Carl Redman for July 5, 2009

• By CARL REDMAN
• Advocate executive editor
• Published: Jul 5, 2009 - Page: 7B

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Connecting the dots of recent events creates an unsettling picture of Louisiana’s future.

Dot No. 1:
Facing declining state revenue, Gov. Bobby Jindal cut state funding to higher education by $55 million in January and threatened $219 million in funding cuts for 2009-10.

While the Legislature softened the blow, the state’s colleges and universities still face more than $100 million in cuts for the fiscal year that began Wednesday.

And, Jindal and the Legislature have told higher education leaders that additional deep cuts to state support are likely over the next few years.

Dot No. 2:
With Jindal’s support, lawmakers voted to create a new high-school diploma that lets young teens opt out of a rigorous curriculum and follow a less challenging program aimed at graduating them into the work force.

When he signed the measure into law last week, Jindal said the new “career diploma” will encourage potential dropouts to stay in school and help “to better train and educate our Louisiana work force.”

Dot No. 3:
The Louisiana Department of Economic Development has announced in recent months three major business projects.

The state is putting up $50 million to help save a chicken processing plant in north Louisiana.
The effort is aimed at saving more than 1,000 jobs in an area that needs them.

The state is providing almost $39.4 million in incentives for a specialty chemical plant near Plaquemine that is projected to employ 500.

The state has promised $67 million to help a car manufacturing start-up convert an old plant in Monroe into an auto assembly facility that would employ up to 1,400 people.

Dot. No. 4:

The Louisiana Workforce Commission last week released a forecast of Louisiana job growth prospects between 2006 and 2016.

The careers paying at least $30,000 a year with the greatest expected growth are registered nurses, elementary teachers, maintenance/repair workers, practical nurses, welders/cutters, wholesale sales representatives, truck drivers, general managers, executive secretaries and accountants.