Jindal’s budget taps tourism funds
Less than half of about $23 million dedicated for state tourism promotion and marketing efforts would go to the purpose under the Jindal administration’s proposed budget.
And that’s got the state’s chief tourism promoter worried.
Jindal’s budget plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1 directs $12.8 million to pay state commitments to stage a variety of special events such as the 2013 Super Bowl and the NCAA Women’s Final Four, arts grants and operating costs of a new state museum in Natchitoches.
The Super Bowl is taking $6 million and the Final Four another $1 million.
“It’s going to have a severe impact on the money we would otherwise have to do marketing and advertising Louisiana at a time when we are riding the crest of a wave of attention and notoriety for the state,” Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne said Monday.
“It could have a detrimental effect on our ability to deliver a positive message about our state,” he added.
Commissioner of Administration Paul Rainwater said the budget decisions were all about “setting priorities.”
If the state had to come up with extra dollars to meet Super Bowl, Final Four and other commitments “that would have meant cutting health care, higher education and K-12 and we weren’t going to do that,” Rainwater said. “He (Dardenne) has plenty of money to cover his costs.”
State law earmarks a fraction of a penny of state sales tax dollars to a tourism promotion and marketing fund.
Dardenne complained that state commitments to 16 events, projects and programs are coming out of money statutorily dedicated for advertising and marketing the state.
The administration is also setting “an extremely dangerous precedent” by appropriating $677,786 for operating expenses of the new Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in Natchitoches out of the tourism fund, Dardenne said.
Historically, museums have been funded with state revenues and fees generated from properties, he said. “It’s just this one new one comes out of tourism,” he said.
For every tourism dollar spent, the state gets a $17 return on its investment so marketing efforts are important to the state’s economy, Dardenne said.
“I’m not getting the resources we are supposed to have to do our job effectively,” Dardenne said.
“We are in a very competitive marketplace,” Dardenne said. “We want to be competitive with Texas and Florida. We are going to be outspent by our neighbors who have less to offer when it comes to destinations.”
Besides the Super Bowl and Final Four, Jindal’s budget plan includes appropriations for the Essence Festival in New Orleans, the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, the New Orleans Bowl, Bassmasters, the Louisiana Special Olympics, the Senior Olympics and the Louisiana Book Festival.
There would be other earmarks to Fore!Kids Foundation, the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, Bayou de Famille Park and the Kent House.
Another $1.5 million would go for arts grants.
Rainwater said the Super Bowl and Final Four will help promote the state and bring a lot of national attention. He said funding the new museum out of the funds during a tough budget year is not setting a bad precedent.
Dardenne said he also is concerned that the Jindal budget plan diverts money from the Louisiana State Parks Improvement and Repair Fund to park operational costs instead.
“So that means we don’t have any money for maintenance, repairs,” Dardenne said.
The fund is tapped for $7.9 million. Revenues are generated by fees people pay to go to state parks.