Role of the Lieutenant Governor
As Lieutenant Governor, one of my top priorities will be to use my business experience to promote economic development in Louisiana. In order for Louisiana to grow and prosper, we must create jobs. I’m not a career politician and I don’t believe higher taxes and more regulation are the answer. We need to get government out of the way and unleash the entrepreneurial spirit that made this the greatest country in the world.
Another priority will be to assist the Governor and protect Louisiana from the madness and mandates from Washington D.C. I support the efforts by the Legislature to protect our state from the so-called healthcare reform passed in Washington D.C. I will always stand for Louisiana’s interests over the big-government interests.
Experience
First of all I’m not a career politician. I’m a small business owner who has created Louisiana jobs and has worked hard with our local chamber of commerce and small business council to improve the business climate in Louisiana.
In 2004, I was elected Louisiana Republican Party Chairman and I’m proud to say that since then we have made historic gains in helping to elect good, pro-business conservative candidates in all facets of Louisiana government from the State House to the U.S. Capitol.
But what I am most proud of is that I have been married to my wife, Donna, for 40 years and have three sons and four grandchildren.
My sons work with me in our family business. I want to do whatever I can make Louisiana a more secure and more prosperous place for them to live and raise a family.
Working with Governor Jindal
I’m committed to standing with Bobby Jindal in his fight for reform, more effective and efficient government and better quality of life for our citizens. I am a longtime supporter of Bobby Jindal and will continue to be as Lieutenant Governor.
Louisiana’s Tourism Industry
We need to understand that the tourism industry in Louisiana is something we are all involved in. Tourism, throughout the state, is such a big part of our economy that almost every citizen has a vital interest in making sure that we remain a leader in tourism. As a matter of fact, through our family business, I have interacted with the tourism industry for years. I look forward to working with tourism leaders to come up with solutions and ideas to always be on the cutting edge in promoting our state to visitors from around the country and around the world.
Oil Spill
I am deeply concerned. The response of BP and the federal government has been inadequate as far as I am concerned. The lion’s share of the work has been left to individuals and state and local governments. We must attempt to minimize the damage to our state, assist those affected communities and help citizens get back to some sense of normalcy as soon as possible and get on with the business of restoring our coastal ecosystem.
Size and Scope of Government
As Lieutenant Governor, I will lead the fight in Louisiana to reduce the size and scope of government. The state budget nearly tripled in just 12 years, between 1996 and 2008. Since conservatives took control of Louisiana government in 2008, the state budget has been cut. However, with a one-to-two billion dollar budget shortfall facing us in 2011, the pressure to increase taxes will be immense. I will continue, as I have as Republican Party State Chairman, to lead the fight against all attempts to increase taxes on the families and businesses of Louisiana. As Lt. Governor, I can be even more effective. So I ask for your vote and support.
Taxes
Taxes in Louisiana are too high. We must continue to reduce taxes, as we have a half dozen times in the past three years. I will continue to lead the fight for tax cuts. In 2000, when the Governor and the Legislature proposed a massive income tax increase called “The Stelly Plan,” I organized four tea party rallies across Louisiana, symbolically dumping tea into Lake Ponchartrain and various various rivers. I fought hard to defeat the Stelly Plan. We ultimately won the fight and repealed the tax by 2008.
Shortly after the Stelly fight was over, I helped to organize a statewide movement to repeal the Corporate Franchise and Income Taxes. We were successful at passing some limited phase outs through the legislature, putting Louisiana in a more competitive position with other states. During the Blanco years, I successfully led the statewide fight against the proposed cigarette tax hike and just about every other crazy liberal idea to raise taxes.
Now, we must make a long-term commitment to control the growth of government in Louisiana. I believe the most promising way to do so is to abolish the personal income tax in Louisiana. Florida and Texas have no personal income taxes. As we strive to compete with these two economic powers, we must consider removing this significant disadvantage for our state. The repeal of the state income tax can be accomplished in a fairly painless manner over a number of years without any cuts in state government (EVEN THOUGH MANY ARE NEEDED). In 2008, the Louisiana State Senate overwhelmingly voted to eliminate the personal income tax. This is an idea worthy of consideration.
Defending the Constitution
Louisiana can become the national leader in defending the US Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Our state should actively pursue every practical legal avenue in the Federal court system to protect us from the increasingly socialist regime in Washington, DC. We must assert our Tenth Amendment rights and fight for the freedoms for which our forefathers died.
As Lt. Governor, I will organize support across Louisiana for all of these causes. Sometimes, one strong leader can make the difference between victory and defeat in a major statewide cause. I have successfully organized many statewide efforts. I can do the job and I have the record to prove it.
Thomas Jefferson said, “When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.” That’s what it’s all about.