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Vitter to Highlight Opposition to Federal Funding for Central Louisiana at Campaign Event Thursday

Vitter to Highlight Opposition to Federal Funding for Central Louisiana at Campaign Event Thursday

Senator says funds for job training, safer ports, better schools, improved roads, more police officers is “wasteful spending.”

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

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which was signed in to law one year ago today, has provided $12 million for Rapides Parish schools and $3 million for repairs to LA-28. Law enforcement agencies in Central Louisiana have also received significant federal funding from the Recovery Act.

On his Facebook page today, Vitter referred to federal funding for Central Louisiana schoosl, police departments, roads and military construction as “wasteful spending.”

Vitter will also explain why he opposed the largest middle-class tax cut in U.S. history. The federal funding and middle-class tax cuts are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act which was signed into law one year ago today.

The Louisiana Democratic Party has compiled a partial list of Southwest Louisiana projects funded by the Recovery Act.

“It’s clear that the Recovery Act has brought millions of federal dollars to Central 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 Central 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1)      Does David Vitter think the American Investment and Recovery Act should be repealed, all tax cuts rescinded and all allocated funds returned to the federal treasury?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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FACT SHEET: A Partial List of Recovery Act Funded Projects in Central Louisiana

Rapides Parish

Transportation: $3 million for improvements along La Highway 28 (stimulus.la.gov)

Education: $1.7 million to Rapides Parish School District for software used to track student performance (The Town Talk, 9/16/09)

Healthcare: $447,000 to Rapides Primary Health Care for health centers and patient care in Rapides (Landrieu Release)

Law Enforcement: $124,000 in law enforcement funding to Rapides Parish (Landrieu Release)

Job Training: $8,500 to Rapides Parish for youth job training (Rapides Parish Police Jury Minutes)

Alexandria 

Energy Efficiency: $226,700 for energy efficiency programs in Alexandria (Landrieu Release)

Law Enforcement: $544,000 in law enforcement funding to Alexandria (Landrieu Release)

Port Security: $81,000 for purchase of sonar equipment for port security (Landrieu Release)

Pineville 

Workforce Housing: $206,000 to Pineville for workforce housing (Landrieu Release)

Law Enforcement: $26,000 in law enforcement funding to Pineville (Landrieu Release)

Ball 

Wastewater Treatment: $1 million in funding to Ball for improvement of its wastewater pumping stations and duplex grinder station (stimulus.la.gov)

Boyce 

Wastewater Treatment: $900,000 to Boyce for reconstruction of pump station and rehabilitation of collection system (stimulus.la.gov)

Lecompte 

Fire Protection: $181,000 to Lecompte for fire protection equipment (Town Talk, 2/4/10)

Avoyelles Parish 

Law Enforcement: $17,000 in law enforcement funding to Avoyelles Parish (Landrieu Release)

Bunkie 

Homeland Security/Military: $515,000 to repair the roof and interior of the Readiness Center (Landrieu release) 
 

Workforce Housing: $209,000 to Bunkie for workforce housing (Landrieu Release)

Marksville 
 

Law Enforcement: $13,000 in law enforcement funding to Marksville (Landrieu Release)

Workforce Housing: $354,000 for workforce housing in Marksville (Landrieu Release)

Cottonport 
 

Workforce Housing: $104,000 for workforce housing in Cottonport (Landrieu Release)

Allen Parish 

Law Enforcement: $19,500 in law enforcement funding to Allen Parish (Landrieu Release)

Kinder 

Workforce Housing: $55,000 to Kinder for workforce housing (Landrieu Release)

Law Enforcement: $13,000 in law enforcement funding to Kinder (Landrieu Release) 
 

Evangeline Parish 

Law Enforcement: $27,000 in law enforcement funding to Evangeline Parish (Landrieu Release)

Ville Platte 

Workforce Housing: $412,000 to Ville Platte for workforce housing (Landrieu Release)

Grant Parish 

Workforce Housing: $53,000 to Grant Parish for workforce housing (Landrieu Release)

Law Enforcement: $18,000 in law enforcement funding to Grant Parish (Landrieu Release)

Colfax 

Workforce Housing: $168,000 to Colfax for workforce housing (Landrieu Release)

Sabine Parish 

Many 

Wastewater Improvements: $251,000 to Many for sewer pump station replacements (LMA, Division of Administration)

Natchitoches Parish 

Natchitoches 
 

Wastewater Improvements: $1.18 million to Natchitoches for gravity sewer system rehabilitation and sludge press replacement (LMA, Division of Administration)