NGO funds face vetoes

Gov. Bobby Jindal is expected to wield his veto pen today and slash money for projects in legislators’ districts from the $29.9 billion state operating budget.

Jindal’s approach to what he once called “slush funds” is likely to be aggressive.

Legislators packed $53 million in projects — called “nongovernmental organizations,” or NGOs, in state government lingo — into House Bill 1, the budget bill. As governor, Jindal can remove any project from the bill.

HB1 is the state operating budget for the fiscal year that began July 1.

A number of Baton Rouge-area projects are on the line, including funding for the McKinley High School Alumni Association and the balloon festival.

Many lawmakers expressed worry that the governor would cut deeply into funding for community organizations, parks and festivals. Others said Jindal was clear about his position on the projects.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t go after some of the NGOs,” said state Sen. John Alario, D-Westwego.

Jindal has until midnight to act on the bill. His staff spent weeks scrutinizing the projects that legislators stuffed into the budget measure.

The governor’s press secretary, Melissa Sellers, said the vetoes would be announced Monday.

Through the years, NGOs have been called “pork” and “pet projects.” Jindal characterized them as “slush funds” during the campaign and vowed to do away with a number of them.

In a supplemental budget bill, he purged funding for laptop computers, the elderly and Habitat for Humanity.

Legislators counter that many NGOs serve the poor, the elderly and the handicapped.

State Sen. Francis Thompson, D-Delhi, said he talked to the administration after Jindal vetoed funding for the Louisiana Center Against Poverty from the supplemental budget bill.

The center is based in Lake Providence, one of the poorest areas of the state. It provides community services to residents in six parishes.

Thompson said he gave the administration detailed information about the center to illustrate its importance to the community.

He said he is confident the governor would recognize the error of vetoing NGOs such as the Louisiana Center Against Poverty.

“Politically, it’s not a good move and that’s the least thing I worry about is the politics of it,” Thompson said. “It’s just the right thing to do. It’s the Christian thing to do to assist these programs.”

Other lawmakers are uneasy about what the governor will do today.

“These are all worthy projects in my opinion,” said state Sen. Dale Erdey. “We’re (not) trying to create programs that are going to help my brother-in-law’s sister.”

Erdey, R-Livingston, said he requested funding in the state budget to build a park for the handicapped in Denham Springs.

The budget simply describes the funding as “park improvements,” which is misleading, he said.

Erdey said he is alarmed that the governor cut funding for a parish Council on Aging from another budget bill.

He said he does not understand why Jindal targeted money for the elderly.

State Rep. Pat Smith is pushing money for projects, including the McKinley High School Alumni Association.

McKinley is designated to receive $370,000 in state dollars, largely to provide youth outreach services.

Like many NGOs, McKinley probably would not exist without funding from the state.

A budget filed last year with the state Treasury shows the organization’s sole source of funding was the state. The group expected to spend nearly half of its $125,000 budget on salaries and benefits. About $33,000 was budgeted for contract services, primarily tutors.

Smith, D-Baton Rouge, said McKinley is a cornerstone in an impoverished area that has little in the way of community organizations.

The Baranco/Clark branch of the YMCA is scheduled to receive $25,000 in HB1.

Inner-city communities would die without organizations like the YMCA, Smith said.

The state often is the only possible source of funding, she said.

“It’s a push at looking at what so many individuals call pork, slush fund,” she said of the governor’s stance. “When you look at the organizations that receive money, they are doing very worthwhile things.”

Some governors use the projects as a bartering tool, exchanging the dollars for votes on their agenda.

The governor took an adversarial approach to the projects from the outset.

Jindal told legislators in April that projects would have to meet his criteria. He said projects:

• Must have a statewide or substantial regional impact.

• Must have been presented or openly discussed during the legislative session.

• Must have the proper disclosure form published online prior to consideration for funding.

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Local projects

• Achieve to Succeed, $25,000.

• ALS Association, $150,000.

• Baton Rouge City Constable’s Office, $50,000.

• Capital Area Legal Services Corp., $100,000.

• City at Peace, $15,000.

• Denham Springs animal shelter, $10,000.

• East Side Fire District, $20,000.

• Hot Air Balloon Festival, $25,000.

• Leadership Seminars of America, $30,000.

• Livingston Outdoors Sports Association, $80,000.

• Louisiana Arts and Science Museum, $25,000.

• Louisiana Leadership Institute, $100,000.

• Options Inc., $10,000.

• Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana, $125,000.

• Progress 63, $400,000.

• Recreation facility improvements in the city of Gonzales, $20,000.

• RIZ UP!, $160,000.

• Scotlandville Community Development Corp., $15,000.

• The Hope Group, $55,000.

• Urban Restoration Enhancement Corp., $505,000.