[StBernard] Creating a More Efficient Government

[Westley Annis]

June 16, 2009 


Creating a More Efficient Government




We took some important steps last week in creating a more efficient state
government. House Concurrent Resolution 6 was passed unanimously by the full
Senate, and requests that the Civil Service Commission make substantive
changes to our current civil service rules. These will be aimed at rewarding
our state workers based on performance, instead of just tenure.

Also, House Bill 852, which will abolish many outdated state boards and
commissions and consolidate certain boards or commissions with similar
purposes, was passed by the Senate Committee on Senate and Governmental
Affairs. This will help streamline our state government to ensure that
duplicative and out-of-date boards and commissions are no longer adding an
extra layer of bureaucracy and red tape. Read More >
<http://click.bsftransmit1.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=ON9Pv3M1nFCZPvmE2SnmowA
4KeANCF1OaAZFoI%2bGQL4%3d&digest=m07vnRfiD2Z%2 bPY9qa9ppcQ> 



Protecting Higher Education


 
<http://images.publicaster.com/ImageLibrary/account848/images/09-16-16govpac
kSMALL.jpg> I was joined at the State Capitol last week by former Governors
Dave Treen, Buddy Roemer, Mike Foster, and Kathleen Blanco to help find
solutions to minimize reductions to higher education in the upcoming fiscal
year. We all agreed that we must continue to strengthen our institutions of
higher learning, and to identify both high and low performing programs
within the higher education system. Education is the key to ensuring a
successful future for our children right here in Louisiana, and I want to
thank the former governors for sharing their ideas.
< br>We will continue working to lessen the reductions in higher education
from 15 percent to less than ten percent, while ensuring that higher
education itself is coming up with a plan to reform their spending for the
future. We believe that there are three critical areas of reform for higher
education - the first being supporting LSU's flagship agenda, second is
ensuring that more of our students have the opportunity to further their
education at technical and community colleges, and third is to develop
centers of excellence at each of our state's universities. Read More >
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Providing Resources for our Communities


Last week we announced, along with the United States Department of Housing
and Urban Development (HUD), $620 million in Community Development Block
Grant funding to help our state recover from the storms of the past few
years. This funding is critical to helping our communities recover, families
and businesses get back on their feet, and build a stronger infrastructure
in Louisiana.

The grants will provide assistance for, among other areas, our state's
agricultural, coastal restoration, fisheries, and affordable rental housing
needs. It is also a good sign that our efforts to work with the new
Administration continue to pay off, and, as the New Orleans Times-Picayune
<http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/editorials/index.ssf?/base/news-5/124478474082
910.xml&coll=1>  wrote, "The rebuilding aid [HUD] is committing.is the kind
of partnership our state and other Gulf Coast residents need to recov er."
HUD also announced a new set of competitive disaster innovation grants, and
we will continue working to find creative solutions to compete for these
important dollars as well. Read More >
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Honoring our Veterans

I was honored to visit the American Legion state convention in Alexandria
last week to sign an important bill affecting our veterans into law, as well
as to award more than 160 Veterans' Honor Medals. As written in the
Alexandria Town Talk
<http://click.bsftransmit1.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=4%2bhH1Q1HLlLBBb8C9cL4Y
GcgfTjnBMP0he10VQTW8m4%3d&digest=TUILFBM%2figkVlr9JbWzZqA> , House Bill 165
"expands eligibility for .veterans to live at one of five state War
Veterans' Homes throughout the state."

We were one of only twelve states that limited eligibility at our veterans'
homes to those who served during wartime, and this important bill opens up
eligibility to those who served during peacetime as well. Also, because of
matching federal funding dollars that will kick in, these extra services for
our veterans will come at no cost to the state - truly a win-win situation.
Read More >
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UanjN1J5rZWjRXEPo75A%3d&digest=0W%2f03kZf6EKaRB4Bj6FEhQ> 

Sincerely,


 Governor Bobby Jindal