While the legislature is debating how to spend the surplus dollars from the prior year and appears to be following the desires of Governor Bobby Jindal during the special session, one very important fact should not be forgotten—large segments of the New Orleans area economy are hurting miserably.
True, unemployment statewide is relatively and comparatively low in Louisiana and there are approximately one hundred thousand jobs to be had in various industries.But, professionals after professionals that I have talked with are having a terrible time making ends meet or finding suitable employment based upon their skill levels.
There just are very few opportunities and the middle class is collapsing and is going broke.
Part of the problem has been too little federal money to the area coming too late.Then, of course, the Road Home program took too long to kick in after President Bush decided to dish the Baker Plan.New Orleans infrastructure was ignored by federal dollars until the city finally received money in late 2007.And, the only real money is going to the tourist industry and even those funds are now being circulated locally and only in that sector.
Steve Moret, the current head of Economic Development and Bobby Jindal said they want to focus upon retaining and growing the existing industries.That is great but none of the surplus is dedicated for small businesses.The plan is for the executive budget to provide assistance and job training for existing businesses based upon local needs, but unless the Southeast Louisiana middle class gets money or assistance for their respective small businesses soon, there will be more decay, more despair and more bankruptcies.
The Jindal administration must address this significant problem as soon as possible.I am not just talking about New Orleans proper, I am also including the various parishes surrounding the anchor city.
Yes, it is great that New Orleans has had a good tourist and convention season after the Katrina and Rita disasters.But, the professional class is not getting the help it needs to survive.
Roads, ports and bridges which make up half of the 1.1 billion dollars of last year’s surplus funds and that will help major contractors and engineers. Ironically, much of that money was generated by the oil revenues and the Katrina rebuild money.Yet, money for the rebuild of infrastructure for colleges, cash for Pennington in Baton Rouge, funds for the Cyber Command Center in North Louisiana are wonderful investments for the future in those areas and should be invested but not at the total expense of the venue that generated the cash.
But, somehow and somewhere, the professional service economy in the New Orleans area is being left out of the opportunities unless their jobs are related to construction which industry is not robust at all.
With the real estate market collapsing and there is so much uncertainty for other local industries, it is a real question whether Southeast Louisiana will really survive other than fielding waiters, bartenders, retail stores workers and some construction employees.
Moret wants to focus upon local industry needs.The local industry economic development organizations, in kind, must do more to help the local small businesses and not just the tourist industries or that small business economy will be destroyed and they will leave Louisiana.
The other day, I was talking with a member of the Southeast Louisiana media industry who was hurting badly.He said that all of the money was going outside of the state and there was no money to be had, anywhere.People, like him, are getting desperate and yes, they must find or create opportunities in the private sector.But, Louisiana and the federal government must realize that only a small part of the overall local Southeast Louisiana economy is making it while much of the cash is being sent to outside industries and businesses while the rest of this area are getting mere tokens, if that.
Amen IMoM, as you say it may be "simple, casual incompetence" - but if not - "who gains" is always THE question to ask when manipulation is suspected. Written by kpf
on 3/14/2008
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Apropos the comment in the story, "Then, of course, the Road Home program took too long to kick in after President Bush decided to dish the Baker Plan," it could be very useful—and maybe really interesting—to learn exactly about the who, when, what, and why that went into the surprising, emphatic, and unsatisfying decision to ignore Baker's genuinely thoughtful and fresh idea. Maybe it was just simple, casual incompetence—but with the consequences continuing to undercut the whole southeast Louisiana economy, together with people's lives and their social fabric, who in fact gained by not moving forward with an intelligent, market-based process to handle a profound, region-wide problem? The threads and connections may not be clear, but doesn't that just make the question come back again and again? Would not lessons learned add value to handling whatever next region-wide issue occurs? Written by
on 3/13/2008
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Can anyone spell the wurd........ Written by "milkshake"
on 3/13/2008
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I do not know so much that 'fathom' is the correct word. Perhaps, considering the nature of the beast addressed the word is probably 'stomach'. A spade does not like being called a spade in a dispute, especially when it is the one handling the stick end of things. So I suppose it would be surmised as Hi Ho! Hi Ho! It's business as usual as off to work they go................................ Just luv's those shadowy elusive little munchkins that huddle behind closed doors..... Written by Dont'chya jus luvs da status quo???????????
on 3/13/2008
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While your comments do - unfortunately - accurately sum up the present day state of our fair city, surely you realize you cannot bring about change with your words. After all, those who need to hear the "wurd" and change will not fathom such as "ineptitude," "disempowerment" or "fruition." Written by alright, enough of this, to work! Hi Ho, Hi Ho
on 3/13/2008
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It is not the economy, it is not Katrina................... It is all merely problems compounded by the fact that ineptitude was the rule of thumb for all the previous years that has caused this additional burden to become so blatantly obvious. Oh, and the disempowerment of the common man to bring anything positive into fruition………………… Written by Dont'chya jus luvs da status quo???????????
on 3/13/2008
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While the legislature is debating how to spend the surplus dollars from the prior year and appears to be following the desires of Governor Bobby Jindal during the special session, one very important fact should not be forgotten—large segments of the New Orleans area economy are hurting miserably.
