Manny Diaz rebukes Bobby Jindal

Led by Miami's Manny Diaz, the nation's mayors are rebuking Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal -- the anti stim package Republican who questioned giving $50 million to the National Endowment for the Arts.

"America's mayors are extremely disappointed by your recent statements questioning the economic impact of the arts to our national, state and local economies," a letter to Jindal from the mayors reads. The money, the letter says, "represents .00635% of the total funding provided in the act" and has "become a convenient political scapegoat."

Jindal's response to President Barack Obama's speech to Congress had already infuriated pols in Alaska, offended by Jindal's mocking of volcano research.

"Volcano monitoring is a matter of life and death in Alaska," Democratic Sen. Mark Begich said in an open letter to Jindal.

The mayors noted that Louisiana -- according to Dun & Bradstreet -- "is home to 7,013 arts-related businesses that employ 27,117 people."  And it says that in 2008, Louisiana received 27 grants worth $1.3 million from the NEA.

"Mayors clearly understand the important contribution of the arts to our local communities, financially and in terms of the quality of life for our residents," said the letter signed by Diaz. "We remain hopeful that
the foregoing information will assist you in more clearly understanding this issue, and that, as a result, arts funding will no longer serve as your basis for opposing the act."

Comments

[NASCAR Dad]

Oh yeah, and I have this money pit called the performing arts center that I have to pay for.

I'm not sure Jindal gives a crap what Manny Diaz thinks.

[mad moderate]

I expected much more from Jindals speech.This seemed like half "bobby jindal" self promotion and the other half obstructionist jibber jabber.My guess if he was attempting to keep the 5% of Americans that consider themselves the republican "base" happy,well he may have pulled that off but he didn't dazzle anyone including the much talked about "base".
If the Democratic party were to be able to hand pick a responder to Pres Obamas congressional address,they couldn't have done better then Peyush Jindal.

[Imee]

I find that Bobby Jindal lacked analysis before he made his statement. What may not be important in his eyes may be important for others. Like what Sen. Begich said, volcano monitoring is a matter of life and death there in Alaska. Maybe Jindal should try living somewhere in the ring of fire, let's build him a house near the crater of an active volcano and see how he likes it.