Tell the legislators what you think

The 200 percent pay raise state legislators gave themselves this week looks like a done deal because Gov. Bobby Jindal, despite campaign promises to the contrary, says he will not veto the bill. After July 1, legislators will be enjoying a better lifestyle thanks to the Louisiana taxpayer.

So, what can the voter do? Well, take a lesson from the electorate in Pennsylvania, who went through a similar process three years ago, for one.

Literally, in the middle of the night, when no one was watching, the Pennsylvania Legislature voted itself a 16 percent raise with no committee meetings or public debate.

The angry reaction of the voters was almost immediate. The people began a public relations campaign in which the faces of the legislators who voted for the raise were plastered on big billboards all over the state. The lawmakers got the message and rescinded the pay raise.

However, the damage had been done, and in the ensuing election, 55 legislators either chose not to run for re-election or were defeated at the polls by angry voters.

So there is hope for us in Louisiana. There are other things people can do to show their displeasure with their representatives. They can gather together and start circulating recall petitions to try and get the legislators out of office before their term expires.

They can start a drive for a constitutional amendment that would prohibit legislators from voting themselves a raise. The Legislature would have to put the request to the people in the form of a public referendum. That is only fair, as the majority of citizens can never vote themselves a raise. If we have to ask for one, so should the Legislature.

Maybe a few big billboards of state and local legislators who voted for the raise up on Interstate 12 would change some minds, and legislators would reconsider and vote down the raise.

Highly unlikely.

So we urge you to keep calling Gov. Bobby Jindal at 1-866-366-1121, 225-342-0991 or 225-342-7015 and tell him to stand up to the Legislature and veto the pay raise.

It’s the least we can do — until the next election.