Both the RGA and the LAGOP have ads up now talking about the miserable performance of John Bel Edwards’ administration with respect to its Restore Louisiana flood recovery program.

Here’s the state party’s ad, which is part of a digital campaign they’re running…

And here’s the RGA Right Direction PAC ad…

Here was the press release the LAGOP put out to go with their new ad…

Today, the Republican Party of Louisiana released a new digital ad titled “Soaked” highlighting the incompetence of John Bel Edwards when Louisiana was under water and needed him most.

In August 2016, south Louisiana experienced record flooding and devastation from the more than two feet of rain that fell in three days and overflowed most bodies of water. Since the flooding, impacted residents have repeatedly been let down by the Edwards Administration and the Restore Louisiana Program.

Three years after floods swept across portions of southern Louisiana, only 36 percent of homeowners who applied for help through the Restore Louisiana program have been approved for grants and about one-third have received checks for repairs, according to a recent report from the relief program.

As part of the contract, Edwards’ campaign donor, Innovative Emergency Management (IEM) will receive $308 million as payment for managing the program. That’s right, IEM will be paid over $300 million while flooded homeowners in Louisiana will only get $575 million!

“Governor Edwards didn’t even know how many people needed help,” added LAGOP Communications Director Jason Harbison. “But Edwards knew exactly which campaign donor he wanted to get the contract, twice.”

Earlier today we talked about the horrendously slavish news coverage of John Bel Edwards’ administration, and how in particular The Advocate has given him pass after pass for his terrible performance. Flood recovery might well be the best example of that.

Most people, particularly those who weren’t affected by the flood of August 2016 which impacted so many people in the Baton Rouge and Lafayette areas, don’t really know what a mess the governor’s recovery program has been. We’ve covered it pretty extensively here at The Hayride, but the gist of it is that Edwards was completely unprepared, didn’t take good advice, acted in ways suggestive of corruption and dithered completely in setting up an administration program to dispense federal aid to those affected – so much so that three years later less than half of the federal flood recovery money that was appropriated for Louisiana has actually gotten into the hands of those who needed it. And worse, the money that has been spent has gone more or less to Edwards’ base voters at the expense of everybody else.

It’s the kind of performance which ought to result in his losing re-election, but for whatever reason Edwards hasn’t been hit on it the way he should have been. Thanks to the LAGOP and the RGA, that’s at least starting to change. Hopefully we’ll begin to see even stronger messaging on the flood recovery issue when the governor’s race goes to a runoff.