Huey Long would be so proud !

Jindal’s hypocrisy was in full view Thursday when he told John White, State Superintendent of Education, that he would now have to get approval from state finance officials for any contract over $2,000.  In case you haven’t been following the latest scrimmage at the capital it’s all about Jindal trying to appease his ultra conservatives buddies by preventing the state from implementing the Common Core Standards, which he initially supported. He now supports those who want to protect our children from the what they deem is a government plot to control our children’s minds.  He has decided this posturing would tremendously enhance his chances for a presidential nod.  It has nothing to do with helping educate our children.

But, since our legislators, following the wishes of the majority of their constituents, didn’t go along with his foolish beliefs, and endorsed the adoption of the standards,  Jindal has unilaterally decided to cut off all funding for the project, ultimately, preventing its implementation.

However, when it comes to Bobby’s ability to spend taxpayers’ monies, he feels he needs NO control.

Both chambers of our legislature passed two bills giving them more oversight of state consulting contracts. The first one would have required most of the contracts with a price tag topping $40,000 to get approval from the Legislature's Joint Budget Committee. Last week Bobby vetoed that bill.

The governor also jettisoned the second bill aimed at giving lawmakers review of his administration's heftiest contracts. That bill would have required approval from the Legislature's Joint Budget Committee of most contracts topping $100 million.

State treasurer, John Kennedy, who sought the restrictions, said the vetoes mean Louisiana will "continue to waste money on frivolous, overly expensive consulting contracts."

In  his veto messages, Jindal said, “the contracting oversight could hinder the state's efforts to provide services, add layers of unnecessary bureaucracy and discourage businesses from wanting to contract with the state.”  Guess none of those excuses apply to John White, only to everyone else at the capital.

It’s amazing how times have changed for John White due to his support of the Common Core Standards.  In 2011, when Jindal  began his effort to stack the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) with his ‘yes’ people, it was all about getting John White hired as state superintendent of education.  At the time, Jindal praised White by stating, “ (He) is just the type of passionate, competent and committed educator we need as superintendent to build on our record of reform.”

Now in Jindal’s latest outburst he considers John White so incompetent that he doesn’t even trust him to order 500 boxes of pencils for students to use when they participate in state testing without his approval.

I’m sure the fact that BESE and John White last Tuesday decided to hire legal counsel to evaluate whether or not Jindal would need their approval to withdraw from Common Core implementation had nothing to do with Jindal’s latest tantrum.  After all, who do they think they are that they should even question the King’s authority.  But, I guess he showed them, and at the same time reinforced the fear that he has instilled in our legislators which ultimately resulted in the removal of a part of their body; their spines.

Raymond Gram Swing, in The Nation (January,1935) wrote the following about one of our other governors, Governor Huey Long, “He is not a fascist . . . He is a dictator. He rules, and opponents had better stay out of his way. He punishes all who thwart him with grim, relentless, efficient vengeance.” Guess that description suits King Bobby Jindal just fine, for this will be Jindal’s legacy.