COMPARING TODAY’S HEADLINES: NEW ORLEANS, BATON ROUGE, AND SHREVEPORT

Most of us live in a bubble…a Shreveport/Bossier bubble. We don’t really concern ourselves too much with what’s going on in the Big Easy or the state’s capital city other than sports.
 
Goodness knows, we have too many local issues that need resolution and  the problems of NOLA or BR are not ours to worry about. And rightly so.
 
However, sometimes peering outside the local looking glass can be helpful for getting a true perspective on how Shreveport and Bossier City are really faring as cities.
 
Let’s look at these leading headlines:
 
Bossier Says “NO” To Backyard Chickens
 
Shreveport Leaders Grapple with Downtown Violence
 
New Orleans Faces $160 Million Budget Deficit
 
Baton Rouge To Cut 400 City-Parish Jobs
 
Local political analyst Scott Huges offered this observation this morning on the Mike and McCarty KEEL Radio Show. And while Shreveport and Bossier City DO have pressing municipal problems, they are somewhat “minor” in the grand scheme of things. Naturally S/B residents put little value on NOLA or Baton Rouge problems compared to their garbage/trash pickups, crime, and street concerns.
 
Both Shreveport and Bossier are fiscally sound. Sales tax revenues, employment numbers and public school education scores are up. Major companies are moving to the area, not leaving. Many local businesses are expanding, not contracting. No, we are not living in nirvana, but we are not living in a municipal hell hole.
 
Before I am accused of being a “Pollyanna”, rest assured that I can list a multiple of issues that both Bossier City and Shreveport need to address, as in yesterday. The only question being how much copy you want to read.
 
Here are some examples:
 
Bossier City has massive long-term debt.
 
Growth in Bossier Parish is straining local infrastructure.
 
Shreveport’s instances of violence are upsetting.
 
Caddo Parish has funding requests from the Northwest Louisiana Food Bank and Job Corps while pushing forward with a pickleball complex.
 
And the list goes on.
 
Both cities must closely monitor finances along with population changes—Bossier’s is increasing while Shreveport’s is declining. Public safety costs and manpower are constant challenges along with needs for heavy equipment needed to fulfill city services. The federal government shutdown is beginning to have severe effects on local organizations and residents.
 
There are no perfect places to live, raise a family and enjoy recreational activities. But for those of us who were NOT born in Louisiana and have lived in other states and cities, there are countless far worse places to call home.
 
So much for my positive musing. It’s time for me to get back to being a hard factual analyst of issues facing local government entities.