These signs are not strictly Cajun but they illustrate a concern that is at the heart of Lafayette at the moment, the economic effect of the drilling moratorium in the gulf. No doubt, the disaster in the gulf is catastrophic to the ecosystem, fishing industry and tourism in our area. Couple that with the moratorium that is impacting 33 rigs within the gulf and the economic impact to our area is potentially devastating (between 29,000-46,000 jobs according to some sources that may or may not be biased for all I know).I am far from an expert on this and am not going to comment one way or the other if the current scope of the moratorium is appropriate. What I know is that the ripple affect in the community has been substantial. This past week there was a rally in our city and these signs were seen all over town. The top one greeted you at the airport as you flew in. The crane was one that I saw today on the morning drive for coffee and donuts.
- Here is a link to a Wall Street Journal article that discusses the rally held this past week.
- According to this article, the parish I live in boasts Louisiana's highest concentration of workers who are dependent on oil- and gas-related businesses. In addition, oil and related industries account for 40% of the parish's economy and about a third of its jobs. That should give you an understanding of why this is such a big deal here.
1 comment:
One of the comments made at the rally, that I believe came from the Plaquemine Parish President, was that the gov't never considered the economic impact the moratorium would have when passing it.
Post a Comment