LA Governor Bobby Jindal Uses State Helicopter To Attend Church Services Around the State

I used to really like Bobby Jindal when he was first on the political scene in Louisiana. I was glad when he won the election for Governor. Unfortunately, as time has passed, he is revealing himself to be somewhat bizarre in his decision-making.

While I support an individual's right to worship, or not, including elected officials, I don't think it should directly impact their duties or decision making for their constituents.

www.2theadvocate.com...

Over five months, Jindal took more than three dozen helicopter trips. Fourteen were to attend church services, according to state records.

He worshipped in Hornbeck, Many, Logansport, Angie, Elizabeth, Harrisonburg, Columbia, Winnsboro, Coushatta, Robeline and Anacoco.

At least two aides usually accompanied him along with his security detail and State Police pilots. The public pays their salaries as well as the fuel and upkeep for the helicopter.

The helicopter that the governor uses the most costs $1,200 an hour to operate — about $45,000 for five months of church visits.

Jindal has continued to visit churches since the time covered in the records from State Police, including a trip to Rayville in Richland Parish last week.

The Governor’s Office refuses to disclose to the media ahead of time where Jindal will attend services. But a video posted on the Internet last year gives a glimpse into the Catholic governor’s visits to Protestant churches in North Louisiana.

In the video, Jindal addresses a congregation identified as New Chapel Hill Baptist Church on a stage decorated to look like a beach with a surfboard and Adirondackstyle chairs. The governor opens with a few quips from the campaign trail, including a riff about popular culture and Paris Hilton. He relates a story about military heroes before talking about his conversion to Christianity.

Keep in mind Louisiana is ranked 50th by virtually every measure compared to other states. There are huge funding needs all over the state for countless important initiatives - from restoration of NOLA to health care to education to the environment - but Jindal turned down stimulus money for political reasons. However, he has no problem using state dollars in order to witness to his faith.

It's hard to take seriously a headline as sensational as "The Republican Party Is Turning Into A Cult" However, other recent headlines make it hard to pose a counter argument.

There's The Family and it's C Street enclave which is certainly concerning. Members hold the belief that their leadership is ordained by God and, as such, service to God is their first and foremost agenda - oaths, issues or controversies should not matter.

Then we have Mark Sanford's belief that God wants him to stay in his job. Evidently C Street advisers have been helping him navigate his scandal.

This week Michelle Bachman is ratcheting up her already hysterical, Messianic tone with this crazy quote regarding health care:

"What we have to do today is make a covenant, to slit our wrists, be blood brothers on this thing"

Last week she stated on a tele-conference:

the health care "battle will be won — on our knees in prayer and fasting.”

Honestly, it's getting just plain nutty. Where are we headed? This country was founded on the principle of separation of Church and State. How have things gotten so screwed up?

[edit on 2/9/2009 by kosmicjack]

This over religious sub culture of the GOP has me concerned, too. It's one thing to practice one's religion and even as an atheist, I support one's right to practice their religion wholeheartedly, but traveling around the state on the people's dime to attend different churches is clearly not state business and the people shouldn't have to pay for it.

At first, Jindal seemed fairly harmless and the people of LA seemed to like him. But since his comments following of one of the presidential debates, he has just gotten stranger and stranger in my eyes. His strong religion-based beliefs are a concern to me, in the same say that Palin's are.

I wonder of this statewide service attendance is the beginnings of his play for the White House in 2012... in which he plans to be backed by the religious people of the country...

How do you feel about Obama using religion to rally heathcare support? Do you feel it violates separation of church and state?

These are all fabrications that have been put out there in order to discourage people from meeting what I consider to be a core ethical and moral obligation: that is that we look out for one another, that I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper. In the wealthiest nation on earth right now, we are neglecting to live up to that call.

blogs.wsj.com...

‘Bearing False Witness’: Obama Tells Religious Leaders Health Care Critics Are Guilty of Sin

www.breitbart.tv...]

Just curious how you view it.

Jindal is wrong in what he is doing. Ih he wants to go to different churches, he should do so at his own expense.


Mod Edit: Fixed external quote tag.

[edit on 2-9-2009 by GAOTU789]

Well it was religious fanatics that gave the vote to Bush and Bush cashed out on his followers very well, turning his back to them after winning the elections.

But bush religious views went as far as his fanatic middle eastern crusade.

This Jindal guy will probably make it to the primaries but that is as far as he will go.

If is something that America loves more than guns is their freedom to worship at will.

So I don't worry much about this fanatic, but if I was a state citizens I will be angry with the wasteful spending on helicopters trips.

People sometimes doesn't get it, most of this politicians are nothing than false prophets and Idols, cashing out on those that are not very bright in their congregations (I mean constituents).

Originally posted by jam321
How do you feel about Obama using religion to rally heathcare support? Do you feel it violates separation of church and state?

I don't know if you're talking to me, but what Obama's doing doesn't violate church and state. He's appealing to his audience, much the same way a politician might stress women's needs if speaking to an all female audience or black people's concerns when speaking at an NAACP banquet or talk about Medicare when speaking to seniors.

What Jindal is doing is using the taxpayers' money for his own personal statewide religious trips. Much like Sarah Palin did. It's an entirely different thing. Jindal isn't using religion, he's using the people and their money.

Ok, being faithful is a good thing, and visiting churches are a good thing, especially in LA, as that part of the country is very religious oriented. But the voters of that state need to start asking, why is the Governor using tax payer money to visit different churches around the state and in different parishes to attend services?

reply to post by sdcigarpig


Well it's worked for him in the past - that's the primary way he connected with voters during his campaign for Governor. He would do small gatherings at churches and neighborhood associations. However, that was funded by his campaign and not LA taxpayers.

Some other lines he has crossed with regard to separation of Church and State:

He signed the LA Science Education Act, which isn’t at all what it sounds like, it - actually allows for teaching creationism in LA schools.

He also established the Louisiana Commission on Marriage and Family and appointed several Christian conservatives like Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council.

Additionally he discontinued some anti-discrimination initiatives for the LGBT community.

www.talk2action.org...

I am not at all anti-religious but I am against this sort of personal moralistic agenda by elected politicians, especially at the expense of the citizens they serve.



[edit on 2/9/2009 by kosmicjack]

Interesting find KJ.

Bobby Jindal is going to run for POTUS in 2012. I have no doubt.
(I won't be voting for him.)

It looks to me like he's campaigning more than using the chopper to go to church. I mean it's a church and all ... but I'm betting it's a two-for-one thing ... be seen/shake hands (campaign thing).

TV news says he's already been out to Ohio ... shaking hands, etc.
(dead giveaway for 2012 intentions)

Jindal is Catholic and once upon a time studied for the priesthood.
You can console yourself with the fact that at least he's not a self proclaimed fundamentalist (Bush41, Carter).

Originally posted by FlyersFan
Interesting find KJ.

Bobby Jindal is going to run for POTUS in 2012. I have no doubt.
(I won't be voting for him.)

It looks to me like he's campaigning more than using the chopper to go to church. I mean it's a church and all ... but I'm betting it's a two-for-one thing ... be seen/shake hands (campaign thing).

TV news says he's already been out to Ohio ... shaking hands, etc.
(dead giveaway for 2012 intentions)

Jindal is Catholic and once upon a time studied for the priesthood.
You can console yourself with the fact that at least he's not a self proclaimed fundamentalist (Bush41, Carter).

Werd, good points, could be religion is that important to him in his head, combined with
2012...

I really think most of the religions out there are simply mechanisms for control; through Slavery Inc.

You can see throughout history right before the emergence of a new religion some Power Broker here, or there had a "tiff" with his other Power Broker buddy, and then wham!!! New religion separating out a whole bunch of People.

Of course, this is just my opinion, but it seems very plausible. Interesting thing about this is the Biblica group is redoing the NIV bible. They are rewording the bible from the 1984 version to the coming 2011 version.

It really surprised me to see they had revised it in the year made infamous by Orwell, but now I guess Orwell is out, and the new kind of propaganda is in.

They are revising it because they say modern English speakers cannot understand English from 25 years ago...? Here's the link:
www.reuters.com...

I can only wait....

And Jesus said, Sick, bra' that's juzz sick'

or

done' B F&&&&&& Yo' bra's booty, as that b wrong....

reply to post by FlyersFan


You might find this interesting. It goes into some detail about the exorcism he apparently participated in.

www.dailykingfish.com...

I'm not judging him by any means or saying it's not possible. Most of my family is Catholic and I've had nothing but good experiences with the Catholic Church. I have most certainly felt the power of prayer in my life.

I'm just saying I don't think I would want my elected representative and most certainly not the POTUS to be so evangelistic in his policies and pronouncements. I guess that makes me a Kennedy Catholic.

Anyway, I'm fascinated by the fact that he or anyone else for that matter would consider that he would be a viable candidate in 2012.

Well, isn't that why God invented the helicopter in the first place?

reply to post by kosmicjack


HA!! I was just trying the search function for a thread I did on that.
Somewhere on here is a thread I started about that exorcism and his
role in it. It's an old thread. But I couldn't find it.

I LIKE (lliked??) Jindal just like I liked Bill Richardson.
But then Richardson did the typical politician thing and screwed up.
I'm sure Jindal will do the same.
From the looks of your article it would seem he's off to a running start with it ...

Originally posted by kosmicjack
I'm fascinated by the fact that he or anyone else for that matter would consider that he would be a viable candidate in 2012.

He's got more 'viableness' (is that a word? ) then Obama had when he ran for POTUS.

Jindal v Obama.

Jindal is well spoken - WITHOUT the teleprompter - and has good executive experience as Govenor (Obama had none). Also he has a relatively clean background (obama's is rather murky) .

He's young and perky ... something the GOP needs to put forward at this time.

Like I said, I won't be voting for the guy, but it does seem that the GOP likes him.

I see Jindal, Crist and Pawlenty battling it out in 2012.
Many like Romney as well.

I'm looking forward to voting Libertarian or Constitution Party.

[edit on 9/2/2009 by FlyersFan]

Here's the original exorcism thread:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by kosmicjack


It sounds as if you are a resident of LA. You can always try to do a recall or check into if what he is doing is illegal. Politicians visit places of worship often, I would not doubt that they use public vehicles and monies doing so. You would have to prove that is was illegal for him to do so.


[edit on 2-9-2009 by pavil]

reply to post by pavil


No, just lots of family there. There was already talk of a recall when he refused to veto the legislative pay raise.

reply to post by kosmicjack


I'll bet that church services aren't all the Gov. Bob does on his trips.

I'd bet green money he also plays 18 holes with some possible campaign contributers after services and lunch at the Country club. More deals are made on the golf course than we will ever know.

I wonder if Gov Bob knows he just gave his opposition some powerful poop to be used against him come election time?



[edit on 2-9-2009 by whaaa]

reply to post by whaaa


I bet also that he will "exorcise" America from the misery it find itself today thanks to the sinners in the nation.



I will love him to use something between the lines during his campaign.