International Trade
Dr. Guillermo Linares, Commissioner of the New York City Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs, will provide keynote remarks at a luncheon at 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 1, at the World Trade Center’s Plimsoll Club. The luncheon will focus on how New York has promoted Hispanic integration and workforce development and the link with economic competitiveness and investment.
The experience of New York—as a traditional gateway city—offers many important lessons for New Orleans and the state of Louisiana. Since hurricanes Katrina and Rita, estimates suggest that the New Orleans Hispanic population has doubled or even tripled as part of reconstruction and economic recovery efforts. At the same time, close to 40 percent of New York City residents are foreign born and approximately 45 percent of workers in the city are immigrants. This discussion will take place at a critical time for New Orleans and the surrounding area and will offer business leaders an opportunity to learn about how the public and private sectors can best work with this important new population—a group whose nationwide collective purchasing power surpassed $800 billion in 2007.
The World Trade Center, Americas Society and Council of the Americas (AS/COA), and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana are pleased to be jointly convening this luncheon. It is being organized as part of the AS/COA Hispanic Integration Initiative—a Rockefeller Foundation-funded project that is engaging the U.S. and international business communities and mobilizing a new generation of private sector leaders in integrating the Hispanic population. Corporate leaders of select participating companies will be among the luncheon attendees.
To register for the July 1 briefing, go to www.wtcno.org/programs or call the WTC at (504) 529-1601, x222.
BESE
In an effort to provide greater access to the public the Board of Elementary and Secondary education will now be posting materials for its meetings online. This latest initiative works hand in hand with the goals of BESE and the Department to create greater transparency for all stakeholders.
"I think this is a great step forward for BESE and for the people we serve," said Board President Linda Johnson. "At a time in our state's history when the interest and participation surrounding education has never been greater or more important, we have to do our part to make the process of getting that information as simple as possible. Now even those who are unable to attend our meetings are able to know what's happening and how it could affect them."
The BESE meeting packets are now available to the public via the BESE portion of the Department of Education website, www.louisianaschools.net. Constituents will find the link on the BESE Home page on the side navigation links. The packets will be posted on Fridays before the regularly scheduled Board meeting (or as they become available) and will remain linked to the page until the Friday of the following week.! This li nk will remain as a permanent fixture on the BESE home page, and will make it easier for the public to receive information about the BESE meetings in the future.
State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek added, "This is where the technology is taking us. People are looking for more information, more quickly. I commend the board for taking this step and the Department will do whatever it can to produce more avenues to access for the public."
Louisiana Education
The House Appropriations Committee rejected a proposed change to current legislation regarding the procurement of professional service contracts by the Louisiana Department of Education. The changes would have added "educational consultants" to the list of professions that could receive contracts without the competitive bid process putting the state department in line with authorities already granted to local school districts. Currently a number of professions receiving public funds are exempted from participating in the RFP process. This legislation would have also limited the ability to hire these consultants to the Department of Education exclusively and would have put a time limit on this authority.
"I have been asked to produce results and produce them quickly," said State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek. "In order to seek out the very best minds from around the nation and in some cases the world, the Department needs the ability to not only identify the best but to bring them in quickly. Local districts have been able to do this for years, and now that we are actively running schools and transforming the role of the Department, we urgently need this flexibility."
"I can assure the public that our intent is not to circumvent the RFP process," continued Mr. Pastorek. "We are facing extraordinary circumstances that require steps that may not have been considered in the past. We have already addressed situations similar to this with the Recovery School District by amending our business practices to meet its immediate needs. When you can clearly identify the best person for a job, inaction and strict adherence to these well-intentioned guidelines can work against the best interests of children. In education, local superintendents have long benefited from the authority to make change quickly. Why should the Department of Education be any different?"
St. Tammany Economics
The St. Tammany Economic Development Foundation is urging local businesses to take advantage of free information sessions being offered about grant and zero-interest loan programs for businesses still recovering from the 2005 hurricanes.
Two sessions about the Business Recovery Grant and Loan Program will be held at the Southeastern Louisiana University St. Tammany Center, 21454 Koop Drive, Room 327 in Mandeville on Thursday, June 26, at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Please call 504-378-4878 or email msn@cuee.org to reserve a space.
Attendees will learn about $80 million in state funds available as grants or no-interest loans for companies operating in 20 hurricane-affected parishes. Applications for this program are being accepted through July 18.
Informational sessions about the program will continue throughout the application period. Business owners are urged to attend informational sessions to ensure their applications are accurate and complete before scheduling an intermediary interview to submit the application. It makes no difference when a complete application is received during the application period.
LED and LRA officials developed Phase II of the program with extensive input from local business groups, related state agencies and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Funds remaining from the first phase of the program were added to monies allocated by the Legislature last year to total the $80 million available for Phase II.
Businesses are eligible for up to $100,000, with 20 percent in the form of a grant and 80 percent in the form of a two-year, zero-interest loan. After two years, interest on the balance is only 4 percent.
For more information on the program, interested businesses can visit LouisianaForward.com/BRGL, or call the program's 24-hour, toll-free helpline at 1.877.610.3533.
EDF is not administering the program, but assisted LED in scheduling the local sessions.
Wireless Shreveport-Bossier City
Residents of Shreveport - Bossier City now have a new alternative to costly traditional wireless service plans. MetroPCS Communications, Inc., a provider of unlimited wireless communications service, announced the launch of its low cost, flat-rate unlimited wireless service in Shreveport - Bossier City, providing residents the freedom to enjoy more flexible wireless options.
MetroPCS offers a diverse selection of predictable, affordable and flexible “talk all you want” plans, which allow customers to talk 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week, and enhanced service options so that residents of Shreveport - Bossier City can create a wireless experience that best fits their lifestyles. With MetroPCS service plans, customers pay by the month, not by the minute, and services do not require a signed contract, credit check, minimum balance or deposit. Service plans start as low as $30 per month, and unlimited long distance service to the 48 contiguous states is available with service plans as low as $35 per month. The first month of service is included with the purchase of a phone and there is no activation fee. Additionally, MetroPCS offers unlimited family plans.
This marks MetroPCS’ first entrance into Louisiana and as an added benefit, customers in the Shreveport - Bossier City market will be able to use their wireless service in all MetroPCS service areas, including contiguous coverage to Dallas coming later this summer.
Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs is having a good day. It reported a $2.1 billion quarterly profit Tuesday. That report beat forcasts and its net earnings were $4.58 per share.
