(Bayoubuzz Note:Here is a news release from the Louisiana Economic Development)
LOUISIANA IS OFF TO A GOOD START IN NATIONAL RANKINGS IN 2010
Since 2008, Louisiana has been bucking historical trends
Following a trend that began in 2008, Louisiana has continued to garner positive national recognition in early 2010 as a variety national organizations are recognizing the state's economic progress.
"There is no longer a placeholder for Louisiana at the bottom of the major economic and business climate rankings," said Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Stephen Moret. "The positive national recognition Louisiana has received since 2008 is a strong indicator that our economy has performed better than the South and U.S. during the recession. This consistent recognition also demonstrates that we are taking the right steps to grow our economy, create better job opportunities and position our state for long-term economic growth."
Since January 2010, Louisiana has received positive recognition in the following rankings:
In Gallup's Job Creation Index for 2009, Louisiana tied for third among all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Trade & Industry Development's Corporate Investment and Community Impact, or CiCi, Awards ranked Louisiana second best nationwide for top 2009 corporate investments in the U.S., above all Southern states.
Louisiana's absolute national projects ranking increased 12 spots in Site Selection's "Governor's Cup" rankings, up from 27th in 2008 to 15th in 2009; and, the state's per-capita ranking increased from 33rd in 2008 to ninth in 2009.
The Daily Beast's "25 Boom States" ranking listed Louisiana third best for job growth prospects among all 50 states.
Several of Louisiana's major cities, regions and recent business development wins also have received positive recognition since January 2010. For example:
According to the Adversity Index measured by Moody's Economy.com and MSNBC, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette and Lake Charles already have emerged from the recession.
Trade & Industry Development's CiCi Awards selected SNF Holding Co. in Plaquemine, V-Vehicle Co. in Monroe and ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston near Delhi among the top 15 new Corporate Investment projects announced in the U.S. for 2009.
The Foster Farms project in Farmerville was recognized by Trade & Industry Development's CiCi Awards as one of the top 15 in the country for Community Impact in 2009.
The Northeast Region tied for 10th place with eight significant economic development projects among tier three metropolitan areas in Site Selection's "Governor's Cup" rankings.
The V-Vehicle project tied for honorable mention in Business Facilities' "2009 Economic Development Deal of the Year" awards.
In the Brookings Institution's MetroMonitor report, Baton Rouge ranked among the top 20 strongest-performing metropolitan areas from October 2009 to December 2009.
MovieMaker magazine ranked Shreveport third best on its list of "10 Best Cities To Live, Work and Make Movies in 2010."
Monroe ranked seventh on the Housing Predictor's list of the 10 best markets in the U.S. for real estate investors because of an increase in new jobs.
In the Local Market Monitor's first-quarter Home Price Forecast, Baton Rouge is predicted to be one of the nation's best performing housing markets with populations over 600,000, and Lake Charles is predicted to be one of the 10 best-performing small housing markets.
In a national survey conducted by Portfolio.com, Baton Rouge was ranked as the nation's 10th-best city for young adults.
Google Fiber
More than 700 people gathered at the DurhamBullsAthleticPark in Durham, NC to spell out "Google"
Google, creator of the world's most-used internet search tool and dozens of other internet-based productivity tools, is looking for a community of between 50,000 and 500,000 citizens into which they can come and install a fiber optic network free of charge to every home. This network would be capable of delivering speeds up to 1 gigabit per second, or roughly 700 times faster than the typical home broadband connection.
Over two-thousand cities are said to be competing against one another to win the Google nod.In Louisiana, New Orleans and Baton Rouge are two of the cities who are actively competing.
New Orleans Parking Meters
The City of New Orleans Department of Public Works reminds motorists of the upcoming changes to parking meter hours adopted as part of the 2010 budget.
Effective Saturday, March 20th, the Department of Public Works Traffic Division will begin issuing courtesy warning citations to parking meter violators as part of the new policy to extend meter days to Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Full enforcement of the new hours will begin on Saturday, March 27.
"The changes to our parking enforcement will ultimately benefit businesses and their customers," said Robert Mendoza, Director of Public Works. "By regulating the parking meters on Saturdays, businesses will see more turnover in metered spaces, allowing more parking availability for additional customers in commercial areas."
During the past two weeks, the department began making signage and other necessary changes to parking meters with new information reflecting the dates, times and rate of each meter. The new program will affect commercial and residential areas of the City.
Changes to the parking meter policy include the following:
· New Parking Meter Hours
o Current: Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
o New: Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
· New Parking Meter Rates
o Current (Regular 2 Hour Meters): $1.25/hour
o New (Regular 2 Hour Meters): $1.50/hour
o Current (Long-Term Meters - Up to 10 Hours): $0.75/hour
o New (Long-Term Meters - Up to 10 Hours): $1.00/hour
The expansion of the parking meter program was implemented to encourage turnover of parking locations in commercial areas of the city. The rate was slightly adjusted to an additional $.25 hourly for the first time since 1984.
The City will also use the meter change implementation period to gather information for a citywide deployment of Verrus Pay by Phone System. Currently, motorists can utilize the system in the Riverbend Neighborhood and Lower Magazine area, located on Magazine Street (St. Mary Street - Joseph Street), Dublin Street (Maple Street - Leake Avenue), S. Carrollton Avenue (St. Charles Avenue - Maple Street), S. Carrollton Avenue (Zimpel Street - Oak Street), Maple Street (S. Carrollton Avenue - Dublin Avenue), Hampson Street (Dublin Avenue - S. Carrollton Avenue). Public Works will deploy the citywide Verrus Pay by Phone system beginning in April.
The city estimates the collection of an additional $800,000 to $1 million in revenue annually as a part of the extended program.
Louisiana's 2010 Students of the Year have been named. The winners, one student each from the elementary, middle and high school levels, were announced during the annual Student of the Year awards ceremony at the LouisianaStateMuseum in Baton Rouge Wednesday night. Students are selected based on criteria that measure academic achievement, leadership skills, character and service to their schools and communities.
(New Orleans Press Release)
The 2010 Students of the Year are:
Elementary School-Fifth Grade
Injee Hong of MetairieAcademy for Advanced Studies in Jefferson Parish. Injee is actively involved in the school debate team, children's choir, 4-H, Safety Patrol, and Girl Scouts. In addition to her studies at MetairieAcademy, she has participated in Jump Rope for Heart and plays piano for residents of a local retirement home. She has won numerous awards for her activities and interests, including the Superintendent's Award and First Place at the DeBose International Piano Competition. Injee's principal is Ms. Helen Blanke and Dr. Diane Roussel is her superintendent.
Middle School-Eighth Grade
Aaron Reed of MandevilleJunior High School in St. Tammany Parish. Aaron has a 4.0 grade point average and is involved in several activities including playing baseball and golf, and participating in his school's jazz band and marching band. He is a member of several clubs, including the National Junior Honor Society, Student Council and the Builder's Club. He is also drum major of his school's band and participates in the Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra. Ms. Mary Ann Cucchiara is his principal, while Ms. Gayle Sloan serves as his superintendent.
High School-Twelfth Grade
Andrew Murphy of CaptainShreveHigh School in Caddo Parish. Andrew is a member of the National Honor Society and has scored a 28 on the ACT college entrance exam. He participates on the school's football and baseball teams, in addition to being a member of the Spanish and Key Clubs. In his spare time, he volunteers to do the landscaping and grounds keeping at his school and plays the piano at a local retirement home. Andrew has also won several awards for his activities, including being named a PTSA Distinguished Scholar and First Place in the Reflections Musical Competition. Dr. Sandra McCalla is his principal and Dr. Gerald Dawkins is his superintendent.
"We are extremely proud these winners, as well as the regional finalists," State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek said. "Their achievements reveal the great promise of our next generation. By celebrating the success of these students, we recognize their great efforts and dedication, not only in the classroom, but beyond the school doors, where I know they are only beginning to make their mark."
The three Students of the Year were selected from a group of 18 regional finalists, representing six regions of the state. Each finalist submits a portfolio and completes a written composition the day of the awards. The selection committee also interviews the finalists to evaluate their communication and thinking skills.
The process for identifying the state's Students of the Year begins at the school level. Every public elementary, middle and high school in the state, as well as approved nonpublic schools, were asked to submit one candidate from 5th, 8th or 12th grade - depending on whether the school is an elementary, middle or high school. These students then compete with their peers at the district level and may advance to the regional competitions, where the Regional Finalists are chosen.
"It is a pleasure to congratulate each of these students, as well as their families and school communities," State Deputy Superintendent of Education Ollie Tyler. "These students have excelled academically, but have also put their talents and interests to great use in their communities. These students have not only brought honor to themselves, but to their families, schools and peers."
Each of the three Students of the Year and regional finalists will receive a savings bond donated by the Entergy Corporation.
Yeah, with some careful thought, New Orleans could have had its cake and been able to eat it too.... trolly lines, parking garages, but that one little button it needs to make the shirt proper and ready for the tie (in)... Well, it and Louisiana simply don't have it. And why? you know why. Em Aye See,,,, Kay EEE WIIIII,,,,, Em Oh EWE ESS EEEEEEE,,,,,, er, uhhhh,,,, Ell Oh EWE, AYE ESS Aye, AY ENNNNNNNNN AYYYYYYAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY - - - - Louisiana, - Louisiana - .... Written by
on 3/22/2010
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It would seem to me that if New Orleans were smart, it would have figured a way to leverage that 45 million for a trolly car line into something a little more all encompassing. Like perhaps a couple of parking garages scattered around to ease the parking problem. What could have been really neat is if they had camera systems, and a ticket booth, and people paid around .35 cents per hour.. Let's see now, 100 cars, 5 story parking garage (sort of small, but scale and economy, scale and economy) with the top floor being a 'green' space with grass, and shrubbery (yeah, sort of "hangin' towers of Babalonish" but still, it has its moments)... So that equals 25 cars per floor, and I am pretty sure they would have 100% occupancy for at least 10 to 12 hours per day, so that would generate at least $350 per day revenues.... Around $10,500 per month... Around 126K per year.. And the ticket booth guy, well he can collect the fares, maybe pass out coupon booklets that business's can sponsor, maybe even have little maps of the french quarter for 50 cents for tourists that want to see bourbon street, and I guess the guard could be paid around $11.00 an hour or around 110 a day, which would be about a third of the gross for a ten hour shift, not to mention the additonal revenues it brings in to the 'city' parking garage with its little coupons, and maps, etc..... Heck, could even make it 25 cars on the first floor, 'flute' out in design and park 40 on the second, 'flute' out and 60 on the third, 'flute' out and 80 on the fourth, with 'space up' from the ground up occupied by buildings and business, sort of interesting what kind of archetectural paradigms could present theirselves. Oh, and the revenue goes up.. Ehhh, how about 50 cents an hour? That sounds fair... Increased parking space, revenue, ease of congestion, etc., etc., etc. Oh sure, during the mardi gras, and the sugar bowl and the blah-blah-bowl etc., etc., etc. they could charge a buck an hour in typical new orleans 'fleece 'em while the fleecing is good' fashion... Just a thought...... Ahhh, but where do you go to cause initial construction costs to 'downsize'? Ehhh, it would probably take a genius to search for a new technology coupled with methodologies that could accomplish that... Duuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh............................ Written by
on 3/20/2010
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The new parking rules for Saturdays seems destined to reduce income for stores in New Orleans, and increase sales in Jefferson. What an assinine thing to do. COuld it be that we need more money for Nagin to pass on to his buddies before he's gone, or is it just part of his efforts to kill New Orleans on his way our (hopefully, to jail) Written by Noladude
on 3/19/2010
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Louisiana Economic Development - - (Bayoubuzz Note: Here is a news release from the Louisiana Economic Development) - - LOUISIANA IS OFF TO A GOOD START IN NATIONAL RANKINGS IN 2010 - - - Since 2008, Louisiana has been bucking historical trends (William Smith Note: Here is a website to look at for demographics... {h t t p: / / cohort11. americanobserver. net / latoyaegwuekwe / multimediafinal. h t m l} we were doing better than good in 2007, Baton Rouge area sort of sucked, but then again, it always does unless it can suck taxes.... anyways by November of 2008, well, just like everywhere else, whoops!!!!! And by December 2009, well, Terrebonne/Lafourche parish, ehh, doing o.k. New Orleans area, ehhh, o.k. sort of like Baton Rouge in 2007, spot up north of Ponchatrain, ehh, well, folks is moving out of New Orleans yah know.. Cameron Parish, ehh, sort of like Baton Rouge in 2007.... And anyways, after the injection of over 100 billion federal dollars in those rosey areas I would think they should be doing good, and actually if you ask me, they are underperforming where employment is concerned... And all the collapse you see in 2009 for the state, as well as the rest of the nation. It was already in full swing like an out of control freight train... No stopping it... In actuality, our Economic Developement Board isn't doing a damn thing except hoping and praying that failed businesses in other states will relocate here, or businesses from other states that can leverage an advantage in our state due to businesses in our state bottoming out will locate here. What we need is new ideas, a more sensible pursuit, and to get to work... We gotta change things up or pretty soon we will look just like California, you know, the enviable model that our state leaders are trying to garner for their own... Whut a bunch of dum jackasses...
Written by - - - STRONGCONCRETE - - -
on 3/19/2010
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Apple details labor violations at its suppliers - By JORDAN ROBERTSON (AP) – Mar 1, 2010 - SAN FRANCISCO — Apple Inc. said it found more than a dozen serious violations of labor laws or Apple's own rules at its suppliers that needed immediate correction. … The findings were outlined in a company report on audits of 102 supplier facilities conducted in 2009. That was a year in which questions about the practices of one of Apple's suppliers came into focus after the suicide of a Chinese worker who held a sensitive job handling iPhones. … Along with many other technology companies, Apple, based in Cupertino, Calif., relies heavily on foreign contractors to build its products. Monitoring their labor practices be difficult, and Apple has caught heat in the past on this issue. … The company said in its latest report that "by making social responsibility a fundamental part of the way we do business, we insist that our suppliers take Apple's code as seriously as we do." … Apple said it found 17 "core" violations, the most serious type. … Those included three cases of underage workers being hired; eight instances of workers paying "recruitment" fees that were above the legal limits in those countries; three cases in which suppliers used non-certified vendors to dispose of hazardous waste; and three others in which the companies gave false records during the audits. … In the cases involving underage workers, Apple said three facilities had hired a total of 11 workers who were 15 years old in countries where the minimum employment age is 16. Apple noted that the workers were no longer underage or weren't working for the facilities anymore when the audits were undertaken…. Apple has been pressured before to answer questions about its suppliers' practices. … Last July, a 25-year-old Chinese worker whose job involved shipping iPhone prototypes to Apple killed himself by jumping from the 12th floor of his apartment building amid an investigation into a missing iPhone. The worker, Sun Danyong, worked for the Foxconn Technology Group, a Taiwanese manufacturer that has long been one of Apple's key suppliers. … The suicide, and allegations that Foxconn security guards roughed up the worker before his death, prompted a reply from Apple that all of its contractors "must treat workers with respect and dignity." … In 2006, Apple found that workers in a Chinese iPod factory were in many cases exceeding the company's limits for overtime. Apple ordered the factory to comply with its limits. Apple was responding to news reports at the time that workers at the factory were paid as little as $50 a month and were forced to work 15-hour shifts…. ………. …………. …………… ……….. ……….. …………. Apple has had underage children working for them; The average worker makes $50 /month for 6 day 60 hour work weeks;. They have lax environmental laws and reporting; They have paid less than minimum wage. ..
At least Google has the courage to pull out of china because of censorship laws. They have taken a leadership position and should be applauded!!!! It is ironic that the iPad is going to be manufactured in China, yet the people there, who can afford, wont be able to use it because of censorship laws … What’s even worse is we here in the United States keep trading like crazy with them instead of putting our own population to work….. In as far as the underage chinese workers go though, if a kid wants to get a part time job, I think that is great... But the problem with how they do it is with all the money we invest in their infrastructure, are their kids getting opportunity? Or are they simply being conditioned as 'proles' or worse, as slaves? I think many children in this nation should be allowed the right to work if they want to... It builds character, and probably would help reduce the number of 'characters' we have filling up our welfare roles and prisons.... Heck, with the wages they earn they can buy all sorts of fun toys n' games, or save for college or something... Probably should pay children in 'Reserve' notes though and not 'Lever' notes, because after all, the children do represent the 'Reserves' of our society..... Written by
on 3/19/2010
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