Posted on 06/25/2008 1:08:18 AM PDT by abb
Gov. Bobby Jindal admitted Tuesday that he blundered in allowing legislators to pass a bill that would more than double their base pay.
“I’ve learned my lesson,” he said during a news conference outside the Governor’s Mansion.
However, Jindal said he still plans to allow the pay raise to become law.
Vetoing the bill would give legislators a reason to reverse his initiatives, including changes to the state’s ethics laws, he said.
“Everybody knows it would be in my own self-interest politically to veto this bill,” he said. “I’d probably be the most popular governor in modern polling history if I did that.”
Jindal said he will be more proactive in the future.
“Going forward, we’re certainly going to keep a much tighter rein on the Legislature in future sessions,” Jindal said.
The pay raise is presenting the governor with the harshest criticism since he took office six months ago.
He has until July 8 to veto the measure. Many are suggesting that a veto is the right response for a governor who characterizes himself as a reformer.
But Jindal said he does not want to spark a battle with legislators.
“I don’t want to give the Legislature any excuse to slow down the reforms we’ve started. I don’t want to give them any excuse to throw sand in the gears,” he said.
Earlier in the day, protesters greeted Jindal in Shreveport. One protester held a sign that read “Veto and represent the people who cast their vote for you.” Another sign said “Veto Pay Raise — You Promised.”
Jindal was in north Louisiana to sign a bill that creates a $359 million tax break.
Last week, during the final days of the legislative session, Jindal was on the road nearly every day, usually far away from the State Capitol.
On Monday, the last day of the legislative session, the governor opted to hold a private business meeting rather than the traditional news conference that usually marks the end of a session.
The news conference was pushed to Tuesday and featured a number of the governor’s cabinet secretaries talking about the governor’s legislative package of workforce reform, education and economic development.
As in Shreveport, though, the focus quickly shifted to the pay raise issue.
Jindal vowed during the gubernatorial campaign last year to “prohibit legislators from giving themselves pay raises that take effect before the subsequent election.”
Senate Bill 672 by state Sen. Ann Duplessis, D-New Orleans, would benefit the lawmakers currently in office by increasing their $16,800 annual base salary to $37,500. Legislative leaders — such as the speaker of the House and the president of the Senate — would get more money.
Legislators also get a $6,000 expense allowance and $143-a-day per diem payments for every day in session or committee.
Asked Tuesday whether he will keep his campaign promise, Jindal said he told lawmakers he would give them latitude during the session that just wrapped.
The governor said he wanted to make the regular session the legislators’ session after the back-to-back special sessions he called shortly after his inauguration.
For the most part, he said, that latitude worked.
It did not work on the pay raise, Jindal acknowledged.
The bill has sparked a public backlash.
A recall petition was launched Tuesday against state Rep. Joseph Lopinto, R-Metairie. There also are efforts to oust House Speaker Jim Tucker, R-Terrytown, from office.
Approval has been granted for a protest rally to be held at the State Capitol on July 7.
The controversy is getting national notice.
The New York Times published a story Tuesday with the headline “Legislators Raise Pay, and a Governor Pays the Price.”
The article suggests that Jindal’s image as a reformer “has recently taken a beating.”
In the future, Jindal said, his administration will be more involved with the session by issuing veto threats and by speaking up when bills go through committee. .submission
JindalWatch® Ping
http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/politics/21025119.html
Pay raise protest planned; recall notice filed
http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/politics/21023924.html
PAR report says session low on reform, high on pay
http://www.2theadvocate.com/opinion/20994484.html
Letter: Jindal has let La. taxpayers down
http://www.2theadvocate.com/opinion/20993844.html
Letter: Suspend governor title for Jindal
http://www.2theadvocate.com/opinion/20993359.html
Letter: Is the pay raise a form of bribery?
http://www.2theadvocate.com/opinion/20992929.html
Letter: WWJD about legislative pay raises?
http://www.thetowntalk.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080625/NEWS01/806250337/-1/NEWSFRONT2
Debate over legislative pay raise continues
http://www.thetowntalk.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080625/NEWS01/806250338/-1/NEWSFRONT2
Jindal still not budging on veto stance
http://www.thetowntalk.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080625/OPINION03/806250303/1014/OPINION
Your mail: Jindal, lawmakers let us down
http://www.thetowntalk.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080625/OPINION03/806250302/1014/OPINION
Your mail: Politics as usual
http://www.thetowntalk.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080625/OPINION/806250305/1014/OPINION
Maginnis: What else legislators did, besides that
http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080625/OPINION/80623023/1002
GUEST COLUMN: State senator defends legislative pay raise
http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080625/OPINION03/806250330/1002
Lawmaker pay raise would pay for itself
http://www.thenewsstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080625/OPINION01/806250305/1014/OPINION
Pay twice for this?
http://www.thenewsstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080625/OPINION02/806250304/1014/OPINION
On pay: It’s time to reconsider
http://www.thenewsstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080625/OPINION03/806250328/1014/OPINION
Lawmakers running wild
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-11/1214371461219130.xml&coll=1
Jindal unfazed by pay raise critics
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/capital/index.ssf?/base/news-6/1214371530219130.xml&coll=1
Pay raise sparks push to oust lawmaker
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/editorials/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1214371273219130.xml&coll=1
EDITORIAL: A session under a shadow
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/editorials/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1214371278219130.xml&coll=1
EDITORIAL: Wasting time and our money
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/letterstoeditor/index.ssf?/base/news-11/1214371337219130.xml&coll=1
Bashing of raise unwarranted
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/letterstoeditor/index.ssf?/base/news-11/1214371280219130.xml&coll=1
Hard decisions are Jindal’s job
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/letterstoeditor/index.ssf?/base/news-11/1214371614219130.xml&coll=1
Raise is political monkey math
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080625/NEWS01/806250379/1002/NEWS
Jindal joins Shaw for ceremonial signing of Stelly tax repeal bill
http://www.thetowntalk.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080625/NEWS01/806250332/1002
La. legislators not only ones getting raises
http://www.2theadvocate.com/opinion/20992424.html
Inside Report for June 25, 2008
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/06/24/angry-louisianans-warn-jindal-not-to-approve-legislatures-pay-raise/
Angry Louisianans warn Jindal not to approve legislature’s pay raise; Update: Now with angry e-mails!
Louisiana Blogs and links
http://www.bayoubuzz.com/
http://www.louisianaconservative.com/
http://forgotston.com/
http://www.thedeadpelican.com/
http://www.legewatch.com/
http://centrallapolitics.blogspot.com/
http://www.thereductbox.com/
http://www.recallmichot.com/
http://www.recallpayraisetucker.com/Home_Page.html
http://www.moongriffon.com/
http://jeffsadow.blogspot.com/
http://www.lapolitics.com/
http://onlyinlouisiana.wordpress.com/
http://ringsidepolitics.com/
http://www.wwl.com/
http://redstick.wordpress.com/
http://biggs-bullets.blogspot.com/
http://www.conservativecajun.blogspot.com/
http://www.legewatch.com/
Tune in tomorrow at 7:30am
Published by Laura under Press
We’ve been lax about letting you know when LegeWatch is in the news.
Robert Davis will interview with Tonya LaCoste, host of “the Morning Report”, on KPEL-FM, 105.1, located in Lafayette, Louisiana. For those who don’t reside in close proximity to receive the signal, they may streamline the show “live” by going to www.kpel1051.com and listen.
The show airs from 5;30am- 9:00am, but he will be on live at 7:30am.
Also - Rob will be on Ringside Politics next week. If you happened to catch any of the coverage in BR and Monroe today, let us know! And if you are able to record any of these things for us, we could really use a volunteer in each city to do that - if you’re interested, please email me, admin@legewatch.com.
http://centrallapolitics.blogspot.com/
In my almost 52 years, I cannot recall seeing the people of Louisiana so outraged over an act of the Legislatiure. The heroic protesters of Shreveport should be copied at every appearance which Gov. Jindal makes.
http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20080624/OPINION/806240309/1032/SPORTS&title=Jindal_s_reform_policy_is_going_backwards
Jindal’s reform policy is going backwards
http://jeffsadow.blogspot.com/
25.6.08
Jindal’s imprudence on pay raise imperils his agenda
Like zombies they seem to awake from the torpor of extended isolation (109 out of the last 135 days in session) in an artificial environment that bears no relationship to reality (the Capitol building, Pentagon Barracks, and a few Baton Rouge watering holes). But the one that hunkers down on the fourth floor who matters the most apparently still hasn’t cleared his head.
The bloom is now officially off the rose. It was good while it lasted.
This is all very distressing to me. When I began posting about Jindal’s shortcomings several weeks ago during the Stelly Rollback debate, I was excoriated by FReepers who still believed the ink Jindal’s handlers were putting out.
I voted for and supported Jindal. I wanted him to succeed and do right by our state. Maybe he can turn it around.
Anyway, I decided to make daily posts of all the blogs, articles, letters to the editor, etc. that I could find. If this guy has national aspirations, it behooves us to know all there is to know about him.
God knows, we got enough RINO’s running around now.
Same here, but we have been fooled (lied to) so many times in this state before. It won't take much more for me to say "Screwed Again".
Jindel loses his backbone.
Time will tell (and I don't think too long a time), maybe he's just a country club Republican elite and never had one to start with.
The pay raise may have been justified. It is not a new problem for lawmakers to have to deal with pay raises for themselves. If the cost of living goes up, then their pay needs to go up. Bobby Jindal should just 'fess up to his part instead of denying he knew.
WOW, that was fast! Thanks so much, that picture says it all for me.
What a spineless creep. What does he have to gain by publicly kowtowing to this bevy of greedy pigs oinking their demands for an ever-bigger public trough?
What a loser Jindal is. How does he look at himself in the mirror?
Bend over, Jindal. Oh, that’s right. You’ve already done that. Big time. I guess you’re one sore governor. Did they at least give you a kiss afterwards?
Vetoing the bill would give legislators a reason to reverse his initiatives, including changes to the state’s ethics laws, he said.So in order to keep his "ethics laws" he's going to bend over and let the "legislators" get away with a huge theft of public funds.
Now that's good reasoning, Mr. Jindal. That's the kind of reasoning that's going to make you President someday.
Not!
Just another lying bastard.
Governor Jindal needs to call Mark Sanford up in South Carolina for some instructions on how to stand up to a greedy state legislature. He hasn’t done a perfect job at it, but he’s done better than people expected due to the weakness of the Governor’s powers in SC...and at least he did SOMETHING.
Sanford went around the powerful fat cats in the General Assembly and instead went straight to the people. His most effective and memorable piece of theater was to hold a news conference in the state Capitol...while carrying two cute, squealing piglets he named “Pork” and “Barrel.” Corny, but amazingly effective at putting pressure on the General Assembly. Jindal needs to man up and do something like this. Politicians are like a pack of wolves. They sense fear.
}:-)4
Jindal was in on the pay raise scam. Initially, the leges wanted 3x what they’re making now. When the voters when ballistic, they scrambled for a day or two, then the day of the vote, house and senate leadership spent two hours in the governor’s office before going back into session in the afternoon and ramming the vote through. Jindal’s trying to say he had nothing to do with it all, but if that’s so why the lunch meeting in his office?
It’s all documented.
37,500 doesn’t seem like much, how long is their session per year?
He could talk will but you have to back it up with action.
90 days max plus any special sessions that may be called.
Sessions of the Legislature
The legislature is required to convene in the state capitol in Baton Rouge for regular annual sessions. In even-numbered years, a general session convenes at noon on the last Monday in March to extend for no longer than 60 legislative days during a period of 85 days. In odd-numbered years, a limited jurisdiction session convenes at noon on the last Monday in April for no longer than 45 legislative days during a period of 60 days. The legislature also may convene for extraordinary sessions and for veto sessions. The legislature is required to meet in an organizational session, which cannot exceed three days, on the date its members take office. A special session may be called by the governor or may be convened by the presiding officers of both houses upon a written petition of a majority of the elected members of each house. A special session is limited to the number of days stated in the proclamation, not to exceed 30 days. The power to legislate in a special session is limited to the objects specifically enumerated in the proclamation (La. Const. Art. III, Sec. 2).
On the bright side, maybe he is taking the hit now knowing the voters can make their voices heard when the legislators come up for re-election. Although they are only in session for a short time, they still are representatives of the people all year round. The new pay scale may give others more incentive to run and start down the road to real reform. Just saying.
He hasn’t learned his lesson,,if he had, he would veto the raise but he won’t.
90 dAYS a year during which 90 days they are wined and dined and have a perdiem.
This is their pay scale right now, before the pay raise takes effect.
http://www.la-par.org/guide_laleg1.cfm#Election
Average Legislative Compensation
Odd-number years Even-number years
Annual salary $16,800 $16,800
Expense allowance $6,000 $6,000
Average per diem (reg sessions)$8,280 $11,730
Average per diem (special sessions) $828 $828
Average per diem (interim meetings) $3,036 $3,036
Total $34,944 $38,394
Looks like he’s a typical coward politician afterall.
LLS
Texas, a much wealthier state, pays it’s legisltors and the Lt. Guv $7,200 per year. Of course they’re only in session 3 months every two years. IIRC, the voters have to approve any pay raises here.
As was suggested previously, Jindal is being held hostage to the legislature. But he could have taken his case to the people who would have supported him. The current salary of $16,800 is paltry, but the legislature could have done themselves a huge favor by voting to increase it incrementally over the course of several years rather than double it all at once.
YouTube videos of yesterday’s Shreveport protest.
http://centrallapolitics.blogspot.com/2008/06/video-gov-jindal-encounters-protesters.html
http://centrallapolitics.blogspot.com/
PROTESTS GROWING OVER LEGISLATIVE PAY RAISES
God ‘ol boy Bobby should realize that the “legislators” are going to use any excuse to reverse his initiatives. He should have strongly opposed the pay raise from the very start. Instead he let himself get rolled. What a fool.
Here in New Hampshire the state legislators make a $100 a year. The big money doesn’t start until you become Speaker of the House, who makes a cool $125 a year.
http://wwl.com/Jindal-expresses-hope-payraise-is-unconstitutional/2479855
Jindal expresses hope payraise is unconstitutional
I would agree if the pay raise had become effective with the next Congress, after the next election; as it stands, it becomes law in two weeks. These legislators all ran for their current office knowing what the position paid, and the State Constitution defines the Senate and House seats as "part time positions." I'm not aware of any legislator who does not have a full time career apart from lawmaker. They are now receiving two full time paychecks. When the Stelly (tax) plan was being debated a few years back, $40K was brought up as the threshold for being "wealthy" in Louisiana...the Legislators just voted themselves into that category on the taxpayer's dime.
Thanks for the post/links. Interesting thread.
Thanks for the post/links. Interesting thread.
http://www.kmsstv.com/news/local/21411689.html
Protesters Greet Governor Bobby Jindal At Chamber Of Commerce
http://www.louisianaconservative.com/
Jeff Sadow, the Legislative Pay Raise, and My Comments
http://www.bayoubuzz.com/News/Louisiana/Politics/Louisiana_Governor_Jindal_and_Mr._Hide__6656.asp
Louisiana Governor Jindal and Mr. Hide
http://www.theind.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2713&Itemid=1&ed=1031
Politics 06.25.2008
The blasting of Gov. Jindal, the fury over the pay raise and more
By The Independent Staff
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Blog/Default.aspx?id=153108
Jindal... Just Another Politician
http://www.wjbo.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=119442&article=3872758
Enraged Voters Are Taking Action
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