Editor’s Note: A guest post from Daniel Erspamer, who was named yesterday as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Pelican Institute, Louisiana’s conservative policy think-tank.

Louisiana stands at an intersection, and the decision we make today about which direction to turn will affect us for a generation or more.

Will we choose better jobs, more opportunity, and a quality life for our children? Or will we erect barriers to progress by raising taxes, over-regulating jobs, and feeding an ever-growing bureaucracy?

It’s time for a change. And as mundane as it sounds, changing our state’s convoluted budget process is an essential next step to long-term success.

To this end, I’m pleased to serve as the new CEO of the Pelican Institute for Public Policy, and to carrying on the legacy and vision of my friend and the Institute’s founder, the late Kevin Kane. When Kevin founded the Pelican Institute in 2008, his vision was to unleash opportunity for every citizen of Louisiana by removing government barriers and ensuring access to quality education and jobs. It’s an honor to carry on Kevin’s vision and serve his legacy in the coming years.

The solutions to our challenges lie in the people, culture, and natural resources native to our state. In other words, it’s that special Louisiana quality of life that we must steward and improve for future generations.

It’ll take the efforts of citizens from every corner to turn our fortunes around. But we can do it. The Pelican Institute will be the voice for workers and taxpayers and citizens who believe in a brighter future, who believe that free enterprise is the best pathway to creating jobs and opportunity, who believe that we deserve the best schools and educational opportunities for every child.

I invite you to join our movement by following us on Facebook and Twitter, and signing up at www.pelicaninstitute.org. Together, we can create a brighter future for this state we love.