You and I, working together, can forge these transitions which are necessary for you, your children, and my three girls to prosper. But there is one more transition we must make. I live here because I want to. But let me be blunt. When a major corporation looking to locate a facility or expand in Louisiana hears that they must hire politically connected consultants to facilitate this move, their reaction is simple - they look elsewhere.
Major businesses look for stability and predictability.
They aren't interested in operating in places where delivering suitcases full of cash to elected officials is the way to get things done. We took a major step forward recently with the conviction of former Governor Edwin Edwards. That verdict showed that a Louisiana jury can and will convict in political corruption cases. I hope this verdict is, to paraphrase the Chinese proverb, the first step in a long journey. A journey from the cronyism and corruption of the past to a society of rules and laws consistently applied.