Bringing Home the National Championship

January 7th, 2008 | Posted by bobbyjindal

Dear friends,

Bringing home the Championship

I look forward to sitting at home with my wife and children and watching LSU win the National Championship for the second time in four years tonight!

The BCS Championship game is a great opportunity to share with the rest of the world what Louisiana has to offer and that we are on the move.Geaux Tigers!
Happy New Year 

I hope you and your family had a Happy New Year.  I enjoyed spending the day with my family and eating the traditional black eye peas and cabbage, a tradition passed down from my mother.

The new year gives us a chance to look forward and embrace all the potential it brings. I am very grateful for the faith and trust that voters showed in electing me Governor of our great state.  Last year, I traveled the state and saw the optimism in people’s eyes for real change.

The new year will bring that change.  As I prepare to take office next week, I am also preparing to call a special session to make meaningful ethics reform.  Ethics reform is the critical foundation for turning our state around, for regaining the confidence of the people of Louisiana and the rest of the nation.  We have a lot of important work to do in the coming year; but ethics must come first.

I believe 2008 will be an important one for our state.   I also wish you and your family a great year that brings you health and happiness.

Attracting the best to our state 

I recently announced two new additions to my cabinet with experience outside Louisiana – William “Bill” Ankner as Secretary of Transportation and Mark Cooper as Director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

Bill provided us a unique opportunity to bring someone to Louisiana who has excelled in transportation in a number of states.  He is the former Director of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation and a former supervisor for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. One of Louisiana’s unique assets is the fact that five of the nation’s largest ports are located here, and Bill’s experience working with ports will help us position our state to invest in those ports and truly realize our economic potential.

Bill’s job will not be an easy one. Louisiana currently has a $14 billion backlog on our roads but I know Bill’s track record of getting things done by working in partnership with the private sector, as well as using creative options to find more available funding, will be a great asset to our state.

I am also pleased that Mark Cooper, a native of Bossier City, will be returning home to head up Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.  He has spent the last four years working as the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s Deputy Fire Chief, which included acting as the county emergency coordinator and managing a $1 billion dollar budget.  Mark said that he decided to return to Louisiana after reading an article in the Wall Street Journal about the renewed sense of optimism for our state. I have shared the article with you previously, but thought you might like to look at it again here.

You can read more about these appointments below:

Ankner named to lead DOTD
L.A. Deputy fire chief tapped to advise Jindal 

Celebrating the Inauguration 

Inauguration is a week away and if you happen to drive by the State Capitol in Baton Rouge, you will see workers beginning to construct the platform for the Inauguration ceremony.

I hope that you will be able to attend the swearing in ceremony on January 14th at 11:30 a.m. on the steps of the State Capitol.

I also want to encourage you and your family to attend the Inaugural Family Festival this coming Saturday, January 12 from 2-6 p.m. at the Sheraton Atrium in downtown Baton Rouge. The festival is free and open to the public and is a chance for everyone to come together to enjoy food from around the state, music, and plenty of games for the children. I hope to see you there at this fun, family experience.
Sincerely,
Bobby Jindal
Bobby Jindal

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