[StBernard] Building a Better Louisiana For Our Children

[Westley Annis]

Dear Friends -

Our state is in a war on many fronts today. Down on the coast, our
communities are fighting to save their livelihoods because of the BP oil
spill. Our people have also been impacted by the job-killing policies coming
out of Washington, D.C., including the federal government's arbitrary and
capricious deepwater drilling moratorium. Of course these challenges are
also coming on the heels of a national economic downturn which has affected
Louisiana families - even as our economy continues to outperform the
national economy. 

Make no mistake though - we will persevere and win this war. I am confident
because I have seen the resiliency of our people time and time again. We
have overcome hurricanes before, economic downturns before, and there is no
challenge too big for our people. This fight is about the future of our
state and making sure we create a better Louisiana for our children. That's
the message and goal of our 2010 parish tour we launched this week in
Monroe. 

Indeed, we're visiting every single parish in the state to highlight the
incredible progress we've made to create a New Louisiana that is the best
place in the world to raise a family, get a great education and pursue a
rewarding career. While we certainly face challenges, we will not let them
get in the way of creating a better Louisiana for our children. The stakes
are high, but our future is too important to miss the opportunity of
creating a place where our sons and daughters can pursue their dreams. 

 
<http://images.publicaster.com/ImageLibrary/account848/images/smallhandshake
.jpg> We've already made incredible progress towards this goal by rejecting
the policies coming out of Washington, D.C. to spend and tax our way back
into prosperity, and instead, creating an economic environment that fosters
growth an opportunity. As the Monroe News-Star
<http://click.bsftransmit1.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c177%7c9390&digest
=wvWgEYCCktOKQucH6KVCWA&sysid=1>  wrote in an editorial, "Accolades for
Louisiana have come not from an occasional voice but from many views and
directions: from Southern Business and Development magazine, which named us
"Co-State of the Year" for significant business developments; from Gallup's
Job Creation Index; from Business Facilities magazine, which touted our
FastStart job training program."   The Baton Rouge Advocate
<http://click.bsftransmit1.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c178%7c9390&digest
=D981GUfAAiqNQnwPUEVV7g&sysid=1>  recently reported that our state jumped an
incredible twenty positions in the rankings by Pollina Corporate Real Estate
Inc. for the most business-friendly state, earning us the first ever "Most
Improved State Award."  Pollina ranks all 50 states based on business taxes,
worker compensation, development initiatives, energy costs, marketing
programs and workforce training; and after closely evaluating Louisiana
stated emphatically that "Louisiana has shown outstanding progress."

The statistics show we have already made amazing progress but as I said at
our tour kickoff yesterday
<http://click.bsftransmit1.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c179%7c9390&digest
=7RHvXzeg5lWpwrZvTZx1kQ&sysid=1>  - this isn't just about numbers, it's
about changing people's lives.  We must build a better Louisiana for our
children than the one we inherited.  We cannot and will not be the first
generation that leaves fewer opportunities than we had.

Finally, as we enter the height of hurricane season, I am urging everyone to
remain vigilant about monitoring the weather in the Gulf and to ensure that
a game plan is in place for you and your family. We know that no storms can
be taken for granted and that's why we always hope for the best and prepare
for the worst. If you have not already done so, please visit
www.getagameplan.org
<http://click.bsftransmit1.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c170%7c9390&digest
=C4FDjeMRYYbbBXlfJTJbBA&sysid=1>  to make sure you and your family are
prepared should a severe storm threaten our coast. 

Sincerely,

Governor Bobby Jindal