Bobby Jindal: Some Successes, And Some Hard Lessons
by GOVERNOR BOBBY JINDAL - News Star (excerpt)

BATON ROUGE — A close friend asked me what I and my administration have learned from the recently ended legislative pay-raise fiasco. Well, quite a bit, actually. Of course, as is the case with the human condition, these are all lessons that most of us learned early in life around the dinner table, so it is unfortunate to have to learn them again, this time in public.

First, a brief summary of events is in order. In my campaign I said any legislative pay increases should not take effect until after the next elections, giving voters the ability to ratify or reject the idea at the ballot box. Then, at the beginning of my governorship, I pledged to the Legislature that I would treat them an as equal branch of government and let them handle their internal affairs, including such matters as legislative compensation. So far so good.

When the huge legislative pay increase bill was first introduced, originally in the form of a $70,000 pay package, it did not seem like a serious proposal and certainly not one that would pass. But as we all know, to my surprise and chagrin, they did pass a bill more than doubling legislative pay.

So, there I was, caught between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, I had continually said the pay raise was excessive and that no pay increase should take place until after the next election. On the other hand, I had the Legislature reminding me that I promised to stay out of their business.

As they say, the rest is history. I vetoed the pay raise.

So, back to the question: What can be learned from this as we go forward and strive to make Louisiana's government live up to our greatest potential?

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