Bobby J. Jindal is the new governor of Louisiana, and that is excellent news for all of us. The adjective "impressive" does not even begin to describe his accomplishments at the age of 36.

We have the opportunity to affect not just our own children's lives...but the lives of Louisiana children yet to be born.

We have the opportunity - born of tragedy but embraced still the same - to make right decades of failure in government.

You have often heard me say that we do not have a poor state, but a state with poor leadership. That we do not have a state stuck in the past, but leaders who were unconcerned with the future.

If we are honest with ourselves, we can all agree that too many of the stereotypes rang true.

In our past, too many politicians looked out for themselves. Too many arms of state and local government did not get results. And the world took note.

Those stereotypes cost us credibility. They cost us investment. They cost us jobs.

Let us all resolve...Democrats and Republicans...North Louisiana and South...leaders of all races and religions...elected and unelected...let us all resolve that era ends today.

We can build a Louisiana where our leaders and our people set the highest standards and hold every member of our government accountable.

...a Louisiana where incompetence is not a synonym for government.