Bank to bank: State transportation officials say the suspension of bridge tolls at the Crescent City Connection in New Orleans means pink slips for 31 temporary workers hired pending the outcome of a contested November referendum. The Department of Transportation and Development, which runs the bridge, says the layoffs will take effect Friday. The department ceased taking tolls Tuesday following state District Judge William Morvant’s decision nullifying the results of the Nov. 6 election in which voters extended the bridge tolls for 20 years. Morvant, of Baton Rouge, ordered a new election for May 4.
At the register: Retailers are reporting modest sales gains for February as consumers, uninspired by cool weather and worried about the economy, shopped cautiously for spring merchandise. Overall, retailers report revenue at stores open at least a year—a key indicator of retail health—rose an average of 1.7%, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers. It is a sharp slowdown from the 4.5% pace in January, when shoppers splurged on holiday clearances. Economists closely monitor consumer spending because it accounts for more than 70% of economic activity.
Help wanted: After spending years searching for enough crude to pump, the U.S. oil and natural gas industry now is struggling to find and pay for enough skilled workers to tap the abundant supply in shale rock—putting $100 billion in planned petrochemical projects at risk, Bloomberg reports. The need is most acute at the newest chemical, refining and export complexes responsible for the shale-drilling renaissance that has given U.S. companies the competitive advantage of low gas prices. Read the full story here.
Today’s poll question: Do you think it’s important for Gov. Bobby Jindal to visit the site of the Bayou Corne sinkhole and speak with those affected by it?
