Moret: State can be ‘magnet’
7 steps to economic development listed
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GONZALES — The secretary of the state Department of Economic Development said Thursday the Jindal administration has a seven-step plan to “make Louisiana a magnet for business” and the “easiest state to do business with.”
Stephen Moret told a luncheon meeting of the Ascension Chamber of Commerce and the Donaldsonville Chamber his office wants to keep “talented young people in Louisiana and to have other states complain because their talented young people are coming here.”
Moret said the plan consists of seven steps:
Also addressing members of the two chambers was U.S. Rep. Charles Melancon, D-Napoleonville, who aligned himself with the “Blue Dog” centrists Democrats, saying he is a fiscal conservative — “What the Republicans used to believe in and what the Democrats never believed in.”
Melancon was critical of what he called “the polarization of Congress.”
“It’s frustrating,” he said.
He also was critical of trade imbalances, saying he’s “for free trade — but I also want fair trade.”
If China one day invaded Taiwan, Melancon said, “We’d have to get a loan from China to defend Taiwan.
“We’ve got to have trade deals that make sense. We trade away more than we get in return,” the second-term congressman asserted.
Saying he believes most people are centrists, neither far to the left nor far to the right of the political spectrum, the congressman argued that it’s time to stop “gerrymandering districts” to create either a Democratic or Republican majority in a district.
Whether congressional districts are Democratic or Republican, “I really don’t give a damn,” he said. “Most people are centrists, rational.”
Melancon said Democrats criticized Republicans for not sending bills to committees before sending them to the floor of the U.S. House, and “now the Democrats are doing the same thing.”
Melancon summed up his message this way: “We need to pull together and have serious, honest discussions” for the sake of the nation rather than for political gain.
Stephen Moret told a luncheon meeting of the Ascension Chamber of Commerce and the Donaldsonville Chamber his office wants to keep “talented young people in Louisiana and to have other states complain because their talented young people are coming here.”
Moret said the plan consists of seven steps:
- The first step, he said, is increasing economic competitiveness by spending money to improve roads and to develop a work force that would make Louisiana a “magnet for business.”
- The second issue on the agenda involves increasing community competitiveness by encouraging more parishes to create economic development agencies such as the Ascension Economic Development Corp., which he praised.
- Thirdly, he said, by creating “target investment opportunities” in certain existing businesses and military operations, Louisiana could create thousands of jobs.
- The fourth item on the agenda deals with business retention and expansion. Aiding businesses already operating in the state would create more jobs than gaining new businesses, he said.
- But business recruitment is not to be overlooked, he said, giving that initiative the No. 5 spot on his list.
- No. 6, he said, would be “cultivation of small-business opportunities. Most growth will come from small businesses,” he said, if Louisiana can reduce the amount of red tape that plagues small businesses.
- The final step, if not the last in order of implementation, would be improving the state’s image. “We’re going to tell the story of Louisiana’s renaissance. The image of Louisiana is worse than the reality and we’re going to tell the story of the great things that are happening in Louisiana.”
Also addressing members of the two chambers was U.S. Rep. Charles Melancon, D-Napoleonville, who aligned himself with the “Blue Dog” centrists Democrats, saying he is a fiscal conservative — “What the Republicans used to believe in and what the Democrats never believed in.”
Melancon was critical of what he called “the polarization of Congress.”
“It’s frustrating,” he said.
He also was critical of trade imbalances, saying he’s “for free trade — but I also want fair trade.”
If China one day invaded Taiwan, Melancon said, “We’d have to get a loan from China to defend Taiwan.
“We’ve got to have trade deals that make sense. We trade away more than we get in return,” the second-term congressman asserted.
Saying he believes most people are centrists, neither far to the left nor far to the right of the political spectrum, the congressman argued that it’s time to stop “gerrymandering districts” to create either a Democratic or Republican majority in a district.
Whether congressional districts are Democratic or Republican, “I really don’t give a damn,” he said. “Most people are centrists, rational.”
Melancon said Democrats criticized Republicans for not sending bills to committees before sending them to the floor of the U.S. House, and “now the Democrats are doing the same thing.”
Melancon summed up his message this way: “We need to pull together and have serious, honest discussions” for the sake of the nation rather than for political gain.
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