225BatonRouge.com

It’s time for Baton Rouge and New Orleans to think as a single region, like Dallas-Fort Worth. Increasingly, people living in Baton Rouge commute to New Orleans, and far more of us shop, dine, party and attend sporting events in the Big Easy. New neighborhoods continue to pop up between here and New Orleans. Add to that the planned regional airport near Donaldsonville and you don’t have two cities an hour apart, but a region. By leveraging our combined assets 1+1 can equal 3.

The cost? Leaders have to shelve their egos and get past the inevitable turf battles.

The hurricanes threw us together. Fate tore down barriers we couldn’t. The question: Do we have the foresight and self-discipline to build a region?

Slay Huey’s legacy

Our political leaders have failed us just when we need them most.

Since hurricanes Katrina and Rita wrecked South Louisiana, no leader has emerged to clearly navigate us to solid ground. Instead, politicians are resorting to the same, small-minded thinking that’s given Louisiana its bad name.

But a prime opportunity is right around the corner. A special session of the Legislature convenes Feb. 6. The hot topic: levee boards. Our leaders risk losing critically needed federal money to shore up the levee systems because they insist on keeping control of their little fiefdoms.

Huey Long wanted a chicken in every pot and a levee board in every parish, but the king of political patronage is dead. It’s time for change.

It all starts with you. Get involved. Start by contacting your legislator. Here’s how: Visit our sister publication’s web site, BusinessReport.com and click on "Write Public Officials" in the navigation bar.

We want to hear your views. Write to Editor@225BatonRouge.com.