Is this man worth $320,000 a year?

There’s a story in Friday’s Baton Rouge newspaper, which outlines the state’s economic development plan. See story here.

I found some of the items in plan interesting, but mostly amusing.

According to LED Secretary Stephen Moret here is his 7-step (really 4 steps) plan:

STEP ONE
[I]ncreasing economic competitiveness by spending money to improve roads and to develop a work force that would make Louisiana a “magnet for business.”

Translation: We must spend more of our money to make more money.

Suggestion: Try reducing state spending to reflect our smaller population and to be more in line with comparable size states. That would free-up money for roads and workforce development and would result in significant tax reductions for all existing businesses.

STEP TWO
[I]ncreasing community competitiveness by encouraging more parishes to create economic development agencies….

Translation: Create more bureaucracies that the state must fund. (See list of NGOs and local spending in the State Operating and Capital Budgets.)

Suggestion: The last thing we need is the parishes fighting amongst themselves for economic development. We need the state to compete against other states to keep the businesses we have and to recruit more. That is LED’s job. Abolish all local development agencies and put LED to work. The money saved could be used to lower state and local taxes on existing businesses.

STEP THREE
[C]reating “target investment opportunities” in certain existing businesses and military operations, Louisiana could create thousands of jobs.

Translation: Provide special tax breaks for business that aren’t in LA at the expense of businesses who are in LA.

Suggestion: Why bring in more businesses when we have jobs that we can’t fill now because of the lack of a skilled workforce. More jobs for new businesses will only make it more difficult for existing businesses to survive. Create a pool of skilled works to fill the jobs we already have that are going unfilled. Additionally, reduce the taxes on existing businesses instead of those that don’t even exist.

STEP FOUR
Aiding businesses already operating in the state would create more jobs than gaining new businesses….

Translation: None needed.

Suggestion: Make this Step One. See comments above.

STEP FIVE
[B]usiness recruitment is not to be overlooked….

Translation: Say what?

Suggestion: Re-read Steps 1,2, and 3. This is redundant. Stop with the bureaucratic double-talk.

STEP SIX
“[C]ultivation of small-business opportunities. Most growth will come from small businesses,” he said, if Louisiana can reduce the amount of red tape that plagues small businesses.

Translation: The government that I work for is making it too difficult to do business in LA.

Suggestion: This is redundant with Step 4. Cut the crap and insert make this a part of Step 1.

STEP SEVEN
[I]mproving the state’s image.

Translation: Convince businesses that aren’t in LA that the state isn’t as bad as the businesses in LA believe it is.

Suggestion: Moret needs to talk to his boss. Bobby Jindal already did this. Bobby said it was Step 1. See our “gold standard of ethics” from the 1st Special Session of 2008.

The above 7,5,4 or whatever step plan is what one gets from the top-paid economic development government bureaucrat in America!

You can’t make this stuff up, folks.

C.B.