Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal did something today that our elected leaders on the national level should take note of.
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.
So, what was the big deal about the legislature voting itself a pay raise? I mean, $16,800 a year isn’t much for a state representative to pocket for the work they do. A little raise could be helpful.
The problem is that the $16,800 is just a base salary. There is also the matter of just over $140 a DAY per diem, as well as gas mileage and other perks that go with the job. And here’s what got folks riled up:
The initial bill would have given our lawmakers a 300% raise, not counting the per diem and other perks. AND it would have been tied in to the national level raises. Every time our national level politicians got a raise, so would they.
That was scaled down to a mere 200% raise, (the escalation part stood) but the fire had already been started. People here in Louisiana were as mad about this as I’ve ever seen them. More so, in fact, than ever. The plain fact is that the people down here are sick of inept, wasteful, corrupt, and useless government and are tired of Louisiana being a laughing stock around the country for our politics - and politicians.
At first Jindal said he’d stay out of it and let the bill pass without his signature because he feared the legislature would block the reforms he’s pushing through, but the outcry has been loud and long over this. And he has heard it and has responded.
There will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth among our state level politicians over today’s veto, but they may want to think twice before they try to block Jindal’s reforms. The people down here have discovered that they do, in fact, have a voice and they’re not afraid to use it - or their votes - to get our government moving in the right direction.
I’m thinking a national outcry about our do-nothing congress might be in order as well. It worked here.
Why not?