You don’t have to look hard to find problems here. At the recent Center for Planning Excellence Smart Growth Summit, a bevy of experts reminded us of just how bad things really are in Louisiana:
• We have among the highest poverty rates in the nation.
• We have the worst health outcomes.
• We receive the most federal disaster assistance, per capita, of any state in the country because we are the most prone to natural disasters.
• And, our state is losing the battle against rising sea levels and coastal subsidence because, sorry climate deniers, the Earth is getting hotter.
That’s why it was particularly refreshing to celebrate some legitimate wins that were recently announced for the city and the state, writes Business Report Editor Stephanie Riegel in a new opinion piece.
Some are more significant than others. Taken together, they give reason to hope that as bad as things are—and they are—good things also are happening throughout the area.
Perhaps the most significant was the Oct. 23 announcement that Pennington Biomedical Research Center has landed the top bariatric surgeon in the world, Dr. Phil Schauer, to head up a new bariatric surgery center to be operated by PBRC in partnership with Our Lady of the Lake.
One more significant win was the Nov. 13 announcement that the state, city, LSU and BREC have agreed on the broad outlines of a funding plan to restore and enhance the system of six lakes that run through City Park and LSU. For years, the shallow lakes have been neglected and they are literally dying, being depleted of oxygen and giving rise to algae blooms.
Another smaller but still noteworthy positive development was the unveiling of the Plank Road Master Plan, coupled with the announced $15 million federal grant that will help fund the bus rapid transit system around which the plan is based.
Although, in some corners of the parish there is grumbling and hostility to investing in underserved communities like Plank Road or, even, to fixing up the lakes. It’s important to see the connection that exists among all these elements and to understand that the entire community benefits when one segment does, Reigel writes.
Read Riegel’s full column for more about some of the positive steps being taken to improve Baton Rouge. Send comments to editor@business report.com.
