Industry continues to leave the City
Friday, May 9th, 2008It isn’t any big surprise that Chevron is moving across the lake, they announced the move in 2006. About half of Chevron’s employees already live acroos the lake. In reality it makes sense for Chevron to move, with gas prices at record highs who wants to drive to New Orleans every day. It leaves another vacant office tower in downtown New Orleans joining the Rault Center, and the Plaza Tower as monuments to a city that is failing to attract or retain industries and businesses that provide good jobs. Our businessman Mayor has failed in making this city an attractive spot to do business. New Orleans still suffering the effects of Hurricane Katrina and the Federal Flood also suffers from the economic problems that the rest of the country is experiencing. It is a double whammy for the economy of the city. One hopes that the trend would turn around but there are not any signs that that is going to happen any time soon. When I returned to New Orleans in Oct 2006 I wondered if the city had any future, I still wonder the same thing today. I will be here unless New Orleans is covered with water or there is absolutely no way that I can survive here. At the same time I am pessimistic about this city’s ability to remain a major american city much less a world class city. The things needed to accomplish these goals do not seem to be happening.
