Jindal's road to nowhere

By GottaLaff

Ba-ba-ba-Bobby*, your self interests are showing:

Legislators on Friday blocked the Jindal administration’s plans for spending the state’s first batch of federal “stimulus” money.

The rejection by the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget stalls $308 million for state road and bridge projects.

The $72 million widening of Interstate 10 from Siegen Lane to Highland Road is part of the package.

State Transportation Secretary William Ankner said he plans to regroup and talk to legislators.

Gov. Bobby Jindal was less conciliatory.

In a telephone interview after the meeting, Jindal said his message to committee members is to quickly draw up a list of projects that meet federal criteria.

The governor said that the committee should have amended the list of projects rather than rejecting it. [...]

During a nearly three-hour discussion, legislators complained about the Jindal administration’s proposed distribution of dollars and expressed a feeling that the governor left them out of the loop on decision making.

Lawmakers demanded answers on why parishes were excluded from the spending plan and why the administration wants to spend $1 million on a bridge at the end of a dirt road. They also wanted to know whether the governor plans to accept all of the money due to Louisiana in the “stimulus” package.

Jindal was not on hand to answer any of those questions.

Instead, Ankner fielded a flurry of complaints and criticism, an experience that one legislator characterized as being raked over the coals. [...]

State Sen. Francis Thompson, D-Delhi, said he was offended and appalled that the money wasn’t distributed equally based on need and parish.

He accused the Jindal administration of playing politics. [...]

State Sen. Robert Adley, R-Benton, complained that one of the projects is a West Carroll Parish bridge at the end of a mud road that serves a private enterprise.

He said that type of project is hard to rationalize. [...]

State Sen. Rob Marionneaux, D-Grosse Tete, said he wants to know who the unnamed private enterprise on the other side of the bridge contributed to in order to get on the administration’s list.

Gaa!*

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