Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards used his veto pen on Friday, June 30^th, to strike a political blow at two first term legislators and others but wound up causing collateral damage to one of the state’s oldest and most important facilities designed to help children with disabilities.   He embarrassed himself and he needs to be called to account.     Edwards’ effort to mete punishment out on two legislators in Vernon Parish also caused damaged to water systems in rural and struggling towns on Highway 171 between the towns of Hornbeck and Rosepine.

Nineteen veto actions were reported in HB2 to the press on Friday night, and 10 of the targets that were draped in the mantle of him being financially responsible all happen to be in one Parish.   Vernon Parish sits on the western border of Louisiana and is home to the sprawling Fort Johnson (formerly Fort Polk) Army installation.   The parish’s 44,000 citizens don’t routinely get a lot of capital outlay from the state’s construction budget (known as House Bill 2), but has seen a steady uptick the past 3 years.  This was first year in the past 4 that Vernon had any items “red lined” by the 2 term Governor.

Edwards cut 3 x badly needed water system upgrades to the parish.   He slashed a $750,000 water system upgrade in the town of Hornbeck, coincidentally the community where legislator Rodney Schamerhorn has his legislative office.     Edwards cut a $480,000 water project and a road repair effort in Anacoco, just 8 miles down the road.  The water tank in Anacoco we are told is literally leaking and is significant need of repair; it’s a safety issue for its citizens.  Also in Anacoco, he red-lined a $1.9 million dollar road project on probably one of the most deteriorated stretches of pavement in the entire state—an obscure, peaceful road where citizens live called East Hawthorne.    At the south end of the Parish, the former Army officer who ran on being a man of honor sliced out a $360,000 upgrade to a water system in the town of Rosepine, where legislator Chuck Owen has his office.

Edwards eliminated the long term recognition of a handful road repair projects in different pockets of the parish.    These roads would have cost the tax payers of Louisiana nothing in the current year—they were simply identified for long term funding—known in legislative parlance as “P5.”

The craziest and most reckless thing Edwards did was zero out funding for a swimming pool in the town of Anacoco.    Some may doubt the efficacy of having swimming pools in capital outlay.  Many believe capital outlay should be for strictly roads, bridges, water systems and hospitals—things are contribute to the public good.  But, that’s not we do it in Louisiana.  Capital outlay is whatever the Governor and Speaker of the House pretty much say it is.  This year, the Speaker and Chairman of Ways and Means were personally involved in getting the pool at the Lions Camp through the legislative process.

Readers should know the Lions Camp pool sits on plot of land in Anaocco, just north of Leesville, where Owen lives.   The pool is in Schamerhorn’s district.    The Lions Camp is a jewel in the crown of the State of Louisiana and it benefits children with disabilities every year.

Yes, it’s for children with disabilities.

The camp used to be called the “Lions Camp for Crippled Children.”   The name was changed a few years ago to reflect the times.   Everyone—at least everyone except Governor Edwards—knows the Lions Camp has served children with disabilities for years.    Lions from around Louisiana sponsor in “campers” for a unique experience like no place else in Louisiana.  Cameron legislator Ryan  Bourriaque pitching in for some of the events for the summer, in fact.   Lions Clubs spend all year raising money, finding counselors, physicians, nurses and others to come in and give children with profound disabilities a camping experience.   A simple trip to the camp will bring a tear to your eye—they do so much good for the people of Louisiana.

Apparently, Edwards apparently detests the men who represent Vernon so much that he would release his full fire on them, without regard for what else he is hitting.    Being an old Army officer, Edwards has probably heard the term “collateral damage.”     Collateral damage occurs when you aim your fire at one thing, but the effect of your fire has damage on things you weren’t planning.    John Bel Edwards has done plenty of awful things as Governor, but this is right at the top.

It wouldn’t be SO bad if he hadn’t allowed all sorts of other things to sail through on Capital Outlay.  He took the time to redline these projects, and some others—like a juvenile detention center in Grant Parish and a sheriff substation in Bossier Parish—but he allowed a litany of things to go into the funding pool that don’t resemble anything related to the public good.   He allowed funding for a $1 million athletic complex in Acadia Parish, a $2 million youth sports complex in Bossier, $5 million for something called an “Inspiration Center” in East Baton Rouge, $1 million for a Vietnamese Culture Center in Jefferson Parish, $4.3 million for a Women’s Athletic Performance Center in Lafourche.   The list could go on and on.     In total, Edwards signed off on $435 million in items that are not anywhere related to roads, bridges, water systems or hospitals.   But he deemed it in the good of the state to put the public health at risk by zeroing out water projects, ignore the need for road repair, and for good measure, poked the disabled community in the eye by red-lining the upgrade to a pool for children with profound disabilities.

If John Bel Edwards has any sort of decency coursing through his veins, he will restore the funding to the Lions Club Pool and find ways to fund those other projects.  A man of honor would admit he’s made a litany of mistakes and would rectify his wrongdoing.