By Eileen Fleming
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wwno/local-wwno-977146.mp3
New Orleans, La. – Mayor Landrieu and U-S Labor Secretary Hilda Solis announced that New Orleans will be getting full-time, high-level federal staff to live in the city and help coordinate how tax dollars are spent.
"One of the things that we have never done well, in my opinion, and it's my opinion only, is connect people with the resources that are currently available. So, absolutely the tourism industry is important to the city of New Orleans, as is the cultural economy - 144,000 jobs, a $10 billion piece of our economy. But we also know that we can't just rely on that. We can't be a one-trick pony. We want to create jobs, very high-paying jobs that require high-skilled labor."
Solis says administrators will represent the departments of labor, justice, health and human services and urban development. They'll have the authority to cut through red tape and guide a coordinated effort for improving economic growth.
For WWNO, I'm Eileen Fleming.