Few people would be surprised to hear about a governor who spends a lot of time on the phone. Most states' chief executives spend countless hours tackling last minute emergencies, coordinating with agency heads, and negotiating with legislators. But Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco has added yet another group to her speed dial: CEOs.
Blanco takes times each week to speak with representatives from at least a dozen companies -- some already do business in the state, others are prospects; some are large multinationals, others are small entrepreneurial efforts. Regardless of their current status, Blanco's philosophy remains the same: a state that welcomes businesses, values their presence, and creates the conditions for them to prosper, also creates jobs for its citizens and significant economic growth within its borders.
Blanco took office last January. In her inaugural address she announced, "Louisiana is ready to do business!" And to those potential business partners, she said, "you are a treasured asset to this state. We will work tirelessly to make you successful. Our success depends on your success."
Now, just a year into her first term, she is making good on her promise to ensure that Louisiana is competitive, not only in the traditional sectors of manufacturing and agriculture but within an ever-changing knowledge-based economy. Last month, for example, Blanco announced that the state would invest $40 million in the Louisiana Optical Networking Initiative (LONI) over the next 10 years. The program links Louisiana scientific and technology research organizations to each other and to a vast national fiber optic network known as LambdaRail. The newly implemented networks will allow information to flow within the state 1000 times faster than it currently does.
"LONI will put Louisiana on the cutting edge of modern research and it will prepare us for future academic challenges and the demands of the knowledge economy," Blanco said. "The benefits don't stop with stronger universities and better-equipped researchers," she continued. Encouraging research is important because it creates high-skill, high-paying jobs, both in the institutions conducting the research and potentially in the broader economy as industries benefit from new innovations. As early as next spring eight universities will be able to link into the system.
The success with LONI is just one of Blanco's many recent accomplishments, all of which recognize that -- whether through education reform, improved health care services, or innovative research and development programs -- brainpower and quality of life, mean economic growth.
Blanco and the state legislature recently supported continued funding for early childhood education and Pre-K programs, for example. And at a recent Governor's Health Care Summit, Blanco made enrolling eligible children in the state's children's health Insurance program a top priority -- today 10,000 more Louisiana kids are covered. Meanwhile, a new Louisiana Emergency Response Network organizes a chaotic system of trauma care so that hospitals and experts may better communicate and share information about patient needs.
Finally, Blanco has worked hard to streamline government services and establish stiffer rules for state officials, hoping to both reduce waste and rid Louisiana of its long-standing reputation for lackadaisical enforcement of ethics laws. The reforms have already made the state much more appealing to companies and investors considering business in Louisiana. At the same time, Blanco's cabinet has established measurable goals for performance, cost savings, and constituent satisfaction in order to hone the budgeting process, prevent shortfalls, and improve government services.
According to Blanco, each element of her comprehensive agenda works toward reform and promises results. Each success relies on good policy, well-defined priorities, and a governor who is eager to pick up the phone.
