Funds, hospital on Jindal agenda

• By KORAN ADDO
• Advocate Westside bureau
• Published: Oct 15, 2009 - Page: 1A

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ADDIS — Gov. Bobby Jindal said Wednesday he plans to discuss today with President Barack Obama issues involving Louisiana Medicaid funding, coastal restoration and federal dollars needed to restore New Orleans’ Charity Hospital.

Jindal made the remarks while visiting West Baton Rouge Parish to deliver money for hurricane recovery efforts and infrastructure improvements.

Jindal said one concern he intends to raise with the president is what he called a “flawed” calculation process in the government’s Federal Medical Assistance Program, which the governor said could cost the state $700 million in Medicaid funding.

Jindal said he plans to urge Obama to help build a more involved federal partnership with Louisiana in ongoing coastal restoration efforts and hurricane protection.

Jindal said he expects to bring up with Obama the state’s appeal of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s offer of $150 million toward rehabilitating Charity Hospital in New Orleans.

The governor said the state is looking for about $492 million in funding to get the hospital back up and running since being shut down when Hurricane Katrina swamped New Orleans Aug. 29, 2005.

Obama, on his first visit to Louisiana since taking office, is scheduled to visit the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School in New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward and hold a town hall meeting at the University of New Orleans Lakefront Campus.

While the governor spoke at the Addis Community Center about job creation, family values and keeping the state’s recent graduates from leaving for out-of-state jobs, the audience responded with frequent ovations.

At the outset, Jindal presented parish and municipal officials with an oversized check for $9,792,570.

The bulk of the money, or $8,197,025, comes in the form of a federal Community Development Block Grant to aid storm recovery.

The remaining $1,595,545 will be split up as follows:

• $1,424,831 will go to the parish to support projects intended to protect against damage caused by future storms.
• The Parish Council will get $89,000 in support of the parish water district.
• $46,714 will go to Port Allen for repairs to a water main.
• $35,000 will go to Brusly for infrastructure improvements along La. 1.

Following the check presentation, Jindal’s staff played a video showing business owners from around Louisiana speaking about the governor’s efforts to attract and accommodate the business community.