Louisiana loses population in 2017 (New Orleans, Baton Rouge: crime rate, credit, purchasing)

[cBach]

Seems Lafayette and Houma were biggest losers (oil patch). Lake Charles is booming with the LNG constructions.

Census estimate: Louisiana among 8 states to see population drop last year | State Politics | theadvocate.com

[hdwell]

Apparently so. The saddest thing is that nobody seems to care.

We will continue to lose population, lose representation in congress, lose any needed money for projects and so on.

[cBach]

Originally Posted by hdwell

Apparently so. The saddest thing is that nobody seems to care.

We will continue to lose population, lose representation in congress, lose any needed money for projects and so on.

We lost a seat in 2010 and may lose another seat in 2020.

What I find perplexing is that Louisiana has just about the same natural resources as SE TX, yet it isn't booming.

Why is Houston growing so gangbusters but Louisiana isn't? We are both based on the same industry: oil.

Even Lafayette is not doing well. Lake Charles is basically the only successful city right now.

[cj0065]

Texas has a more diverse economy and several major cities that can pick up the slack. Louisiana is trying to diversify its economy but it is going to take some time as the biggest problem are the people who don’t want change. They don’t wanna pay for education, transportation or medical care. Everything is cut cut cut. No investments in the kinda talent and areas that are going to be the future. Young people will continue to leave the state for better opportunities. I had hopes that this state would get it together but sadly slow to change. People won’t even give the governor credit for taking bold steps to cure the financial situation of this state because of the partisan climate and group think.

Just sad. Thank God for Mississippi or we would be at the bottom of everything.

[hdwell]

I had hopes too, CJ, but they are all but gone. I can't understand how the citizens of La can approve of this way of life.

The people who run this state are the good old boy network (thugs) who will come after those trying to raise too much stink about something.

I can't leave or I would. Texas, maybe the Southeast, but I would have to go it on my own. My wife won't go anywhere.

[cBach]

It's really sad. Louisiana bet the farm on the oil industry and then in the mid 80's when the bottom fell out of that, they bet on casino gambling and tourism.

Now the only towns that can succeed are the ones that have both those industries expanding.

Lafayette/Houma missed out on the casino riverboats and they are tied to offshore drilling which is no longer profitable.

Lake Charles is tied to refining and now they took a gamble on LNG which is paying dividends nicely. They also have the strongest casino tourism sector in the state.

Baton Rouge is also doing okay with the state government and some petro expansions. Unfortunately since they are somewhat in the middle of the state, casino gambling isn't as lucrative there.

Shreveport is dying a slow death, casinos are losing out to Oklahoma casinos for the DFW area.

New Orleans is New Orleans and will always have a very strong tourism industry and there are some LNG expansions in Plaquemines Parish. The problem is the high crime rate & poor infrastructure.

[Phil75230]

I'm afraid that with high tech, LA is better off trying to grow its own. I doubt Google or Microsoft will locate a branch office anywhere near the state (unless you call Atlanta and the Big Texas Cities 'near'). High-level techies want to be near lots of amenities and are willing to sacrifice purchasing power of their paychecks to get them. It's not fair, but that's the way it is. If that's the case, then if Louisiana has one card left to play, then it's the New Orleans area.

Play up the music and literary scenes, and keep a lid on the most pointless of boneheaded legislation about "morality" (techies tend to have a very strong libertarian streak). Have more consistent education funding. You don't get great education quality without more funding - especially at the university level.

Worse, even in the best of circumstances, governments can do only so much to make an area attractive. Amenities do help, of course but even that isn't enough - as evidenced by New Orleans' condition for a couple of generations now. Techies disproportionately want an intellectual stimulating population, meaning lots of people who can get into quiz bowls as much as Super Bowls, and astronomy club "Star Parties" at least as much as keg parties, barbecues, and crawfish boils. Enthusiasm about both matters signals a culture that appreciates the deep, genuine personality that the high or even mid-level tech workers tend to have. It'll make the state much more attractive to people that LA is trying to attract and retain. Retain is a big one. Before a locale can hope to attract people from out of state, it has to learn how to retain its own homegrown talent.

[DeanGuitarist]

With corrupt politicians, good ol boy syndromes in cities and parishes, the raising of many taxes that the governor said he WOULDN'T do, I see why people are leaving. Rising costs, low wages, quite sure people (like my family) are willing to move elsewhere for higher wages, to meet a higher cost of living.

I know that after we sell our place, we're moving out and not looking back. This state screwed us over long enough.

Oh and this state sure has draconian laws that needs to be updated or thrown out. Louisiana needs to step into the 21st century and learn to move forward.

[Lizap]

Originally Posted by cj0065

Texas has a more diverse economy and several major cities that can pick up the slack. Louisiana is trying to diversify its economy but it is going to take some time as the biggest problem are the people who don’t want change. They don’t wanna pay for education, transportation or medical care. Everything is cut cut cut. No investments in the kinda talent and areas that are going to be the future. Young people will continue to leave the state for better opportunities. I had hopes that this state would get it together but sadly slow to change. People won’t even give the governor credit for taking bold steps to cure the financial situation of this state because of the partisan climate and group think.

Just sad. Thank God for Mississippi or we would be at the bottom of everything.

I agree 100!!!!

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

If Louisiana was the 1st Southern state to legalize pot, with no competition from neighboring states, I bet they would get a heck of alot more out of state visitors than the casinos bring to Lake Charles and Shreveport. Especially from Texas.