St. Tammany Parish was well represented in Washington D.C. during the yearly Washington Mardi Gras for 2009. Leaders from the East and West St. Tammany Chambers, Northshore Business Council, St. Tammany Parish Government, St. Tammany Economic Development Foundation, St. Tammany Tourist Commission and Greater New Orleans, Inc. hit the ground running to bring our voice and the concerns of our Parish to be heard LOUD and CLEAR that we are standing up for our community and wanting our fair share in south Louisiana.
Parish Talking Points included:
- High Growth Area Transportation: new Federal Transportation Act
- SELA – Corps of Engineers
- Environmental Issues
- Economic Development
-International Maritime Research Development & Training Center
-Northshore University Center
-St. Tammany Regional Airport
-Trace Children’s Museum and Community Theater
-I-10/I-12 Corridor
- Healthcare
- Housing
- Economic Stimulus Package
In conjunction with the St. Tammany EDF, the East St. Tammany Chamber, as well as other organizations joined forces to ask federal legislators to extend the expiration date of Gulf Opportunity Zone Bond financing and to forgive local governments owing disaster loan repayment as a result of borrowing federal funds in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. A letter was prepared by the STEDF and distributed among the delegation.
The letter reads, in part, “Funds have been allocated that have not yet been tapped and, due to the timelines involved in bringing many projects to fruition, may remain untapped as the deadline approaches. An extension of the deadline for activation of GO Zone Bonds would be a significant boost to the Louisiana economy and to many businesses here in St. Tammany Parish.”
While observing that St. Tammany’s economy has not been as severely impacted as other communities by the recent national downturn, Brenda Reine-Bertus also acknowledged that local economics are not immune from global trends.
Additionally, she wrote that local governments have faced a decline in sales tax revenue and the results of an unstable real estate market, and that forgiveness of federal loans to local governments would ease the burden and ensure a continuity of services for citizens.
“Forgiveness of these loans by the federal government will ensure that local governments can remain solvent, providing essential services that maintain our infrastructure and quality of life – two key components in attracting and retaining businesses,” the letter reads.
“Our federal delegation is as important as our Baton Rouge-based lawmakers in enabling us to serve a growing economy,” Reine-Bertus said. “Senators Vitter and Landrieu have always taken a big-picture approach to addressing our economic needs, and we have the utmost confidence in Congressman Scalise as he begins his first full term. We’re optimistic our legislators will be able to assist local industry and government in addressing these needs.”
Another hot topic that was discussed during the fly-in was the Card Check issue, the East St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce has been getting the word out to local and federal legislatures that we feel this bill is not in the best interest of Louisiana or our business owners as a whole countrywide, the President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber, Tom Donahue released the following in conjunction with our chamber:
A Union Power Grab
President Obama's hard-charging chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, says that you should "never allow a crisis to go to waste." Big labor appears to be heeding that advice. It's trying to sell the badly misnamed Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA)--better known as card check--as a cure to rising unemployment and the ticket to a better life for the middle class.
If you're going to fib, you may as well make it a whopper!
The unions are also insisting that the legislation be rammed through Congress as quickly as possible before the economic crisis passes or Americans discover the real facts about what it would do. Namely, it would effectively eliminate secret ballot elections in unionization votes and, through binding arbitration, give government authorities the power to dictate wages, benefits, and other fundamental business operations.
Why should every business care? Because card check would make union organizing cheaper and faster, thereby putting even the smallest companies in the unions' crosshairs. Why should every worker care? Because it would strip away America's tradition of secret ballot elections and expose workers to intimidation and coercion. The bill would ultimately destroy jobs by making it more difficult for businesses to adapt and innovate. This is exactly the wrong prescription for our ailing economy.
A new study, which was conducted by the nonpartisan consulting firm LECG, determined that card check legislation would negatively impact the landscape of the U.S. economy, increasing unemployment and stifling job growth for all Americans. In fact, the predicted increase of 1.5 million new union members in one year would lead to the loss of 600,000 jobs by the following year.
Additionally, a recent analysis conducted by labor experts at the U.S. Chamber found that increased unionization is anything but a ticket to the middle class. The states with the highest rates of union membership also have the lowest rates of job growth.
Why would Congress even consider passing such legislation? I can give you 450 million reasons--that's how many dollars big labor shoveled into the 2008 elections. Now, it's payback time.
The U.S. Chamber in partnership with the East St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce is leading the fight against this power grab by the unions. In these troubling and uncertain times, we know one thing for sure--when you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. Card check would delay and undermine economic recovery, and that's why it must be defeated. Every worker should have the right to join or leave a union under fair rules. Card check is not fair--and it's not right for America. – written by Tom Donahue.
In Louisiana we always find a way to add play into our work, the finale of the Washington Mardi Gras trip ended with the Mystic Krewe of Louisianan’s Ball. Our own Slidell Ozone Camellia Club Queen, Julia Lavigne was presented along with the other beautiful Louisiana festival Queens. Included in the Krewe Princesses was the beautiful daughter of Hon. Mike Strain, Melissa Strain. A special appearance by the LSU Fighting Tigers Band and Golden Girls had all the Tiger fans on their feet! Since 1944 when the first demonstration of the spirit of Mardi Gras was hosted in Washington, D.C., it has been a chance to bring the culture of Louisiana to Washington and has grown into a celebration of Louisiana, its politics and its people.