The INDsider -> Nathan Stubbs TUE, JUL 15 4:33AM by Nathan Stubbs

Jindal slashes $780,000 for Acadiana projects

Yesterday, Gov. Bobby Jindal announced 258 line item vetoes from the state’s annual budget. In his press release, Jindal touted the move represented more than $16 million in savings to state taxpayers, adding that his vetoes in HB1 are more than double the vetoes for all the state’s previous 12 budgets combined. The majority of the funding was slated for Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) that Jindal had previously pledged to crack down on. The cuts are impacting several local agencies. In all, Jindal cut a total of $780,000 slated for 15 different projects in Acadiana (see list below). Included in the cuts was $100,000 for a United Way of Acadiana student reading program. The veto prompted local United Way director Margaret Trahan to send out an email yesterday re-iterating the merits of the project. Trahan writes:

The Governor's stated reason for his veto is that we did not meet his criteria, an opinion with which I strongly disagree. We filed an online application as requested, testified in an open Senate hearing, demonstrated substantial regional impact of 30,000+ children between the ages of 0 to 5 in 6 parishes, and thought that support of school readiness was a priority of the Governor, Blueprint Louisiana, and multiple state agencies. In fact the BESE Board will be tracking the results of the pilot program that has already begun in Eunice.Our only hope at this point is for the veto to be overridden by the Legislature. Unless there is a strong public reaction to these vetoes, the override session will not be called as it could look like retaliation for the veto of the payraise.

United Way is only one local organization coping with the cuts. Here’s a full list of Acadiana projects cut yesterday from the budget:

$75,000 to the Children's Museum of Acadiana.
$60,000 to The Cajuns: A history 1610 to the Present.
$10,000 in funding for the St. Martin Parish, Iberia, Lafayette Community Action Agency (SMILE Community Action Agency) for the mentor program.
$15,000 in funding for the St. Martin Parish, Iberia, Lafayette Community Action Agency (SMILE Community Action Agency).
$100,000 in funding for the United Way of Acadiana Imagination Library/Jumpstart Initiative
$110,000 to the city of Eunice for tennis court construction and expansion.
$25,000 to the town of Arnaudville for infrastructure repairs and improvements and playground equipment acquisitions
$150,000 to the Evangeline Parish Recreation District for construction of a ball park
$10,000 to the city of Crowley for acquisition of playground equipment
$10,000 to the city of Rayne for acquisition of playground equipment
$25,000 to the Breaux Bridge Historical Society
$5,000 to Lafayette Catholic Service Centers, Inc.
$10,000 for St. Martin, Iberia, Lafayette Community Action Agency (SMILE)
$100,000 to the St. Mary Parish Community Action Agency
$50,000 to the St. Mary Parish Council for recreation improvements to Centerville Park
$25,000 to the Aranza Outreach Hope Center.

Afternoon Update: should also include $50,000 for UL's Center for Cultural and Eco Tourism. HT to reader Josh Benton

Articles by this Author:

View all articles by this author

Comments (2)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

...
written by Josh , July 15, 2008 - 05:04 pm

Don't forget the $50K cut from the Center for Cultural & Eco-tourism, the Brasseaux shop at UL. Between that and "The Cajuns: A History 1610 to the Present," I guess Jindal doesn't want too much about Cajun culture reaching the outside world. (Anybody know who's running that Cajun history project, anyway?)

...
written by Jason Faulk , July 16, 2008 - 04:32 am

A friend of mine is involved in that.
I'm just glad he stopped the non-denominational outreach program from getting my taxes.
The real question here, is which endeavours are worthy of state policy support and which aren't?
Are ballparks and tennis courts part of a state health initiative to bring recreational facilities to under-priviledged communities, or was it simply an ad-hoc insert into a bill somewhere that he sliced out?

I would strongly say that promulgating this state's intent to document, preserve and record it's history is important to the fundamental need of our sub-society here.
Culture is practiced by some, but also recorded by others amongst us.
This has been done throughout history.
Much of what we seek to do, can't be done as lagniappe by armchair cultural historians. Serious dedicated people have to be picked up and paid for their work.
We could always put pirates at the border and exact tribute from the wal-mart trucking fleet.

You must be logged in to post a comment. Log in using your Facebook account or register if you do not have an account yet.

Most Read

David Calhoun, ‘EB’ Brooks join Lafayette Central Park

David Calhoun and Elizabeth “EB” Brooks are the first two employees of Lafayette Central Park Inc., the nonprofit charged with turning Lafayette Consolidated Government’s 100-acre Johnston Street Horse Farm property into a passive public park. Calhoun was named executive director, and Brooks is director of planning and design.
Remembering Ricky Rees

The veteran police officer remembered by friends for his large and small acts of kindness will be laid to rest Wednesday.
Zachary Barker takes helm of the Opportunity Machine

Zachary Barker continues making waves in Lafayette’s business scene, mostly recently being named director of the Opportunity Machine.
Shakin' at the Shack

There will soon be a whole lot of shakin’ going on at Benny’s Sportshack Supplement Depot, a new concept by Opelousas native Benny Nele. Located at 2002 Johnston St., the supplement shop, smoothie bar and café, featuring hot off the press paninis and wraps, plans to open in late May.
Lafayette’s ‘sinking ship’ is cash flow positive

“We’ve crossed that magic threshold,” LUS Director Terry Huval says.

in case you missed it

COOL TOWN 2013

This year’s Cool Town issue is all about people who are not native to South Louisiana but made a conscious decision to be here, to be among us, to participate in our culture and contribute to it.
A curious compact

A shelved ordinance transferring $200,000 from a northside drainage project to a south Lafayette development may not break any laws, but it stinks to high heaven.
Pooyie 2012

It's good, it's bad and it's just plain crazy.
Saving Saturday Night

An effort to restore a shuttered dancehall and document other vacant or razed honky-tonks could serve as a model for saving an endangered species of entertainment.
Posthaste vs. HART FORTENBERY

Lafayette’s gene pool has been host to a long line of eccentric characters who have blurred the lines between crazy, genius, disturbed and curiously entertaining.