Small businesses, tourism and the restaurant industry have been integral to New Orleans success. Now we must support existing industry while opening the path for new economic possibilities.
When I finished college, I sent out hundreds of résumés. Month after month I’d mail 50 résumés at a time. Nearly six months went by and I hadn’t been invited to a single interview. There weren’t any job openings for a political science graduate. I was overqualified for most restaurant and tourism jobs because I had a college degree. College grads across New Orleans are running into the same problem everyday. We have to spur new business to keep our most talented citizens home. As we rebuild our City, we must support existing industries, while creating new economic possibilities.
Some of the most courageous people to return to New Orleans were members of the business community. Immediately after Katrina, facing an uncertain bottom line, small businesses, grocery stores and restaurants reopened. They provided much needed food and supplies to returning New Orleanians. In spite of the fact that no one at City Hall was supporting business, local businesses supported New Orleans. Now that the Nation has taken an economic turn for the worst, local government must step up and truly support the local business community.
