Then Congressman Bobby Jindal speaks at a Levees.org press event in August of 2006. Photo/Stanford Rosenthal
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal yesterday signed Senate Bill 469, legislation that was written specifically to kill a lawsuit against 97 oil, gas and pipeline companies for their damage to Louisiana’s coastal wetlands. The suit, brought by the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East last summer, was intended to restore wetlands necessary to protect coastal communities from hurricane storm surges.
The legislation was passed despite unprecedented citizen involvement all across Louisiana. It passed despite a campaign led by Levees.org ally Robert R.M. Verchick who believed that the bill could jeopardize the state’s ability to collect claims from B.P. for the 2010 Gulf Oil Disaster. Over one hundred legal scholars joined Professor Verchick. And it passed despite the state attorney general’s recommendation that the Governor veto it.
Steve Murchie, campaign director for Gulf Restoration Network made this statement on the group’s website:
“The legislation is governance at its worst: poorly written, for the worst of reasons, with no public benefit, and having potentially staggering unintended consequences. Governor Jindal, in his zeal to please the oil and gas industry and further his political ambitions, has abandoned the hundreds of thousands of Louisianans facing another hurricane season with inadequate storm protection and a disappearing coast….At a minimum, Governor Jindal has strengthened BP’s negotiating position at a time when the company has become even more combative and adversarial.”
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My hope is that Governor Jindal hasn’t done irreparable harm to Louisiana. I doubt that I’ll live long enough to see us recover, though.
Shame on all persons involved in the passage of this bill. You sold us out.
At best you are incompetent, at worst this action may be criminal should we get hit by another big storm.
You can no longer claim to be working for us.