Blueprint Louisiana: Healthcare region’s next biggest challenge

Representatives from Blueprint Louisiana, a program created in 2006 advocating economic development and political reforms in the state, were in downtown Houma last Wednesday as part of a community outreach effort and to promote the governmental ethics reform laws passed by Louisiana’s Legislature at the special session in February.

Blueprint has a steering committee made up of 26 business professionals from across the state.

Steering-committee member Kenny Smith, president and CEO of the Houma-based engineering firm T. Baker Smith, ran down a list of the five largest issues being pushed by Blueprint.

The program’s principal focus, governmental ethics reform, was addressed at the Legislature’s special session.

The other four issues promoted by Blueprint are education reform, workforce development, improvements in healthcare and upgrading roads in the state.

But missing from the list of Blueprint’s concerns, and applying almost solely to south Louisiana, are hurricane protection and coastal restoration, Smith said. The program lost the backing of some public officials because of that omission.

“Blueprint was beaten up because it didn’t have coastal restoration,” he said.

But Blueprint had no qualms about hiring top-notch lobbyists to push for the governmental ethics reform laws at the special session, he said.

In addition, medical care should be more available to Louisiana residents considering the amount of money expended on the state’s healthcare system.

“Healthcare is the biggest challenge,” Smith said.

Wes Gautreaux with Blueprint Louisiana and state Rep. Damon Baldone listen as young professionals discuss political reform and economic development during a meeting in downtown Houma last week. * Photo by MIKE?BROSSETTE