Posted on 06/29/2008 6:04:36 PM PDT by abb
Gov. Bobby Jindal's legislative director has resigned after serving fewer than six months with the new administration, which is embroiled in a controversy over the Legislature's large pay raise.
Tommy Williams, 65, said Sunday the decision to leave was his and that he left on good terms. He did not offer reasons for his departure, but said he plans to return to his career as a professional lobbyist.
"I cannot tell you how much I've learned and what a great opportunity I had," Williams said.
Williams' resignation comes at a moment of intensely strained relations between Jindal and the Legislature, which adjourned last week from its third lawmaking session this year. Although Jindal won virtually every initiative he wanted during those sessions, he did not prevent lawmakers from giving themselves a pay raise that more than doubles their base salary for serving in the Legislature.
Jindal has said he disapproves of the pay increase but refuses to veto the pay raise bill. He has until July 8 to veto the raise, or it will become law.
Williams held a vital and high-ranking position on the Jindal team, although he was not in the small sphere of core advisers to the governor, a group that includes Chief of Staff Timmy Teepell, Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Waguespack and Executive Counsel Jimmy Faircloth.
Williams was a lobbyist for BellSouth for 38 years before starting his own lobbying firm in 2006. When Jindal took office in January, he hired Williams as the governor's lead lobbyist, in charge of pressing the new administration's agenda in the Legislature.
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(Excerpt) Read more at nola.com ...
JindalWatch® Ping
“Jindal has said he disapproves of the pay increase but refuses to veto the pay raise bill.”
He disapproves of the Bill but doesn’t have the gonads to Veto even when the people are 100% behind his Veto pen. This is called: spineless, lack of Political will, cowardice, image conscious, weak kneed, broken promise, Rino, disloyal, a lie to the people, untrustworthy, snake oil, ....the list goes on and on.
And an absolutely huge overreaction by you.
“And an absolutely huge overreaction by you.”
Wow, that’s deep. Do you have anything else to add to that in-depth commentary? Do you care to tell me why I am overreacting?
The ethics board and now this guy ?
That’s 11 in a week or so ?
Better pull the trigger on that VETO !
You had no overreaction at all. If Jindal refuses to veto this bill he will never win another election in Louisiana. He is not a conservative. He is a politician whose every move is calculated to make him president. He misfired this time.
Why IS there a Jindalwatch? What’s your problem with the guy?
The guy doesn’t veto a legislative pay raise vote, and your phraseology includes “spineless, lack of Political will, cowardice, image conscious, weak kneed, broken promise, Rino, disloyal, a lie to the people, untrustworthy, snake oil.” That’s about as ‘over the top’ as could be.
Did Reagan veto every bill he disagreed with, or were there times when he took one step back to take three steps forward? Does Jindal have a huge conservative majority to work with down there in his legislature? Oh, yeah, that’s right. Get a clue.
Nine days and counting until the final decision.
Trust me, Jindal is NO REAGAN! Now, he might be a George Bush, who pledged: “Read my lips: NO NEW TAXES.” How did that work out for Bush?
Jindal made a pledge in ink to the people of Louisiana -”No pay raise for Legislatures.” If you don’t call that a bold-faced lie I don’t know what is. He has the ability to Veto if you weren’t aware and now he’s vowing not to use it.
It’s obvious you don’t live in the State of Louisiana.
See, I don’t find either extreme already marked out in this thread to be persuasive.
I heard great things about Jindal. His refusal to veto this isn’t a great thing. Is it everything? Is there some good reason for it? It seems to me that (A) declaring him a complete disaster simply because of this; AND (B) saying it’s no big deal, are both EQUALLY unpersuasive.
If he’s going to lead, he’s going to have to show real spine. But not every battle is the war. Sometimes a feint precedes a thrust.
So, can someone offer some more substantive commentary on this?
There are several weeks worth of posts on this. Keyword ‘Jindal’
Okay, so one poster doesn’t care to interact in this thread.
Does anyone else?
Do you want me to look it all up for you and post the links?
Well, if inviting requests, I’d request you dialogue. I think we’re conversants here, not librarians. At least that’s why I enter the threads. Otherwise, why not post the article, then confine your comment to: “Please, no comments. Consult previous articles.”
Or if you personally don’t want to, just don’t. Though when I’ve posted articles or essays, the conversation was what I most looked forward to.
This thing of writing off a rising star because he won’t veto a pay raise another branch has given itself when that other branch has cooperated with his agenda is absurd.
Where is the rancour for those that voted themselve a raise?
What was the party line split?
If Jindal made a clear commitment to veto this that is one thing. But expressing opposition in his campaign is something else.
I didn’t agree with every thing Reagan did but I didn’t think recall was a proper expression of my disagreement.
Fair enough. I must go for a bit, but I’ll be back later in the day. I’ll show you what’s been happening here in Louisiana regarding the Legislature and Jindal this past spring and why I think Jindal’s just another RINO who ran for office under false pretenses.
Oh, you’re actually there? Yeah, that’d be great! Thanks. I really would like to have some hope that the GOP is building up some kind of a “bench,” if you know what I mean, instead of just resting on “Wasn’t it great when Reagan was alive?” Early buzz on Jindal was that he could be in that vein. Disheartened by some of what I’m hearing.
NOW what are you going to complain about!!!!!!!!
“Jindal vetoes legislative pay raise”!!!!!!!!!!
“Jindal vetoes legislative pay raise”!!!!!!!!!!
I was already aware of this news earlier this morning.
But this is no doubt a win for the people of Louisiana. Our voices were heard loud and clear. Make no mistake, the people of Louisiana are empowered!!!
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