McNeese Budget Cuts

By Chaney Ferguson
Editor, The Times




McNeese is beginning this academic year with a 13 percent reduction in state appropriation. Last December the university’s budget received a cut of $1.9 million. The current total of the budget cut, including the one in December, comes to $5.6 million.

The university’s main concern is for students to carry on without noticing the impact of the cuts.
“We hope that students will not noticeably see an impact from the reductions. We did reductions based off what would least affect the students and classroom instruction,” said Candace Townsend, Director of Public Information and Communications at McNeese State University.

Reductions were made to the various areas that are least likely to affect students.

“Offices and non-academic areas or academic support areas will have a bigger hit to their budget than say academic departments and labs,” said Townsend.

In order to avoid layoffs and elimination of academic programs, reductions have been made to academic support areas such as operating services, supplies, equipment purchases, and student work-study jobs.

Other areas receiving reductions include non-teaching graduate assistantships, part-time instructors, funds for general maintenance, facility repairs and athletics.

“Through significant reductions to all areas of the budget, holding merit raises and 70 vacant positions, we are not eliminating any academic programs, we are not planning layoffs of full-time faculty, nor salary reductions or unpaid furloughs for support staff this year,” said McNeese President Dr. Hebert.

McNeese is focusing on its highest priority, its commitment to academics.

In order to achieve this goal, employees are taking on extra classes to cover the vacant positions. Faculty members are reducing their time for research and other scholarly activities.

“We are all having to work with less. By losing release time and working full loads, we won’t have as much time to commit to projects, but it has also allowed us to freeze merit pay and we have not had to layoff any full-time employees,” said Townsend.

Although reductions have created a strain on employees, the community is responding in a positive way by showing how important McNeese is to the area.

“Even before the budget cuts were finalized, the McNeese Foundation informed us that over their past fiscal year that there has been an increase of 34 percent in donations. Those donations are mainly for academic scholarships,” said Townsend.

A report was conducted in March by an impartial corporation out of Baton Rouge. Townsend said the results of the report confirm what many at McNeese knew to be true already.

The report states:
The University of Louisiana System by Applied Technology Research Corp. shows McNeese State University has a $335 million annual economic impact on Louisiana.

McNeese employees contribute $55 million directly to the economy while McNeese retirees spend an additional $11 million.

McNeese students spend $145 million in areas such as housing, food, entertainment, telecommunications and transportation, while visitors to McNeese events expend an additional $47 million.

Overall there is an $8 return for every $1 the state invests in higher education.
Graduates of McNeese contribute to the local workforce.

The report reveals the impact:
• Approximately one-third of the engineers working in the local petrochemical industry are McNeese graduates.
• Nearly 80 percent of all the nurses working in Lake Charles and the surrounding communities are McNeese graduates.
• School districts in the five-parish area rank among the state’s top 10 districts in high school graduation rates and more than 70 percent of the educators in the five-parish area earned a degree from McNeese.
• Nearly 70 percent of the public four-year college degrees earned by residents of Southwest Louisiana come from McNeese.
• Over the last 10 years, close to 13, 000 students have graduated from McNeese and added $640 million to Louisiana’s economy.

Governor Jindal is taking a look at higher education by forming the Tucker Commission. The commission is looking at the strengths and weaknesses of the system.

“At this time we don’t know what the impact will be. We are looking within, to our own strengths and prioritize our resources,” said Townsend.

With the next couple of years looking economically grim for higher education, Townsend says that McNeese is vigilant about cost-saving methods so they can prepare for whatever the future will bring.

Where Are They: Keeping Tabs On Sex Offenders

By Chaney Ferguson
The Times of SWLA



Sheriff Tony Mancuso said Calcasieu Parish has between 260-280 registered sex offenders.
Over the past year, a single registry database called Offender Watch has allowed the state to streamline sex offender information, reducing the problem of tracking and registering sex offenders.

“The registry is something that we always used. We had to pay for it. Now the state requires that we have that system and they actually fund it for us,” said Detective Scott Miller with the Sheriff’s Department’s Sex Offender Compliance and Awareness Program (CAP).
“We have been doing that since about ten years ago. We are ahead of the game in that area,” said Mancuso.

Miller said the registry is still a work in progress, but believes it will all work out once all the parishes get in line with the registry.

“We can look at each others sex offenders and if they move from one parish to our parish it automatically sends us an email stating that this guy is moving to our area and we need to go find him,” said Miller.

Governor Bobby Jindal said the registry is a critical step towards enforcing new laws instituted since he took office.

“By having a program that allows various law enforcement agencies to share, streamline, and enforce the sex predator registration and monitoring process, our law enforcement officials are better prepared to track down these predators and protect our children,” said Governor Jindal.
There are two ways to deal with sex offenders. First, the investigation, how law enforcement pursues the case and ultimately gets a conviction. The next stage is keeping track of them when they get out of jail.

“The legislature has changed some of the laws. They look at a sex offender differently if they are a rapist or if they are a pedophile,” said Mancuso.

There are different tiers to being a sex offender. These tiers or levels of offense determine how often the offender has to check in with law enforcement.

The first tier requires check in every year for a felony of carnal knowledge. The second tier involves molestation of a juvenile or anything involving minors. The second tier requires check in every six months.

The third tier is aggravated assault which means the assailant used a weapon during the crime. The assailant has to check in every three months and register for life as a sex offender.

“When the offender is checking in they give their phone number, place of employment, address, vehicles that they drive, any tattoos that may have changed, hair style, and picture,” said Miller.
Miller and others in CAP conduct regular compliance checks in the parish.

“We will pick an area and have every offender checked within a three month period,” said Miller.
“If they are not in compliance then he files the necessary charges with the District Attorney’s office. If they are on parole we notify their probation officer and try to get a warrant for their arrest for either probation violation or just the violation of not notifying us that they had changed addresses or locations,” said Mancuso.

Miller said a lot of the current problems are people coming from other states.
“In January of 2008, we came in line with the Adam Walsh Act and Texas hasn’t come in line with that yet,” said Miller.

The Adam Walsh Act calls for state conformity to various aspects of sex offender registration, including information that must be collected, duration of registration requirement for classifications of offenders, verification of registry information, access to and sharing of information, and penalties for failure to register as required.

“We are getting a lot of offenders coming from Texas. We aren’t being notified about it. A lot of them have absconded and come over here. We aren’t getting them until we get them on a traffic stop or something like that where we run their name and they come up as a sex offender from another state,” said Miller.

Mancuso said all states need to be on the same page.

“The Adam Walsh Act is trying to make sure that we don’t just do it in Louisiana, but we do it nationwide so we can have better tracking,” said Mancuso.

In the future, serious offenders may have to wear GPS tracking systems so law enforcement knows where they are at all times.

“That hasn’t evolved as fast as we would have liked it to,” said Mancuso.

The Sheriff’s Department website www.cpso.com has a sex offender registry.

“You can enter your address and see what sex offenders live in your area,” said Miller.
The registry provides pictures and gives a reason for conviction.

“If there is a sex offender living on your street show the picture to your child. You don’t have to explain to them what he was convicted of, just tell them he is a bad person and to stay away form him,” said Miller.

“We will go out and speak to civic organizations if there is a concern. We will meet with them and explain how the program works,” said Mancuso.

Deputy Joanne Pape works in the CAP unit promoting awareness. Pape speaks to communities and does neighborhood watch.

Miller and Pape teach some classes around the state. Mancuso said other cities use Calcasieu Parish as a model for what is going right.

“We feel like we are doing right. We are trying,” said Mancuso.

Is A Career Diploma the Answer?

By Chaney Ferguson
The Times of SWLA





A new curriculum designed to prevent high school dropouts has some people questioning if the possible solution will help or hinder Louisiana’s educational system.

Senate Bill 259 includes the new curriculum and was signed by Governor Bobby Jindal in early July.

Students who fulfill the curriculum will graduate with a “career diploma” instead of the standard academic diploma involving college-prep classes.

The Legislature’s conflict over the bill highlighted the national debate over high school graduation standards.

Advocates of the new curriculum believe it will help the struggling students prepare for community college or a career by focusing on technical training.

The opposition argues that the participating students will be shortchanged in the future since the new curriculum does not prepare them for a college education—which most future careers will require.

Legislators are not the only ones who are split on the issue.

A recent report put out by Civic Enterprises, a public policy fellows program, reveals fifty-nine percent of teachers and forty-one percent of principles believe there should be an alternate track for students who are not college bound to receive a diploma.

Louisiana will be one of the few states to offer the option of a career diploma.
In the past several years, Louisiana has raised academic standards and graduation rates simultaneously. From 2001 to 2007 graduation rates rose from sixty-one percent to sixty-six percent.

While supporters of the diploma point towards the one in three dropout rate, the diploma is not without its opponents.

A letter written in early June by Michael Cohen, president of Achieve, Kati Haycock, president of Education Trust, and Marlene Seltzer, president and CEO of Jobs for the Future, cites concerns over SB 259 and two other additional bills with common intentions.

The letter states that the creation of a new career readiness diploma as a less rigorous alternative to the Louisiana Core 4 diploma is particularly worrisome.

The letter continues to reveal potential problems that will arise due to the bill.

“In attempting to design a work readiness path for students, you may inadvertently re-create the type of tracking system that leaves many students, particularly poor and minority students, unprepared for good careers and for further education after high school.”

Cohen, Haycock, and Seltzer address the issue of the career diploma benefiting those students planning to pursue a career rather than college.

“The idea that students bound for the workplace need a lower level of education that those bound for college is a flawed premise that is not supported by research.”

“In fact, the latest research shows just the opposite: a convergence around a core set of knowledge, skills, and competencies that all high school graduates need to be prepared for the postsecondary training and education that will open doors to well-paid, family-sustaining jobs and careers.”

Despite concerns some educators believe the new option will interest students that may struggle with the standard curriculum.

“I am always supportive of any initiative that allows students with varying learning styles to achieve at their maximum potential,” said Stephanie Rodrigue, Superintendent of Cameron Parish schools.

Rodrigue states that school systems are aware of the career diploma legislation but are awaiting policy and guidance which she understands to be forthcoming.

“We are fortunate that we currently have a very minimal number of dropouts in Cameron Parish and we are addressing that by implementing a grade recovery program this school year to further decrease the probability of dropouts,” said Rodrigue.

Rodrigue remains hopeful that the career diploma will be a viable option for students who are career bound, immediately following high school, but struggle with the Carnegie credit requirements.

Roger Creel, Director of Career and Technical Education in the Calcasieu Parish School System is another local supporter of the career diploma option.

“We are hoping that it helps us with our dropout rate because there are a number of students that just get frustrated because they can’t pass the classes or the exit exams,” said Creel.
“So it is going to give us a chance to help some of them at least get that diploma and provide them with a trade or a skill,” said Creel.

Rita Mann, Superintendent of the Beauregard Parish School Board said the Beauregard Parish School System recognizes the need for students to be prepared to meet their future goals, whether earning a degree, completing technical training, or entering the job market.

“We maintain a close working relationship with McNeese State University and surrounding Career and Technical Colleges in order to provide dual enrollment credits and certifications. Student participation in these courses indicates there will be interest in the Career Diploma program,” said Mann.

Mann acknowledges that the program does require further guidance from the State Department of Education, which may result in postponing its implementation until the 2010-2011 school year.

Whether the new option will help or hinder the states dropout rate remains to be seen. The effects of the career diploma will largely depend on how school districts implement the new curriculum and how students respond.

Lake Charles Tapped As Alzheimer’s Study Site

By Chaney Ferguson
The Times of SWLA




Nearly a year ago Lake Charles was chosen as an Alzheimer’s study site. A team located in Memorial Hospital, led by Dr. Kashinath G. Yadalam, is working with volunteers (age 55 to 89) to test if a new drug, bapineuzumab, will slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s. Dr. Yadalam is a MD, a Certified Physician Investigator and Medical Director of Lake Charles Clinical Trials.
“It is important to state clearly that bapineuzumab may slow the disease process in Alzheimer’s, but whether it can help more remains to be seen” said Dr. Yadalam.

The trial lasts thirteen months with an optional follow-up treatment and it involves extensive assessment of cognitive function (memory, reasoning, judgment, etc) along with frequent MRIs of the brain. The participant and the caregiver are asked questions at each visit to assess the progress of treatment.

In 1987, Dr. Yadalam was part of a team that conducted the first drug study in Alzheimer’s. His previous research experience at the Medical College of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia is the reason why Lake Charles was chosen as a site (among many others across the country and the globe) to conduct the study.

Alzheimer’s is often misunderstood. Dr. Yadalam uses the following example to explain some of the common misconceptions involved with Alzheimer’s. “Say someone has a cough. The cause of the cough could be anything from a mild infection to even cancer. The cough alone doesn’t tell you what the disease is, it is a symptom,” said Dr. Yadalam. “Similarly, dementia is a syndrome i.e., a collection of symptoms, such as, short-term memory loss, confusion, language problem, and even aggression. Many have dementia, but not everybody who has dementia has Alzheimer’s. It is not possible to diagnose the type of dementia just by talking to the patient” said Dr. Yadalam.
There are two ways to diagnose Alzheimer’s: the definitive diagnosis is by examining a sample of brain tissue (upon death) or by doing a PET-scan. These scans are very expensive, so the physicians diagnose most often by blood tests, MRI of the brain and disease exclusion.

“The cause of this disease is not known yet but, many brain abnormalities have been identified. A prominent abnormality is the accumulation of a protein called beta-amyloid” said Dr. Yadalam. Currently, it is not known if there is an increased production of beta amyloid or if the affected brain is less efficient in eliminating this protein.

“Bapineuzumab, the compound we are testing, aims to remove amyloid from the brain thereby relieving the adverse effect it has on the brain. We will know more about its overall effectiveness once the trial has been completed at all sites and the data analyzed. Hopefully, we are getting closer to reaching our goal.” said Dr. Yadalam.

The treatment is a double-blind study, meaning that some patients receive a placebo, while others receive the drug. Neither patient nor Dr. Yadalam knows what each patient receives. This protects the study from being compromised.

Sharon Garrett, Mary Long, and Therese Novak along with other staff work with Dr. Yadalam in this study at this research facility. “Assessments, cognitive testing and dependence scales are administered to understand the extent of the disease,” said Garrett. “We also rely on caregiver questionnaires,” said Long.

“The double-blind portion of the trial lasts thirteen months. During this period they receive six intravenous infusions of bapineuzumab and undergo MRIs six times. Each visit we spend a lot of time assessing their level of functioning using various standardized rating scales and we also ask caregivers detailed questions about their observations. As you can see, we spend a lot of time with them and they are monitored very closely,” said Dr. Yadalam.

“During the course of this trial, we learned that people who have the Alzheimer’s gene require a different treatment approach than non-carriers of the gene. This distinction is not made in current clinical practice.” said Dr. Yadalam. People who are carriers of the disease receive a lower dose of the drug than non-carriers because when given an identical dose of this compound, the carriers suffer greater and more severe side effects. Dr. Yadalam identifies the carriers by conducting a genetic test. “We take a blood sample and send it for testing. If the APO-E4 gene is found then they are carriers,” said Dr. Yadalam.

Dr. Yadalam said that some patients may have side effects from the drug such as confusion and worsening of symptoms. “When the protein is removed from the brain some suffer a microscopic bleed which can be seen by MRI but most patients don’t have any symptoms.” said Dr. Yadalam. “But, microscopic bleeding is sometimes seen in patients who are not even receiving any treatment. That is why we need to conduct these studies to identify what is causing these problems,” said Dr. Yadalam.

Participation in the treatment program does not cost anything. Caregivers must be willing to bring in the patients and participate in the assessments to rate the patients. Patients and caregivers participating in the trial are reimbursed for their time and travel and transportation is provided to those who have no means.

Although there is no cure currently, hopefully this study being conducted in Lake Charles Clinical Trials will lead to future discoveries in Alzheimer’s treatment.

Is Our Water Safe?

By Chaney Ferguson
The Times of SWLA




Recently residents received a card in the mail informing them of coliforms found in the water. The information card explained the reporting period during the month of May “violated the maximum contaminate level of coliform bacteria.” The regulations are stated in the State and Federal Primary Drinking Water Regulations.

“We can have up to four samples test positive for coliform. Which is not out of the ordinary, but anything over four throws us out of compliance,” said Russell Buckels with the City of Lake Charles Water Division.

As a result of the violation the water division had thirty days to inform customers through a public notice or direct mail outs.

“This time it was unusual because when we took 20 samples in one week 10 came back positive for total coliform. We immediately re-sampled all those sites and upstream and downstream from each site so for the 10 that were positive we picked up 30 plus a house on either side,” said Buckels.

When taking samples upstream and downstream the idea is to figure out if the contamination is localized or spread out.

“It’s an additional check,” said Buckels. “So if there was contamination we may see what direction it is coming from.”

According to Buckels, all the additional samples came back negative.

The water division believes contamination occurred either at sampling out in the field or running them back in to the lab.

“We think that because all of the additional samples came back negative, but since we went over our limit the first time we had to send out a public notice,” said Buckels.

When taking a water sample Buckels says there must be a good lab procedure and sterile sample bags. Samples are not taken when the weather causes drizzling, high humidity or dew because of how the moisture can get into the sample bags.

“When we get back to the lab we are taking that sample and running it through some filter media. There can be contamination there if the glassware isn’t sterilized and lots of other possibilities,” said Buckels.

“When the samples come back positive for coliform additional tests are made to look for more harmful bacteria such as fecal coliform,” said Buckels.

Coliform is considered an indicator organism for more harmful bacteria. It is a natural bacterium in the environment.

“Coliforms are real prevalent in the environment. You have them all over your hands and they are all over my desk,” said Buckels.

Two years ago five coliforms within a month were found in the water and a notice was sent out.
“Other than that I don’t think we’ve ever had a violation like that, but we do find coliform from time to time; it’s not unheard of,” said Buckels. “We normally don’t find that many because we have chlorine in the water.”

According to Buckels most people think that since you have chlorine in the water the water is sterile, but you have organisms that can grow in the water.

“I guess the best example I can give is if you have a gallon of milk and you never open it, it goes bad. That’s because the pasteurization process uses an air range of temperature where most of the organisms grow so they pasteurize it at that temperature, but any organisms that can grow on a lower or higher temperature are still in the milk because they are not considered harmful,” said Buckels.

Those organisms grow even though the milk is never opened because it goes bad. The same thing is true of water. There are organisms out there not harmful to people but they do produce some odor complaints for the water division and coliforms are found from time to time.

“We don’t want our customers to be alarmed because everything was fine. They don’t have to boil the water or do anything. If they have a concern they can give us a call and I can explain it further and give additional information,” said Buckels.

Everyone will soon be receiving the water quality report from the water division which covers last year and states where the city gets its water.

“It is kind of ironic that I have to send out a notice like this and it is coming at the same time as our report for last year,” said Buckels.

The water division is required to test approximately eighty bacteriological samples a month to meet regulations.

If any of the additional samples test positive for harmful bacteria Buckels is required to immediately notify the public through radio and television announcements.

“I know what is going on with the water system, and I let my family drink the water. I wouldn’t do that if I thought something was wrong with it,” said Buckels.

Energizing Downtown With the New City Courthouse

By Chaney Ferguson The Times of SWLA




Downtown Lake Charles has made great strides in drawing in businesses and creating an area people want to spend time enjoying. Lori Marinovich, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority, says building the new city courthouse downtown will only bring in more foot-traffic.

“We wanted to maintain their presence in downtown Lake Charles. Some of the benefits of just having that type of activity downtown is of course that the nature of their business brings people into the downtown area,” said Marinovich.

According to Marinovich, when the city court was originally interested in the Sears Automotive site, city owned property, the DDA helped shepherd the interest in the district.

“We worked specifically with that piece of property and it helped get all the issues to the forefront. We were able to develop a cooperative development agreement which spells out the roles and responsibilities of each party as we move through this development process.”

Marinovich shares that one of the court’s strongest points made in the discussion to build a new courthouse was that many times this is the only time a visitor ever has an experience in court.
“These are usually your minor traffic violations, things like that,” says Marinovich.

According to Marinovich, current courthouse conditions are just not what people would want to put in front of the public.

“It needs some improvements especially if that is the only and the first time someone ever has a court experience. There are also some security issues with the actual environment” Marinovich said.

Recently a new option has become available for the courthouse. The parish acquired new land at 901 Lakeshore Drive. Presently the DDA and the court systems are reviewing all the needs.
Marinovich explained: “We simply asked before we made a commitment to build a whole new structure to look at our judicial needs in a more holistic view and say okay the parish has certain needs. Are they going to need to build a new structure? Can the needs of the city court be accommodated by a structure that may be vacated?”

Marinovich went on to say that they just wanted to have a period of time to explore all of those options and that is why they have the December deadline. “We will use the next several months to work with the parish and city court needs and see what we can determine in a more holistic way,” Marinovich said.

According to Marinovich the court system brings foot traffic into the downtown area.
“It brings interest because people stop and have lunch. They may stop and see the new residential components.”

Marinovich says it helps people have a good experience downtown.

The need for the new city courthouse to be located downtown also serves the local businessmen.
“We have a lot of law offices, engineers, abstracters that have business downtown. Their jobs really relate to a judicial need. So they feed and add additional people into the downtown,” says Marinovich.

The goal of the DDA is to recruit businesses and activities downtown which brings in people. Marinovich believes the courthouse is part of that process.
“It is all about growing the downtown and growing to our capacity.”

Rebuilding Cameron: One Step at a Time

By Chaney Ferguson
The Times of SWLA




In September of 2008 Hurricane Ike destroyed much of the progress Cameron had made from rebuilding after Hurricane Rita. Clifton Hebert, Emergency Preparedness Director of Cameron Parish is taking baby steps to a full recovery.

“We are just beginning to make some progress,” said Hebert. “We have made baby steps and that is what we have to take after getting hit twice in three years.”

According to Hebert the nature of the damage between the two hurricanes was the difference between wind and flood damage.

“We experienced a lot of the flooding from the surge during Ike,” said Hebert. “We had a little less wind damage, but the surge was a lot greater in the northern part of the parish than what we had for Rita.”

Even though recovery is slow the parish is beginning to see progress in the public buildings. A new school board administration office is in the process of being built, and South Cameron High School has a completed foundation with red-irons being put up.

“The east annex which will be housing the district attorney’s office and the parish assessor is well on its way up,” said Hebert. “We have several fire stations that are now in process of being built.”
Hebert says the main issue contributing to slow progress is insurance and red tape caused by being hit by two hurricanes so close together.

“We had insurance issues pertaining to Rita and now we have insurance issues pertaining to Ike,” said Hebert. “On top of all that we have the federal and state assistance. It’s really a complicated web.”

Before rebuilding can begin in some areas the issue of the D-FIRM maps has to be settled. FEMA will not pay for buildings to be built in certain areas unless certain elevations are put in place.
“The D-FIRM maps are the new digital elevation maps,” said Hebert. “What happens is it has converted 80% of our parish to a V-zone or a high-velocity zone.”

Hebert and others in the parish have protested the new maps.

“We think we have some very good scientific evidence to be able to protest it to have these things swapped and changed out a little bit because some of the data was bad input,” said Hebert.

The maps also affect residents in the parish as they rebuild their homes. According to Hebert, building with the new regulations in mind can add as much as $50,000-$100,000 to a new home.

“It’s killing our community,” said Hebert. “People are deciding to save their money and just live elsewhere.”

Stephanie Rodrigue, Superintendent of the Cameron Parish School Board lost everything during Hurricane Rita. She and her husband decided that Cameron was where they wanted to stay, and they built their home with the new elevation codes in mind.

“We are elevated above the new projected maps so we are above both elevation policies,” said Rodrigue. “We are above the D-FIRM maps.”

Elevation is not the only facet of the new home. Rodrigue’s home incorporates many hurricane-resistant aspects, such as breakaway walls, flood vents, hurricane strapping and clips.
“We have elevated heating and AC systems,” said Rodrigue, “An elevated on- demand water heater and impact resistant windows.”

According to Rodrigue they have a pre-wired generator that supports the house, and they are also awaiting an order for hurricane shutters.

“We have blown in insulation that strengthens the house as well as being energy efficient,” said Rodrigue.

Rodrigue and her husband began building March 8, 2008. The house was a six month project completed two weeks before Hurricane Ike.

“We had $12,000 worth of damage to the bottom level but the flood vents work,” said Rodrigue. “We lost our mechanical sewer system, but those are all on-ground issues and if we had been living in the house we could have moved right back in, but we hadn’t put our furniture in yet.”
Rodrigue advises others in the area to build on pilings and build as high and as strong as possible from an engineering standpoint. If this hurricane season brings an evacuation Rodrigue feels comfortable leaving assets upstairs and only taking what is irreplaceable.

“We will not have as much that we need to take because we feel that our belongings will be well-protected,” said Rodrigue.

As the next hurricane season approaches Rodrigue has confidence that her new home will be able to withstand a storm.

Hebert reminds people that each storm is different with its own characteristics. “Just because a building made it through Ike doesn’t mean it would make it through another Rita.”

Hurricane season begins June 1 and Hebert stresses the need for people to heed an evacuation.
“My main concern is human life,” said Hebert. “We can always rebuild a building, but you can’t rebuild a human life once it’s gone.”

Blueprint Louisiana: Reforming the Agenda

Chaney Ferguson
The Times of SWLA





In the spring and summer of 2007, the original agenda for Blueprint Louisiana was formed. It is a citizen-driven endeavor to pinpoint and execute necessary changes to improve Louisiana.

“Blueprint Louisiana was developed a couple of years ago, actually, the year before the last election cycle in the hopes of getting legislators to sign on to an agenda for good government ideas,” said Dennis Stine, President and CEO, Stine Lumber Co. Stine is also a member of the Blueprint Louisiana steering committee.

“The thought process is if enough signed on we would have a majority or super-majority of legislators supporting agenda ideas when they ran for office,” Stine said. “Once they got elected they would support those items.”

Stine states that in 2007, approximately 82% of the members of the State Senate and 71% of the members of the House of Representatives signed the original contract to support the Blueprint Agenda.

In addition to pursuing the original agenda, Blueprint will advocate for the “New Economy” section: Create a Knowledge-Based, Innovation-Driven Economy.

According to www.blueprintlouisiana.org, Louisiana must begin now to build and position its economy to grow and thrive in the years and decades ahead. This involves two steps.
The first step targets education: A shift to a performance-based formula to fund higher education to reward the results we need to transform our economy.

“I think in the entire state, higher education is currently funded by what they call a student credit hour system where if students enroll and they take so many credit hours the university is funded by receiving funds for how many credit hours they have in particular programs,” Stine said.

According to Stine, all universities, including McNeese, have a very low graduation rate after five or six years. A student enrolls in a particular program, but due to various reasons, does not finish that program.

“We want to create an incentive program that says let’s put the emphasis on getting people degrees and certificates so they can go make a living and support their families,” Stine said.
“What we want to do is develop a program in our state that’s a performance based funding system. It gives credit to universities for having folks that go into the higher educational system, finish programs or attain some type of degree certificate,” Stine said.

Stine thinks that although a change of that nature will have to be phased in, it will bode well for the citizens of our state.

“It’s not simply about getting the individual into college it’s about helping them finish their program,” said Stine. “It’s about success for the individual.”

The second step is: create a Louisiana Research Alliance (modeled after highly successful research alliance organizations in other states) to guide state investments to support diversification and growth of Louisiana’s economy.

The agenda states that in today’s world, economic development and postsecondary education must be directly linked.

“We are looking for centers of excellence in one of our programs and in that center of excellence we are looking for our area to be known for energy production,” said Stine. “If anyone in the state wants to be involved in the energy field of our state they would come to Southwest Louisiana to have their training.”

BlueprintLouisiana.org outlines a solution for implementing step two. The key is to efficiently use state resources to build new innovative sectors which require investments in targeted growth areas.

Specifically, Louisiana must recruit world-class researchers who will bring and attract federal research funds and talented graduate students. These researchers will develop technology that can be licensed to new and existing companies.

Finally, the state must invest in systems to move new technology from university labs into Louisiana companies.

“The second section is recommended to be a study this year enabling legislation to create that study group and monitor its progress,” Stine said.

Funding for the program will come from the state and businesses. “It’s everyone working together to create jobs in our state,” said Stine.

Blueprint Louisiana is exactly what its name says. It is a blueprint to outline incentives for the state to follow.

“I know Mayor Randy Roach talks about success in a region, and if a region can improve then the city improves,” said Stine. “The same can be said about our state. If the state can improve then each region improves.”

Stine stated that if Louisiana has good government reform then each region will be better for it, and begin to see those improvements. Blueprint Louisiana is looking to implement those reforms through the original agenda items and the two new additions. The members of the organization will push for the “New Economy” component in the upcoming legislative session.