[StBernard] Revitalize

[Westley Annis]

Dear Friends - 

I was in Lafayette recently speaking to the Chamber of Commerce on the
negative effects of the Administration's arbitrary and capricious deepwater
drilling moratorium. I can't stress enough to Washington that drilling is
not like flipping a switch on and off. Many of the rigs leaving the Gulf
today are taking jobs with them, and they may never return to the waters off
of our shore. The moratorium is hurting real people in our communities and
threatening thousands of jobs, as reported in the Baton Rouge Advocate
<http://click.bsftransmit1.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c110%7c9390&digest
=1wjA9PGUo18DL6jptl1pdA&sysid=1> . We continue to tell the federal
government that it is THEIR job to ensure drilling is done safely so
thousands of our people don't have to lose THEIR jobs.
 
On the issue of ensuring our Louisiana seafood is safe following the
catastrophic BP oil spill, the New Orleans Times-Picayune
<http://click.bsftransmit1.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c111%7c9390&digest
=q6TZAeZ%2bw9Rdxku7IOYavA&sysid=1>  was completely on point in their recent
editorial that called for BP to act immediately to support the five-year
seafood safety plan the state first submitted to them on May 29th. Restoring
our seafood industry is absolutely critical to revitalizing Louisiana in the
wake of the BP oil spill. We continue to call on BP to approve this plan
without any further delay.
 
In Baton Rouge, we just launched the I-12 widening project, which as I told
the Advocate
<http://click.bsftransmit1.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c112%7c9390&digest
=K7fBxIqM%2bz%2b730F09nBXEA&sysid=1> , will be crucial in alleviating
traffic, reducing fatalities and providing a safer hurricane evacuation
route.  This project, along with the I-49 N. expansion project, is critical
to modernizing our highway system to keep up with the demands of commuters
and future economic growth in our state, which is essential to spurring and
supporting job creation.
 
As we move forward, we remember the sacrifices of others that have made
creating a Better Louisiana for Our Children possible.  As the Associated
Press
<http://click.bsftransmit1.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c113%7c9390&digest
=FldmtCoj4j8BioLL5Z7qZg&sysid=1>  reported, I ordered the flags at all state
buildings to be flown at half-staff this week, memorializing the 124
Louisiana soldiers who have fallen in the line of duty since the September
11th terrorist attacks on our nation.  In honor of their memory, we must
continue to work toward making the state and country they fought - and died
- for the best place to live, the best place to work, and the best place to
thrive in the world.

Sincerely,
Governor Bobby Jindal