Every now and then a governor comes along who has the vision to redirect our state. In my lifetime that was Roemer, Jindal, and now Landry. These guys all shared two things in common, the foresight to understand that if we keep doing the same things over and over, we will get the same results and the political courage to swing for the fence.

Roemer and Jindal were each different characters, motivated by different things. In the end they both failed to enact change, pulled down by special interests and an inability to sway public support. In the end, the people were the big losers because these leaders were right about change, the outcomes of not altering course have been declining prosperity, outmigration, and a basket of social ills.

That brings us to the ongoing effort by Landry to change the well-entrenched tax structure that has long been an anathema to economic growth. Is his plan perfect? Of course not. It has faults, but overall, it’s a huge step to creating a more financially attractive state.

Financially attractive?  Louisiana is not an island unto itself, people and businesses do not have to come here. Businesses, and along with them people and prosperity, will only come to a state that allows them to make a profit and keep as much as possible. Simple formula.

Our history proves that point, because of poor profit potential, we are a state in decline surrounded by a sea of growth and prosperity in more aggressive states. For decades we have refused to build an economic environment conducive to prosperity, as our governors and legislators have been seduced by the alure of lobbyists and special interest. The talking points have been we have a special culture and extraordinary assets, we don’t have to do anything; protect our special interests and all will be well.

Examples abound, ITEP and other corporate giveaways, bulked up spending on social and education, tax businesses and not voters, protect the greed of trial lawyers, watch as other states benefit from our resources and transportation, run the state by political boards and commissions……. everything except ignore special interests and do what is right for a long-term healthy economy.

I have a solution, over ten years create a welcoming economic environment and simultaneously eliminate billions in corporate and social protectionism. The special interests lose, and the people win, now that’s a change worth embracing.

The first, and perhaps last, test of my vision will be whether Governor Landry finds the support to pass without substantial modification, the restructured tax plan that is the subject of the current special session. If he should join Roemer and Jindal in failure, I must question whether there is hope for the state. His failure would not whisper, it would scream, that we are willing to continue down the same path that we have been on and that we accept the negative consequences.