I admired and still to some extent admire Huey P. Long.  He was a boyhood hero of mine based laregly on T. Harry Williams’ historical treatise.  One of the great spiritual events of my life was as a high school senior I heard a sermon (In Ohio, not Louisiana) where the pastor told a story I could not historically verify (but that was not important) that someone tried to witness to Long and finally got a few seconds with the former governor, now a United States Senator.  The Kingfish waved him off with, “I don’t have time for Jesus Christ.”  He turned the corner and was shot by Carl Weiss.  That was part of getting me more serious about Jesus and His Word with daily devotions. 

But there is much to admire about Long.  As Williams stated, he was different from most of the prior governors who did little or nothing for the people.  John W. Parker tried to do some things and was partly successful from 1920 to 1924 but Long came in with issues like roads, free textbooks, natural gas for New Orleans and general improvement of the state. 

Williams reported that Long had immense political talents and abilities.  A virtually photographic memory and a uncanny ability to relate to others, especially from other ethnic groups (He’d call up say a Lebanese leader and invite himself over for whatever their favorite food item was and come over.  Long made a huge impression on many African-Americans of his time he knew personally for example.) 

Long perhaps brought many good things to his state but he also brought some not so good things, too.  To understand how radical Governor Jindal’s reforms were, the reader needs to understand Long.  If any reader goes to the Kingfish at the Roosevelt this weekend, let me know how you liked it!

“The following shall be days of public rest and legal holidays: Sundays; January 1, New Year’s Day; January 8, Battle of New Orleans; the third Monday in January, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; January 19, Robert E. Lee Day; third Monday in February, Washington’s Birthday; Good Friday; the last Monday in May, National Memorial Day; June 3, Confederate Memorial Day; July 4, Independence Day; August 30, Huey P. Long Day; the first Monday in September, Labor Day; the second Monday in October, Christopher Columbus Day; November 1, All Saints’ Day; November 11, Veterans’ Day; the fourth Thursday in November, Thanksgiving Day; December 25, Christmas Day;…”

That’s right.  Huey Long’s birthday is a state holiday in Louisiana.  It mujst be admitted that Long did bring about many needed reforms in Louisiana but his political tactics and corruption negated much if not all of the good he did for the state.  Governor Jindal is laboring hard to end the Huey Long corruption era in state politics. 

The Governor’s efforts are beginning to work:  National accolades for ethical reform, new large businesses moving to the state, taxes and restrictive regulations being eased, and a sense of pride and public spirit.

Perhaps the day may come – say fifty years from now,  the list of state holidays will read as follows (Again with emphasis not found in the 2050 Louisiana Code):

“The following shall be days of public rest and legal holidays: Sundays; January 1, New Year’s Day; January 8, Battle of New Orleans; the third Monday in January, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; January 19, Robert E. Lee Day; third Monday in February, Washington’s Birthday; Good Friday; the last Monday in May, National Memorial Day; June 3, Confederate Memorial Day; June 10, Bobby Jindal day; July 4, Independence Day; the first Monday in September, Labor Day; the second Monday in October, Christopher Columbus Day; November 1, All Saints’ Day; November 11, Veterans’ Day; the fourth Thursday in November, Thanksgiving Day; December 25, Christmas Day;…”

This is to celebrate the visionary leader who was Governor of Louisiana for two terms and then was the first President from the Pelican State…

Besides HB898, the governor signed HB458 by Rep. Kirk Talbot, R-River Ridge, extending the sound recording production and infrastructure tax credit program; SB277 by Sen. Ann Duplessis, D-New Orleans, extending and expanding the digital interactive media tax credit; HB790 by Rep. Hunter Greene, R-Baton Rouge, extending the research and development tax credit; HB110 by Rep. Jane Smith, R-Bossier City, providing a tax credit for clean burning motors; and HB215 by Rep. Nita Hutter, R-Chalmette, creating a cargo and infrastructure tax credit for Louisiana ports.

The Governor was quoted as saying this would improve the Pelican State’s competitiveness with other states. 

I can suggest several fine movie topics:  the Reconstruction era carpetbag Governor Henry Clay Warmoth, the first African-American Governor (P.B.S. Pinchback), anything about Huey Long or his brother Earl, (I especially enjoyed Blaze and not for the reasons you might expect a male to do so – it showed Earl Long in a positive light), Katrina recovery, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band,  and finally the Saints!

We will not suspend this blog.  We are unapologetic that Governor Jindal is a wonderful candidate for the White House.  We do not believe this blog is a distraction to the Governor.  I have been trying to promote items and issues that show the Governor in his best light and we will continue to do that.  Governor Jindal does not need to run for President to do that.  He will be remembered in history as the governor of Louisiana who ended the Huey Long era in that state.  He may well need eight years to do that. 

But I personally believe that God called men and women to serve at crisis times in American history.  Look at men like Harry Truman – seemingly coming from nowhere to serve the nation with great distinction.  With Senator Ensign and Governor Sanford’s scandals seemingly taking them out of contention and Governor Palin seemingly suspending national ambitions for a time (I STILL think she’ll be a FOX News evening anchor shortly; my advice for the FOX anchor with the lowest ratings – better get them up now!) that makes it all the more possible that it may be the time for national service.

Jindal is an authority on health care.  It is likely that Obamacare will fail or pass in a limited manner.  Either way, that is an important issue.  There is cap and trade that may be the Waterloo for the liberals.  Obama’s popularity is down, in some states below fifty percent.  (Of course it is still early! I thank the Ace of Spades HQ for that entry!)

My suggestion for the Jindal PAC supporters – go to the Internet – like Ron Paul did.  Form Jindal meet up groups and there are tens of pro-Jindal Facebook groups already.  Start something official – Jindal for Lousiana’s Future.  Promote the Governor.  The time may come.   Perhaps persuade the Governor that it is great for Louisiana for him to help other GOP candidates.  Governor Palin has SarahPAC, as I said in an earlier blog entry, Governor Pawlenty may start a non-profit orgnaization to promote his views and issues.  Governor Jindal might be legally able to do the same.   

We will continue to promote the Governor and also comment on 2012.  Jindal could always be the VP candidate as well as run for President.  If Dan Kyle wants to be a guest blogger here – write us something and send it to us! 

We’ll see you at an election near you!  Don’t forget to help the local/state candidates in your area while we await 2012 or 2016!

“As a result of Jindal’s initiative, Louisiana has rocketed to the top of the Center’s rankings, with 94.5 points, earning the top slot among all 50 states.”

Huey Long may be spinning in his grave but the people of Louisiana will benefit. 

The report did however state that it was not yet possible to verify enforcement and there are legitimate issues here.  But this is not Jindal’s fault (emphasis mine):

“And the new laws included a provision — not part of Jindal’s original proposals on the campaign trail — that stripped the board of its enforcement powers and transferred authority to a newly-created panel of administrative judges, causing the board’s members to resign in protest last June. ”

Perhaps this can be repaired in future sessions of the legislature.  But this is a great step.

BTW, my home state Virginia flunked. 

“Virginia, for example, placed 8th in 1999, but has fallen to 31st place, mostly because other states made improvements while Virginia’s ethics laws remained essentially unchanged. Virginia state legislators must fill out a statement of economic interest annually and must disclose outside employment or investment information. But the state lacks the necessary oversight to ensure that the forms are filled out correctly. While other states have made efforts to ensure accuracy, often with the creation of an independent commission, Virginia’s legislators are mostly left to police themselves.”

Maybe future Governor McDonnell can take a page from the Governor Jindal book!

The first-term Republican governor brings exactly what the Bayou State needs. And guess what? The nation needs it, too.

Amen. That is why I am writing this blog.

He is first and now the governor of Louisiana. His message resonates with Middle America, starting right here with Middle Americans in Louisiana.

Preach it, brother!

Thank you, colleagues, for taking seriously the need to end corruption — and the perception of corruption — in Louisiana.

Thank you, colleagues, for collaborating on economic-development initiatives that have helped to keep Louisiana ahead of the nation during a time of real recession.

And thank you, colleagues, for learning from the mistakes we’ve made — individually and together — and for choosing to look ahead. We’ve got big problems that need solutions that work for all of Louisiana.

It is still breathtaking that the Huey Long era is over in Louisiana. (Now, let me add, it will take time for the new ethical upright Pelican State to be trusted – to even be put into practice. This may be the enduring legacy of Governor Jindal if he is a two term governor.)

The governor’s five-point legislative agenda includes changing the rules so the governor and Legislature can review spending in its entirety every year, require programs to justify their spending through performance, and allocate taxpayer funding where it is needed.

That should be tackled immediately. It is an essential first step toward rethinking state government, reducing its size and providing common-sense solutions to complex problems.

We will discuss in due time the five-point plan. The success of the governor will be measured by the session that just started. I would urge my readers to keep in mind, few chief executives get everything they want every year. They may end up with one or two clear successes and maybe serious compromises on other goals.

But the Alexandria media states the case well. Whether Governor Jindal runs for President or not, he brings new ideas and thinking to his home state.

However, in 2003, I heard about (through a column that I cannot find) to a candidate for governor of Louisiana who had an audacious plan to clean up politics in Louisiana and make the state a leader in a number of items including ethics reform. I felt that anyone with that sort of vision was worth looking into. Especially when he was a conservative Republican.

When I heard Jindal’s resume, I was again impressed. He is an intellectual who won a Rhodes Scholarship and, unlike a certain other Rhodes Scholar from a neighboring state, actually graduated from Oxford. At 32, Jindal had already been a state cabinet secretary (Health and Hospitals), the president of a leading university system (Louisiana State University) and a federal sub-cabinet official (Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for Planning and Evaluation).

Jindal lost the election and I was disappointed until Katrina hit. I think that 2003 loss was a blessing in disguise. Jindal was elected twice to Congress and then came back to run for governor of Louisiana. This time he won in the first primary.

Jindal was able to push through the legislature in three sessions, ethics reform, reform of taxes unfriendly to business interests, and one time infrastructure projects that were needed and for which a budget surplus existed. Almost immediately, Jindal was instrumental in persuading Albemarle Paper Co. to move its office from Richmond, VA! (Ouch! He could have started somewhere else!)

I did hope Senator McCain would appoint Jindal to be his running mate. No one could have made fun of Jindal in the way they (unfairly) did Governor Palin. I further believe his extraordinary success story, an Indian-American son of immigrants, achieving the American Dream, could be a great role model for youth and a force to revive the Republican Party WITHOUT compromising traditional conservative positions.

Jindal is staunchly pro-life, against gay marriage, has an evangelical Christian testimony, and favored the balanced teaching of intelligent design in the schools. Jindal voted against funding embryonic stem cell research and also voted against the S-CHIP children’s insurance program. He is solidly pro-Second Amendment rights. I may be able to discuss some of these issues in later blogs.

The end of the Kingfish era in Louisiana seemed like a dream on the scale of Lithuania seceding from the Soviet Union. Jindal, however, seems to have started the effort to clean up bayou politics and make the state work. Even his foes agree he seems to know how to gets things done, as described by Deepa Fernandes in the Nation magazine article of July 21, 2008:

“Given Louisiana’s harsh economic landscape and its conservative tilt, many Democrats there seem willing to sacrifice an unattainable agenda for these immediate results.”

Here are specific examples from the Nation article:

“Nonetheless, his Democratic successor as health secretary, David Hood, has nothing but praise for Jindal, calling him “the best secretary of DHH that I have seen in thirty years in state government.” Hood says that Jindal was organized, able to generate excitement among staff and had long-term vision.”

“Political consultant Cheron Brylski, a fierce advocate for women’s rights, is just as laudatory of Jindal. “Even as a liberal,” she says, “I felt that Bobby Jindal was the person who offered the most hope for Louisiana at this time.” Despite years of “butting heads” with him, Brylski fully supports the new governor. When asked why she endorses a man who has voted to restrict and outlaw abortion at every chance available to him, Brylski responds, “He’s smart, and he has good connections in Washington.”"

Lithuania is now independent. Louisiana may be well on her way to ending the Kingfish era. I believe Governor Jindal has ended the Huey Long era in Louisiana. He can get results in Washington. Whether he runs in 2012 or later in life, he will be both a formidable candidate and, if elected, a wise President. Now about the Saints…