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Meet the Press, February 22, 2009Governors Charlie Crist (R-FL) and Bobby Jindal (R-LA)
MR. DAVID GREGORY: Our issues this Sunday: An unprecedented economiccrisis grips the nation, and it's the states at a breaking point. Lost jobs, failing businesses, home foreclosures and record revenue shortfalls all confrontingAmerica's statehouses. The president says help is on the way.(Videotape)PRES. BARACK OBAMA: This plan does more to lay a new foundation for our cities' growth and opportunity than anything Washington has done in generations.It'll bring real and lasting change for generations to come.(End videotape)MR. GREGORY: But does everyone want it? Some Republicans say maybe not,while others have openly supported the president's efforts. With us, twoRepublicans on opposite sides of this heated debate. First, the man who willdeliver his party's response to President Obama's Tuesday night address toCongress and considered one of his party's likely contenders for the White Housefour years from now, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. And the man who buckedhis own party and stood with President Obama on the stimulus package, FloridaGovernor Charlie Crist.Then, our political roundtable gets to the bottom of this week's highly chargeddebate over the housing crisis...(Videotape)MR. RICK SANTELLI: How many of you people want to pay for your neighbor'smortgage that has an extra bathroom and can't pay their bills? Raise their hand?How about we all...(Group boos)MR. SANTELLI: President Obama, are you listening?
 
(End videotape)MR. GREGORY: ...and offers insights into a busy political week: Al Hunt,executive editor for Washington of Bloomberg News; Michele Norris, host of  NPR's "All Things Considered"; and Becky Quick, co-anchor of CNBC's "Squawk Box."But first, the Republican governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal.Welcome back to MEET THE PRESS.GOV. BOBBY JINDAL (R-LA): Good morning.MR. GREGORY: You have a budget shortfall in Louisiana of $2 billion. Now,under the stimulus plan by the Obama administration, you would get a cut of that.You'd get $4 billion in federal stimulus. But this is what you said on Mondayabout the stimulus plan: "We're going to have to review each program, each newdollar to make sure that we understand what are the conditions, what are the stringsand see whether it's beneficial for Louisiana to use those dollars." And just Fridayyou made good on that pledge not necessarily to take the federal money, sayingthat you would reject almost $100 million in federal unemployment assistance.Why would you turn this money down?GOV. JINDAL: Well, let's be clear. The best thing that Washington could do tohelp Louisiana and all of our states with our budgets is to get this economy movingagain. I think we just have a fundamental disagreement here. I don't think the bestway to do that is for the government to tax and borrow more money. I think the best thing they could've done, for example, was to cut taxes on things like capitalgains, the lower tax brackets, to get the private sector spending again. I think theyhad a provision the net operating losses to help small businesses. Unfortunately,they slimmed that down. They could've done some things on a real energy policy.If all they do is borrow federal money and give it to the states, all we're reallydoing is delaying the inevitable. We're eventually going to have to make thesehard choices anyway. In Louisiana we made midyear reductions, $241 million.We're going to have to do more with less. What would be more helpful fromWashington is less unnecessary spending. How does $300 million for federal cars,$50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts, how is spending like thatgoing to help our economy? How's that stimulus?
 
MR. GREGORY: All right, but let's focus on--because I want to get to some of those larger issues in just a moment. But let's focus on this. Why would you turndown $100 million for federal unemployment assistance for your state?GOV. JINDAL: Well, let's look at the programs we turned down.MR. GREGORY: Yeah.GOV. JINDAL: You're talking about temporary federal money that would requirea permanent change in state law.MR. GREGORY: But it is--it's a tax break.GOV. JINDAL: Well, it, it's--no. The $100 million we turned down wastemporary federal dollars that would require us to change our unemployment laws.That would've actually raised taxes on Louisiana businesses. We as a statewould've been responsible for paying for those benefits after the federal moneydisappeared.MR. GREGORY: All right, but the Democratic senator from Louisiana, MaryLandrieu, says you're wrong. This is how it was reported in The Times-PicayuneSaturday: "Senator Landrieu disputed the governor's interpretation and said thenew unemployment benefits are designed to be temporary. `The bill is anemergency measure designed to provide extra help during these extraordinarilytough times,' Landrieu said. `To characterize this provision as a "tax increase onLouisiana businesses" is inaccurate.'" Her point being, you could insert a sunsetclause when this has to go away, but it would certainly be beneficial at a time whenyou're in economic stress.GOV. JINDAL: That's great, except the federal law, if you actually read the bill--and I know it was 1,000 pages, and I know they got it, you know, at midnight, or hours before they voted on it--if you actually read the bill, there's one problem withthat. The word permanent is in the bill. It requires the state to make a permanentchange in our law. Law B--our employer group agrees with me. They say, "Yes,this will result an increase in taxes on our businesses, this will result in a permanent obligation on the state of Louisiana." It would be like spending $1 toget a dime. Why would we take temporary federal dollars if we're going to end uphaving a permanent program?And here's the problem. So many of these things that are called temporary programs end up being permanent government programs. But this one's crystal
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