LAFAYETTE, LA – One Acadiana (1A), formerly the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, is supporting 6 strategies put forth by the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI) and The Coalition for a Stronger Economy (CASE).
One Acadiana said Louisiana has seen unprecedented growth within the last few years and that CASE, a group of 61 statewide organizations, chambers of commerce, trade associations, and civic groups representing nearly every corner of Louisiana, has created an agenda of fundamental issues with "Six Strategies for a More Prosperous Louisiana" which they plan to support.
They said with the 2015 elections close at hand, the CASE priorities present an opportunity to highlight issues, like workforce development, infrastructure, and lawsuit reform, that have been overlooked and create a call to action for current and soon-to-be-elected state and local officials asking them to ensure that these items are addressed so Louisiana's economy may continue its upward climb.
The CASE strategies include:
1 – Accelerate growth in the private sector.
Private-sector job creation and diversification of the state’s economy should be advanced through proactive recruitment and retention activities that include data-driven, competitive incentives.
Government at all levels should seek to reduce regulations on the private sector, favoring limited government and a free-market approach.
2 – Adopt a pro-growth tax code.
The state tax code should be nationally competitive and drive economic growth.
The tax structure and administration should be simple and efficient for businesses and citizens alike.
Local reliance on state support should be right-sized in line with best-practice states.
3 – Transform state budgeting to allow for prioritization of spending.
Statutory limitations that prohibit the prioritization of state spending should be reviewed, reformed, reduced, or eliminated where appropriate.
The cost drivers in the state budget must be addressed, reducing the need for more taxpayer dollars year after year. This includes long-term changes to state retirement plans, laws that are smart on crime, risk management reforms, and others.
4 – Develop Louisiana’s workforce to promote individual prosperity and a healthy economy for the future.
All students in preK-12 schools should be provided with the foundation for success through high standards, accountability, and choice.
Demand and performance should drive an innovative, responsive education system from pre-K through higher education.
Louisiana’s institutions of higher education should be efficient and empowered to be market-responsive.
Federal, state, and local workforce training efforts should be aligned, coordinated, and leveraged to meet the needs of workers and industry alike.
5 – Prioritize infrastructure to sustain economic growth.
Taxpayer funds intended for state transportation and infrastructure should be invested accordingly.
Areas of economic growth should be prioritized with strategic investments for urgent improvements, including large-scale capacity projects.
Infrastructure should be defined comprehensively with appropriate emphasis on multi-modal solutions.
6 – Improve Louisiana’s legal climate to be fair, efficient, and accountable.
Frivolous lawsuits – including such litigation by public bodies – should be discouraged, preserving a fair and efficient system for real claims and real victims.
Transparency and citizen access should be hallmarks of the legal system.
