Our Views: Super Bowl a major plus for state

James Carville began his career as a political consultant in Baton Rouge before moving out of state, eventually returning in 2008 to live in New Orleans. As someone who’s lived in both the state’s capital and the Crescent City, Carville has a special insight into the connection between the two cities.

One of the most heartening things about post-Hurricane Katrina Louisiana, Carville recently told a group of Advocate staffers, has been a deepening recognition that the economic fortunes of Baton Rouge and New Orleans are tied.

That’s why residents of the Baton Rouge area and, indeed, the rest of Louisiana, should have an interest in helping next year’s Super Bowl XLVII become a successful event.

Slated for Feb. 3 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, the event promises to have a wide economic impact on the regional economy. Carville is co-chairing next year’s Super Bowl host committee with his wife, fellow political consultant and media commentator Mary Matalin.

Next year’s event will mark the 10th time that New Orleans has hosted the Super Bowl. That track record gives the city extensive experience in welcoming Super Bowl visitors, but the challenges — and the potential rewards — of hosting Super Bowl games have increased dramatically in recent years.

That’s because the Super Bowl is not one, but many events, including not only the big game, but numerous activities leading up to kick-off.

The host committee budget for the 2002 game was $5.3 million, but the projected host committee budget for next year’s game is $13.5 million, much of it raised from private contributions. Organizers estimate a local economic impact of $432 million.

New Orleans has obvious attributes as a Super Bowl host city. Its food and entertainment venues are world class, and the proximity of hotels to the Superdome is another big plus.

We’re glad that the Super Bowl is returning to New Orleans after an 11-year absence from the city.

The game promises to be a marquee event for Louisiana, even if the Saints don’t emerge as Super Bowl contenders.

Comments

1) Comment by phil - 02/10/2012

I certainly agree that the Super Bowl is good for this area relative to the economy. But I also suppose if some private individuals get rich off of football and basketball at the expense of taxpayers, then that just adds to how great it is? One thing I am beginning to think is apparent on several levels is private-public partnerships = taxpayers getting the short end of the stick in most cases, and someone else makes a lot of money.

2) Comment by RfrancisE - 01/10/2012

@tradewinns I think you are a bit deluded about the state of Baton Rouge versus the state of New Orleans. From the US Census: New Orleans: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/22/2255000.html Population: 360,740 Median Household Income 2006-2010 37,468 Per Capita Income: 24,929 Poverty Rate: 24.4% Baton Rouge: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/22/2205000.html Population: 230,139 Median Household Income: $36,964 Per Capita Income: 23,195 Poverty Rate: 25.5% Not too much difference there huh? Maybe you are way better in crime? Well, you do a bit better there, but nothing to brag on: http://www.wafb.com/global/story.asp? s=12536241 FBI Homicide Ranking New Orleans: 1 Baton Rouge: 5 But how about overall crime rate? http://city-crime-statistics.findthedata.org/compare/2264- 2305/Baton-Rouge-vs-New-Orleans Baton Rouge - Violent Crime -1.26% New Orleans - Violent Crime- 0.74 Baton Rouge - All Crime - 7.38% New Orleans - All Crime - 4.62% Again, nothing to brag on in these categories, but you clearly didn't seem to understand just how terrible Baton Rouge is in these categories. But let's look at other categories on New Orleans for a second, since you seem to think that New Orleans is filled with lazy welfare recipients and non-innovative people. National entrepreneurship rate: 333 in 100,000 New Orleans entrepreneurship rate: 427 in 100,000 According to the Brookings Institute New Orleans leads the nation in employment growth, in growth of economic output, and in growth in housing prices. And it was number one in post recession economic performance overall. http://www.brookings.edu/research/interactives/metromonitor#M 35380 So how did Baton Rouge stack up? It was 62nd in employment growth, 11th in growth of economic output, and 14th in the growth in house prices. Overall, Baton Rouge finished 49th. And just this year, Business Week, a rag clearly for the welfare class, ranked New Orleans as the 14th best City in the US on quality of life measures like unemployment rate, median household income, crime, parks, museums, professional sports teams, number of colleges, graduate degree holders, and air quality. Sorry, Baton Rouge didn't make their list.

3) Comment by tradewinns - 01/10/2012

i'm sure the super bowl will be a huge success. i believe that because of james and mary abilities. BUT please do not tie baton rouge to new orleans. baton rouge is a hard working, striving to do better city while N.O. is a welfare center. katrina drove the useless elsewhere for awhile, but now they are begining to return to the center that birthed them, house, clothed and feed them free without having to do anything in return. i feel sorry for the workers there.