Group pushes initiatives for state; It says time is ripe to move forward

BYLINE: From staff reports

BATON ROUGE -- The nonpartisan Council for a Better Louisiana has launched a project to push its economic development and government policy priorities during election-year debate.

The group's Quantum Change Agenda is a list of strategies and initiatives for the state, as conveyed in a group of new publications and television broadcasts.

"I think our image has been shattered in many ways because of the hurricanes," Council President Barry Erwin said of the state in the post-Katrina era. "Despite some positive efforts over the years, it hasn't been enough to change the political mind-set that has kept us at the bottom of virtually every desirable list. Louisiana needs to make a major move upward, and the window of opportunity is rapidly changing."

The group is urging political candidates to adopt these strategies. Because of term limits on lawmakers and Gov. Kathleen Blanco's decision not to seek re-election, this fall will bring a large turnover in the Legislature and a new governor -- and that spells opportunity, Erwin said.

The group, based in Baton Rouge, is proposing 21 initiatives spanning education, ethics, health care and public safety.

Among the recommendations:

-- Require Louisiana high schools to offer students career and technical programs.

-- Provide pay incentives and bonuses to principals and teachers whose students meet high-performance achievement goals.

-- Significantly increase investments in university-based research centers.

-- Bring Louisiana State University to nationally recognized flagship status among peer institutions in other states.

-- Eliminate tenure for all new hires in the Louisiana Technical College and instead offer performance-based contracts.

-- Require financial disclosure by members of the Legislature.

-- Use public-private partnerships to expand highway infrastructure and adequately support airports, ports and railroads.

-- Create tax incentives for technology companies.

-- Support policies that restructure health care delivery by putting greater emphasis on community-based care rather than institutional care through the Charity Hospital System.

-- Change the state health care system so that LSU can focus on education rather than acting the "safety net provider" for the indigent.

The agenda can be seen on the Council's Web site, www.cabl.org.