[StBernard] Bringing Jobs Back to Louisiana

[Westley Annis]

Dear Friends - 

This week we were proud to announce another job win for Louisiana when we
welcomed the return of The Lighthouse for the Blind's paper cup
manufacturing operations back to Louisiana. Prior to Hurricane Katrina, this
nonprofit organization that serves people who are blind or visually
impaired, as the Associated Press
<http://cl.publicaster.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c6925%7c9390&digest=5%
2f6gGnbo%2fSAmPywy8DDAew&sysid=1>  reported, were forced to move to
Mississippi after the storm. This project represents a capital investment of
nearly $6 million and it will create 75 new, direct jobs. At least half of
the new jobs will go to legally blind individuals. Our economic development
officials estimate that the 75 new, direct jobs will result in more than 100
new, indirect jobs.  

This week we also joined the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) and the
Shell Oil Company to announce a new public-private partnership to assist the
CCA's continuance of the Building Conservation Habitat Program.  Shell
committed $1.5 million to help CCA's Building Conservation Habitat Program.
Thanks to Shell's commitment, CCA is using $250,000 - which is being matched
by the state - to help resurrect Independence Island near Grand Isle and
restore this popular fishing destination.  As the Associated Press
<http://cl.publicaster.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c6926%7c9390&digest=Wz
Rns6HHfw5aZZDCjxFFEQ&sysid=1>  reported, the island "will get two new
limestone reefs that will provide a new fishing spot for anglers in Grand
Isle."  

We also continued to reach out this week to key stakeholders as we prepare
for next year's budget.  This week we met with business leaders and state
legislators to hear their ideas and assure them that in this tough economy
we will not raise taxes on Louisiana families and businesses.  Government
must do more with less and as I told the Alexandria Town Talk
<http://cl.publicaster.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c6927%7c9390&digest=SF
W%2fCDysiZ0kI08%2btcE4KA&sysid=1>  - we will not take the easy way out by
raising taxes and making it harder for families to pay their grocery bills
and forcing businesses to decide who must be laid off.  

We also received good news this week that a federal judge in Virginia has
ruled that a critical element of President Obama's healthcare plan is
unconstitutional.  As I told the New Orleans Times-Picayune
<http://cl.publicaster.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c6928%7c9390&digest=Ar
QxZ%2fkDCJG0UabZ%2bJE2sg&sysid=1> , this is a great victory for those who
believe in a limited form of government and constitutional constraints on
what the federal government can and cannot do.  By no means was this judge's
decision the final battle to repeal and replace the disastrous legislation
passed earlier this year, but it was without question a positive step in the
right direction.

Have you bought your Hornets tickets?  As reported by the Times-Picayune
<http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-16/129239827414
3110.xml&coll=1> , on Monday I had a great meeting with New Orleans Mayor
Mitch Landrieu and New Orleans area business and community leaders.
Together we agreed that our top priority for keeping the Hornets
<http://cl.publicaster.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c6929%7c9390&digest=V5
DIcHuwZZSTCq4MHrsJRA&sysid=1>  in New Orleans is to pack the arena with as
many fans as possible to help meet the attendance average goal before the
January 31, 2011 deadline. We're calling on everyone who loves the Hornets
and New Orleans to show their support and buy tickets so we can help keep
our team in Louisiana. 

Sincerely,
Governor Bobby Jindal