Recent editorials from Louisiana newspapers:
___
Dec. 22
The Advocate on Louisiana tourism:
In a world where everybody seems to have an award or plaque for what they do, it might be easy enough to pay little attention to another, this time given to Louisiana’s tourism promotion efforts.
But, when the award is the third in the last four for the Louisiana Office of Tourism, it’s worthy of note.
The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International will honor tourism with its Gold Adrian Award for digital marketing excellence.
The cool “Destination Recipe” video series is worth a quick look, even for those of us in Louisiana who are familiar with étouffée and remoulade and other dishes that are exotic beyond our borders.
They are, of course, part of our culture, and thus part of the reason why Louisiana attracts millions of tourists every year. The global travel marketing award to be presented in January in New York is the work of the Miles Agency with the tourism office.
While we commend the office and its overall director, Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, we like the fact that Louisiana is continuing year after year to be competitive in the social media sphere, as well as in other promotions.
The award is one of several recently that cover work undertaken by Nungesser and his predecessor, the current Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne. The lieutenant governor is the chief tourism promoter in the state and has been since the days of Bobby Freeman, who died earlier this year.
The reason the lieutenant governor is charged with this duty: Tourism is a huge business for Louisiana.
While New Orleans is the crown jewel of destinations in Louisiana, other parts of the state have their appeal, and each region works with the Office of Tourism to promote its fairs and festivals and attractions.
Louisiana also works with the U.S. Department of Commerce to promote our state to international visitors, who typically stay longer and thus spend more money here than a domestic visitor, as welcome as those are.
According to the latest report from the University of New Orleans, the 28.9 million visitors to Louisiana in 2015 set a record, for the fourth year in a row. The economic impact of more than 170,000 direct jobs is substantial, more than $11 billion in spending, and that results in more than $844 million in state tax collections.
As any business knows, it pays to advertise. The promotion of Louisiana as a tourist destination is one of the economic pillars of the state, particularly in New Orleans. That is why the good news about tourism is somewhat tempered this year by a couple of high-profile shooting incidents on Bourbon Street or in the French Quarter.
City and state officials are working to make the iconic destination safer, and so far Louisiana tourism continues to grow, according to the report from UNO’s Hospitality Research Center. But we can’t take that for granted, and tourism promotion is a key element in the state’s economic future.
Also, of course, we have to preserve and protect the historic structures and communities that evoke Louisiana’s historic past and colorful and interesting present.
We look forward to more, not less, investment in tourism in the coming years. The payback for Louisiana residents is too important to slow our momentum.
Online:
https://www.theadvocate.com
___
Dec. 26
The Courier on the need for transparency in state agencies:
Charlie Melancon has resigned from his post as secretary of the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
Melancon, a former U.S. representative from Napoleonville, is leaving one of the state’s most visible offices after less than a year at the helm.
A recent report by the state’s legislative auditor called into question spending and other practice in the office, but those questions date back to Melancon’s predecessor, Robert Barham.
“I accepted your appointment in the spirit of public service without the knowledge that I would be responsible for turning around a troubled state agency,” Melancon wrote in his letter to Gov. John Bel Edwards. “However, many of the department’s previous problems persist, driven largely by the Coastal Conservation Association and individuals within the department. These past 11 months have been a mental and physical grind as we have had to continuously maneuver around people within and outside the Department who were part and parcel of the corrupt practices being uncovered.”
When Edwards announced that Melancon was leaving his post, he was short on details, saying mainly that “we should move the agency in a different direction.”
That is understandable, but Melancon leaving after such a brief tenure raises more questions than it answers.
And Melancon’s contention that he received pushback from his own office as he tried to implement necessary reforms is troubling - even more so if that was part of Edwards’ motivation for forcing him out.
There is no good way for the public fully to appreciate what goes on behind the closed doors of the governor’s office. But the state’s chief executive owes the public a clear and compelling explanation for the decisions he makes.
In this case, the change could have been as simple as clashing personalities. But the possibility that the reforms are at the heart of the disagreements is an issue that should be addressed.
Melancon has served our region well, as a member of Congress and in government roles in Baton Rouge.
It is unfortunate that he oversaw the agency at a time when it came under such intense scrutiny. But that scrutiny should not affect Melancon in any way other than that he be tasked with fixing what is wrong.
Edwards should carefully explain his thinking in getting rid of someone who said he was doing just that.
The public in this instance is left with questions about how an important state agency is being run and whether the public’s interests are the primary concern. The governor should answer those questions.
Online:
https://www.houmatoday.com
___
Dec. 23
The American Press on funding higher education:
Louisiana legislators need to find a permanent solution for adequately funding higher education. The state’s colleges and universities have hit rock bottom, thanks to nine years of budget cuts.
The situation at LSU, the state’s flagship university, is indicative of what has happened at other institutions. However, the others don’t have anything close to the resources available at LSU’s main campus.
LSU President King Alexander painted what The Times-Picayune called “a stark picture of what almost a decade of continuous budget cuts have done to Louisiana’s flagship university.” Alexander said the major result has been the loss of top-notch faculty members and possible loss of students.
The LSU budget has been cut 16 times in the past eight years. Alexander said the university has lost about 500 faculty positions in the last decade, including 27 assistant professors last year. When some faculty members leave, they take federal and other outside funding with them.
Alexander said two professors were recruited by Penn State University and took $5 million in federal funding with them. He said LSU has “become a poaching ground for many institutions.”
Consider that LSU ranks 46th out of the 50 flagship universities in the United States for spending per student. LSU is spending one-third of what the University of Tennessee spends on a student. Unfortunately, conditions appear to be getting worse.
“If you expect us to compete with Ohio State, fund us appropriately,” Alexander told the House Appropriations Committee. “We’ll do more with less. We’ve shown that.”
The Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget approved a plan last week that cuts higher education budgets by $11.9 million in order to deal with a $313 million deficit from the fiscal year that ended June 30. While that is an improvement over an expected $18 million reduction, it still hurts.
The state will also delay $231.6 million in payments owed to physicians, clinics and other medical care providers. Empty state positions won’t be filled and the purchase of equipment and supplies will be slowed down. The state also found additional money in accounts that won’t be refilled with more funds next year.
Budget cuts aren’t the only problem facing state colleges and universities. The Legislature failed to fully fund the TOPS scholarship program for the spring semester, and that is a major problem for many students. Some will have to drop out of school and others may end up in other states.
The state’s financial situation is expected to be worse after the first of the year. A deficit for the current fiscal year could be $300 million or even higher. Sen. Eric LaFleur, D-Ville Platte, and chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said either additional money has to be found or more major higher education cuts are coming.
Alexander summed up the future well when he said, “The uncertainty of all this has the potential to drive our best and brightest out of the state.”
Louisiana legislators are the only ones who can stop the financial bleeding.
Online:
https://www.americanpress.com
Please read our comment policy before commenting.