I don't think she's ever forgotten that Lafayette voted for Bobby Jindal
by Mike Hasten - The Daily Advertiser (excerpt)

Lafayette Lawmakers Disappointed in Session
Rep. Ernie Alexander- "I think she sometimes thinks of us as the enemy."

BATON ROUGE - As the legislative session closes at 6 p.m. today, lawmakers are waiting for only a handful of issues to be settled and musing over what might have been.

They're also waiting for the governor's veto ax to fall on most of about $500 million in tax cuts that have either been approved or are in the works today, or possibly on projects.

A handful of tax breaks and some insurance issues, especially cash incentives to lure new insurance companies into the state and establishing regional deductibles on property insurance policies, are to be settled today.

While Lafayette's mostly Republican legislative delegation was grateful for the projects they secured, they say they should fare better next year under a new governor. Each said Gov. Kathleen Blanco, an Acadiana native, seemed to go out of her way to fight anything but funding for UL.

"I don't think she's ever forgotten that Lafayette voted for Bobby Jindal," said Republican Rep. Ernie Alexander. "I think she sometimes thinks of us as the enemy."

"She's in a foul mood right now and making a lot of threats to a lot of projects," (Independent Rep. Joel) Robideaux said. "She could have almost saved her legacy this session. She said she wanted to work in a spirit of cooperation, but as soon as we disagreed over tax cuts, she turned right back to her ways in prior sessions: If you disagreed, you were the enemy.

"The frustration will be over at six o'clock."