The ballots are in, the decision has been made, and a winner has been chosen.
Louisiana has been named Business Facilities magazine’s “State of the Year” for 2010.
Business Facilities Editor-in-Chief Jack Rogers explained the magazine’s choice in the article.
“The diversity and growth potential of Louisiana’s top projects in both high-tech and traditional manufacturing, as well as healthy total investments, overall job creation and innovative incentives made Louisiana a clear winner of our annual State of the Year Award,” Rogers said.
Gov. Bobby Jindal, quoted in the article, described the award as “yet another example of the better Louisiana we are building for our children.”
Robert Newman, chair of the Economics Department, said he believes the state deserves the title.
“It certainly reflects well on the state of the economy in Louisiana,” Newman said.
Newman said the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in April 2010 might have given Louisiana’s economy a break because BP spent a lot of money in the state after the disaster.
He said the oil company employed locals to aid in spill cleanup — some of whom may have been unemployed otherwise.
But Newman said he’s always careful not to put too much stock in awards like this one because magazines produce new lists each year.
“You’ve just got to take these rankings with a grain of salt,” he said.
The article describes the magazine staff’s criteria for making such a tough choice.
“To determine the winner, Business Facilities reviews each state’s top five projects in terms of overall investment and job creation,” the article said. “The magazine also evaluates the state’s execution of its economic development strategy, and the diversity and growth potential of its target industries.”
Runners-up for the award included Texas, which won in 2007, Tennessee, which won last year for the year 2009, Utah and South Carolina.
Newman said he believes the state of Louisiana’s economy depends on whether the federal government imposes regulations on offshore drilling.
“That could impact us severely,” he said. “We just don’t know yet.”
He said the regulations — which he believes are unreasonable — could extend the previously in-place moratorium on deep water drilling and negatively affect the state’s economy.
“I was always under the impression Louisiana was doing well because of our petroleum industry,” said Tristan Arbour, computer science senior.
Arbour said the state of Louisiana’s economy doesn’t have any effect on whether he’ll stay in-state when he graduates.
Kathryn Calmes, Spanish secondary education junior, said she read on the Internet that Louisiana has a high employment rate compared to other states, but it won’t change her mind about moving. Other factors — like education standards — also play a role.
“I’m having a child in May,” Calmes said. “I don’t want my child to have to be in Louisiana’s public school system.”
Vannicea McCray, anthropology senior, was surprised to hear Louisiana had earned the title but said it wouldn’t make her stay in the state, either.
“Who’s to say it’ll be the same way when I finish grad school?” she said.
McCray said she didn’t think the state of the economy was good enough to receive an award.
“I don’t know how,” she said. “People come to Baton Rouge [from across the state] just to find jobs.”
 
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Contact Rachel Warren at [email protected]