Archive for October, 2008

Improving our Health Care System

October 28th, 2008 | Posted by bobbyjindal

Dear Friends,

Improving our Health Care System

Last Wednesday we held a roundtable discussion on health care with former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Newt Gingrich to discuss the future of our health care system. Improving the health of our people is one of the most important steps we can take to building a better Louisiana, and we will be unveiling an important part of our health care reform plan in the coming weeks.

As reported by the New Orleans Times Picayune, “efforts to improve health-care outcomes must put more power in the hands of doctors and patients and should also include broad public health measures.” We must also increase the use of technology in our health care systems, especially the use of electronic medical records which allow both patients and providers instant access to their medical histories. Too many patients have been lost due to incomplete or inaccessible records.

As we unveil our plan to strengthen and improve our health care system in the coming weeks, I look forward to working with the Legislature and the federal government to ensure better delivery of health care services for residents around the state. We must modernize our health care system, taking the power away from bureaucrats and returning it to patients and their providers.

Moving our Economy Forward

As the national economy has fluctuated over the past months, we continue working to ensure that Louisiana’s economy remains vibrant in the coming months and years. As reported by the Monroe News-Star, “Louisiana’s economy is in much better shape than other states,” and our Economic Advisory Council meets weekly in order to stay on top of our state’s economic climate.An essential part of ensuring economic success in our state is the continued development of our workforce development programs. As I said in the Lafayette Daily Advertiser, “developing a trained and capable workforce is key to keeping Louisianians from leaving the state.” I had the opportunity to address the state’s first Workforce Commission summit this past week in Lafayette, which was attended by more than 450 businesses, government officials, and economic developers from around the state.

Already this year we have revamped our state’s workforce development system. We have increased dual enrollment opportunities for high school students, provided a “Day One Guarantee” to employers that our technical school graduates will be trained and ready to work, and updated the goals and mission of the Department of Labor, now the Louisiana Workforce Commission, to fit a 21st century workforce, not those of 20 or 50 years ago. We will continue to find ways to improve our state’s workforce, and to bring new jobs to Louisiana.

Creating New Jobs

Last week I joined ADA-ES Inc. President and CEO Dr. Michael Durham in Red River Parish to break ground on what is expected to be North America’s largest activated carbon (AC) production facility. This joint venture between ADA-ES and Energy Capital Partners will create at least 50 new high-paying jobs averaging $50,000 to $65,000 a year and bring $350 million in capital investment to our state.

This project is a great boost for our state’s economy, and, as the Shreveport Times wrote, “Red River Parish is on its way to cementing itself as the only source for a product that could become part of national energy regulation.” ADA-ES’s facility will facilitate more environmentally sound uses of coal, which is America’s most abundant and inexpensive energy resource. This is another important step forward in our efforts to cultivate economic projects focused on making Louisiana the energy capital of the world.

Along with other recent announcements, such as the groundbreaking of Dynamic Fuels’ Synthetic Diesel Fuel Plant, also the first of its kind in the country, and the Shaw Group and Westinghouse, Inc. committing to build the first module fabrication and assembly facility focused on constructing components for new and modified nuclear reactors in the United States, this is yet another great step towards our state continuing to be a leader in the energy industry for decades to come. As we continue to develop new and alternative forms of energy, Louisiana will be on the cutting edge, providing not only jobs for our own people, but energy for people across the nation.

Supporting our Troops

I was honored to join Major General Bennett C. Landreneau and other elected officials at a deployment ceremony for the Louisiana National Guard deployment ceremony in Hammond last Thursday. The soldiers assigned to the Operational Support Airlift Detachment #38 have now deployed for a nine-month mission to Djibouti, Africa.

The men and women of our National Guard are working everyday in countries around the world to provide a safe home for us all, and for that we can never repay them. It was my honor to wish them well as they deployed last week, and I want to thank them, and all of the members of our nation’s Armed Forces, for the work they do every single day protecting our way of life.

Visiting Communities Around the State

I visited Tallulah, Benton, Kentwood, and Franklinton over the past week, and will be heading to Harrisonburg, Sieper, Olla, and Logansport this week. As we have travelled the state over the past few weeks and months, it is great to hear how the reforms and changes Louisianians demanded have started to change the lives of many for the better. I look forward to seeing you as we continue to visit communities around the state.

Sincerely,

 

 Bobby Jindal

Governor Bobby Jindal

Posted in website |

Protecting our State’s Economy

October 20th, 2008 | Posted by bobbyjindal

Dear Friends,

Protecting our State’s Economy

In the past week we held the first two of what will be weekly economic briefing meetings on the state of Louisiana’s economy. These meetings, held with in conjunction with agency secretaries from around the state, will help us ensure that we have the most up to date information on current economic trends that can affect our Louisiana businesses, workers, oil prices, housing market, and even our state revenue.

As written by the Baton Rouge Advocate, “For now, Louisiana appears to be better positioned than the rest of the country,” in terms of the current economic crisis. It is a great sign that we have an $860 million surplus from last year, but we must be fiscally responsible in how we use this surplus, especially as the prices of oil and gas continue to fall. We will be diligent in our efforts to secure financial stability in our state, and that we continue to eliminate wasteful spending from the state’s budget.

As we continue to focus on our state’s recovery and rebuilding efforts, we must work to ensure that our economy is protected. We have had a great year in terms of job growth, with more than 11,500 new jobs announced in the past 10 months alone. This is a good sign for the future of our state, and we will continue our efforts to secure a solid economic future not only for our generation, but for our children’s and grandchildren’s as well.

Supporting our National Guard

I was honored to meet with 100 members of our state’s National Guard at Camp Beauregard last week to sign the Five Star Statement of Support for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). Many of the guardsmen who attended recently served our state during Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, and I can not thank them enough for their heroic efforts during the storms.ESGR is a Department of Defense organization that provides free education, counseling and employment services for those serving in the Guard and military reserves, serving as a critical link in the lives of many guard members. As the Alexandria Town Talk wrote, by signing the document we “committed…to support state employees who are guardsmen and reservists.”

The men and women of our National Guard and all of our nation’s Armed Forces are true heroes, and they are willing to commit the ultimate sacrifice in order to protect our country. It is the least we can do to support them and their families, and I would like to thank each and every one of them for their selfless service to our state and our nation.

Improving our Transportation Infrastructure

I was joined by the state and local officials last Friday to break ground on the $5.8 million embankment and drainage project for the 3.9 mile La. 3244 truck bypass project that will help alleviate congestion and improve safety in the Homer area. As KTBS-TV reported, this project is “great step forward toward relieving traffic congestion and increasing safety in the Homer area,” and is an example of the kind of work we must do statewide to improve our transportation infrastructure.

The Homer bypass project was first proposed in the early 1980s, showing the backlog that exists in fixing our state’s transportation needs. Earlier this year we allocated $530 million for transportation and infrastructure projects throughout Louisiana, ensuring a significant improvement in our state’s roads, bridges, and ports. State and parish bridges will be repaired in order to prevent their closure, and rural roads across the state that are not eligible for federal dollars will be repaired as well. Legislation was also passed that dedicates monies that come from vehicle and licensing fees to what they are intended for — transportation needs, instead of disappearing in the general fund.

We will no longer sit idly by as our roads and bridges slowly wear down, and we will not allow a sub-par transportation infrastructure hold our state back. We will continue working to repair our roads, and create the kind of world class transportation system you deserve.

Town Halls Continue

I was pleased to visit Oakdale, Rayne, Rosepine, and Natchitoches over the past week, and will be visiting Benton this week. I have enjoyed visiting communities around the state, and it has been great to see people working together to not only move forward following Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, but to rebuild stronger and better than before. I will continue travelling the state in weeks to come, and I look forward to seeing you there.

Sincerely,

 

 Bobby Jindal

Governor Bobby Jindal

Posted in website |

Securing Assistance For Those Affected by Storms

October 14th, 2008 | Posted by bobbyjindal

Dear Friends,

Securing Assistance For Those Affected by Storms

I am pleased that U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Edward Schafer last week approved 52 parishes across the state as agricultural disaster areas. Many farmers across the state were devastated by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, and this is a good first step towards ensuring that our farmers get the assistance they need to get back on their feet. As reported by the Lafayette Daily Advertiser, “The hurricanes caused an estimated $1 billion in damage to the state’s agriculture, forestry, aquaculture and fisheries industries, making it the largest agriculture disaster in state history.”

Louisiana’s strong agricultural history and farming traditions continue to play a major role in our economy.  The value of products and services produced in our state’s agricultural sector totals in the tens of billions, and a significant portion of our state’s workforce is employed in our agricultural system. The success of our agricultural industry impacts our entire state.

We are working with Louisiana’s Congressional delegation to make certain that the federal government understands that while this aid is much needed, it is just a first step. We must still work to provide much-needed assistance to farmers in the 12 parishes that were not declared, and also to provide the financial support our agriculture industry needs to jumpstart their recovery efforts.

Additionally, last week FEMA approved 100 percent federal cost share for 14 parishes affected by Hurricane Ike. This is a great step forward in the recovery efforts for those parishes affected by Hurricane Ike, as the 100 percent federal cost share is essential to providing our communities, people, and businesses with the support they need to get back on their feet.

FEMA has also extended, at our request, transitional sheltering for evacuees of Hurricane Ike until Tuesday, October 28, and has approved additional parishes impacted by Hurricane Ike as now eligible for public and individual assistance programs. The sheltering initiative provides housing to those whose homes that are severely damaged or without power.

We will continue working to secure a 100 percent federal cost share for Hurricane Gustav, as we know it took Congress to act to grant us 100 percent federal cost share in 2005. As the Alexandria Town Talk said, “Four major hurricanes in three years requires extraordinary aid.” We have been able to secure assistance for many of those families, small businesses, and others affected by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, but there is still plenty more work to do.

Bringing Critical Investments to Louisiana
Governor Jindal attends the Dynamic Fuels groundbreaking ceremony last week. Photo supplied by Tyson Foods.

The Shaw Group recently announced that the company has committed to keep and grow its corporate headquarters in Baton Rouge. Shaw has also committed to increase its professional jobs by 1,500 at an average salary of $50,000 plus benefits.  With a total of nearly 2,900 new direct jobs and a total new payroll in excess of $1 billion over the first 10 years, this is one of the largest projects ever announced in Louisiana.

Additionally, Shaw and Westinghouse recently announced that they will build the first module fabrication and assembly facility focused on constructing components for new and modified nuclear reactors in the United States. The facility will be located at the Port of Lake Charles and will create at least 1,400 jobs in Lake Charles over the next five years.

Louisiana will be home to the first nuclear module manufacturing facility in the country, a truly historic announcement for the people of Louisiana and our entire nation. As the Baton Rouge Advocate reported “the Shaw-Westinghouse deal essentially would create an entirely new industry in Louisiana.” As we continue to search for ways to decrease our nation’s reliance on foreign sources of energy, we know that we have to increase domestic oil and gas production and also invest more in alternative domestic energy sources like wind, ethanol, solar and nuclear energy. This project shows that Louisiana continues to stay at the cutting edge of energy technology, and that we will continue to play a significant role in our nation’s energy industry for years to come.

We also announced last week that the state and Gulf Island Fabrication will team together to help expand the company’s Houma facility and add a fifth subsidiary, Gulf Island Marine Fabrication LLC, with support from the Louisiana Economic Development. As written in the Baton Rouge Advocate, “the state funds will help Gulf Island, a major player in the building of offshore drilling platforms since 1985, open a new division to build barges and other marine vessels on the Houma Navigational Channel that leads south from the city to the Gulf of Mexico.”

Gulf Island will invest nearly $27 million into their marine division expansion, which will create at least 200 new, permanent jobs, with an average annual salary of $53,000 per year, not including benefits. They will also retain 1,300 jobs as part of this expansion.

This is exactly the kind of business success, job creation, and economic expansion that we must further in order to make Louisiana the best place in the world to raise a family, get a quality education, and pursue a great career. Expanding and growing our existing Louisiana businesses is our number one goal in economic development. We have to start by ensuring that we are supporting our existing Louisiana companies already in the state, and build on that success by recruiting businesses and industries from all across the country and the world.

Meeting With Residents Around the State

We held town halls in Newellton and Mangham last week, and I am looking forward to visiting Oakdale and Rayne this week. It has been great to hear that residents from across the state are excited about the reforms we are initiating, from cutting a bloated state budget to enacting stronger laws against sex offenders. As the Monroe News-Star reported, “Jindal was met with applause as he spoke of legislation mandating the use of chemical castration for sex offenders…part of a broad package that creates longer sentences and stricter regulations for offenders.”

We will continue working to ensure that Louisiana remains the greatest place in the world to raise a family, get a quality education, and pursue a successful career. I look forward to hearing from more of you in the coming weeks as our town halls continue.

Sincerely,
Bobby Jindal

Governor Bobby Jindal

Posted in website |

Creating More New Jobs

October 7th, 2008 | Posted by bobbyjindal

Dear Friends,

Creating More New Jobs

Yesterday in Geismar I participated in the groundbreaking of Dynamic Fuels’ new Synthetic Diesel Fuel Plant, the first of its kind in the country. The plant will bring 250 construction jobs to Ascension Parish for the next two years, and 45 permanent jobs with an average salary of $89,000.

As the Wall Street Journal’s Marketwatch reported, Dynamic Fuels chose Louisiana because we “offer the infrastructure [they] will need to succeed, including access to ports and a high quality workforce.” Statements like these show that the nation is taking notice that Louisiana is a great place to do business, and that our efforts to stimulate economic and workforce development in our state are paying off.

This unique plant, a joint venture of Tyson Foods and the Syntroleum Corporation, will produce synthetic diesel fuels made from renewable animal products, such as chicken fat and greases. The process offers significant environmental and efficiency advantages, and is an example of the steps we need to take to help break our dependence on foreign sources of energy. We have long served as a critical component of our nation’s energy infrastructure, and through projects such as this, Louisiana will remain on the cutting edge of new and alternative energies.

This comes on the heels of last week’s announcement that Criterion Catalysts & Technologies L.P. has committed to expanding its operations in Port Allen, creating 53 new jobs at an average salary of $59,000 a year in West Baton Rouge Parish. Criterion’s commitment underscores the fact that much of our economic development will come from companies already in Louisiana as we encourage them to expand and grow.

Investing in our Armed Forces

Last week also saw the groundbreaking of Federal City in Algiers. This shows the commitment of the United States Navy to investing in the complex, and opens the door for future development on the site. As written by the New Orleans Times-Picayune, the groundbreaking ceremony is “the latest evolution of a military presence in Algiers that dates back more than a century.”

The Federal City Project is a critical investment for the New Orleans area economy, and will play a significant role in spurring economic development opportunities and investments throughout the region. It will also retain 1,963 jobs while supporting the brave men and women of our armed forces and serving as a foundation for future military investments in our state.

I was also pleased to announce $23.8 million in federal funding for the new Regional Training Institute (RTI) facilities to be built at Camp Minden. The state will also invest $4 million from the rapid response fund in the Camp Minden Project to help replace temporary feeding facilities, which aided in securing the federal funds. This will allow Camp Minden to, as noted by  KSLA-TV, “become home to a modern National Guard training center for the military.”

This new facility, much like the Federal City Project in New Orleans, will serve as a foundation for future military investments and economic growth in Northwest Louisiana. Relocation and consolidation of existing training courses to a modern, adequately sized training facility will allow the National Guard to meet future training requirements.

The heroic members of our National Guard serve a vital role in our state, as seen recently during Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, and we owe them to invest in their future training and growth.

Aiding Those with Critical Energy Needs

In the face of rising energy costs, as well as the damage done to our state by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, $57.1 million was authorized for Louisiana last week through the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to assist low-income families in affording the high cost of utility bills. As reported by the Baton Rouge Advocate, this “could help 120,000 low-income families in Louisiana with their utility bills.”

The funding nearly three times the $19.7 million in LIHEAP funding authorized for Louisiana in 2008, and is in addition to $10 million in state funding that we authorized earlier this year for low-income energy assistance. It comes at a very important time for many Louisiana families struggling to pay their high utility bills, especially as we are continuing to recover from this year’s hurricane season. We will continue working with the federal government to ensure that our citizens receive the help they need, and that families do not have to choose between paying their electric bills or putting food on the table.

Working to Protect our Children

Unfortunately, the Supreme Court has rejected requests to revisit their recent decision in Louisiana v. Patrick Kennedy, the result of which saw the Court outlaw death as a penalty for the brutal crime of child rape. This is dead wrong, as well as extremely disappointing that they did not move quickly to re-examine their legally improper and absurd decision to remove death as a penalty for the horrific crime of raping a child.

The Court’s ruling based on their perception of a ‘national trend’ against the death penalty is not only shameful, but it harms its entire credibility. We will continue working to evaluate ways to amend our statute to maintain death as a penalty for the brutal crime of raping a child.

Meeting with Residents Statewide

Last week I enjoyed meeting with citizens in Coushatta, Arcadia, Jonesboro, Minden, Homer, Ruston, Farmerville, Oak Grove, and Columbia. It has been wonderful to see the entire state working together not only to recover from Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, but to move our state forward as a whole.

I will be continuing our town hall tour this week, visiting Newellton in Tensas Parish and Mangham in Richland Parish on Wednesday. Citizens should not have to come to Baton Rouge in order to see their Governor, and I look forward to hearing from those across the state in the coming weeks as our town halls continue.

Sincerely,

 

 Bobby Jindal

Governor Bobby Jindal

Posted in website |

Working with the Federal Government

October 1st, 2008 | Posted by admin

Dear Friends,

Working with the Federal Government

I met with the Louisiana congressional delegation in Washington last week to discuss the state’s recovery priorities, and shortly thereafter legislation was passed by both the House and Senate bringing more than $23 billion in disaster assistance to the Gulf Coast and the Midwest. This funding will help in addressing our recovery needs, but there is certainly still more work to be done.

As the New Orleans Times Picayune reported, we shared with members of Congress the “depth of the financial burden placed on the state by Gustav and Ike, compounding, as they did, the ongoing costs of rebuilding since the historic disasters of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita three years ago – along with a range of ways Washington can help.”

The recently passed bill is a first step and makes investments in hurricane protection projects in New Orleans and in community block grant programs. However, our needs are still far greater than the resources provided in this package. As the Houma Courier reported, we are continuing to work with Congress to address our vital needs for hurricane protection and coastal restoration projects, which are instrumental in protecting our people from the force of future hurricanes. We also continue to seek critical assistance for our farmers and those in the agricultural industry who suffered dramatic losses from these two back-to-back hurricanes. This industry is not only critical for our economy in but for the economy of our entire nation.

We must also make certain that Congress treat us fairly and grants Louisiana the 100 percent federal cost share which has already been given to Texas after Hurricane Ike, and Congress granted to our state following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. This assistance is critical to helping us speed aid to communities and industries in need and to helping our people recover and rebuild.

Moving Forward with Recovery

 Photo Courtesy of LSU

The past month has certainly tested the mettle of our state, and shown how great the people of Louisiana truly are. The generosity and efforts of local and state officials, organizations, and individuals have shown once again that when we are faced with obstacles, our state truly comes together as one to move forward.

One example of this is the help provided by Louisiana State University, and I was thus proud to present LSU with the “Spirit of Louisiana” award during halftime of the Mississippi State game. (I was also pleased that they won and remain undefeated!)  The efforts of volunteers at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center’s medical need shelter on LSU’s campus, along with our brave first responders, protected the lives of thousands of Louisianians during these storms.

The response by the faith-based community and non-profit organizations was also instrumental in the state’s response.  These organizations served thousands of hot meals, provided blankets and clothing, and helped make those who had to flee the storms as comfortable as possible.  As an official with Goodwill Industries said in the Shreveport Times, “it was the first time the government asked nonprofit agencies to work directly with emergency preparedness officials.”

In the weeks and months to come, we will hear countless stories of volunteers who helped during hurricanes Gustav and Ike.  But many of these volunteers will also go unnoticed for their efforts and will never realize the impact they had on countless families. To all our volunteers, I say thank you. As we pick ourselves up and move forward, I am honored to call Louisiana home.

Creating New Jobs in Louisiana

Last Thursday I traveled to Ville Platte in Evangeline Parish to announce a $49 million expansion of Cameron Valves and Measurement, a valve manufacturing facility that will build a new 125,000-square-foot building.  This expansion will not only help retain 500 jobs, but will help create 110 jobs with an average salary of $49,000 per year. This announcement represents a continuing commitment to support the development of one of Louisiana’s leading employers and is an example of our increased focus on business retention and expansion in our state.  As reported in the Opelousas Daily World, Cameron selected Louisiana for their company’s investment after considering a number of sites in other states, as well as one international site.  By continuing to nurture our existing businesses that continue to invest in Louisiana and its workers, we can help them grow and expand, helping to provide more good paying jobs for the hard-working families of our state.

Visiting Communities Statewide

As our recovery efforts continue, it is absolutely vital that we receive input and first-hand knowledge from every corner of the state, and I fully intend to visit as many communities as possible.  Some of the placed I traveled last week include  Many, Colfax, Leesville, Winnfield, Jena, and Natchitoches, Tallulah, St. Joseph, Harrisonburg, and Lake Providence.

As I said in the Opelousas Daily World, by visiting areas around the state we are able to “understand the needs of parishes as well as make future recovery efforts faster and more efficient.” It also gives us an opportunity to meet with the many everyday heroes around the state, from law enforcement officials to neighbors who helped neighbors, and thank them for their service to our state.

As we move forward, I will continue to work to ensure that all of our needs are met at the local, state, and federal levels. We live in the greatest place in the world, and we will rebuild stronger and better than before.

Sincerely,

 Bobby Jindal

Governor Bobby Jindal

Posted in website |