Governor Jindal’s veto pen sliced $500,000 that was earmarked for the economic development and marketing of the new LSU and VA hospitals and other research facilities in what is expected to be a vibrant biomedical corridor in New Orleans.

The cut was part of $9.3 million that was trimmed from the state supplemental appropriations bill that covers special funding requests from local governments, state boards and non-governmental organizations.

Jindal said the cuts came as he tries to make sure the public’s money is spent wisely.

Members of the Greater New Orleans Bioscience Development District said they planned on efforts that would hopefully bring thousands of new jobs in the biomedical district, something that could be lessened without the half million dollars.

“You have a fantastic research base in the universities in the city as a whole,” said Aaron Miscenich of the Bioinnovation Center. “You have clinical facilities coming back on line. In both those areas you are looking at millions and millions of dollars. What GNOBEDD was going to do was leverage those investments into other areas.”

One of the new research facilities in the area is the Bioinnovation Center on Canal Street. The idea behind the center is to help startup companies by providing resources for them to succeed.

Miscenich said he is worried that other locations would try to lure the new companies away, something GNOBEDD would have tried to avoid.

While disappointed, board members of GNOBEDD say they are pleased that Jindal did agree to finance individual facilities in the district like the LSU Hospital and the Louisiana Cancer Research Center. They say they will lobby for more money next year, when they hope to better state their case.