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A Better SWLA: Timber investment

It’s an industry that helped build Louisiana and it remains a major economic driver.

The timber business has seen its ups and downs in Southwest Louisiana, but it is a survivor.

That's been made evident in a huge investment by Boise Inc. at its DeRidder mill.

Boise will invest $111 million to reconfigure a former newsprint machine to allow the company to make lightweight linerboard and corrugated material – key components of packaging.

Company officials say 440 existing jobs will be retained with 54 new direct jobs created.

The project will also result in 222 new indirect jobs for a total of more than 275 positions plus hundreds of construction jobs.

DeRidder Mayor Ron Roberts called the investment “a major contribution to the economic revival that is taking place in Southwest Louisiana.”

According to the Louisiana Forestry Association, trees are Louisiana’s number one crop with an annual impact of over $3 billion.

In Southwest Louisiana, we have inherited this renewable resource and it is our responsibility to safeguard it. We are pleased to see Boise continue to be part of that process.

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   Do you have a comment or reply to this commentary?  Please post it on KPLC's A Better SWLA Facebook page or send it to jserra@kplctv.com.    

What's on your mind?  Friend Jim Serra on Facebook at Jim Serra Kplc and join in the behind-the-scenes conversation as together we create A Better Southwest Louisiana!

A Better SWLA: Science Education

When it comes to science education, Louisiana remains stuck in the dumb kid row.

A third attempt to repeal the state's ill-advised Science Education Act has failed, but at least this time it failed in a Senate committee by the slimmest margin yet.

Opponents say the law's supplemental materials allowance allows teachers to question proven science on the basis of religious ideology.  Now that may sound great, as long as the religion in question is the one you subscribe to.  But it's an awful way to teach science, and an even worse way to address matters of faith.

One committee member from our region voted against the repeal.  Senator Elbert Guillory of Opelousas testified on behalf of the Science Act after his experience with a spiritual healer.  In his words, "If I closed my mind when I saw this man, in the dust, throwing some bones on the ground, semi-clothed...I would have shut off a very good experience for myself."

Now Senator Guillory is welcome to his faith healing experience, but to use it as a basis of science education in our state is unconscionable.

Southwest Louisiana is on the leading edge of an unprecedented economic boom, all of it based on hard science, not alternate theories.  Louisiana's Science Education Act, championed by Governor Jindal, is an act of politics that remains at best a global embarrassment, and at worst the greatest educational threat to our children and grandchildren.

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   Do you have a comment or reply to this commentary?  Please post it on KPLC's A Better SWLA Facebook page or send it to jserra@kplctv.com.    

What's on your mind?  Friend Jim Serra on Facebook at Jim Serra Kplc and join in the behind-the-scenes conversation as together we create A Better Southwest Louisiana!

A Better SWLA: Retire in Louisiana

For years Louisiana wound up at the bottom of so many good lists and at the top of so many bad lists.  We've noticed that trend really changing, so I want to make sure you know when we land  at the top of still another good list.

Bankrate.com is a popular website which deals with personal finance and lifestyle.  It currently features a list of the best places and the worst places in America to retire.  Worst?  Nice places like California, Oregon, and Washington.  Best?  Well, Tennessee was ranked the number one place in America to retire and Louisiana was right behind it in the number two slot.  Fort the record, Florida and Texas didn't even make the top 10.

They cited our great food, music, culture and entertainment, of course.  Plus balmy weather and relatively low taxes.  They did ding us on our crime rate, which relates mostly to the New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Shreveport areas.

So, want a great retirement?  Stay put, hug your neighbors, count your blessings.  And if you want to enjoy the splendors of Florida and California, take a little road trip.  Then come home to America's very best place to retire; our very own better Southwest Louisiana.

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   Do you have a comment or reply to this commentary?  Please post it on KPLC's A Better SWLA Facebook page or send it to jserra@kplctv.com.    

What's on your mind?  Friend Jim Serra on Facebook at Jim Serra Kplc and join in the behind-the-scenes conversation as together we create A Better Southwest Louisiana!

A Better SWLA: Marshall Simien

The thing about politics is it's a knife that cuts both ways.

After two terms on the Lake Charles City Council, Marshall Simien will relinquish his seat to Mary Morris following a tough and much-watched showdown in District A.

We congratulate Ms. Morris on her victory.  We also think it's appropriate to recognize the immense contributions of Mr. Simien to his district and the entire City of Lake Charles over the last eight years.

Marshall Simien was a primary force in responding to the onslaught of Hurricane Rita in 2005 and in helping lead the renaissance of the city, and particularly North Lake Charles, in the years since.

Riverfront Park stands as just one of his legacies as councilman.  It simply would not exist without the dedication and persistence of Marshall Simien.  That same persistence and dedication to his constituency got him crosswise with some special interest groups during his two terms, which no doubt contributed to some organized opposition to his re-election.

It's our opinion that he should wear that as a badge of honor.  We suspect we haven't seen the last of the visionary Mr. Simien in the public arena.  God doesn't close a door without opening a window, or in Marshall Simien's case, a larger door.

In the meantime, we look forward to a smooth transition to Mary Morris' term on the Council.  We are hopeful she will provide responsive and progressive leadership to her district and the City over the next four years.

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   Do you have a comment or reply to this commentary?  Please post it on KPLC's A Better SWLA Facebook page or send it to jserra@kplctv.com.    

What's on your mind?  Friend Jim Serra on Facebook at Jim Serra Kplc and join in the behind-the-scenes conversation as together we create A Better Southwest Louisiana!

A Better SWLA: Flood Insurance

The National Flood Insurance Program is undergoing some big changes that could severely impact thousands here in south Louisiana. For decades, federal subsidies have made it possible for people living in high-risk areas to obtain relatively affordable flood insurance.

An act passed by Congress will change that starting next year. The goal is to make the program self-sustaining since it is now nearly $27 billion in debt, largely thanks to hurricanes like Rita and Ike. In some cases, residents could see their flood insurance go up by thousands and thousands of dollars.

These are people who built homes based on required elevation in FEMA maps. But, hurricanes, coastal erosion, levee failures and levee placements have changed the risks. Some of these changes were caused by government action or inaction.

We urge Congress to delay the new flood insurance plan and work with south Louisiana officials to look for better ways to transition the program. It hardly seems fair to those who played by the rules building homes with the promise of affordable insurance to hastily make what could be a life-altering change.
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   Do you have a comment or reply to this commentary?  Please post it on KPLC's A Better SWLA Facebook page or send it to jserra@kplctv.com.    

What's on your mind?  Friend Jim Serra on Facebook at Jim Serra Kplc and join in the behind-the-scenes conversation as together we create A Better Southwest Louisiana!

A Better SWLA: A lesson from Cedric

Sometimes, no matter how well you planned, things just don't go the way you want them to.

And if you're the meteorologist working the Sunday night shift on a local TV station and all your computers crash just minutes before your weathercast, you find yourself put to the test.

Those of you watching 7News at 10 Sunday night saw our own meteorologist Cedric Haynes in exactly that circumstance.  There were lots of options.  He could have asked to have his segment pushed further down in the newscast in hopes that our quickly-responding chief engineer could get the computers up and running.  He could have cussed a blue streak like that young anchor wannabe up in North Dakota.

But Cedric did neither.  What he did was rise to the occasion with grace, creativity, professionalism and good humor.  He scribbled out graphics on some paper, held them up to the camera, and, cool as a cucumber, did one of the best weathercasts we've ever seen.

A video of the moment shot by one of our loyal viewers is going viral, and Cedric is getting high-fives from across Southwest Louisiana and the entire country.

He deserves them.  We hope our StormTeam never has to deal with an ill-timed, malfunctioning computer again, but anyone who deals with computers knows that given enough time, every computer will misbehave.

And in an age when our culture celebrates people who exhibit bad behavior, I want to capture the moment and celebrate the good example Cedric set Sunday night.  He showed us all how to do it right when things go wrong.  I'm proud that he's on our KPLC team, and helping us forecast a sunnier, brighter and better Southwest Louisiana.

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   Do you have a comment or reply to this commentary?  Please post it on KPLC's A Better SWLA Facebook page or send it to jserra@kplctv.com.    

What's on your mind?  Friend Jim Serra on Facebook at Jim Serra Kplc and join in the behind-the-scenes conversation as together we create A Better Southwest Louisiana!

A Better SWLA: Satellite Gap

It's amazing to me how accurate weather forecasting has become.

Three-day hurricane forecasts that were off by an average of 300 miles in 1990 were only off by 100 miles in 2010, a dramatic improvement in just 20 years.  Those of us who live on the southern coast can attribute saved lives to that achievement.

Much of the improvement can be attributed to critical data gathered by weather satellites.

However, a recent report by the Government Accountability Office detailed a potential upcoming gap in weather satellite coverage. Mismanagement, overspending  and poor planning have led to the likelihood of a gap in satellite data as soon as next year.  And the report says the gap could last more than four years if nothing is done to address the problem.

We urge our lawmakers and government officials to find a quick and sufficient solution to this looming threat.  Life-saving hurricane forecasts rely heavily on a comprehensive, dependable network of weather satellites and are critical to the future of a better Southwest Louisiana.
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   Do you have a comment or reply to this commentary?  Please post it on KPLC's A Better SWLA Facebook page or send it to jserra@kplctv.com.    

What's on your mind?  Friend Jim Serra on Facebook at Jim Serra Kplc and join in the behind-the-scenes conversation as together we create A Better Southwest Louisiana!

A Better SWLA: Lessons from Boston & West

We are grateful the tragedies in Boston and West, Texas are over, but we mourn those who were killed or injured.

As those places struggle to return to normal, we ask what lessons might be learned for Southwest Louisiana.

From West, we learn that those of us who live in the shadow of potentially dangerous heavy industries must never become complacent as to our community's safety.  The chemical plant in West was deemed safe, with a worst case scenario far milder than what actually occurred.  Plant personnel here have historically done a great job, but industry officials are reminded to never put public relations ahead of the safety of those who work and live in their vicinity.

Boston taught us several lessons.  First, it's critical to always maintain vigilance when crowds gather.  Had a random knapsack been left alone in Europe, somebody would have noticed.

Second, as offensive as public surveillance cameras might be to some, they allowed law enforcement to catch the bad guys.  Now Boston police are examining ways to better network all surveillance video cameras as is done in New York, Dallas and other cities.  With our heavy industries, casinos and public areas, Southwest Louisiana is not too small to consider doing the same.

And finally, whatever your stance on the issue of private ownership of guns, having a dangerous suspect on the loose in Boston reminds us of the importance of the Second Amendment.  Citizens must preserve their right to bear arms to protect life, limb and property when it is necessary.

We hope tragedies such as those in Boston and Texas don't happen here, but it's better to prepare now rather than scramble for answers later.

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   Do you have a comment or reply to this commentary?  Please post it on KPLC's A Better SWLA Facebook page or send it to jserra@kplctv.com.    

What's on your mind?  Friend Jim Serra on Facebook at Jim Serra Kplc and join in the behind-the-scenes conversation as together we create A Better Southwest Louisiana!

 

A Better SWLA: Pulitzer Prize

The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction is easily the most prestigious book prize in the United States.

Except when it isn't.

In 2012, the Pulitzer judges didn't bestow a fiction prize, so this year there was extra attention paid to whom might take the honors.

That it would be a McNeese Masters of Fine Arts alumnus is a breathtaking honor for Lake Charles.

That two McNeese MFA's would win the award so close to one another is astounding; the literary equivalent of pulling five "7's" on a slot machine.  Add Tony Kushner's Pulitzer for drama to Robert Olen  Butler's and now Adam Johnson's prizes for fiction, and Lake Charles finds itself squarely on the world's literary & performing arts map.

It's not luck.  These are uniquely talented writers who have made significant contributions to literature and drama and whose view of the world has been shaped in part by living in Southwest Louisiana.  In the process they have brought honor and prestige to our city and university.

Words matter.  The arts matter.  They are part of the fabric of our region.  Three Pulitzer Prizes stand as a point of great pride and a reminder of what makes life worth living in a better Southwest Louisiana.

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   Do you have a comment or reply to this commentary?  Please post it on KPLC's A Better SWLA Facebook page or send it to jserra@kplctv.com.    

What's on your mind?  Friend Jim Serra on Facebook at Jim Serra Kplc and join in the behind-the-scenes conversation as together we create A Better Southwest Louisiana!

A Better SWLA: Follow the Money

Governor Jindal's Tax Swap plan has been mercifully taken off life support.  It got little traction, the governor failing to convince legislators and voters that its pitfalls would actually outweigh any benefits.  Floating a set of numbers that did not add up didn't help his case either.

But that didn't stop an organization called "Believe in Louisiana" from spending a lot of money to promote Mr. Jindal's tax proposal.  Full disclosure, the organization ran paid ads on KPLC along with many other media outlets.

My friend Pierre at Lagniappe Magazine points out that one of the organizations which ponied up money to fund "Believe in Louisiana's" ad campaign supporting the governor's tax overhaul was Advocates for School Choice, donating 225-thousand dollars to the cause.  Why?  Well, consider this.  They are part of Washington D.C. - based Alliance for School Choice, the largest organization in the U.S. advocating school choice programs.

Draw your own conclusions.

We'd like to think that the decisions made in Baton Rouge are considered independently based solely on what's best for Louisianians.  But when moneyed out-of-state advocates for one cause significantly underwrite an elected official's other pet cause, credibility and the perception of ethics go out the window.

The subject of tax reforms will resurface.  When it does we urge the state's lawmakers to maintain their diligence and ensure that only our state's best interests are part of the dialogue.

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   Do you have a comment or reply to this commentary?  Please post it on KPLC's A Better SWLA Facebook page or send it to jserra@kplctv.com.    

What's on your mind?  Friend Jim Serra on Facebook at Jim Serra Kplc and join in the behind-the-scenes conversation as together we create A Better Southwest Louisiana!