Delegates from Tangipahoa parish including state senators, representatives and members of the Chamber of Commerce (COC) from three cities, met in the Alumni Center March 3 to engage and listen to speakers lift old ideas.

As attendees of the gathering arrived around 5:30 p.m., they were provided beverages and food.

Soon, delegates moved from conversation to conversation, and ideas spread like a plague, even before speakers made their way to the podium.

Among some of the speakers were Heather Damitio of the Amite Chamber of Commerce, Parker Layrisson of the Ponchatoula Chamber, Chris Moody of the Hammond Chamber, Sen. Jack Donahue, Ben Nevers, a Sen. from district 12, Rep. John Schroder and several other officials.

Topics that were covered during the two hour stretch of speeches included everything from higher education funding to building new roads, healthcare, population increases during times of low sales tax revenue, the states handling of money and creating new jobs during an economic spiral.

 “The economic downturn has even hit our prosperous growing area: sales tax revenues have been down, businesses have been struggling. We now see, I think, that turn coming,” said Moody, a lawyer and chief elect to the Hammond COC.

The public and officials were made aware that the turn is right in front of them.

“Many of our friends at the university have lost their jobs,” said Moody.

Other delegates agreed. “There has been a lot of talk about priorities in this state and every politician that has stood before you and all the elections in the past has said education is its top priority. We ought to fund it appropriately,” said Nevers.

Nevers later said that how the state has handled funding does not do the Southeastern faculty justice.

“The problem in this state is that we don’t have any priorities,” said Donahue.

Donahue further explained that about two-thirds of 7.7 billion dollars is the available balance of unprotected money, and most of those two thirds goes toward education and healthcare.  

Aside from higher education, population growth during hard times was discussed.

“Obviously, funding is a big issue. Infrastructure,” said Layrisson. We’re growing so fast that if we don’t plan for tomorrow, we’re throwing out money today.”

At the same time, Layrisson applauded the legislature on its help of creating more jobs in Port Manchac than ever before.

Although most of the addressed issues drove the legislature to the hierarchy of the state’s problems, Schroder had a different message to deliver.

“We’re saying save Southeastern. I’m asking you to do your part. We’ll go look in the mirror because we’re not doing our part,” said Schroder.

Schroder acknowledged that Southeastern’s community and local support within ticket sales of athletic events and general fundraisers is so low that it is almost last.

Moody commented that the speeches were becoming a broken record. Almost all legislators had similar things to say, and it was time to act upon them.