An executive with the Pelican Institute for Public Policy said a recent study showing a negative business climate demonstrates the need for change.
According to a report by TheAdvocate, the Louisiana business environment and overall quality of life currently is nearly at the bottom of a national ranking, where it has been situated for the last decade.
The study was conducted by Legatum and released in July finding that Louisiana’s economic prosperity ranking dropped four places from 46 to 50 this year, a ranking that was determined by factors such as health, social capital and education.
“At a time when the national economy is thriving and states around the nation are creating jobs at record rates, Louisiana remains the exception to this trend,” Daniel Erspamer, CEO of the Pelican Institute, told the Louisiana Record. “Our state was the only in the nation to lose jobs in the last year, while 28,000 Louisianans fled the state for our more prosperous neighbors.”
Louisiana, No. 6 for economic quality in 2006, dropped 32 places to 40th in the nation in the study.
“These factors are clear evidence of a need to dramatically shift the way we approach job creation and opportunity for working families in our state,” Erspamer said. “Unfortunately, the entrenched status quo special interests running the show in Baton Rouge are stifling any attempts at meaningful change.
“This is why Louisiana citizens need to ask all of those running (in the Oct. 12 election) to be their elected leaders if they support the business-as-usual approach or if they'll embrace bold reforms to truly move our state forward,” Erspamer said. “Otherwise, we'll just continue down the path of mediocrity."