Well, at least Bobby took a stand. Sort of.
As an aside, we have arbitrarily decided to cease referring to Bobby Jindal by his elected title of governor. His behavior far more closely resembles that of his adolescent namesake from The Brady Bunch sitcom than a political leader. So we’ll just refer to him as Bobby from now on.
He repeatedly told us his big lie: that he had the job he wanted, yet he doggedly pursues a much higher prize—that of president. He long ago abdicated any of the responsibilities that go with that title—like performing his duties with the best interest of his constituents as a top priority.
Those duties would include seeing to fiscal well-being of the state. His persistent refusal to seek additional revenue to meet repeated shortfalls in the state budget have created a projected $1.6 billion budget hole for the 2015-2016 fiscal year. To address the problem, he is proposing yet another cut to health care and higher education—cuts that are certain to gut entire academic programs but almost certainly not athletics.
His giving away the state treasury in the form of corporate and industrial tax incentives have not paid off with desperately needed revenue. Quite the reverse has happened as companies have received five-year Enterprise Zone tax credits for locating Wal-Mart stores in affluent areas in open contravention of the EZ program’s intent.
Ten-year property tax exemptions have been granted in wholesale numbers to companies as they implement plant expansions but create no new jobs.
Movie tax credits return about 30 cents to the state for every dollar given in credits, certainly no bargain for Louisiana taxpayers.
There are others, like employee salary rebates and inventory tax rebates, all of which add up to billions of dollars deprived of the state treasury.
The health care of all citizens is another area of considerable responsibility that he has chosen to betray. Bobby’s decision to close Southeast Louisiana Hospital shut off mental health services to low income residents of the state’s most densely populated area. Then he privatized the state’s charity hospitals, a move which resulted in nothing short of personal and financial disaster. Baton Rouge Medical Center Mid-City is closing its emergency room next month because of the overflow from the closure of Earl K. Long Medical Center which will now place an additional strain on Our Lady of the Lake across town.
But while he has been chasing Islamics in Europe and chasing the presidency at home (using the term “home” loosely, as his base now appears to be somewhere in Iowa), Jindal has finally taken a stand in Louisiana, for Louisianans. Sort of.
Earlier this month, he took our collective breath away with his courage in saying he has “no reservations about whether or not it is a good idea and desirable for all children to be vaccinated.”
His courageous stand came out of growing concern over a measles outbreak at Disneyland in California because apparently one or more families who don’t believe in the measles vaccinations took infected children to the park, spreading the disease. A debate immediately followed as to the advisability of immunization because of belief in some quarters that the measles shots can cause more harm than good.
“There is a lot of fear mongering out there on this,” Bobby said, apparently referring to immunization rather than Islamic “no-go” zones in Europe. “I think it is irresponsible for leaders to undermine the public’s confidence in vaccinations that have been tested and proven to protect public health. Science supports them and they keep our children safe from potentially deadly but preventable diseases. Vaccinations are important. I urge every parent to get them. Every one.”
Again, let us stress that he also said “all children.”
But let us now flash back nearly two years to Feb. 22, 2013, when Bobby, acting for a change as governor, submitted his executive budget.
His proposed budget included his announced intentions to cease immunizing the state’s indigent children at parish health units throughout the state.
Instead, he said, private pediatricians would take over the duties of immunizing children under the state’s Vaccines for Children (VFC) program through which vaccines are made available at no charge to enrolled public and private health care providers for eligible children.
“Under the proposed restructuring, children who received immunizations at parish health units would be transitioned to receive immunizations by their private pediatricians or health care providers, where 92 percent of children already receive their immunizations through the program,” said a statement released by the Department of Health and Hospitals at the time.
Bobby’s most recent proclamation in support of immunization seemed more of an effort to set himself apart from the GOP frontrunners than any real concern for the welfare of Louisiana children. After New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky questioned the wisdom of mandated immunization, Bobby’s utterance seemed contrived, almost comical.
But it wasn’t funny. In fact, given the state of critical mass into which the state’s finances have fallen, nothing Bobby does is funny anymore.
The national media have finally caught on with several extremely critical analyses of Bobby’s performance just in the last few days, a couple by usually conservative columnists.
Bobby, we aren’t really all that stupid down here. We well remember glib line of yours: “I have the job I want.” Seriously? You repeated it ad nauseam during your first term. We got sick of hearing it because we knew you were lying.
You lying to us, weren’t you, or do you really have the job you want?
If you were telling us the truth, then for God’s sake stay in Louisiana and do your damned job. If not, get the hell out and let someone who cares do it for you.
Resign, Bobby. Just resign. You quit a long time ago so now just make if official. We’ve grown weary of your adolescent Bobby Brady adventures. Like the sitcom itself, your act has grown stale.
Louisiana Voice 
Amen and amen.
Please forward to every member of the Louisiana legislature.
Coincidentally, Tom, that new portrait of our illustrious governor also seems to bear a closer resemblance to the TV character “Bobby Brady” than the governor himself!!!
I think the national media are finally catching up to what you and some others have been saying about Jindal. Jindal, as far as I can tell, doesn’t have good days anymore. He’s getting slammed by national pundits, 2016 poll numbers, and Louisiana’s financial crises (admittedly he always seems unconcerned about the disastrous effects of the crisis on the people of the state, but he probably is at least somewhat disturbed at what the crisis is doing to HIM.).
He really made an ass out of himself today on Morning Joe by being wildly off-the-mark as to what it costs to attend LSU. It reinforced perceptions of him as out-of-touch. And to say that George W. Bush was the best post-Reagan president — is this guy nuts? Well, actually he is.
I have to laugh at the way he blows-off bad publicity and bad poll numbers. Being the narcissist that he is, my guess is that he checks regularly to see what the great unwashed masses are saying about him, to see if they are falling for his latest BS. Either that or someone’s checking for him and keeping him updated.
Lincoln’s famous line that you can’t fool all of the people all the time comes to mind. It appears the time of trickery is running out. Jindal’s bag of tricks is empty. Metaphorically, at least, the rotten tomatoes are about to fly, the torches are lit, the pitchforks are in the hands of the mob, and the hostile takeover of Baton Rouge is about to begin. That’s if the Legislature does its job and serves the people.
You probably already saw The ADOCATE’s take on his Morning Joe appearance:
http://blogs.theadvocate.com/politicsblog/2015/02/10/bobby-jindal-defends-budget-msnbc-isnt-sure-much-costs-attend-lsu/
He was able to make his case longer on the show than on CNN and I had the impression* he was treated with greater deference because MSNBC is part of the liberal media he is so fond of attacking.
*my impression changed when I read this ending to The ADVOCATE’s treatment:
“Overall, Scarborough had high praise for Jindal after the interview.
“I learned that Bobby Jindal should not be underestimated,” he said. “He’s one of the smartest politicians I think we have interviewed.”
Definitely high praise from the liberal media, wouldn’t you agree?
He did call him “Bobby” as Tom says he is going to do from here on, though.;-)
Now if Jindal would only have the guts to answer some questions by savvy Louisiana media
Actually, I don’t believe the attribution of the comment (fooling all the prople,etc.) to Lincoln is correct. I believe it was the late showman P. T. Barnum who coined that phrase.
Nope, it was Lincoln. Barnum said “There’s a sucker born every minute,” and W.C. Fields said, “Never give a sucker an even break.”
Why can’t we ask for a psychiatric evaluation, like Tom Benson’s family? Jindal’s waaay crazier than Mr. Benson. Unfortunately, our legislators have enabled his madness. They need to stage an intervention and save what is left of our state. Bad as they want to blame BJ, he didn’t always act alone. Some of our legislators were ignorant and complacent. Others were ruthlessly greedy and power driven. Some were noble and well-meaning public servants who were pushed aside. Now, it’s time for them to step up and abandon all the partisan games in order to save Louisiana. Legislators need to do their damned jobs too and stand up to this little brat!
This man, I refuse to call him a governor, is so full of himself he must think we all wake up in a new world each day like apparently he does. One day he is blue, the next if the wind is blowing from the south he is red/orange, from the east and he is green, and so on. I think he might have some kind of brain disease. People in other states, listen up, do not be fooled by this man. He doesn’t have a clue what he is doing and will stand until he drops dead defending his position even when his quoted material has been proven a joke. Bobby, I hear they need someone across the ocean near India who needs a lackey. Hurry and pack!
Knowing what I know about Jindal makes me wonder if all others trying for the presidential candidacy is as bad as he is. Maybe we should speak to citizens of each candidate’s state to get a good picture of the real person striving to get the job. They might be as bad as Jindal. ??? I have lost faith in our state and federal government. They lie, lie, lie! They tell us only what they think we should know about. There is entirely too much cover up in all areas. What I think we should do as state employees (current & retired) is to visit and/or contact our legislature and say “NO” to Jindal taking our retirement funds like he did with Group Benefits. Playing with the insurance money is one thing, but don’t touch my retirement money!!!! Is anyone out there concerned about this? We should all be !!!!!!!!!!!!
My brother-in-law in New Jersey is a devout republican. I asked him if he would be supporting his governor for a presidential bid and he said no. That says a lot about Chris Christie. I send him all of these posts and beg him not to consider Bobby.
Another new poll, a New Hampshire Republican poll, Argo, (I never heard of it before) shows that Carly Fiorina and George Pataki now are occupying the bottom of the list… you know, the spot that Jindal had been keeping warm for the last year or so. Jindal has slid right off the list altogether. Gonna miss the little feller. Not.
I’ve been thinking that instead of the (R) designation behind his name, he should use (M) for me, only me.
SRIRACHA is absolutely correct. Why doesn’t the legislature take what control they can. maybe total if they can over-ride his veto? I know traditionally LA has a governor-controlled legislature, that’s habit and not law. Rise up and make a difference!
Yeah, it’s close enough to the end of Jindal’s term that they ought to be able to do what they have to do, that is, do what is in the best interest of the people, and just drag their feet as much as they can at any revengeful actions attempted by Jindal. Jindal has got to be losing bit by bit his leverage now. Once the governor’s race is on, Jindal is old news…Bobby who? Won’t that be fine!
A thought I’d like to share about the 2016 Republican primary: There is one thing Jindal has going for himself, one problem he can avoid — he doesn’t have to worry about peaking too early.
I just love the way you tell the truth about old Bobby the Weasel! Keep up the great job!
Great comments and great article. BJ is the Caliph of the Jindalite Republicans and he is not going away. Money is their God and no use arguing with them. reading Stephen Brill’s ” American Bitter Pill”….Education,health care and the VA are their last frontier, will get all of that tax money in corporate coffers, then raise taxes to alleviate the suffering, such fing arrogance. ron Thompson