LOUISIANANS TO GOVERNOR JINDAL: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

Governor’s Stance on Economic Stimulus Bill Sparks Mass Demonstration

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 11, 2009—Baton Rouge, La – On Wednesday, May 27, 2009 hundreds of Louisianans will march to the Louisiana State Capitol to send a message to Louisiana lawmakers and Governor Bobby Jindal to accept the president’s stimulus package in its entirety—in response to the governor’s public opposition to decline nearly $4 billion in federal funds allotted to Louisiana.

With Louisiana foreseeing a possible $2 billion budget shortfall next year, the Obama administration has allocated $538,575,876 for infrastructure spending in the stimulus package. The White House predicts the bill will create 50,000 jobs in the state, however; despite the boost Louisiana’s economy could potentially gain from the stimulus dollars, Governor Jindal has gone on record promising to refuse it.

Alarmed at the governor’s position on the Administration’s economic stimulus package, a group of Louisiana non profits and community leaders have merged to form Concerned Citizens Coalition (CCC) to lead a mass demonstration to reiterate that “Enough is Enough” when it comes to ignoring the vital needs of Louisiana’s children and their families.

Ernest Johnson, president of the Louisiana NAACP and CCC organizer said, “President Obama’s federal economic stimulus package represents an opportunity for investing in our people and our infrastructure in new and different ways to help break the cycle of poverty and inequality once and for all.”

The demonstration will begin at 9 a.m. (CDT). Participants will then march from Memorial Stadium (

N. 19^th Street, Baton Rouge

, La) to the State Capitol to proceed with a rally. The demonstration is set to coincide with the start of the stimulus debate that will take place in the recently convened Louisiana legislative session—where with a 2/3 majority, state lawmakers could in fact vote to override the governor’s decision to not accept the federal money.

Rally participants will not only emphasize the relief the Obama economic stimulus package would bring to Louisiana, but they will also push for lawmakers to vote against proposed cuts Jindal plans to make to Louisiana’s education and Medicaid budgets, as well as call for government accountability, and the passage of the Employee Free Choice Act.

“With a quarter of Louisiana’s children uninsured and with low performance scores in basic reading—making cuts to programs that were put in place to aide our children should not be the route our governor takes to try to balance the state budget,” said Shacara Lewis, Every Child Matters in Louisiana State Director and CCC organizer.

Citizens interested in participating in the May 27 demonstration can call (225) 218-3147 for more information. In addition, individuals who cannot participate but wish to register their support can do so on-line at www.mainstreetgroup.org

Nadra Harrison Hall

Director of Communications

Every Child Matters in Louisiana

1600 Constance Street

New Orleans, LA 70130

504-528-8239 (Office)

nharrison@everychildmatters.org