Meeting With Residents Statewide

July 30th, 2008 | Posted by admin

Dear Friends,

 

Meeting With Residents Statewide

I was very excited to kick off our statewide town hall tour last week with visits to Vivian, Springhill, Homer, Thibodaux, Many, and Winnfield.

I believe that it is very important that we hear from as many communities across the state as possible. As the Shreveport Times noted, “no one in Vivian [has met the Governor] in the city limits since Dave Treen visited in the early 1980s.” I appreciate you taking time off from work, as well as bringing your family, to share with me your ideas on moving our state forward. As Karen Walker said in the Shreveport Times about her daughter, “I’d like better opportunities to be here in Louisiana for her.” Working together, we can be successful in creating a New Louisiana, so that our sons and daughters can realize their dreams here instead of moving to another state.

 

As noted in the Ruston Daily Leader, “the point [of visiting various areas] is to listen to people all over the state.” At every town hall, I hear from you. As I was quoted in the Houma Courier saying, “In every one of these [town hall meetings] we learn something and we will hear something unique.” Whether it is concerns in Thibodaux about protecting our coastline, saving the Sparta Aquifer across North Louisiana or helping poultry farmers in Dubach, your input is vital. As I said in the Minden Press Herald, it is the people of our great state that gives me “hope for the future of improving and maintaining the good work that has already been done.”

If we have not been in your area, we will soon. This week we have already traveled to Mer Rouge, Farmerville and Dubach, and are heading to Mamou and Church Point later in the week. I encourage you to come out and see us over the next month, and I look forward to hearing from you.

 

Thursday, July 31

10:30 a.m. – Evangeline Parish - Farmer’s Gas, 96 Poinciana Street, Mamou

2:45 p.m. – Acadia Parish - City Hall Annex Building, 102 Church Blvd, Church Point

 

Working with General Motors

As you may have heard earlier this week, General Motors (GM) announced that they are reducing production at their Shreveport facility due to rising gas prices and an unstable economy. We have been working with GM over the past few months to see how the state could help ensure the plant’s future in Louisiana, and I traveled to Shreveport on Monday to meet with local GM officials to reiterate that state support.

 

As reported by the Baton Rouge Advocate, I am fully prepared to offer GM incentives, such as converting equipment at the plant allowing it to make more fuel efficient vehicles, in order to return the plant to full capacity. GM is a critical piece of Northwest Louisiana’s economy, and I am going to Detroit soon to meet with the president of GM North America to help make sure that it continues manufacturing vehicles in Shreveport for generations to come.

 

Speaking to Legislators From Across the Nation

Last week I thanked more than 6,000 state legislators and staff from across the nation for coming to New Orleans for their annual convention. I shared with them the substantive reforms that we are making in our state when it comes to ethics, workforce development and reducing the tax burden on working families and business.   

 

The convention not only served as a great way for these decision makers to see firsthand that Louisiana and New Orleans are open for business following the 2005 storms, but also gave Louisiana the chance to showcase the importance of Louisiana’s coastal erosion problems, and the impact that it has on the rest of the nation. The Shreveport Times quoted a legislator from Kansas who said “he was amazed to learn of the economic impact Louisiana’s coastal region — with its energy and seafood production — has on the rest of the nation.”

 

It is conventions like these - with a $10 million to $12 million impact - that play a vital role in our recovery. In addition to the economic impact, these elected officials were able to witness the progress we have made so far following the 2005 storms, but also the work that remains and the full commitment needed for us to fully recover. That is why I was pleased that Speaker Nancy Pelosi took the opportunity after touring our state last week to agree with our position that Louisiana should not be forced to repay its cost-share of levee funds almost immediately, instead of the thirty years that is allowed under current law. As I have said before, we are willing to pay our fair share and I look forward to working with Congress in the coming months to ensure that Louisiana is not faced with an immediate financial burden when it comes to our levees.

 

Visiting the Tarpon Rodeo

I was reminded once again last weekend why Louisiana is called the Sportsman’s Paradise when I visited with people from across the nation who had traveled to Grand Isle from thousands of miles away for the annual Tarpon Rodeo. When it comes to having the best fishing waters around, Louisiana cannot be beat. I had a great time at the Rodeo, and I encourage everyone to take advantage of our state’s unique array of outdoor activities.

 

Sincerely,

 Bobby Jindal

Governor Bobby Jindal

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