Bobby Jindal in Leadership and Crisis, by Gov. Bobby Jindal


On Abortion: 2003: In first race, admitted to liberals he was pro-life

In my first race in 2003, at one of my first fundraisers, my first question was from a fairly liberal woman who asked me my position on abortion. I told her I was pro-life. I remember thinking I was going to have to return all the money I had raised! But amazingly, she became a financial supporter despite our differences over abortion. It turns out she already knew I was pro-life; she just wanted to see if I would be honest about my position or if I would waffle in order to get her money.
Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p. 89 Nov 15, 2010

On Abortion: Judeo-Christian heritage fosters culture of life

America's Judeo-Christian heritage commands us to help the help-less and demands that we protect innocent human life. Yes, this is a demand, not an option. America is a place that actively strives to protect its most vulnerable members. Undoubtedly, we as a country have made wrong turns over the years--we tolerated slavery after all.

And regardless of the mindless political debate we so often hear on the issue of abortion--you know the debate, the one that talks about "choice" and "rights" and "freedom" and "legal precedent" and "settled law" and everything under the sun EXCEPT for abortion itself--regardless of that, I do believe the desire to defend and protect human life extends across party and religious boundaries in America. I believe in America's desire and ability to do the right thing.

Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.217 Nov 15, 2010

On Civil Rights: Strong views opposing same-sex marriage

The elite press, having heard rumors that I am well-educated and maybe even halfway smart, invariably start with the same line of questioning, "How could you, an educated person, oppose same sex marriage? Or favor intelligent design? Or be a Republican? Or not drink Frappucino?"

When I speak to national reporters, some shoot me a mock sympathetic look, as if to say, "It's okay, I know you can't really believe those things, I know you just have to say that stuff to get elected here in the Deep South." They believe either I don't really hold these socially conservative viewpoints, or I'm really not that smart.

Once, a New York Times reporter only wanted to talk about issues that concerned him personally--issues on which he disagreed with me, like sam -sex marriage, abortion, and the origins of life. Of course, I have strong views on those topics, but they were not major issues in the campaign, partly because my Democratic opponent held similar conservative views to my own on many of these questions.

Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p. 35-36 Nov 15, 2010

On Crime: Chemical castration for sexual predators

The internet has become the hub of predators, particularly sexual predators who prey on women and children. In Louisiana, we are doing everything we can to make these people miserable. Make no mistake, we are not just trying to stop those who would attac and abuse our young. No, that's far too modest a goal. We mean to do them harm and end their despicable crimes. So we now have some of the toughest sex offender laws in the country. I can tell you this--you really don't want to get caught harming women or children in Louisiana. We have taken steps to double and triple the sentences for anyone in our state who harms a child, but that's merely the tip of the iceberg. We even have chemical castration for sex offenders. Some people think this is a draconia measure. I certainly hope so. I conside chemical castration to be a treatment--and a powerful deterrent at the same time. The American public is ready for a crushing crack-down on these criminals.
Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.224 Nov 15, 2010

On Crime: Death penalty for violent child rape

I support the use of the death penalty in instances of violent child rape. What? The death penalty for a crime other than first degree murder? Yep, you heard me right. In Louisiana we had a law stipulating that if you violently rape a child under the age of twelve, you might face the death penalty. It was applied in a case in Harvey, Louisiana, a few years ago involving an eight-year-old girl who was violently raped by her stepfather. The case is too awful to describe here, but the girl suffered serious internal injuries and immense psychological trauma. As the prosecutor in the case rightfully put it, child rape is in some ways worse than homicide. The defendant was found guilty by a jury of his peers and sentenced to death. The decision was upheld in the appeals process, but in June 2008 the Supreme Court declared the law unconstitutional in a 5-4 decision.
Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.226-227 Nov 15, 2010

On Drugs: Never experimented with drugs as a youth

I generally avoided trouble as a kid. In high school, growing up in a college town, there was always the allure of heading off with the college crowd. But the bigger pull was New Orleans, the big city with the big reputation only one hour down the highway. We knew it was the ultimate party town and sometimes we'd take off with friends for a Saturday trip, walking down Bourbon Street in the French Quarter and sneaking into clubs to listen to great music. It was pretty harmless fun. Some people might not think of New Orleans as wholesome, but I have to say, I enjoyed it--and I never got arrested, never experimented with drugs, and generally lived a life that was like Leave It to Beaver with a Louisiana twist.
Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p. 42-43 Nov 15, 2010

On Education: Reward good teachers with flex pay

In my first year as governor, I proposed a flex pay program for teachers so that school districts could pay more to attract the teachers they need. But local school leaders said they couldn't adopt the program because the unions would make their lives miserable. The union's goal is to convince teachers that seniority is the only fair way to allocate pay. But that's hardly in the interest of individual teachers who want to excel.

In 2010, we passed a value-added teacher evaluation bill geared toward teaching and student achievement. It brings accountability to schools and actually measures teachers and classrooms based on results. This legislation assesses teachers fairly, based on a student's true progress during the course of a year. These data will help to identify the good teachers to reward them.

Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p. 67-68 Nov 15, 2010

On Education: Pay 90% of public school cost as private & parochial tuition

Competition forces schools to focus on getting results. In my first year in office, we pushed legislation for a student scholarship program in New Orleans. The premise was simple: in New Orleans, we spend roughly $8,400 per child. If parents had a child in a failing public school in New Orleans, I proposed letting them take a maximum of 90% of those funds and use them to pay tuition at a participating private or parochial school. I called it a student scholarship program. It lets parents, and private an parochial schools, decide if they want to participate, and it has essentially no effect on the budget. Indeed, the average scholarship size has been much less: $4,593. Most importantly, this program targets those parents who need it most. In fact, the average income for the scholarship applications we received was $15,564.

Who in their right mind would oppose giving parents such a choice? The education establishment, of course--I was charged with attacking the public schools.

Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p. 70 Nov 15, 2010

On Education: Tap faith-based groups to run charter schools

The New Orleans charter school system in not perfect. Initially, Louisiana law dictated that charter schools should not "be supported by or affiliated with and religion or religious organization or institution." This was unnecessarily restrictive, because federal laws already prevent publicly funded schools from engaging in religious discrimination or conducting religious instruction. But there is no reason why we shouldn't tap the expertise of churches and faith-based groups to help us reform and enhance our education system. As governor, I have worked to eliminate restrictions that have shut these groups out.

The key to success in charter schools is getting parents and the community involved, so we've tried to make parental involvement as easy as possible. We've also empowered teachers with a new law allowing a traditional school to become a charter school by a simple faculty vote

Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p. 74 Nov 15, 2010

On Education: I favor whatever works, including vouchers & charters

While liberals hysterically claim school choice would destroy public education, their real concern is their fear of the teacher unions, which lose power to parents through school choice. Liberals also reflexively opposed any policy that might benefit religious schools.

Schools choice takes many forms--vouchers, tax credits, charters, student scholarships, and transfers to better public schools are a few. I favor whatever works, depending on the needs of the community. The successful methods we're using in New Orleans--charter schools and scholarship programs--could serve as a model for other cities looking to secure a good education for their poorest, most vulnerable kids. I'm for what works.

Communities with failing education systems nationwide need to act fast to expand school choice. Telling parents to wait to the failing school in their neighborhood to improve on its own is offensive and absurd.

Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p. 76-77 Nov 15, 2010

On Energy & Oil: Drilling moratorium was second disaster after BP spill

I told the president that the oil moratorium amounted to a second man-made disaster. And my message was simple: Louisianans shouldn't lose their jobs because the federal government can't do its job. Our belief is that federal officials should spend their energies on getting serious about more rigorous oversight and inspection of oil rigs rather than punishing workers. The experts picked by the federal government made dozens of specific recommendations to improve safety. Experts have recommended (and we have supported): a temporary pause, redundant blowout preventer equipment, federal inspectors on every rig, inspections of the safety records of each company and each rig, etc. Louisianans, of all people, don't want to see another drop of oil spilled int the Gulf of Mexico or another tragic loss of life.

The president went on to assure me that anyone who lost their job would get a check from BP. I was amazed by the level of disconnect. The people of Louisiana want to work, not collect BP checks.

Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p. 21-22 Nov 15, 2010

On Energy & Oil: Develop any & all methods of producing energy

What may surprise you is that along with being a big supporter of fossil fuels, I'm also a big proponent of developing any and all methods of producing energy, in order to make America energy independent.

Liberals need to accept that fossil fuels are critical to our national security and to our economy, and that they can be developed in an environmentally responsible way. Conservatives, for our part, need to do more than simply shout "Drill, baby, drill"--we need to aggressively pursue the next generation of renewable and clean energy production technologies.

Republicans seem instinctively to oppose cultivating energy sources favored by the environmental movement, such as solar and wind power. Likewise, Democrats often stridently oppose the expansion of traditional energy sources such as oil, coal, and nuclear power. Here's an idea: how about we do it all? That's not a Republican or Democrat solution. That's an American solution.

Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.199-201 Nov 15, 2010

On Energy & Oil: Cap-and-trade is a jobs bill for other countries

The liberal attack on fossil fuels doesn't even make sense in the context of global warming--destroying our domestic energy production and manufacturing base and expanding our jobs abroad won't cut the world's carbon emissions. In fact, these jobs will go to countries like Mexico, China, & India, while more of our oil and natural gas will come from countries like Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, & Russia--all of which have much weaker environmental laws than we do. Do you really think a smokestack in Tijuana will produce fewer emissions than one in San Diego?

Keep that in mind next time you hear the Democrats' proposals for a "cap and trade" scheme. In addition to increasing utility costs of homeowners, charging our own companies for releasing carbon will provoke a lot of them simply to relocate to countries that don't charge these fees. Still, at least the Democrats' rhetoric is honest on this issue. Cap and trade IS a jobs bill--for other countries. It is a win/win--for the rest of the world

Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.209 Nov 15, 2010

On Environment: Too-big feds failed on BP oil spill just like on Katrina

During the oil spill some critics said that I was being hypocritical because I believed in limited government and was also demanding more federal assistance. But they miss the point entirely. I'm not an anarchist. I believe government has a role--and at its most basic level the role of government is to protect life, liberty, and property. Dealing with a disaster like the oil spill certainly fits the job description. I believe that part of the reason the federal government failed to respond effectively to the oil spill (and for that matter, five years earlier during Hurricane Katrina) is precisely because government has become too big.

The federal government's response to the oil spill was lackadaisical from the start. Shortly after the oil well blew, we asked federal authorities how they were going to prioritize and deploy resources to protect our shoreline. We grew frustrated when they would not adjust their plans to respond adequately to a crisis of this magnitude.

Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p. 4 Nov 15, 2010

On Environment: Feds took weeks to build sand berms needed for BP spill

On fighting the BP oil spill: Time and time again, land barriers stopped the oil that got past the skimmers and boom and served as our last line of defense to protect our wetlands. We knew there were no silver bullets to magically stop the oil, but it was important to have multiple lines of defense rather than relying on one tactic alone. So in early May we submitted a proposal to build sand berms to protect our state so that we could fight the oil miles away from our wetlands. We waited. And waited. The federal government refused to give us a timely answer. We heard nothing for weeks, even though sand berms are recognized as proven oil spill response technique by the US Coast Guard. We went ahead and built one berm on our own to demonstrate its effectiveness, and saw it repeatedly prevent oil from entering our wetlands. It was weeks later that the federal government finally decided to make BP pay for all six segments. Of course, by that point, more than 100 miles of shoreline had been oiled.
Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p. 6-7 Nov 15, 2010

On Environment: Faith-based groups moved faster than feds during Katrina

A sheriff in my district had called federal offices to ask for Katrina assistance and was told he would have to email his request. The bureaucrat was just following procedure, you see, to have a record of the request. When the sheriff mentioned that he, like the rest of his town, had no electricity, the bureaucrat suggested he call someone who could email the details--and be sure to include the part about not being able to email in the email. Almost every other official around the table told a similar story of the red tape maze.

In many cases, charities, faith-based groups, and not-for-profit organizations move faster and are more flexible than federal programs. Don't get me wrong--there is a role for government, which has to build those levees and otherwise ensure our basic safety. And we must acknowledge that the National Guard responded to Katrina with stunning courage, as did the Coast Guard, which is estimated to have rescues 33,000 people. But FEMA's centralized model simply didn't work.

Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.122-124 Nov 15, 2010

On Families & Children: Family values reduce poverty; war on poverty doesn't

Morals and values affect everything in people's lives. Some Republicans believe we'll get more votes by focusing on free-market economics and ignoring all that "divisive" talk about values and morality. The trouble is that if we ignore more fundamental issues of right and wrong, we will fail.

Studies consistently show children in broken homes are four times more likely to live in poverty. The poverty rate for children of married couples is 8.2%, compared to 35.2%--four times higher--for children of single parents. While recognizing the heroic work done by single moms across the country, we cannot ignore the evidence that families matter, that children of two-parent households tend to do better, and that the family unit is the foundation of society.

We have spent trillions of dollars to fight poverty with meager results. Why? Because simply throwing money at the problem will not fix it. Poverty, like so many other economic problems, is not simply about money. It's about values that work.

Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.267 Nov 15, 2010

On Foreign Policy: America is exceptional & should remain the greatest country

I believe America should remain the greatest country in the world. When I was a kid, that was safe to say and aspire to. Not so today. There are many political leaders in America today who don't like the sound of that. They cringe at the thought of American exceptionalism and superiority. It strikes them as unsophisticated, unrefined, kind of "cowboyish." They think our aspirations of leadership are arrogant evidence of a fundamental intolerance of other nations and their cultures. They believe America should be content to settle in our place as just another country in the family of nations. They are ashamed we would seek to be the greatest country in the world.

I am not ashamed. I am proud that America is exceptional. The stronger America is, the safer the world is. We have a moral responsibility to make our country stronger and unashamedly export our ideals of freedom & democracy to all who would fulfill the divinely inspired potential of every living soul on this planet.

Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.172 Nov 15, 2010

On Government Reform: Federal government has become too expensive & too expansive

Government has become too big. By too big I mean not only too expensive, but also our federal government has become too expansive and strayed too far from what should be its core competency. Today we have the federal government in Washington trying to run car companies, banks, and our entire health care system--rather than sticking to its core job of protecting America from all enemies foreign and domestic. What we really need is for the federal government to do those things it should be doing with excellence, and stop trying to take over the pieces of the private sector that it has no business in and no reasonable chance of running well.

The federal government's response to the oil spill would not adjust to respond adequately to a crisis of this magnitude. We ended up writing our own plans. And some of the federal plans were, how can I say it? Crazy. If oil entered the marshes, the plan was to... burn the marshes! What? How about some Napalm?

Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p. 4-5 Nov 15, 2010

On Government Reform: Make being a Congressman a part-time job

First step to remaking Congress: make being a congressman a part-time job. When Congress meets, a lot of bad things happen. Elected officials inevitably feel the need to do something, and they crave the media coverage that accompanies big proposals, no matter how wasteful or destructive. Making Congress a part-time job would fundamentally change Washington, forcing congressmen to spend much more time back in their districts interacting with regular people. It would also encourage greater independence by young members of Congress. Most crucially, under a part-time Congress, congressmen would no longer regard politics as their career.

Why not pay members of Congress to stay out of Washington? For decades we have paid farmers not to grow crops. We should pay congressmen a decent salary and then deduct money for every day Congress meets in session. This would certainly be cheaper to the taxpayer than the cost of the schemes Congress concocts in Washington.

Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.102-103 Nov 15, 2010

On Government Reform: Full financial disclosure for both legislators & lobbyists

    During my 2007 campaign, I introduced a detailed plan for ethics reform based on five pillars:
  1. You cannot be both a lobbyist and a legislator. In my view, this was an inherent conflict of interest that cost us business and hurt our reputation.
  2. Legislators should be required to submit to financial disclosure. The best way to prevent corruption is to mandate transparency.
  3. You cannot serve in government and do business with the government at the same time. You are elected to serve the public, not yourself.
  4. Lobbyists must fully disclose all their actions. The public has a right to know who is lobbying whom and for what.
  5. Don't do the crime if you can't do the time. When the penalty for breaking ethics laws is a small fine or a slap on the wrist, the whole system becomes a joke. Severe offenses must be punished by expulsion and/or criminal charges.
The Center for Public Integrity says we have gone from 44th to 1st in the country in terms of legislative disclosure laws.
Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.148-150 Nov 15, 2010

On Government Reform: Line-item veto & single-item legislation

The Republican Party needs to commit itself to something I call the Grandchildren Debt Relief Package, but what you could just as well call A Promise to the American People. That promise would be that every Republican elected to Congress would work to restore America's future with a 7-step recovery program. Here it is:
  1. INSTITUTE TERM LIMITS, to force members of Congress to think of our nation's future rather than their own reelection.
  2. MAKE CONGRESS A PART-TIME LEGISLATURE. Congress does less harm when it's not in session, so it should be out of session more often.
  3. PASS A BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION.
  4. GIVE THE PRESIDENT A LINE-ITEM VETO, to prevent sneaking in pork barrel projects. Most governors have it, so should the president.
  5. FORCE CONGRESS TO HAVE SIMPLE UP OR DOWN VOTES ON SINGLE-ITEM LEGISLATION, to prevent Congress from hiding bad policy in "must pass" legislation.
  6. LEGISLATE PAY-AS-YOU-GO BUDGETING.
  7. REQUIRE A SUPER MAJORITY TO RAISE TAXES.
Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.278-279 Nov 15, 2010

On Government Reform: Fighting big government is conservative missionary work

To fight big government, I do not believe conservatives should roundly condemn the very concept of government service, as is often the case today. We should consider the possibility that government service might in fact be a noble calling. It shouldn't be viewed as a way to get rich or to make a comfortable life-long career with great employment benefits. We need conservatives in government positions who are devoted to changing government without letting government change them. We need people of strong resolve who will resist the temptation to go native in Washington, DC. You don't have to do it as a career, but you might consider giving some time to it. Consider it missionary work.

I want you to get in the game. We will not take our government back by sitting on the sidelines. Do it now--your country needs you.

Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.280-283 Nov 15, 2010

On Health Care: Healthcare is a right; but instrument is the marketplace

Before the debate over Obama's healthcare bill, we were discussing SCHIP expansion. Republicans should have argued we wanted children to have coverage too, but instead of relying on a government-run system that crowds out existing private coverage and wastes taxpayer dollars, we should introduce tax credits, voluntary purchasing pools, and other private sector incentives.

I believe healthcare is a right. The issue is not whether or not to expand and improve healthcare--but whether the instrument of reform will be the government or the private sector. In my view, the government's role should be ensuring a robust marketplace that is competitive (so consumers have choice), transparent (so consumers can make informed decisions), accountable (so resources are leveraged to reward good clinical outcomes rather than simply paying for the process of care), effective (by engaging consumers in making good health choices for themselves and their families), and accessible (so healthcare is affordable).

Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.188-189 Nov 15, 2010

On Health Care: Market-based alternatives to top-down ObamaCare

Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.194-198 Nov 15, 2010

On Health Care: Euthanasia cheapens life just like abortion & infanticide

Think about elderly folks who are barely functional and no longer enjoy life. I bet those old timers would rather not be a burden after all. Calling Dr. Kevorkian...

If human beings have no inherent value, their value comes solely from being useful. Not useful? Then not much of a reason to live.

I'm not suggesting everyone who disagrees with me on the issue of euthanasia takes these views. But if you believe human beings are essentially indistinguishable from animals, you run the risk of viewing life and death issues differently from those who believe there is something profound that separates us from the animal kingdom.

Those who promote the concept that some human life is more valuable than any other life, and therefore advocate abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia, cheapen human life and lay the groundwork for all sorts of destructive behavior. What we need is a culture of life that values human beings as unique creatures who were made by our Creator.

Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.219-222 Nov 15, 2010

On Homeland Security: Ill-advised to scale back missile defense

The Obama administration wants to focus on disarmament. Like those who argue that guns can cause crime, Pres. Obama's team seems to believe that simple reducing the number of military weapons--including the weapons we ourselves possess--will reduce conflict. But weapons, whether hunting rifles or tanks, are inanimate objects. I'm not worried about the objects themselves, but about who controls them and where they're being pointed. If Canada announces it is building a new missile, I wouldn't be too concerned. But when Iran or North Korea do it, I'm a lot less sanguine. We can abolish as many of our missiles as we want, but that's just not going to convince international miscreants to do the same. That's why Pres. Obama's decision to drastically scale back our missile defense program was ill-advised. The real cause of war and international conflict is not the existence of weapons, but authoritarian leaders trying to expand their power.
Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.246 Nov 15, 2010

On Homeland Security: Don't give Miranda rights to terrorists

I don't see any reason to continue giving Miranda rights to foreign terrorists, as we did to Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the would-be bomber of Flight 253. As Senators Collins and Lieberman wrote to Attorney General Eric Holder, the decision to treat Abdulmutallab as an ordinary criminal "almost certainly prevented the military and the intelligence community from obtaining information that would have been critical to learning more about how our enemy operates and to preventing future attacks." This is just common sense; intelligence is our first line of defense in war. That's why I voted in Congress to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) so the president and the attorney general could authorize electronic surveillance of foreign agents without a court order. Extending full legal protections to foreign terrorists will simply mean more dead Americans.
Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.250 Nov 15, 2010

On Homeland Security: Claim of "poverty causes terrorism" justifies globalism

Islamic terrorists often hail from the richest Middle Eastern nations--fifteen of the nineteen 9/11 hijackers came from Saudi Arabia--while dirt poor Muslim countries like Mali, Bangladesh, and Niger produce few if any terrorists. Many suicide bombers ha graduate degrees and well-paying jobs before they chose to murder innocent civilians in suicidal attacks. Nevertheless, the Obama administration continues to cling to the "poverty causes terrorism" theory because it supports the social work approach to national security that it favors.

As we engage and defeat our enemies on the battlefield, we also need to win the battle of ideas by projecting confidence in our values, history, and our way of life. Our president has made a bad habit of apologizing t foreign audiences for America's supposed transgressions. The American president must proudly represent the world's greatest democracy to the world. It is naive to think these apologies gain us respect--they simply convey a dangerous lack of confidence.

Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.257-258 Nov 15, 2010

On Homeland Security: Make no apologies when we must use our military strength

We live in a dangerous world, and America needs to be strong. We must remain not just strong, but the strongest power in the world, and we should make no apologies when we must use our military strength from time to time. But this is not where our true strength lies. Military might is a means to an end, not an end in itself. A strong military in the hands of a corrupt, wicked, or oppressive regime does not make that regime great.

Having military superiority is great--but it has to be tethered to a culture that promotes goodness, freedom, and justice. Without that, we would be no better than the old Soviet Union.

Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.271-272 Nov 15, 2010

On Immigration: Enforce existing laws & refocus on high-skill immigrants

The inscription on the Statue of Liberty, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free," is a beautiful sentiment. I wish it were as simple to apply it today as it was in past centuries, when we welcomed to our shores just about anyone who could get here. We need to find a controlled way to continue welcoming immigrants. That approach would require three main things: first, to ensure that our borders are secure--not talk about it or study it, just do it; second, enforce our existing immigration laws; and third, refocus our legal immigration policy to encourage high-skilled immigrants who embrace American values. I also think we need to continue to be a place where refugees fleeing persecution can find safe harbor and a new home. Immigration should help our country compete in the world and improve the quality of life for US citizens while offering unlimited opportunity to hard-working immigrants looking for freedom.
Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.130 Nov 15, 2010

On Immigration: Mexico is effectively exporting its unemployment to us

Our southern border is the only place in the world where a highly developed country shares a long border with a developing country. Unable to produce enough jobs for its roughly 100 million residents, Mexico is effectively exporting its unemployment to us. The income gap between the US & Mexico is the largest between any two contiguous countries in the world. This dichotomy has created the current immigration crisis, with an estimated 10 to 12 million illegal immigrants now residing in America.
Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.133 Nov 15, 2010

On Principles & Values: Crisis principles: urgency; listening; informing public

    As I look back, the oil spill has reinforced several principles I have learned through my years of dealing with crisis:
  1. You must lead from the front. Always.
  2. Speed is everything. There must be a sense of urgency.
  3. Listen to the locals.
  4. Don't wait for federal agencies to tell you what to do.tell them what you need.
  5. Keep the public informed of details. Transparency inspires confidence.
  6. Make quick decisions when plans fail.
  7. Demand and expect excellence.
  8. Ignore the politics, focus on doing a good job.
  9. Read the old playbook, then throw it out and get ready to improvise.
  10. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst, immediately. If you prepare for war and peace breaks out, great! But if you prepare for peace and war breaks out, you're in trouble!
Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p. 22-23 Nov 15, 2010

On Principles & Values: I'm a son of the Deep South

The national media tends to misunderstand Louisiana. You will not find a more giving, generous group of people anywhere on the face of the earth, and this extends beyond all the racial, class, partisan, or religious lines.

National reporters have often said to me, "It must have been so tough for you growing up in the Deep South." To which my response is, "Um.no. It was not tough, in fact it was tremendous. I'm a son of the Deep South, so you can keep your prejudices to yourself." Louisiana is my home and I'm proud of it.

I've never had it tough, but my dad did. He grew up in India, the only one of nine children to get beyond the fifth grade. For me, growing up middle-class in Louisiana was anything but tough. Compared to my father, I grew up in great riches, because I grew up in America.

Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p. 26-28 Nov 15, 2010

On Principles & Values: Elite harbor condescending view of people of faith

Having attended Brown University, studied at Oxford, and served in the highest levels of government, I have spent a great deal of time interacting with folks who would be classified as our country's "elites." I've found many of these folks, who predominately reside in the Boston-New York-Washington corridor, harbor a condescending view of people of faith.

To this day, it surprises me how little the national press understands about faith. When I was serving in Washington, I had lunch with a well-known reporter. Before we ate she saw me bow my head and say grace, ever so briefly mind you. She immediately asked me if everything was okay. She was startled and fascinated by what I had done. And the fact that it startled her startled me. She was not rude or condescending. She just didn't have any frame of reference for a person who would say grace in a public restaurant before lunch. But some of our top national reporters ARE condescending, & it goes beyond matters of faith.

Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p. 33-34 Nov 15, 2010

On Principles & Values: 2009 Obama response speech: I blew it

I was selected to give the Republican response to Pres. Obama's first speech to Congress in Feb. 2009, a time when the president was still extremely popular. Republican leaders in Washington knew me or had read good things about me, so they thought I would be a good choice to give the Republican Party response. Turns out they were wrong. I blew it.

Truth be told, I have never mastered the teleprompter. In fact, I hate the teleprompter. And as the country found out that night, the teleprompter hates me, too.

So here you have me, a guy who is "teleprompter challenged," versus the king of the teleprompter. Bad match up. My delivery was just awful. Even though it's never been done before, I should have just winged the response. The press savage my performance.

The bottom line is this: it was my speech, I delivered it poorly, and I take full responsibility for it. When you screw up, it's time to man up. Interestingly, many people who heard the speech, but did not see it, thought it was great.

Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p. 37-38 Nov 15, 2010

On Principles & Values: Traditional Hindu values mesh with Bible Belt beliefs

Growing up I was taught to pray and believe in an all-powerful God who created the universe and was present and active in our daily lives. My parents were, and remain to this day, devout Hindus.

But the values I learned from my Hindu parents ran deep: honesty, respect for elders, hard work, modesty, reverence, the importance of family--traditional Hindu values that meshed quite well with Louisiana's traditional Bible Belt beliefs. I never felt culturally different from your typical Baton Rouge kid.

Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p. 44-45 Nov 15, 2010

On Principles & Values: Journey from Hinduism to Christianity began in high school

My parents naturally assumed I would remain a Hindu, but knew I was investigating Christianity. My journey to Christianity accelerated at the end of my sophomore year in high school when my grandfather died suddenly of a stroke. At one point, I bought "Cliff's Notes to the Bible", to help me make sense of it.

My questions continued until a church at LSU showed a simple film about the crucifixion. I had studied that momentous event, yet watching that film I suddenly realized that Christ was on the cross because of me--my sins--what I had done, what I had failed to do. This was my epiphany. He didn't die for billions, which was so abstract, but because of me. Suddenly, God was tangible.

In the summer of 1987 I knelt in prayer and accepted Christ as my Savior. For a year I postponed telling my parents.

My path to Christianity was an intellectual journey followed by a leap of faith. It took me years, and at the end of it I concluded that the historical evidence for Christianity was overwhelming

Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p. 45-50 Nov 15, 2010

On Tax Reform: The more you pay in taxes the less you are free

A surprising number of Americans do not see any connection between the growth of government and the loss of freedom. It just doesn't compute for them. They figure the government is supposed to protect them, therefore bigger government means more protection.

So let me bypass political correctness and say exactly what I mean: the more you pay in taxes the less free you are--the less free you are to do what you want with your money, to start a business, to chase your dreams, to chart your own course, to live the way you want and make your own way in this world.

When government grows too large, we begin to lose pieces of our freedom. Big government programs that try to take care of everyone are like cement. When Washington pours them, they set and last forever. Their heavy weight crushes innovation, kills competition, chokes our work ethic, erodes responsibility, and suppresses rugged individualism.

Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.159 Nov 15, 2010

On Technology: Same communication problems during Katrina as on 9/11

I had been in Congress for eight months when Katrina, a 300-mile-wide hurricane, hit Louisiana in August 2005. Conditions rapidly deteriorated. My staff began receiving reports that New Orleans was filling up with water. The expected assistance just wasn't there. Michael Brown, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), told us unequivocally he had "resources in place" ready to move in with water, food, and clothing in the event the levees failed (though at the time, no one really considered that likely). But these resources were nowhere to be found. The initial response was further hampered by communications problems among first responders. After New York City police and fire departments had trouble communicating on 9/11, billions of dollars were spent to improve responder communication and homeland security--but state, federal, and local officials in Louisiana still had the same problems during Katrina. They were not communicating on the same frequencies.
Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.113-116 Nov 15, 2010

On Welfare & Poverty: Feds obliged to care for those who can't care for themselves

The biggest threat to our freedom comes when we are tempted to bargain away, little by little, the liberties other Americans have fought and died to place in our hands. When times are rough, that temptation grows.

Don't get me wrong. I firmly believe each and every one of God's children has an obligation to care for those who can't care for themselves, and the government can and should lend a hand. In Congress, I cast a few votes along those lines that irritated my fellow conservatives.

Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.158-159 Nov 15, 2010

On Welfare & Poverty: Land of the Free shouldn't become Land of the Free Lunch

We declared war on poverty more than forty years ago. We have spent trillions in fighting it. Yet the poverty rate today is basically unchanged. We've fought an expensive war on poverty and we are poorer as a nation than if we had never fired a shot. Yet many in Washington still fell the Land of the Free should become the Land of the Free Lunch.

Don't get me wrong. I believe in some safety nets. But safety nets can, and often do, create "moral hazards" when they encourage irresponsible behavior. It took the federal government decades to figure out that if welfare subsidizes out-of-wedlock births, you get more out-of-wedlock births! And government programs that promise us "safety" are always oversold and cost more than estimated.

Source: Leadership and Crisis, by Bobby Jindal, p.163-164 Nov 15, 2010

The above quotations are from Leadership and Crisis,
by Bobby Jindal.
Click here for other excerpts from Leadership and Crisis,
by Bobby Jindal.
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