Governor's mansion in Baton Rouge
Governor Edwards and Congressman Ralph Abraham painted two very different pictures of the current status of state at the Louisiana Municipal Association convention in Monroe. Edwards touted his hard work in pulling the state out of its largest budget deficit and an economy that was deep in the ditch.
“Today we are just doing better because we’ve come together, Republicans and Democrats, and we’ve worked together to resolved these problems and put ourselves firmly on a road to a better path,” said Edwards.
Edwards says no state in the nation has exceeded Louisiana’s rate of decline in unemployment in the last 12 months, adding the economy is the strongest in the state’s history.
“And it is growing at number 10 in the country. In fact, we have the most personal income in the history of our state. It is, too, growing faster than the national average, and historic low unemployment,” said Edwards.
Abraham says the state has so much more potential.
“But, we are not using it. We are 50th out of 50th for three consecutive years in fiscal responsibility, education, health care, you name it, we’re last. We’re better than that.
Abraham says if elected, he’s moving the state in a new direction.
“We’re going to lower taxes. We’re going to take care of this infrastructure problem and we’re going to clean up this legal climate and we’re going to get these businesses to invest back in Louisiana instead of leaving Louisiana,” said Abraham.
The third man currently on the ballot in the Governor’s race, Eddie Rispone, was absent from the event.
