[StBernard] New Jobs and Investment

[Westley Annis]

Dear Friends - 

Today we announced yet another huge economic development win for Louisiana.
A new, state-of-the-art export grain terminal will be built at the Port of
Lake Charles, creating 250 jobs and generating more than $59 million in
capital investment.  

 
<http://images.publicaster.com/ImageLibrary/account848/images/Jindal_3_30_11
.gif> Louisiana has been ranked and recognized as one of the top export
performers in the country, and this facility will help us continue our
steady climb toward the top of the list of states with the best business
climate.  This is the first new grain export terminal developed here in over
25 years, and will provide not only jobs and economic growth but also an
attractive new market option for our Louisiana farmers and millers.

This week our prediction also came true that folks would start proposing to
increase taxes on families and businesses. The bottom lime is that we will
veto any attempt to raise taxes. Louisiana has a spending problem not a
revenue problem. That's why we continue to force government to live within
its means and become more effective and efficient with taxpayer dollars. 

Earlier this week, we announced that we're putting $83 million towards 27
private hospitals to care for low-income patients through the use of the
Upper Payment Limit program.  This is an innovative partnership between the
public and private sector that will help improve healthcare services while
also saving taxpayer dollars. As I told the Baton Rouge Advocate
<http://cl.publicaster.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c7621%7c9390%7c791501&
digest=EYFOkc5mOzf9S65BJ9MdxQ&sysid=1> , this program will save the state
$35 million in the upcoming fiscal year and will help offset federal cuts to
Medicaid. 

Finally, on Monday we took another step to helping improve our state's
workforce development system when we broke ground for the renovations of the
Shelby M. Jackson Technical College campus in Ferriday. 

Since taking office, we have worked to speed up community and technical
college project funding to keep up with the growing demand from businesses
to have a competent, skilled workforce ready on day one to go to work. As
the Alexandria Town Talk
<http://cl.publicaster.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c7622%7c9390%7c791501&
digest=RE7t8qqDG8IerEAqaHegtg&sysid=1>  reported, investing in our students
today so they will be ready for the jobs of tomorrow is a top priority-and
businesses are taking notice. 

Governor Bobby Jindal