Good news story now. From, of all places, the New York Times (Feb 28/08). About a Republican governor, in Louisiana, who is actually creating major change there:
"Six weeks into the term of Gov. Bobby Jindal, an extensive package of ethics bills was approved here this week, signaling a shift in the political culture of a state proud of its brazen style. Mr. Jindal, the earnest son of Indian immigrants, quickly declared open season on the cozy fusion of interests and social habits that have prevailed among lobbyists, state legislators and state agencies here for decades. Mostly, he got what he wanted.
....Grudgingly, pushed by public opinion and business pressure, it went along. When the legislative session ended Tuesday, lawmakers had passed bills aimed at making their finances less opaque, barring their lucrative contracts with the state - some have been known to do good business with them - and cutting down on perks like free tickets to sporting events. The bills, which advocates say will put Louisiana in the top tier of states with tough ethics rules, now await Mr. Jindal’s signature, which should come early next week.
....The volume of grumbling suggested real change was afoot."
"This is huge," said D. W. Hunt, a veteran lobbyist at the Capitol. "This is a sea change. This will seriously, dramatically change things. The meta-theme is the transparency."
Barry Erwin, president of the Council for a Better Louisiana, a good-government watchdog group, described the new bills as "a major change in the culture."
"It’s a world of difference, particularly on the disclosure side, and the same thing with conflict-of-interest," he said.
A reporter for the Lafayette Daily Advertiser echoed the sentiment, saying that this was "something many of us didn't expect to see in our lifetimes." I was probably one of those people, and I loved this bit from the NYT story. Its inclusion is good writing and, yes, good reporting.
"The governor, ignoring cries of pain and going against the unswerving devotion to Louisiana’s food culture, pushed for the $50-a-meal cap, at any restaurant. No more unlimited spending.
In a town where legislators have been known to proclaim paid-for meals a principal draw to public service, this was an especially unpopular move. Last week, State Representative Charmaine L. Marchand of the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans said the limit would force her and her colleagues to dine at Taco Bell, and urged that it be pushed to $75 per person, to give them "wiggle room."
No public groundswell took up her cause, and the $50 limit held."
Party not identified in the media, so it's a safe bet she's... yep, a Democrat. If I were in charge of marketing at Taco Bell, I'd be producing related TV and radio commercials (or at the very least, YouTube videos) to run in Louisiana.
Meanwhile, hats off to Bobby Jindal for achieving what few have even tried, and getting legislation passed to help make a famously corrupt institution better. In this effort, he has the support of famed mayor Ray Nagin, a Democrat who is working hard at the New Orleans level to clean things up - and who often butted heads with Jindal's incompetent predecessor.
There are many more issues left to tackle, of course. There's low business growth, ongoing rebuilding, and state infrastructure and services that were terrible long before Katrina exposed the folly of, among other things, diverting levee dollars to casinos et. al.
Gov. Jindal will succeed in some places, fail in others, and gain a much sharper understanding of what it takes to govern. Which will be very different from his former Representative job in Congress. But corruption was the cancer worsening most of Louisiana's problems, and simultaneously making them almost impossible to address. Successfully tackling it with real reforms a critical first step, and anyone with any sense of ethics has to applaud what Jindal has achieved.
I wish him - and Nagin - well in their future efforts.
I will not claim to be an expert on Bobby Jindal, though I have done some research into his background. On the surface he seems to be pretty above board.
Time will tell if he can stick to his anti-corruption ideals, in the sadly corrupt world of modern American politics. I sure hope he can.
Finally I grant you this is a pure WAG, but as for me I wouldn’t be surprised if Governor Jindal is on the next Republican ticket that makes it into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Jindal is the finest politician serving at a high level in the U.S. I think he may be the last honest man serving.
Unfortunately, he's a bit of a nerd and sometimes has a tin political ear. I don't know how well he'd play on a national stage especially against a hostile press. But he would emphatically have my vote for President (after suitable seasoning as a Governor), and would probably be the first Presidential candidate that I'd actually be happy to vote for rather than having to hold my nose while doing it because I'm voting for the lesser of two evils.
There have been, 'Don't blame me, I voted for Jindal' bumber stickers in Louisiana for years now.
There are many reasons why Bobby Jindal could be President of the United States at some point between 2016 and 2036
Barring some scandal that derails him just like the once-promising George Allen got derailed, it could really happen.
Bobby Jindal may save Lousiana yet. I'd vote for him to be president in a heartbeat. Wonkish, dedicated, hardworking, honest - and loves Louisiana. Here's to him, and to all the other immigrants and children of immigrants who come here trying to have a better life-and wind up making this country a better place.
This is a very Honorable intention, that more people
should be aware of. It is not an easy thing, to change the
ethical standards of a single person, much less, to enforce
guilines for an entire state. I am aiming at the very same
idea at http://www.VictoriaTexas.org for TEXAS.