Reform for Louisiana

The National Press Club Newsmaker Luncheon Program held a discussion on “Bold Reform that Works” with the governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal. He said that when he became governor, his aim was to be the most boring, but effective, governor of Louisiana. He said Louisiana is a wealthy and blessed state, but it was losing workers even before the storms of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. His first goal as governor was to fight the war on corruption. He said he created dozens of bills against corruption, and worked hard to restore trust in the government. He said Louisiana is already seeing results, and that fewer jobs are leaving.

Jindal said he wants Louisiana to be an inviting state for investments, jobs, and opportunities. He also wants to invest in roads, infrastructure, and deferred maintenance. Another priority of his is workforce development and creating skilled workers.

Jindal said he was grateful to the country for help after Hurricane Katrina, and thanked the media for its coverage of the state after the storms. He wants the country to see that Louisiana is recovering, but still had ongoing needs. He also wants the recovery money in the president’s budget to be approved sooner than later. He said the levees need to be rebuilt correctly, as they should have been originally. He said as bad as Hurricane Katrina was, it provided Louisiana a chance to rebuild and fix the problems that existed before the storm.

When asked if he would consider being McCain’s running mate, Jindal said he has the job he wants, and is excited to be part of generational changes in Louisiana. Finally, he said the country needs a more rational, national energy policy. He said Louisiana has created budget assumptions to prevent dependency on oil, and he aims to diversify the economy outside of oil and gas.