Proposed High-Speed Rail No Bargain for Louisiana

By Jennifer Moreale
03/06/2010
A feasibility study by Burk-Kleinpeter Inc. and HDR Engineering emphasizes the economic and social benefits of the proposed high-speed rail linking New Orleans to Baton Rouge. Currently under revision, the final report is due March 16. With an estimated 78% probability of having a positive return on investment, the study claims that the value creation...

TAGS: Baton Rouge, Bobby Jindal, Burk-Kleinpeter Inc., HDR Engineering, High-speed rail, Louisiana, New Orleans, Pelican Institute for Public Policy, Randal O'Toole, Stimulus, transportation

House Pledges Billions for Jobs…Again

By Robert Flanagan
12/30/2009
On December 16th, 2009, the House of Representatives narrowly passed a $174 billion piece of legislation intended to boost employment. It provides roughly $50 billion for public works projects and another $50 billion for state and local governments. According to the New York Times, the measure included a “mix of money for highway, transit and...

TAGS: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Stimulus

Rising Unemployment and Questionable Projects Highlight Failures of Stimulus Spending

By Robert Rosamond
11/19/2009
Months after the passage of the $787 billion economic stimulus package, rising unemployment and questionable projects highlight the problems with stimulus spending. A Department of Labor report disclosed that, “In all, more than one out of every six workers — 17.5 percent — were unemployed or underemployed in October. The previous recorded high was 17.1...

TAGS: Budget, Deficit, Stimulus

Larry Reed on Louisiana Stimulus

By Kevin Kane
04/07/2009
I had planned to comment on this amusing piece from the New York Times, but Lawrence Reed beat me to the punch. As always, Larry’s take is insightful. Another interesting aspect of the article is that it demonstrates a pronounced shift in the media narrative. Now that Bush is out and Obama is in, Louisiana...

TAGS: Hurricane Katrina, Lawrence Reed, Stimulus

The NY Times Knows Best

By Kevin Kane
04/06/2009
Recently the New York Times editorialized against Governors Bobby Jindal and Rick Perry for threatening to reject federal stimulus money tied to unemployment insurance. The editorial overlooks a number of key issues. First, the governors are chided for “putting ideology ahead of the needs of their constituents.” The assumption seems to be that everyone in...

TAGS: Stimulus

Bobby Jindal on Encouraging Growth in Louisiana

By Trent Hill
03/19/2009
Bobby Jindal has recently been in the national news for his opposition to the stimulus plan and his threat to reject large portions of the stimulus plan. But he acknowledges that there is a problem with the economy and that government can do something–Back Off. A couple of days ago, Jindal penned an editorial in...

TAGS: Bobby Jindal, Stimulus