BY ANTHONY DEDOUSIS AND SARAH J. JOHNSON

Bobby Jindal, the governor-elect of Louisiana, hopes to bring a fresh style of government to a state long plagued with crime, corruption and, more recently, natural disaster. Throughout his campaign for governor, Jindal promoted an ambitious series of reforms for Louisiana. He especially emphasized improvements in education, ethics law, and post-Katrina recovery and development. Although the Louisiana state legislature is notorious for its recalcitrance towards change, Stephen Goldsmith, a professor of government at Harvard, predicts that there is a “great possibility, with a newly elected leader who has the right style and management ability, to make major changes.” Based on the history of Louisiana and the state’s current political climate, Jindal’s three major proposals for change may result in slow progress for education reform and anti-corruption efforts, but also limited success in hurricane recovery and preparedness.

Cleaning up the classroom
Jindal emphasized the importance of education reform in the election, and for good reason: Louisiana’s students have struggled as the public education system remains in a state of disarray. Almost half of New Orleans students do not graduate high school on time, if at all. As ranked by test scores, the state’s students rank forty-third in reading and forty-ninth in math across the United States. In his campaign, Jindal proposed steps to improve classroom discipline, which is notoriously poor in Louisiana schools. Half of all new Louisiana teachers leave their jobs within five years, with most citing poor discipline as the reason for their departure. Jindal also favors increasing teachers’ salaries with a merit bonus program, and raising the number of charter schools in Louisiana. Though the words “merit pay” and “charter school” typically make teachers’ unions nervous, Jindal’s reforms have enjoyed the support of many educators.

This ground-level support does not guarantee success in improving Louisiana’s education system. Even though education reform is a bipartisan issue, working out the specifics will be troublesome for the new governor. In an interview with the HPR, outgoing Gov. Kathleen Blanco said that one of Jindal’s biggest challenges would be “sustaining and maintaining education investments” that were made during her term. With a perennially tight budget, problems will inevitably arise when Jindal tries to reallocate money to fund changes in education. Though he has decried the rapid spending increases that have occurred over the last decade, it will be very difficult to transform Louisiana’s schools without raising state taxes. Finding a balance between properly funding education and keeping taxes low will almost certainly be a source of trouble in the coming months of his administration.

Keeping politicians honest
Louisiana has a particularly strong history of corruption. From the time that Huey Long declared, “All politicians steal,” to the more recent tenure of Edwin Edwards, who is currently spending his golden years in prison, Louisiana’s governors have developed a reputation for ethical trouble. Jindal is hoping to reverse this trend, having declared “war on corruption” during his gubernatorial campaign. He is proposing new anti-corruption laws that would prevent legislators from working as lobbyists and stop legislator-owned businesses from obtaining state contracts. Though any step towards fighting corruption is a step in the right direction, such measures show just how far Louisiana has to go. Congress, as well as most other state legislatures, have forbidden sitting lawmakers from lobbying for decades.

Louisiana’s comparative standing aside, Jindal has garnered bipartisan praise for his goals. Louisiana Republican Congressman Jim McCrery, Bobby Jindal’s former boss and mentor, told the HPR that the incoming governor’s proposals will improve Louisiana’s image. “We need to let people know they can come to Louisiana and do business without being extorted for money and favors by politicians,” McCrery said. Blanco predicts that Bobby Jindal will enjoy some success in combating corruption, but “not without some angst.” She notes that in her term as governor, legislators were reluctant to report their personal finances. But if Jindal succeeds, Louisiana will find itself better positioned to attract major businesses because of its more effective state government.

Post-Katrina cleanup
When asked what she would have focused on in another term as governor, Kathleen Blanco emphasized “strength, readiness, or preparation for disasters.” Louisiana has still not fully recovered from the effects of Hurricane Katrina, two years after the storm. Entire neighborhoods remain in ruins, and thousands of residents of the Big Easy have been displaced. Many will never return. Though the Army Corps of Engineers has rebuilt most of New Orleans’s levees, many have been deemed unable to withstand storms of Katrina’s strength. In spite of this issue drawing national attention, Jindal has mentioned surprisingly few specifics for recovery from Hurricane Katrina, short of petitioning Washington for a larger share of recovery dollars. Democrat Walter Boasso, a state senator and unsuccessful candidate for governor, has condemned the governor-elect for failing to support the “Boasso Bill” – legislation designed to replace the system of local levee boards with a statewide board of levee experts. Mr. Boasso told the HPR that a statewide board would be better equipped to hold the Army Corps of Engineers responsible for any levee failures. Jindal might do well to propose a comprehensive plan for rebuilding and redeveloping the New Orleans neighborhoods that were most seriously affected by Katrina. Reform and repair after Hurricane Katrina continue to demand massive organization and statewide coordination. Jindal may need to spend a considerable amount of energy and political capital on this issue in order to resolve it.

During his tenure as governor of Louisiana, Huey Long once opined, “One of these days the people of Louisiana are going to get good government—and they aren’t going to like it.” Based on his campaign, there is reason to believe Bobby Jindal will help bring that good government. Most observers believe his plans are promising, even if they are limited in scope and difficult to implement. If Jindal succeeds, a state long plagued with governmental problems may be on its way to building a new reputation.