Unfortunately, the new cargo airport facility is not being located in the River Parishes. An odds-on favorite, the West Bank of St. James Parish, remains on the doorstep of a massive shipping facility which will link air, rail, highway and the Mississippi River in a unique facility.

Unfortunately, the depressed economy still clings to sugar cane as its mainstay – an industry which is technology-heavy but light as far as putting people to work.

The new facility, should it open, could provide some craftsmen, such as carpenters, painters and plumbers with some business. There could be some sales tax revenue down the road, as the facility develops. However, millions in property taxes will go elsewhere.

We applaud the diligent efforts of the Louisiana Airport Authority in shepherding the project during the past 10 years of development. The first phase of the facility may open as soon as six years.

However, we hope industry will before then rediscover St. James Parish as a valuable resource for a skilled workforce, eager to step up and take charge of their own destiny.

St. James Parish, and especially the children, need a hope for a brighter, more prosperous future.

L’Observateur