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Vitter Calls Federal Funding for Ouachita, NE La. “Wasteful”

Vitter Calls Federal Funding for Ouachita, NE La. “Wasteful”

Senator to highlight opposition to federal funding for NE La. police, transportation, housing and youth employment programs at campaign event Friday

(Baton Rouge) Tomorrow, U.S. Senator David Vitter will hold a taxpayer-funded campaign event in West Monroe, Louisiana to highlight his opposition to millions of dollars in federal funding for youth job training, law enforcement, port security, transportation repairs and other projects in Northeast Louisiana.

The Louisiana Democratic Party has compiled a partial list of Northeast Louisiana projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, including:

• Nine new police officers for the City of Monroe.
• 200 hundred summer jobs for Ouachita youth.
• A new terminal at Monroe Regional Airport.

Though David Vitter has repeatedly referred to “wasteful spending” from the Recovery Act, he has declined to specify which Louisiana Recovery Act projects he considers worthwhile and which ones he thinks are wasteful.  In a taxpayer-funded email to constituents this morning, Vitter cited examples of what he considered wasteful spending from New York and California.

“It’s clear that the Recovery Act has brought millions of federal dollars to Ouachita Parish and Northeast Louisiana to fund vital projects and prevent deep cuts to local and state budgets,” said Louisiana Democratic Party Spokesman Kevin Franck. “If David Vitter still insists on railing against the Recovery Act, he should find the courage to tell us which projects in Northeast Louisiana he wants to eliminate.” 

The Louisiana Democratic Party poses two simple questions to David Vitter:

1)      Does David Vitter think the American Investment and Recovery Act should be repealed, all tax cuts rescinded and all allocated funds returned to the federal treasury?

2)      If not a full repeal, which specific Recovery Act projects in Southwest Louisiana does David Vitter think should be cancelled and de-funded?

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Paid for by the Louisiana Democratic Party, 701 Government Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70802. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

FACT SHEET: A Partial List of Recovery Act Funded Projects in Northeast Louisiana

Ouachita Parish

$9.6 million for 14transportation projects throughout Ouachita Parish (News-Star, 1/4/10)

Transportation: $1.2 million for construction and renovations of bridges in Ouachita Parish (Stimulus.la.gov)

Youth Employment: $851,000 to provide a summer work program with local contractors to 200 youths ages 16-24 (News-Star, 4/16/09)

Law Enforcement: $105,000 to Ouachita Parish in law enforcement grants (Landrieu Release)

Public Safety: $82,000 to Ouachita Parish for prison improvements (Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement)

Monroe

Transportation: $15 million for Monroe Regional Airport for a new terminal and other improvements (News-Star, 7/11/09) Note: The Monroe Regional Airport is also working on securing $5 million in stimulus money for a new runway project. (News-Star, 1/10/10)

Housing: $1.9 million for renovations to Miller Square Development (New-Star, 5/3/09)

Transportation: $2.2 million in improvements to Oliver Road between Tower Drive and Forsythe Avenue (included in 14 road projects for Ouachita Parish above) (New-Star, 1/4/10)

Law Enforcement: $1.1 million to Monroe to hire nine additional police officers for three years (Times-Picayune)

Law Enforcement: $238,000 to Monroe in law enforcement grants (News-Star, 3/8/09; Landrieu Release)

Law Enforcement: $21,000 to Monroe for additional crime patrols (Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement)

Port Security: $60,000 for purchase of sonar equipment for port security (Landrieu Release)

Bastrop

Wastewater/Road Repair: $1.5 million for Bastrop to replace sewage and ditch lines. (Bastrop Daily Enterprise, 6/12/09)

Law Enforcement: $15,000 to Bastrop in law enforcement grants (News-Star, 3/8/09; Landrieu Release)

West Monroe

Wastewater: $4.75 million for West Monroe for wastewater treatment. (DEQ)

Law Enforcement: $46,000 to West Monroe in law enforcement grants (News-Star, 3/8/09; Landrieu Release)

Bienville Parish

Arcadia

Wastewater: $676,000 to Arcadia for rehabilitation of lift stations (LMA)

Caldwell Parish

Law Enforcement: $12,000 to Caldwell Parish in law enforcement grants (News-Star, 3/8/09; Landrieu Release)

East Carroll Parish

Law Enforcement: $10,000 to East Carroll Parish in law enforcement grants (News-Star, 3/8/09; Landrieu Release)

Public Safety: $166,000 to East Carroll Parish for reduction of drugs in prison (Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement)

Franklin Parish

Law Enforcement: $14,000 to Franklin Parish in law enforcement grants (News-Star, 3/8/09; Landrieu Release)

Lincoln Parish

Law Enforcement: $16,000 to Lincoln Parish in law enforcement grants (News-Star, 3/8/09; Landrieu Release)

Ruston

Energy Efficiency: $4.3 million for the city of Ruston to develop a Smart Grid to reduce energy use and limit system losses. (Landrieu Release)

Law Enforcement: $58,000 to Ruston in law enforcement grants (News-Star, 3/8/09; Landrieu Release)

Grambling

Wastewater Improvement: $533,000 major equipment repairs and system upgrades. (Stimulus.la.gov)

Morehouse Parish

Communication: $4.35 million in grants to Northeast Louisiana Telephone Company for broadband expansion. The company also received a $8.1 million low-interest loan (Landrieu release)

Collinston

Law Enforcement: $18,000 to Morehouse Parish in law enforcement grants (News-Star, 3/8/09; Landrieu Release)

Tensas Parish

Law Enforcement: $14,000 to Tensas Parish in law enforcement grants (News-Star, 3/8/09; Landrieu Release)

Union Parish

Law Enforcement: $15,000 to Union Parish in law enforcement grants (News-Star, 3/8/09; Landrieu Release)

Law Enforcement: $131,600 to Union Parish Sheriff’s Department for K-9 units (Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement)

Farmerville

Law Enforcement: $23,000 to Farmerville in law enforcement grants (News-Star, 3/8/09; Landrieu Release)

West Carroll Parish

Law Enforcement: $15,500 to West Carroll Parish in law enforcement grants (News-Star, 3/8/09; Landrieu Release)

Law Enforcement: $21,000 to West Carroll Parish Sheriff’s Department for additional crime patrols (Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement)

Transportation: $1 million for Lingo Loop and Wood Rd. bridges (Stimulus.la.gov)