New Orleans to Tackle Economic and Social Inequity Using Data, Best Practices

(TNS) -- New Orleans officials are preparing to launch a new strategy to remedy the city's longstanding problem of economic and social inequity, an approach that will rely on data and best practices from other cities to help engage and lift more residents economically.

Speaking at a panel discussion Tuesday, March 21, coinciding with New Orleans Entrepreneur Week, Judy Reese Morse, Mayor Mitch Landrieu's deputy mayor of citywide initiatives, described the city's soon-to-be-released plan as "historic, because the city of New Orleans' government hasn't ever had an equity strategy — an intentional, specific focus on addressing the issue."

"We are headed toward being the best city in the world, in a real way, not just where people come to enjoy our culture and enjoy our music, but in the most real and serious way," Morse said.

Local and state officials have long tried to help pockets of the city that have grappled with high levels of poverty. They have tried strategies like pushing employers to invest in job training to help employees move up to higher-skilled jobs to alleviate the persistent struggles of the working poor.

Steady reminders of the city's dilemma have surfaced in recent years, including a report released this month by the Brookings Institution, a liberal-leaning Washington think tank. It found that average wages, the overall standard of living and productivity all declined in the eight-parish greater New Orleans area during the five-year period beginning in 2010.

Though she offered few specifics, Morse said city officials are seeking to improve access to government services, to engage more residents and to bring more people to the table in a way that can make a tangible difference in the discussion over the city's future.

"Equity has a tremendously important role to play in city government," she said. "It is so important that I would say the future of this city depends on it. We're either going to be that city that grows and progresses, or we're going to stay like we are. And for some people, that's OK, but for a lot of people, it's not."

That strategy, Morse said, will be put in motion and have time to build a foundation before the next mayoral administration takes over next year.

"What is so incredibly exciting is that when we address these issues, everything is going to improve for everyone," she said. "The outcomes for everyone will get better, and that's how the city is actually going to grow and develop and reach a place that none of us have ever seen."

©2017 The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.