Weekly Update December 6, 2013
This week, Governor Jindal spoke at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia about the disastrous energy policy being set in Washington by President Obama and the Left. The Governor also held economic development and infrastructure announcements around the state that will result in thousands of new jobs for Louisiana.
Here Is A Quick Recap Of The News About The Governor’s Week:
Governor Jindal Spoke At The National Constitution Center In Philadelphia About The Extremist Energy Policy Being Set By President Obama And The Left That Is Threatening To Stifle The American Economy. Republican Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal…launched a blistering attack Tuesday against White House energy policies, "extremist" environmentalists, and Lady Gaga. "The bureaucrats at the EPA and in the White House are setting an agenda that threatens the U.S. energy sector, and therefore threatens to stifle the entire American economy," Jindal said at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, according to his prepared remarks. Jindal said he wanted to "discuss a few examples of how the energy agenda being set by Washington politicians and extremist, far left environmental activists is backwards and wrongheaded." … From there, Jindal slammed critics of hydraulic fracturing, the oil and natural gas extraction method that's fueling the surge in production from shale formations. "Liberal groups like Artists Against Fracking, founded by Yoko Ono and including celebrities from Richard Gere to Lady Gaga, are touting fact-free Hollywood celebrity-driven campaigns against a technology that has given us energy security and clean-burning energy while lowering emissions of all types," he said.
Parents Of Louisiana Scholarship Program Students Have Filed An Appeal Hoping To Have Their Voices Heard In The Department Of Justice Suit To Obstruct School Choice In Louisiana. The Goldwater Institute filed an appeal in federal court on Thursday to allow parents in Louisiana to plead their case in the fight with the Justice Department (DOJ) over the state’s voucher program. The nonprofit organization contends that parents have the right to defend the state’s scholarship program, which allowed their kids to flee failing public schools and has been under attack from the Obama administration for months. “The Justice Department continues to threaten educational opportunities for children who need them desperately,” said Clint Bolick, vice president for litigation at the Goldwater Institute, in a statement. “It is outrageous that the Justice Department is blocking the courtroom doors for those who have the most at stake: the families themselves.”
The Wall Street Journal Editorialized On The New Tactics By The Department Of Justice That Are Threatening The Louisiana Scholarship Program. The Justice Department campaign against Louisiana school vouchers gets curiouser and curiouser. Attorney General Eric Holder's troops are now trying to prevent black parents from joining the case by amending their original lawsuit to block the vouchers in 22 districts. Some Republicans in Washington, D.C., interpreted this motion as Justice dropping its lawsuit, but no one should be fooled. Justice now wants federal courts to establish what would essentially be a preclearance process letting DOJ approve every voucher. … Justice wants to review data on all voucher applicants including their race, public school district, whether and why they are granted a voucher and the private school to which they were assigned. And it wants that info at least 45 days before parents are notified that their kids will get a voucher. Why? Because the feds don't want parents to know if the feds knock their kids from the voucher list.
Governor Jindal Announced The Construction Of A $130 Million Cotton Spinning Facility That Will Lead To More Than 1,000 New Jobs. Four years after a mill to spin cotton yarn opened in Lacassine, plans for a bigger mill in Bunkie have been unveiled. Gulf Coast Spinning LLC will build a $130 million mill employing 307 people, CEO Dan Feibus said Thursday. When Zagis USA built a $20 million mill in Lacassine, state officials said it planned a second mill for about $55 million. Gov. Bobby Jindal said Thursday that Gulf Coast Spinning is a separate venture but the second phase of a plan to bring yarn mills to Louisiana's cotton belt. "The Zagis project in Lacassine has shown the value of Louisiana's cotton resources and our ability to add tremendous value to those resources through agribusiness investments," he said. "This new cotton spinning facility in Bunkie will bring hundreds of jobs to Avoyelles Parish and the Central Louisiana economy."
Governor Jindal Was On Hand To Cut The Ribbon On A New $26 Million Armed Forces Reserve Center. A $26 million facility to house three military units in more modern, efficient facilities was officially opened Wednesday during a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by parish and state elected officials and military service members. The Armed Forces Reserve Center has been in the works since the announcement of funding efforts was made in 2008. The building that commands a presence on U.S. Highway 80 at the entrance gate of Camp Minden is one of two projects on site expected to eventually cycle thousands of soldiers through the doors. The second project, still under construction, is a separate Regional Training Institute. … Gov. Bobby Jindal said it is fitting for the Louisiana National Guard to have adequate resources and training opportunities because of how much they do for the residents of Louisiana. Guardsmen often are the first to be called to communities during national disasters.
Governor Jindal Announced Pelican Energy Consultants Will Be Keeping Its Corporate Headquarters In Louisiana And Expanding, Adding 195 High Paying Jobs. An expanding oil and gas engineering company has announced plans to keep its corporate headquarters in the Madisonville area and add 195 high paying jobs. Pelican Energy Consultants announced plans Monday to expand its western St. Tammany engineering center through a $5 million capital investment. Gov. Bobby Jindal, St. Tammany Parish President Pat Brister and a host of elected and economic development officials held a press conference at Pelican's headquarters near Hannan High School to announce the company's expansion plans. Pelican provides comprehensive engineering and project management services to the energy industry. The company currently employs 158 people in Louisiana, including 86 engineering center employees and 27 corporate employees near Madisonville. Another 45 employees work at its Metairie engineering center. Salaries for the 195 new direct jobs will average $90,000 per year, plus benefits. Officials predict the expansion project will result in an additional 280 new indirect jobs for the region. Jindal said Pelican could have relocated to Texas, but chose to stay in Louisiana because of its friendly business climate.
The Advocate Wrote About The Deal Coordinated By The Jindal Administration Which Lured IBM To Baton Rouge. Stephen Moret, Art and other participants in the IBM deal recently participated in a panel discussion at the 2013 Louisiana Smart Growth Summit to discuss the public-private partnerships that allowed the IBM deal to take place. IBM broke ground in September on its service center. The office is set to open in mid-2015, while an adjoining residential tower will open a few months later in 2016. About 800 people are expected to work in the building, which is bordered by North and Main streets. The 11-story residential tower will contain 95 apartments and six luxury town houses.
