Businesses leaving Canal Street. The 6th highest outmigration of citizens in the nation. Tic, tic, tic…. the slow unwinding of Louisiana’s and New Orleans’ economies continue unabated.

The big picture, NOLA has no more major bank headquarters, the state has done nothing to replace its once booming, now in decline oil/gas extraction industry, Louisiana is the still the only state without a major auto manufacturing sector, the City and state refuse to address fundamental education, economic and quality of life issues that would at least start us on the road to growth and prosperity.

Even as the Governor and City leaders brag about all their accomplishments (?) and our great culture the spiral of decline goes on and on. Perhaps a culture of ignorance, poverty, poor opportunities, social ills, and fun times for tourists is as high as their vision takes them. Perhaps it a culture that keeps them elected to office. No matter, the population decline in the city and state tell us that the people we most want to attract are seeing their future somewhere else and are voting with their feet.

My political philosophy is as simple as a few principles…

• The rising tide lifts all boats
• Prosperity producing jobs go where business has an expectation of making and keeping profits
• Compared to so many booming southern states, Louisiana has the most assets and the least return on its assets.
• A city or state only offers opportunity for its citizens when there is an economic reason for it to do so, even to exist
• A government is a business, the people’s business, and must be run as such, it is not a transfer portal
• All children can learn, but we must have a system that sets high standards and is narrowly focused on results, not just a comfortable system for grow ups.
• Decades of populist and liberal social and political policies and practices have failed us. The family is the basis for social stability and policies must underpin the family structure.

I know, I said a few simple principles and these ae not. But let’s face it, under liberal governance New Orleans has been in social and economic decline since at least the late 1970’s and under populist governance the state has never lived up to its potential. It has taken us generations to become the laughingstock of the New South, but we are just that, a place people come to party and then to return home from.

New Orleans after Katrina had a once-in-many-lifetimes chance to rebuild itself and instead it opted for mediocrity. Louisiana has watched for a hundred years as its mineral wealth was frittered away on populist giveaways and outright corruption.

My New Year’s hope is that in the elections ahead we will find leaders who possess the political courage and vision to adopt my simple principles. Principles that would redirect the City and state onto a path that offers great things for our people.

My New Year’s fear is that we will be offered nothing other than more of the same political pandering, resulting in the same insane outcomes.