Bobby Jindal campaigned on returning a sense of ethics and transparency to Louisiana politics. Ethics, maybe, maybe not. Transparency, not really.
According to a 2007 Jindal campaign brochure ...
"When citizens, good government groups and the media asked legislators for specifics on projects they inserted into the bloated budget, the politicians refused to release the details claiming it was not public record. This is outrageous"
The reality is much different. "Current law stifles debate on major decisions by keeping important and useful information out of public view", according to the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana.
Somewhere between the campaign and the election, Jindal seems to have forgotten. Enter SB57, which should come up for a vote on Monday, the latest attempt to increase the transparency of the governor's office. The bill has been proposed each of the last three years but has not passed the State Senate. This year, however, the bill passed out of committee unanimously.
The latest reason to push for more transparency from Governor Jindal's office? This confidential report about the value of the privatization of health insurance for over 250,000 state workers, retirees, and dependants.
Before you read any more of what I have to say, you should read this editorial from the Times-Picayune.
It shouldn't really surprise anyone that a southern Republican governor wants to privatize as many functions of government as possible. Jindal's administration has also explored selling three prisons to a private firm. Jindal's plan is to use the proceeds from the sale to cover financial obligations. Some state legislators, however, believe that the short term gain would be eclipsed by higher costs down the road. They point to the example of neighboring Mississppi.
19 states, including Mississippi, have implemented private prisons in order to reduce correctional costs. However, a recent American civil Liberties Union study found that from 1994 to 2007 the Mississippi Department of Corrections, which began outsourcing to private prison companies in 1995, increased its budget by 155 percent.
Let me be clear, I have no reason to question Governor Jindal's ethics in this diary. I am concerned with two things, privatizing government functions and the lack of transparency in his administration. I oppose the first on ideological grounds. I decry the latter because all Americans deserve transparency in government, especially from those that campaign on it.
It shouldn't really surprise anyone here that a southern Republican governor is involved in this kind of hypocrisy. There is no way to know what is going on behind the scenes in the Louisiana state house. I don't know that there is any more corruption in the political process now then there was before or that exists elsewhere in the country. I do know that, because of this policy of secrecy, I am more suspect of Jindal and his administration's aims.
I wasn't active on this site three months ago when the story about donations to a foundation run by Jindal's wife was published by the New York Times. I'm sure that it was discussed here. Allow me to add my two cents, please.
Oil companies have deep pockets and a strong interest in the Gulf Coast. They will use any method at their disposal to influence regulations upon drilling and refining. They generally view Louisiana's Gulf Coast as a ripe plum to be picked. The oil companies are not alone in their support for the foundation. Several large contractors who do business with the state are also donors.
These contributions are another black mark on Jindal's credibility. It would take a better person than me to forget about somebody's contribution to my wife's charity when that person asks for a favor. Isn't that exactly how backroom deals are done?
Jindal is not likely to run for the White House next year but he does plan to run for governor again. This would give him a solid position from which to campaign for the 2016 Republican nomination. I don't know if there are any viable Democratic opponents to Jindal's re-election effort. I hope that there are.
It may not really matter, anyway. Jindal is a young man. He could be a part of the Republican field for a long time. He certainly seems to espouse all of the Republican small government credentials that are required for a rise through the ranks. Jindal's brand of Catholicism also makes him attractive to the religious conservatives. It is a powerful combination.
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All of this is sort of the long way of saying that I support SB57. I also support anybody who is working to unseat Bobby Jindal. He may not be a political threat in 2011 but he does have the potential to become one down the road.
Or he could remain a secondary player like fellow southern governors Mike Huckabee and Hailey Barbour. I seem to have misplaced my crystal ball. I do know, however, that something is rotten in the state of Louisiana.
And its not yesterday's catch left on the docks overnight.