Leading the U.S. section of today’s New York Times is the headline: “Louisiana Governor Pierces Business as Usual.” The Times devotes a sizeable article to covering Gov. Bobby Jindal’s early success in making good on his campaign pledge to improve Louisiana’s good government standing by overhauling state ethics and pubic disclosure laws. Echoing his campaign speeches, Jindal says that Louisiana has long suffered from its reputation for good ol’ boy politics. He tells The Times, “I’ve talked to C.E.O.’s in New York, even the president of the United States. You ask them for more investment, more help on the coast and other areas, their first reaction always is: ‘Well, who do you need to know? Who do I have to hire? Is this money going to end up in somebody’s pocket?’ ”The article concludes by noting that while Jindal is full of promise and high ideals, he is yet to tackle some of the greater institutional challenges that await his administration:
What follows could be much tougher, given the scope of Mr. Jindal’s ambitions — detractors grumble that they are limitless — the bruised feelings among legislators and the scope of Louisiana’s challenge: a poorly educated work force, bad roads and infrastructure, a persistent stream of residents leaving the state, and little business investment. He has already talked of cutting taxes on business, prompting questions about whether he will move beyond such traditional Republican economic strategies. "My biggest concern is, we’ll run out of time,” Mr.Jindal said. “There are so many things we need to do in our state. It’s like being in this endless buffet and having this incredible appetite, but knowing there’s no way you’re going to be able to eat everything you want to eat, or taste everything that’s out there."