Is Governor Edwards Playing Politics With Road Projects?
Would a Louisiana politician make partisan based cuts in road construction projects to detract from his detractors? Hell Yes! It's been done in this state before and I am pretty sure it's being done right now by Governor John Bel Edwards.
However, there is no real way to prove that partisan politics played any part in the Governor's decision to line-item veto almost $39 million from Louisiana's construction budget before he signed it. Just because the majority of items he removed from the $3.6 billion budget just happened to be in districts represented by some of his most vocal detractors doesn't mean it was politically motivated.
You can see the complete list of items his honor deemed unworthy right here.
Some of those projects include a $12 million road project in Lafayette, Other road projects in Acadia, St.Landry, Vermilion, and Iberia parishes were scrapped. Is it a mere coincidence that these areas just happen to have elected Republicans to represent them in Baton Rouge?
While the Governor can say honesty and integrity he had to make cuts because of the state's budget situation. I am sure he wouldn't honestly be able to look a resident of Iberia or Vermilion Parish in the eye and tell them that their drainage issue wasn't important enough to stay in the budget.