Louisiana Voice

If more conclusive proof that Gov. Bobby Jindal has simply mailed in his administrative duties for the final three years of his administration, a quick review of his use of State Police helicopters to call on constituents throughout the state should do the trick.

He has availed himself the use of the ‘copters in years 2012, 2013 and the first eight months of 2014 just 86 times combined for all three years compared to 93 during the first 10 months of 2011, the year he was re-elected, and 100 times during 2010, records show.

Following 2010 and 2011, his usage of the helicopters dropped precipitously, to 34 in 2012, 39 in 2013, and just 13 through August of 2014.

Prior to the 2011 October election, Jindal was hopscotching all over the state to visit Protestant churches, primarily in north Louisiana, and to hand out federal checks to local officials. He has not visited a single church since the election.

On occasions, the state police helicopters were used to take the entire Jindal family to destinations that would appear to have no connection to state business.

For example, in early December of 2010 (the exact date is obliterated but the trip fell between two others—on Dec. 2 and Dec. 6—the state police helicopter transported the Jindal family to Natchitoches during the time of the Natchitoches Christmas Festival of Lights.

The Jindals participated in the 85^th Annual Festival of Lights on Dec. 3 of that year, according to local news sources.

Earlier that year, on Feb. 9, the Jindals were flown in the state police ‘copter to New Orleans to attend the victory parade to celebrate the New Orleans Saints’ Super Bowl championship.

On July 6, 2011, Daniel Kirk, program manager of the Governor’s Program on Abstinence, and Gene Mills, executive director of the Louisiana Family Forum, accompanied Jindal and his press secretary Kyle Plotkin on a jaunt to Monroe and Pineville. No purpose for the trip was provided on the flight logs but Jindal was at the First Baptist Church of West Monroe on that date to sign into law a bill designed to deter women from having abortions.

Mills, you may recall, in 2012 called the issue of school bullying “agenda-driven propaganda” and referred to a bill to prevent bullying as an introduction to “a sexually-charged political agenda” into schools.

We suppose Mills was given a free ride on the state helicopter by virtue of his position, but we can’t help but wonder if he will also offer free rides to all those corporate executives who get those generous tax breaks from the state or if state employees will get the same treatment when Jindal signs a pay raise for civil service workers.

Oh, wait! Sorry, we drifted off into fantasy land there for a moment.

Official trips in the state police helicopters other than routine patrol were significantly fewer than those taken by Jindal.

There were 39 non-patrol state police flights in the ‘copters in 2010 compared to Jindal’s 100 trips. The same was true in 2011 when Jindal took 93 trips and state police administrative personnel recorded only 32 flights.

But in 2012, 2013 and 2014, the numbers evened out considerably. In 2012, for instance, Jindal had use of the helicopters on 34 occasions and LSP administrative personnel took 33 flights. In 2013, it was 39 for Jindal and 40 for LSP personnel. The only year in which LSP personnel used the helicopters more than Jindal was during the first eight months of 2014 when state police took 21 flights compared to only 13 for Jindal.

One of the more curious flight log notations was when state police were needing the helicopter for pursuit of a criminal suspect on December 19, 2013, but Jindal apparently had the craft tied up on a flight to New Orleans.

Flight logs show that Jindal had use of the helicopter from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and that state police then deployed the aircraft for the pursuit and subsequent felony arrest from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Perhaps Jindal should have gone along on that chase. Then, in addition to running as the fiscal conservative who slashed government spending in Louisiana and as the family values candidate who vetoed anything resembling rights for those of different gender, skin color or lifestyle, he could also run as the straight-up law and order candidate.

He could have even worn that camo clothing he donned for his Christmas card for a much better political photo op.