A series exploring the highs and lows of Lafayette’s economy, providing critical commentary about what’s working and what’s not.
Festival International made me want to live in Lafayette. Every Festival since then has only reaffirmed that feeling. It will always hold a special place in my heart. But what makes Festival so special to me isn’t just that it’s one of the best music festivals on the planet. What makes Festival so special to […]
The betting favorite for where it will go is UL’s Research Park. That’s the path of least resistance, not the past of greatest impact.
Our history is full of examples of how dreaming big paid off for Lafayette. But big dreams can distract from accomplishing small, important tasks.
Guillory’s bureaucracy-busting approach could force Lafayette to spend millions filling holes it just spent millions digging out.
Lafayette can build them. But where is the money to operate and maintain them?
A majority of city residents feel like Lafayette is heading in the wrong direction. But non-city residents think we’re on the right track.
After crashing from 2014-2016, Lafayette Parish’s GDP had shown signs of recovery. Then 2020 happened, blowing a billion dollar hole in Lafayette’s economy.
Legislative bodies appropriate money, not the executive branch. But that’s exactly what’s been happening at LCG for more than a decade in conflict with a pair of attorney general opinions.
An influx of spending related to hurricane recovery and federal coronavirus stimulus is masking a still struggling economy.
With a set of vetoes, the mayor-president has boxed the City Council in again, setting the stage to spend city money without their approval.
The roles have reversed from the 2020 budget cycle, and now the City Council ought to play budget hawk.
Too many of the proposed projects deliver questionable returns, create unfunded maintenance liabilities, and inexplicably use parish dollars to pay for city responsibilities.