Breaking news!
BATON ROUGE -- Gov. Bobby Jindal announced today that he has vetoed the legislative pay raise.
After days of saying he would not reject the unpopular measure, Jindal said this morning that he had changed his mind.
"I thank the people for their voice and their attention," Jindal said of the public outcry against the raise. "I am going to need your help to move this state forward. ... The voters have demanded change. . . . I made a mistake by staying out if it" originally.
Jindal said that legislators "are going to be angry I broke my word to them" by promising to stay out of the pay raise issue. "Let them direct their anger to me and not the people of this state," Jindal said.
It seems that Jindal is more afraid of the people than of the legislators. That's good. The legislators doubling their pay for part-time work, while the citizens of Louisiana struggle with rising gas and food prices, with wages not keeping pace, was too much to swallow. The people rose up.
Now if only we citizens could be as galvanized on other issues such as the law to allow the teaching of Creationism and Intelligent Design in science class, which the governor, a Rhodes scholar, signed on to. Of course, the state will be sued, and will likely lose the case AGAIN after spending a good deal of our money defending the foolish law.
I'm glad he exercised his "testicular virility." (hee hee)
ReplyDeleteRuth, it was more like, "Who scares me the most?" He would never have recovered if he had not vetoed the pay raise. I believe that some of the legislators who voted for the bill are probably relieved. They had no idea that a freight train was coming at them, but they should have.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure the train is stopping Mimi, as far as the legislators are concerned. The people have smelled blood now and it's open season.
ReplyDeleteWe will see.
Jim, I think you're right. We'll see what comes next. The road ahead for the guv and the legislators will not be smooth. And that's as it should be.
ReplyDeleteLove your Jindal Watch features.
ReplyDeleteJane, thanks. He be needin' watchin'.
ReplyDeleteI gather he do!
ReplyDeleteIt seems that Jindal is more afraid of the people than of the legislators.
ReplyDeleteWould that were the case for more pols. (Substitute "lobbyists" for "legislators" where necessary.)
PJ, what did the citizens do that would scare Bush? For that matter, what did the Congress do? He was never in a bind. He had free rein - or should I say reign?
ReplyDeleteCan he still veto the law on creationism? If that becomes law, we ought to close LSU and sell the buildings for condos.
ReplyDeleteOrmonde, that's a done deal. Jindal signed that bill into law posthaste.
ReplyDeleteYou know, maybe we should think good thoughts about Gov. Jindal as a VP candidate. A Republican who actually pays attention to the ideas of the voters? This guy may be something new!
ReplyDeleteFWIW
jimB
Jim's blog
Jim, there are other reasons. Our lieutenant governor is a Democrat. But then, McCain would have to be elected, and we don't want that. It's all so complicated.
ReplyDelete