[StBernard] Jindal Weekly Update

[Westley Annis]

Jindal Weekly Update

Governor Jindal finished another week continuing his 64-parish tour of
Louisiana announcing new economic development projects and infrastructure
improvements, along with attending the groundbreaking of a major new IBM
business center in Baton Rouge.  The Governor also continued his fight
against the U.S. Department of Justice's lawsuit threatening to shut down
the Louisiana Scholarship Program and equal opportunity of education in
Louisiana.


Here Is A Quick Recap Of The News About The Governor's Week:

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16&digest=MTRsxwLPJNGmM7ZCcSC%2bVw&sysid=1> Governor Jindal Blasted
<http://click.bsftransmit7.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c2352%7c9390%7c930
16&digest=1aUww8fmCfvXQHr6RJmfjg&sysid=1>  The Department Of Justice This
Week For A "P.R. Stunt." Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said Tuesday that
regardless of what the Department of Justice is claiming, his state is no
closer to a resolution in a school voucher lawsuit that has appalled
high-profile conservative school choice advocates. . . . But Jindal blasted
the DOJ's letter because the central component of the lawsuit still stands:
DOJ is still aiming to keep the program from granting vouchers next school
year unless a federal court first approves parents' decisions about where
they want to send their children to school. "The Obama Administration's
latest maneuver is nothing more than a PR stunt," Jindal said in a
statement. "While attempting to rebrand its legal challenge as merely an
attempt to seek information about implementation of the scholarship program,
the administration's real motive still stands - forcing parents to go to
federal court to seek approval for where they want to send their children to
school." "The Obama Administration's letter is disingenuous," the statement
continued. "The administration claims the state is suddenly providing
information, when in reality, the information the federal government is
seeking does not even exist yet. And they know it."

A Wall Street Journal
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16&digest=twxFFw5vk%2bd8kSxaxGORJA&sysid=1>  Op-Ed Touched On The Tremendous
Implications Of The Justice Department's Suit Attempting To Pull Students
Out Of School Choice Programs And Put Them Back In Failing Schools. The
Justice Department's motion has tremendous human implications, personified
by Mary Edler, whose grandsons are using vouchers to attend kindergarten and
second grade in a Louisiana private school. All of the public schools in
their district are graded C, D or F. Thanks to the scholarship program, Mrs.
Edler says, "My grandsons are flourishing at Ascension of Our Lord in all
aspects. They have small classes and an outstanding principal and staff."
She calls the tuition vouchers a "true blessing"-one that will be lost if
the Justice Department prevails. . . . On Sept. 18, Louisiana Gov. Bobby
Jindal was joined by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and South Carolina Sen.
Tim Scott at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., to denounce the
Justice Department's action. Mr. Jindal challenged administration officials
"to come to Louisiana to meet face to face with these moms and dads and
their kids and explain to them why [they] don't think that these children
deserve a great education."

The Black Alliance For Educational Options
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16&digest=rF1b%2bskwlM%2f4GS4BXPCC3w&sysid=1>  And Families Utilizing The
School Choice Scholarships Announced They Were Joining The State In Its
Legal Fight Against The Department Of Justice. A pro-voucher group plans to
join the state of Louisiana in fighting the federal government's school
desegregation lawsuit, saying parents must be heard. The Black Alliance for
Educational Options said it and five families will file as intervenors in
the court case on Tuesday. . . . "This program -- it's one that we believe
in," said Eric Lewis, Louisiana director of the Black Alliance for
Educational Options. "We think the action taken by the federal government is
wrong." 

Governor Jindal
<http://click.bsftransmit7.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c2365%7c9390%7c930
16&digest=0BuuzT5qCE8NcJWtveEWmQ&sysid=1>  Was On Hand To Celebrate The
Groundbreaking Of A New IBM Facility, Which Will Create At Least 800 New
Jobs And Transform Downtown Baton Rouge. Lifting shovelfuls of blue rubber
mulch, state and local officials and business executives celebrated the
start of construction Thursday on the biggest business development in Baton
Rouge's recent history: The new IBM services center downtown. . . . Gov.
Bobby Jindal said at Thursday's ceremony that the company's decision to
locate in Baton Rouge is "proof that Louisiana is quickly becoming a beacon
for the software and digital technology industries." IBM has committed to
hire at least 800 people for the center, which will provide software
development and software maintenance to U.S. clients. The company, working
out of temporary offices on Essen Lane, has already hired more than 100
people, IBM Senior Vice President Colleen Arnold said at Thursday's
ceremony.

Governor Jindal Announced
<http://click.bsftransmit7.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c2366%7c9390%7c930
16&digest=yNEFpI9mM46UOfXeXDYZ%2fA&sysid=1>  A Medical Practice Will Open A
New Software Development Office In New Orleans Creating 50 New Direct Jobs.
ChenMed, a privately owned medical practice based in Miami, will open a
software development office in New Orleans' Central Business District by the
end of the year, Gov. Bobby Jindal announced Wednesday. ChenMed subsidiary
ChenTech will develop software applications for hospitals, physicians and
clinics to use in the integration and coordination of patient care. ChenTech
is expected to employ about 50 people, most of them computer programmers. In
addition to those direct jobs, Louisiana Economic Development estimates
ChenTech will create 51 indirect jobs, Jindal said. "These are exactly the
kinds of jobs we want to bring to New Orleans, we want to bring to
Louisiana," Jindal said. "These are the kinds of good-paying jobs that will
keep our sons and daughters right here at home as they pursue their dreams."
The software developers will earn an average annual salary of $83,000 plus
benefits, officials said.

News Broke This Week That Shell
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16&digest=vxBp8xIbrtCZc2HtbFAjAA&sysid=1>  Is Considering Building One Of
The Largest Manufacturing Projects In Louisiana State History In Ascension
Parish Which Could Create 740 New Jobs. Shell is considering building a
$12.5 billion gas-to-liquids facility in Ascension Parish that would create
740 new direct jobs with an expected average salary of $100,000, plus
benefits. . Gov. Bobby Jindal called the project a historic opportunity for
Shell and proof there's no better place in the world than Louisiana for
major business investment.. Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Stephen
Moret said it would be difficult to overstate the economic impact of the
project on the Capital Region and the state. "It would be the biggest single
manufacturing project in the history of the Capital Region, and one of the
top three largest manufacturing projects in state history," Moret said. In
addition to the 740 permanent jobs, the proposed plant will generate around
3,900 indirect jobs, according to an LSU economic impact study commissioned
by LED.

The Governor Traveled To Hornbeck
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16&digest=sLHkMa8%2bsM8Wvk7YXNnMyw&sysid=1> , Louisiana To Announce A
$395,000 Loan For Improvements To The Town's Water System. Louisiana
Governor Bobby Jindal was in Hornbeck Monday to announce $395,000 in loan
funding from the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Clean Water State
Revolving Fund for improvements to the town's water system. The loan will be
used to replace existing water meters with new automatic meter readings, and
a water meter and leak detection system to detect leaks and needed repairs,
as well as the replacement of meter boxes, inverted key valves, outlet dual
check valves, and all necessary couplings on each existing service line. . .
. Jindal also said that places like Hornbeck were crucial to the state's
success. "For decades, Hornbeck has been a great place to raise a family,"
he said. "It's home to many good jobs for our people." The DEQ clean water
state revolving fund loan program provides loans to municipalities for vital
water infrastructure improvements.

Governor Jindal Traveled To DeSoto Parish To Announce Funding For A New Road
Project. Governor Jindal announced a $605,000 project that will resurface
part of La. 509 in DeSoto Parish. The project will repair the road's surface
and make it safer for the 6,000 drivers who utilize the route each day. 

The Governor Announced A New $3.13 Million Project In Franklin Parish To
Replace A Bridge. Governor Jindal announced a $3.13 million project to
replace the Turkey Creek Bridge on La. 3201 in Franklin Parish. The project
will replace the current timber bridge with a more stable, higher concrete
structure to improve the safety of the bridge.


 
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