DAN JUNEAU – The LABI Report

A recent statewide poll should serve as a reminder to our elected officials that jobs and the economy are more on the minds of Louisiana voters today than at any time in the modern history of the state.

The annual legislative issues poll by Southern Media & Opinion Research was conducted between March 17 and March 29.

Some 700 Louisiana registered voters were surveyed, and the poll makes it very clear that Louisiana voters think the highest priority in the Bayou State is to stop the erosion of jobs and to bring new employment opportunities that are needed to keep our young people in Louisiana.

In the poll, voters were asked to share their opinions regarding the main problems that keep Louisiana from being a better place to live. Some 45.6 percent of the respondents said that the economy, lack of jobs, and loss of businesses were the major problems facing the state.

By comparison, 26.6 percent thought education and our schools were the main problem, while 19.1 percent named politics/government, and 9.1 percent thought roads/traffic/highways were the major concerns.

Clearly, elected officials were wise to campaign on jobs and the economy during the elections last fall. What this poll strongly indicates is that they had better back up those campaign promises and platitudes with action and results.

The Southern Media poll asked several questions dealing with the public’s perception of job creation and the partnership between business and government.

For example, 79 percent of the voters feel that state government can take meaningful actions to reverse the loss of 30,000 manufacturing jobs during the last five years (only 10 percent had given up hope of this happening).

A strong majority of 65 percent of the respondents felt that reducing state taxes on businesses would help create new jobs, while 24 percent disagreed with that assumption. When asked whether the state could cut taxes on businesses and still have enough money to operate health care and higher education institutions, a majority of 51 percent said yes, while 33 percent said no.

The latter response is particularly interesting. Almost invariably, when polls ask questions having to do with health care concerns and education, voters show strong support for almost any actions mentioned. The fact that voters place the creation and retention of jobs on a plane even higher than those two issues indicates the depth of concern voters have about so many jobs and citizens leaving the state.

What the voters will now judge is how aggressive our elected officials are in addressing the job problem. Governor Blanco rates high in the Southern Media poll. Her favorable-to-unfavorable ratio is about six-to-one, with almost a third of the voters still reserving judgment about her. She took a step forward on the jobs front in the recent special session by successfully pushing through legislation that will eventually phase out two especia

lly onerous business taxes. But as she well knows, much more remains to be done to make Louisiana more competitive in economic development circles. One of the biggest decisions she will soon make that will impact job creation will be the person she appointments to lead Louisiana’s job recruitment efforts. For too long, Louisiana has not had a solidly credentialed and successful economic development professional handling that job. The time has come for that to happen.

The recent statewide poll shows that the public will hold our elected officials accountable for how the problem of our young adults leaving the state for employment elsewhere is addressed. The voters will not tolerate inaction or laws that would drive away even more jobs.

DAN JUNEAU is president of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry.