How to fix Baton Rouge
To the publisher:
Once again, the leadership of our fair city and a cacophony of well-meaning voices say we need to increase our tax burden to try the latest trick to spur growth and prosperity for our community [“Publisher’s View,” Nov. 3]. This is yet another Trojan horse, much like the millage we passed for BREC. No matter how wonderful our parks or downtown become, we are limited on growth by two things: schools and lack of an interstate loop. Time and again while discussing the labor situation with hiring managers in this region, the problems we face in attracting well-qualified, educated employees is an unwillingness to come to Louisiana. And when you ask prospective employees why they won’t come to Louisiana, the reason they give is not the lack of a nice downtown or the lack of good roads or the lack of a really nice park system [which we do have]; it’s the lack of good schools. Period. Do you really want Louisiana in general and the Capital Region specifically to bloom? Fix the schools.
The other elephant in the room nobody wants to fix but everybody wants to complain about is the interstate system. Two drops of rain fall from the sky, and it takes an extra 25 minutes to make my 13-mile commute. The governor needs to draw a circle on the map of Baton Rouge with a 20-mile radius from the new bridge and build a loop. The bickering between the various parish presidents will never end. The fighting and rancor which could have been avoided by proper leadership and vision in the 1970s is here and will not stop till an executive decision is made and the loop is built. Nearly everyone agrees we need it. The problem is we can’t agree to where it belongs. The governor needs to cut through all the special interests and back-room deals and build a proper loop that is well outside the existing boundaries of the metro area.
Nothing is more important than these two issues for the Greater Baton Rouge community. Everything else that detracts from their primacy needs to be sidelined until they are addressed. Mayor Kip Holden’s plan doesn’t address them.
Joel Vantimmeren, Baton Rouge
Bonding
To the editor:
I feel that we have a unique opportunity in voting “yes” on Nov. 14 to the bond proposal to make Baton Rouge a city we can all be proud of in many areas [“Random Thoughts,” Nov. 3] But we need to look at the big picture instead of focusing on monetary cost.
While many cities are struggling to survive and are even declaring bankruptcy, we have the chance to improve our infrastructure as well as construct an educational entertainment facility that will draw thousands and thousands of visitors who will pour money into our economy and, in effect, help pay for the expenses of the infrastructure improvements. We need to begin thinking of Baton Rouge as a big city with big-city potential instead of being satisfied with the status quo.
As a parent with grown children, I would like Baton Rouge to be a place they would be proud to live in and stay in, rather than losing them to cities such as Houston and Dallas.
Stephanie Triche, Baton Rouge
To the editor:
The column comparing Alive to the hiring of former LSU football coach Nick Saban is the most compelling reason I have seen to vote for the Alive project.
Former Chancellor Mark Emmert’s foresight to hire Saban forever changed LSU, Baton Rouge and Louisiana for the better.
Rex C. Bowden Sr., Baton Rouge
