The Veto Story – Keeping the Public Trust

July 22
July 22, 2008
Medric J. "Spud" Auenson
July 24, 2008
July 22
July 22, 2008
Medric J. "Spud" Auenson
July 24, 2008

A close friend asked me what I and my administration have learned from the recently ended legislative pay raise fiasco. Well, quite a bit actually. Of course, as is the case with the human condition, these are all lessons that most of us learned early in life around the dinner table, so it is unfortunate to have to learn them again, this time in public.


First, a brief summary of events is in order.


In my campaign I said that any legislative pay increases should not take effect until after the next elections, giving voters the ability to ratify or reject the idea at the ballot box. Then, at the beginning of my governorship I pledged to the legislature that I would treat them an as equal branch of government and let them handle their internal affairs, including such matters as legislative compensation. So far so good.

When the huge legislative pay increase bill was first introduced, originally in the form of a $70,000 pay package, it did not seem like a serious proposal, and certainly not one that would pass. But as we all know, to my surprise and chagrin, they did pass a bill more than doubling legislative pay.


So, there I was, caught between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, I had continually said that the pay raise was excessive and that no pay increase should take place until after the next election. On the other hand I had the Legislature reminding me that I promised to stay out of their business.


As they say, the rest is history. I vetoed the pay raise.

So, back to the question – what can be learned from this as we go forward and strive to make Louisiana’s government live up to our greatest potential?


The first thing is this: A government that loses the confidence and trust of the people is no government at all. Elected officials cannot hope to effectively govern without the consent of the governed. It was clear to me that allowing this excessive pay raise to become law would have resulted in a dramatic loss of the public’s confidence in our government.


The second lesson is this: When you make a mistake, own up to it. To be sure, I made a mistake in telling the legislature that I would defer to them on their own compensation issues. And it is equally clear that they made a mistake in passing a bill that would more than double their own pay.

When I informed my advisors and friends that I had decided to veto the pay raise, they were all relieved … but only for a short moment.

I then further informed them that I was planning to tell the public that I had made a mistake in the way I handled the legislature on this issue. People in politics don’t like to admit making mistakes, they see it as a sign of weakness, they would rather shift the blame to someone else. I strongly disagree with that view.

In my view, refusing to ever admit one’s shortcomings is a sign of weakness. One of the tests of strength is to have the courage to admit a mistake, correct it, and move on. After all, I said in my campaign that I would make mistakes, looks like I made good on another campaign promise!

Finally, the biggest lesson is this – when in doubt, do the right thing. After that, ask yourself why you were ever in doubt in the first place.

Unfortunately, lost in this pay raise fiasco is the simple fact that we have made tremendous and unprecedented progress in Louisiana this year. When I say “we” I mean just that. Through two special sessions and this general session, the legislature and my administration have worked together in an unprecedented manner to bring many of the reforms the people of Louisiana have all been waiting for.

Together, we cut six taxes, including a $300 million income tax cut, the largest in Louisiana history. Together, we passed the most sweeping ethics reform in our history, rocketing all the way to first place in the national rankings for disclosure and transparency for public officials.

Together, we redesigned our Department of Labor, turning it into a department of Workforce Development to help our people fill the good paying jobs that are increasingly coming to Louisiana. And together, we greatly strengthened our laws to protect our kids from those vile people who seek to prey on them and destroy them.

I could go on. The simple fact is that Louisiana is on the move, we have a lot more to do, but we are truly on the move. We are in the process of making Louisiana the great place that we all know it can be.

One last thing – many folks who generally pay very scant attention to the affairs of government got involved in the effort to stop the legislative pay raise. Please don’t tune out now. This is your government, continue to make your voices heard, continue to apply pressure, continue to help us move Louisiana to become the greatest place in the world to raise a family, build a career, and pursue the American Dream.