people with whom they disagree or who do not fit into their narrow little extremist religious hole.
Have they not been paying attention to the furor that developed over similar legislation in Indiana and Arkansas? Have they not noticed that the state of Texas dismissed a similar bill? Are they not aware of the negative backlash and black eye they have given our state? Have they not listened to business leaders, tourism officials and the movie industry who warn of detrimental affects from such legislation? Apparently not.
The national reaction to Jindal’s ploy has been swift and negative. The New York Times said: “Legislators in Texas failed to act on a similar bill, reflecting the degree to which business interests have come to see the bills as projecting an image of intolerance that is bad for a state’s business climate. That is a particular issue with the tourism industry in Louisiana.”
The Washington Post had this to say: “A Republican critic of President Obama’s executive orders will issue an executive order of his own that some say will allow Louisiana businesses to discriminate against gays and lesbians.” Other media outlets, including the Associated Press, joined the national chorus shaking their heads at the self-destructive and self-serving stunt already driving away badly needed business revenue from a state that needs every penny.
So, while legislators wrestle with a $1.6 billion budget deficit, which will likely further negatively impact higher education and health care in the state, the dynamic duo of Jindal and Johnson are more concerned about a baker being able to deny baking a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. Or even worse, allowing an emergency room surgeon to refuse to operate on someone in a same-sex marriage.
During Democratic Gov. Kathleen Blanco’s last year in office, the state had $3.3 billion in extra money. Democrats still controlled both houses of the Legislature. But Blanco did not seek re-election, opening the door for Jindal. His autocratic rule prompted wimpy state legislators to quickly switch parties to gain favor with the then-popular governor. The Legislature marched in lock-step with Jindal, giving tax breaks to big corporations while taking a sharp budget knife to higher education and health care.
The state is broke, higher education and health care are in shambles while Jindal parades around the country bragging about what a great governor he is and how wonderful things are in Louisiana. But the facts are Louisiana is the poorest state in the nation and is last in every good category and first in every bad category. Apparently, the Republican faithful – locally and nationally – is not buying his empty rhetoric. The latest polls put him at 1 percent among at least a dozen GOP presidential wannabees.
What the future holds for Jindal is anyone’s guess. But we do know one thing. He will leave a fiscal mess and the perception that Louisiana is a backward and bigoted state for the next governor to deal with. Let’s hope our next governor will spend more time dealing with the problems instead of trying to be a national and international critic on issues he knows little about. And, Heaven forbid, should he even mention an interest in the presidency.
Lou Gehrig Burnett, an award-winning journalist, has been involved with politics for 44 years and was a congressional aide in Washington, D.C., for 27 years. He also served as executive assistant to former Shreveport Mayor Bo Williams. Burnett is the publisher of the weekly “FaxNet Update” and can be reached at 861-0552 or [email protected].
