Mitch Landrieu will create good-paying jobs so that all of our people have the opportunity to work.
To grow and diversify our economy, Mitch will:
- Reorganize City Hall to focus on job growth, foster entrepreneurship and support business development.
- Work in partnership with businesses to grow jobs.
- Target key industries and use our natural assets.
Reorganize City Hall to focus on job growth, foster entrepreneurship and support business development
Mitch will create a level playing field that provides a fair opportunity for anyone who wants to do business in New Orleans. As Mayor, he will:
- Streamline licensing and permitting procedures using internet technology.
- Ensure that small and disadvantaged businesses in New Orleans receive a fair opportunity to participate in city business.
- Identify and implement best contracting practices and procedures found in successful municipal governments.
- Make certain there are clear rules that everyone understands and no tolerance for corruption.
Work in partnership with businesses to grow jobs
Mitch will make sure that city government is helping, rather than hindering economic development. His plan is based on his fundamental belief that we must have a diverse economic base and a business climate that is fair and open. Mitch will:
- Execute the cooperative endeavor agreement creating the proposed New Orleans Economic Development Council (NOEDC).
- Work to expand loans and opportunities for small business.
- Cultivate a highly-trained and educated workforce.
- Work with the business community to create a City Hall that supports business retention and new business creation.
- Improve access to capital for small business and start ups:
- Work in Baton Rouge and Washington D.C. to promote additional loans and incentives for small businesses.
- Convene angel investors and venture capitalists to highlight investment opportunities in local businesses.
Target key industries and use our natural assets
New Orleans should not be a poor city. We have unbelievable resources – colleges and universities, an international port, a history and culture that is unique and unmatched in this country, Michoud in the east, Federal City on the west bank, a burgeoning biotech industry and a booming film industry, among others.
To grow our economy, Mitch will be aggressive about finding sectors of the economy we can cultivate to create jobs in every neighborhood for all types of workers.
His immediate priorities include:
- Marketing the digital media tax credits and other existing tax incentives to help growth this new industry.
- Targeting health care and biotech industries as key growth markets that have the potential to provide high-paying jobs, building upon the new VA hospital, the new University Medical Center, the Cancer Research Consortium and the Bioinnovation Center.
- Increasing investment in job training for the entertainment industry.
- Renewing efforts in New Orleans east to spur redevelopment of the Plaza shopping mall site and the closed Six Flags amusement park facility.
- Making sure that New Orleans positions itself to take advantage of Clean Energy jobs incentives in pending federal energy legislation.
- Continuing to grow the cultural economy by supporting cultural districts.
- Forming an office of social entrepreneurship to cultivate innovators and nonprofit groups.
- Supporting entrepreneurship by working with the Public Private Partnership to create business incubation centers and identify ways to improve access to capital.
