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The session at work

While lawmakers will be pursuing hundreds of issues during the ongoing general session, Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration will chiefly focus on workforce development. Jindal, a Republican now entering his fourth month in office, told lawmakers during the initial joint assembly there are presently 100,000 job opportunities across Louisiana, mostly in transportation, health care, manufacturing and construction.

It might sound like good news on the surface, but the governor explained that employers are struggling to fill the positions despite the state’s record-low unemployment rates. “This combination of existing job vacancies paired with a high percentage of Louisianans not entering the workforce has a name,” Jindal said. “It’s the ‘Training Gap.’ We have open jobs and willing workers. We must bring the two together.”

Continuing education is one solution, the governor added, recognizing Scott Guitreau of St. Amant among those gathered in the House on the session’s first day. After obtaining a two-year degree with state assistance, and later a bachelor’s degree in petroleum services from Nicholls State University, Guitreau now has a process technician position at Shell Chemical. “Today, Scott says, ‘I now have a career instead of just a job,’” Jindal said.

Jindal further introduced a five-point plan to address workforce development issues, including an initiative for Baton Rouge’s technical and community colleges to create in-house “centers of excellence” to focus on key industries in the region. Statewide, Jindal has dedicated $10 million to get the program rolling. “We must guarantee to Louisiana employers that if you hire someone with a degree or certificate from one of our technical colleges, they will be ready to work for you on Day One,” he said. “A ‘Day One Guarantee’ tells employers that if they hire someone who does not have the skills they need to get to work right away, we will re-train them for free.”

The governor also wants Baton Rouge’s technical and community colleges to increase the number of courses they offer to high school students. By doing so, Jindal said students would become aware of job possibilities sooner than ever.

While lawmakers are largely in control of the general session—unlike Jindal’s special sessions earlier this year—Barry Erwin, president of the Council for a Better Louisiana, a policy and advocacy nonprofit, said legislators would be wise to pay attention to the executive agenda. According to a recent CABL survey of Louisiana employers, 40% are finding it more difficult to land employees today compared to five years ago and another 47% contend the skill needs for entry-level jobs are rapidly increasing.

“We cannot grow our economy without a trained workforce,” Erwin said. “Louisiana seems to have been late coming to this realization, but fortunately it’s not too late to correct it.”

On the issue of workforce development, Jindal also wants to:

• Establish the "Louisiana Fast Start Program" to quickly respond to workforce opportunities by providing customized training and classes.

• Revamp the Department of Labor by renaming it the Louisiana Workforce Commission and appointing officials with real business experience to oversee the agency’s operations.

• Recruit and train new workers that might currently be outside of Louisiana’s workforce.

The ongoing session will stretch over 85 days total and is scheduled to end on June 23. —Jeremy Alford

Sketchy details

Does it make any sense to dress up a serious annual report with a stick-man flip book, whimsical crossword puzzles and a photo of your former CEO that’s been defaced with goofy glasses and a pointy moustache? The Baton Rouge Area Chamber thinks it does, in part because they think the busy design will make you want to read the thing.

“I was very confident going in that this book would get picked up, at least flipped through, and read,” says Lori Melancon, BRAC’s director of communications and special projects, referring to their recently released 2007 Annual Report. “I had a woman call me and say, ‘I had to put down my biscuit and call you this morning and tell you how much I loved your annual report.’ The fact that she put down her biscuit was really a compliment.”

This year, BRAC is emphasizing its goal of making Baton Rouge the “creative capital of the South,” and its annual report is another example of that creativity, she says.

Melancon oversaw the project along with Andy Gutowski, creative director of the creative services firm Object 9. This is the third consecutive year Object 9’s designers have worked on BRAC’s annual report. The concept: a designer’s sketchbook, from someone with a close connection to the chamber.

“Each year we’ve gotten progressively more progressive,” Gutowski says. “I think there’s a level of trust there.” —David Jacobs

He’s still driven

With his 93rd birthday in sight [on June 24], a spry C.J. Guillory says his secret to staying young is “w-o-r-k.”

Handling the administrative work of Gerry Lane Chevrolet’s fleet and rental departments, Guillory is about to celebrate his 50th year with the company. He enjoys his job and company owners treat him well, so he hopes to stay there as long as he can—or until they run him off.

“What do I want to stop?” he asks. “I’m healthy, and the people I work for are good people to me. I guess when the good Lord takes me, that’s when I’ll retire.”

Guillory has outlived two wives and served two tours of duty overseas for World War II. He says vehicles have gotten much better—and more expensive—and Baton Rouge has grown.

“Baton Rouge is a progressive city,” he says. “It’s going up and up.”

With his mind set on reaching his 100th birthday, Guillory offers this wisdom: ”Work, stay busy, keep your mind occupied and do the right thing. Try to help people. Go to church.” —Anna Thibodeaux

BUSINESSofPOLITICS

Directing the delegation: The traditionally loose-flying caucus of Baton Rouge lawmakers has finally become the streamlined political machine it was always meant to be. Not only does it have an official-sounding name on letterhead once again [that being the Capital Region Legislative Delegation] and a real chairman [rookie Rep. Steve Carter, a Republican], it has also hired a “point person” that will wear many hats for the newly rejuvenated team, from PR flack and lobbyist to director and assistant. Carter says all 26 members agreed on the hiring of Dawn Starns, a Baton Rouge native who previously worked for Raising Cane’s. “The members of the Capital Region Legislative Delegation are looking forward to our first session as an organized delegation and having someone like Dawn with her extensive background in the legislative arena serving as the delegation’s liaison,” Carter says. Starns also has experience working with and in the administration of former Govs. Kathleen Blanco and Mike Foster, state Treasurer John Kennedy, Louisiana Economic Development and the Jefferson Parish Delegation. “There are so many positive things happening for our state as a whole,” Starns says, “and the opportunities that exist for the Capital Region are tremendous. It is truly an exciting time.”

This horse isn’t dead: If Gov. Bobby Jindal thought the flap over the payment of his campaign finance violation was put to rest during last month’s special session on ethics reform, he’s mistaken. Rep. Jerome “Dee” Richard, an independent from Thibodaux, is pushing legislation in the regular session that would prohibit the use of campaign funds to pay fines, fees or penalties assessed in relation to a campaign finance or lobbying violation. While not aimed at the governor, Richard’s House Bill 277 will certainly dredge up a few comparisons or anecdotal references. Jindal’s campaign failed to timely report an $118,000 donation from the Louisiana Republican Party last year and Rolfe McCollister Jr., Business Report publisher and Jindal’s campaign treasurer, vowed to pay the pending fine, which could reach as high as $2,500. Such third-party payments were a focus of the special session, with many lawmakers, including Richard, successfully passing legislation to ban the practice.

Call it ULTube: It has been used to embarrass Tom Cruise and float ideas for campaign commercials. Now the University of Louisiana System’s board of supervisors is using YouTube as an electronic press release system. It has its own page set up at Youtube.com/ulsystem. There are comments on the page from all of the system’s college presidents—eight in all—on workforce issues, and further information on a new online resource for students and parents. The latter is called “College Portraits” and contains information on a variety of topics, such as cost of attendance, degree offerings and campus safety. The UL System is the first in the country to launch such a program. “The public will be able to track our progress using the new online tool,” UL System President Sally Clausen says. “The College Portraits are an important step in the UL System’s commitment to transparency.” —J.A.

What’s up?

Construction of both the II City Plaza office building and the 19th Judicial District Courthouse started in summer 2007, but the two downtown sites are at radically different stages of development.

Multiple stories of II City Plaza and its parking garage have been built, and the gray concrete structure looms over North Boulevard. Wampold Companies, which is developing the building, still touts a January 2009 opening date.

Meanwhile, the steel columns for the courthouse have just started to poke out of the ground. For months, the site was quiet, with few workers scurrying around the fenced area. The building is now scheduled to open in mid-2010, about six months after the original date.

Two things delayed courthouse construction, project architect Skipper Post says. First, some fiber optic cables had to be removed from a corner of the site. Then an underground storage tank was discovered. Some of the liquid seeped out, and the contaminated soil had to be dug out and disposed of. “That tank was probably 50 years old,” Post says. “It was beyond what people could remember.”

After the delays, workers then had to pour massive amounts of concrete to set up the foundation. In one day, 2,000 cubic yards of concrete went into the hole—enough to fill the beds of 1,000 full-size pickup trucks.

Michael Lemoine, who is serving as project manager for the II City Plaza construction, says another factor might be the difference between public and private buildings. “A major factor was our schedule. We’ve always had a completion date in mind of January 2009,” he says. “The courthouse, they have a little more time before it has to open.” —Timothy Boone

Mystery solved

Wondering what those billboards saying “Almost here 66200” around town are about?

That’s the number people can dial on their cell phones to connect to Lamar Advertising Co.’s new “third screen” or “third dimension” service, says Garth Roberts, vice president and general manager of Lamar Advertising. The service will directly link their advertisers with customers as a “third dimension” to the company’s traditional and digital billboards. For example, a real estate agent could advertise a certain house and prospects could dial in the number and get more information or set up a showing.

The service went live on Tuesday, April 1. No fooling. —A.T.

Name that chip

Zapp’s new flavor of potato chip has the strong zing of salt and vinegar, the mild heat of jalapeno, the smoothness of sour cream and onion and the sweetness of barbecue.

What the new flavor lacks, however, is a name. That’s where people who attended Zapp’s International Beerfest last month at the LSU Rural Life Museum came in.

The folks from Gramercy who claim their chip is the best in the world—according to your mama—encouraged festival-goers to name the new flavor and win something cool [“We have no idea what … but it will be something far less that you will want or expect,” says the poll form].

So what is Zapp’s founder Ron Zappe looking for in a name? “Something unique, something edgy, something descriptive,” he says.

Zappe even let us in on a secret: The new chip is based on a California flavor named for a natural disaster that occurs in the Golden State on a frequently infrequent basis and, the story goes, causes the spices to be mixed together. No, Britney Spears is not the right answer.

Whatever it’s called, the new chip is expected in stores this summer. —Scott Gremillion

ONTHEBEAT

Delta departure: Metro Airport officials received confirmation from Delta Air Lines that passenger service to Washington, D.C., will end June 4. Airport spokesman Ronnie Pickard says the air carrier is slashing point-to-point flights and focusing on service to its Atlanta hub in response to soaring fuel prices.

The blues are back: The Baton Rouge Blues Festival will return April 26 after a 15-year hiatus. The free, daylong festival will be held in Repentance Park. A number of local and regional artists will perform, including Kenny Neal, Lazy Lester and Tab Benoit.

Tax break: After April 13, Louisiana residents will no longer be working to pay off their annual tax burden, reports the Tax Foundation. While the national average is April 23—three days earlier than last year—Louisiana residents stop paying taxes earlier because so many residents fall in the lowest income tax bracket.

Better than the Internet: A study conducted by Pennington Biomedical Research Center found that personal contact with a trained weight-loss counselor was more effective in keeping pounds off than help from an Internet support group.

Pulled pork: LSU A&M and the LSU system office scored $19.1 million in noncompetitive federal grants for fiscal year 2008, ranking 12th nationally in terms of congressional earmarks they don’t have to share with other institutions, according to a study by the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Slice of Mid City: Rotolo’s Pizzeria will open its third Baton Rouge location, on Government Street near South Foster Drive, in late April or early May. Mitch Rotolo, who owns the chain, says he likes the Mid City area and thinks it will be thriving in the future.

Fall back: Arte Rouge, an event that downtown supporters hope to turn into Baton Rouge’s version of the white linen nights in New Orleans, has been delayed until Oct. 18. The event was originally scheduled for April 5, after the Southern Breeze Wine and Culinary Festival.

Richmond-bound: The Baton Rouge Area Chamber’s annual canvass trip will visit Richmond, Va. (below), from Sept. 28-30. Richmond has had success in areas such as regional economic development, transportation, higher education/research and development, downtown revitalization and public education.

Cross off Juban?

An official with Jim Wilson and Associates, the Alabama shopping mall company that was co-developing Juban Crossing says the retail/TND project in Livingston Parish is either “totally dead” or “on life support.”

Major retailers have been cutting back on the number of store openings because of the slumping economy, and getting money to build multimillion dollar shopping centers has been difficult.

Officials with Creekstone Companies, which joined with Wilson for Juban Crossing, did not return repeated phone calls. Jim Wilson and Associates developed the Mall of Louisiana, and Creekstone developed Towne Center at Cedar Lodge.

Livingston Parish President Mike Grimmer says Juban Crossing—which was to be built at Interstate 12 and Juban Road—is “still hot and still on track.” Grimmer says he and Creekstone officials met last month with some big box retailers to talk about space in the center. Grimmer says he thinks Wilson has pulled out of the deal.

Juban Crossing was announced in December 2006, and officials said construction would begin in summer 2007. The center was to include more than 1.2 million square feet of retail space and more than 1,000 homes. —T.B.

Births losing ground

If you wonder why Louisiana has as many as 100,000 jobs it can’t fill, consider what the latest Census estimates have to say. Basically, the state isn’t getting any bigger—at least not the natural way. Statistics out today indicate the birth-to-death ratio dropped significantly in most of the state’s urban areas in a single year. According to population estimates for 2007, Baton Rouge is down to 1.71 births for every death, compared to a previous seven-year ratio of 1.78 births for every death.

The most dramatic decline occurred in Lafayette, where the rate is down to 1.86 from 2.38. New Orleans now is practically at a break-even point, which means any population gains must come largely from people moving in. Lake Charles and Monroe are down slightly but still low; respectively, there are 1.48 and 1.56 deaths for every birth. Shreveport and Alexandria experienced negligible gains, to 1.50 and 1.39, respectively.

The birth rate for the nation as a whole is 1.69, and for Louisiana, 1.52. Elsewhere in the South, Georgia is at 2.09 and Mississippi, 1.88. Meanwhile, Utah weighs in at 3.86. —Penny Brown