I’M SULA KIM. WELCOME TO THE WDSU HOT SEAT. TODAY WE HAVE STATE TREASURER DOCTOR JOHN FLEMING JOINING US. I KNOW YOU’VE BEEN SO BUSY SINCE YOU TOOK OFFICE IN JANUARY, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING TIME. THANK YOU SARAH, THANKS FOR HAVING ME. YEAH. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. WELL, LET’S START WITH WITH THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION. IT JUST WRAPPED UP AND I WANTED TO ASK YOU WHAT TREASURY AGENDA OR BILLS YOU HAD THIS PAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION. WELL, WE HAD WE WERE VERY MUCH INVOLVED IN THAT. FIRST OF ALL, WE GOT PASSED THROUGH, UH, WITH REPRESENTATIVE RAYMOND CRUZ, A BILL THAT ACTUALLY NOW LOUISIANA IS ACCEPTING GOLD AND SILVER AS LEGAL TENDER, WHICH I THINK IS CRITICAL. UH, PEOPLE LIKE TO OWN THESE PRECIOUS METALS AND THEY’RE A GREAT HEDGE AGAINST INFLATION. AND SO WE’RE IN THE PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTING THIS. AND IT’S ACTUALLY TO THE POINT WHERE IT’S SO SAFE AND THE TRANSACTION FEES ARE SO LITTLE THAT YOU CAN OWN GOLD IN A DEPOSITORY AND SPEND IT WITH A DEBIT CARD. THIS ISSUED TO YOU. AND AS I SAY, A HEDGE AGAINST INFLATION BECAUSE GOLD AND SILVER, THE VALUE DOES NOT GO DOWN WITH INFLATION LIKE REGULAR MONEY DOES. YEAH. SO WHO CAN UTILIZE THIS TRANSACTION AND HOW CAN YOU PREVENT FRAUD. BECAUSE I KNOW THERE WAS SOME CONCERN ABOUT POTENTIAL FRAUD. WELL, UH, IT IS VERY SAFE BECAUSE IT’S IT’S FINTECH. IT’S JUST LIKE ANY OTHER COMPANY. LIKE BANK OF AMERICA OR CAPITAL ONE. SO IT’S SAFE. THE DEPOSITORY ITSELF IS INSURED BY LLOYD’S OF LONDON. UH, SO IN TERMS IN TERMS OF THEFT AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORRY, YOU DON’T HAVE TO STORE GOLD IN YOUR BACKYARD OR UNDER YOUR BED. UH, IT’S VERY SAFE. AND SO THE TECHNOLOGY HAS CAUGHT UP WITH OWNERSHIP OF GOLD AND SILVER, WHICH IS VERY POPULAR. AND A GREAT HEDGE AGAINST INFLATION. I THINK THAT’S INTERESTING. WHAT LETTER GRADE WOULD YOU GIVE THE NEW GOVERNOR IN THIS PAST SESSION? UM, I WOULD SAY THAT I’M NOT PREPARED TO GIVE A LETTER GRADE, BUT I WILL SAY I AGREE WITH HIM ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HE’S DONE, LIKE PROTECTING THE BORDER, ATTACKING CRIME. UM, I THINK THAT THE LEGISLATURE AND HE HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB ON ALL THOSE THINGS. WE STILL HAVE MORE WORK TO DO WHEN IT COMES TO INSURANCE REFORM. OUR INSURANCE RATES ARE WAY TOO HIGH. WE NEED TO BRING THEM DOWN AND THEN ALSO, I’M LOOKING TO THE GOVERNOR IN OUR NEXT FISCAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WHICH WILL BE NEXT YEAR, THAT WE SHOULD END THE PERSONAL INCOME TAX. WE SHOULD REFORM CORPORATE TAXES, AND WE SHOULD BASICALLY CHANGE OUR REGULATORY ATMOSPHERE TO MAKE IT VERY BUSINESS FRIENDLY, WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO COME TO THE STATE AND THEY’LL WANT TO INVEST THEIR MONEY. AND REMEMBER THAT THE SOUTH NOW IS BECOMING THE NEW CENTER OF THE ECONOMY OF THIS COUNTRY. EVEN TEXAS IS BEGINNING TO HAVE THEIR OWN, UH, STOCK EXCHANGE. SO PEOPLE ARE COMING HERE AND BRINGING THEIR COMPANIES FROM CALIFORNIA, FROM NEW YORK, BUT THEY’RE NOT COMING TO LOUISIANA. THEY’RE GOING TO STATES AROUND US. WE NEED TO CHANGE THAT. AND DOCTOR FLEMING, I LIVED IN WASHINGTON IN A STATE WHERE THEY HAD NO INCOME TAX, AND IT WAS WONDERFUL. BUT IF YOU GET RID OF IT HERE, WHAT WOULD YOU REPLACE THAT WITH? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WE NEED TO CUT SPENDING. WE HAVE WAY TOO MUCH WASTEFUL SPENDING. UH, ALSO, IF YOU BEGIN TO ANNOUNCE THAT THERE’S NO PERSONAL INCOME TAX OR THERE’S A CUT IN CORPORATE TAX, YOU’LL IMMEDIATELY GET PEOPLE INVESTING MONEY AND MOVING TO THE STATE. SO WE MAY OR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DO IT ALL IN ONE FATAL SWOOP. WE MIGHT HAVE TO DO IT OVER A THREE YEAR PERIOD. BUT AS YOU REDUCE THOSE TAXES, YOU’RE GOING TO GET MORE REVENUE BECAUSE YOU’LL HAVE MORE PEOPLE PAYING LESS TAXES PER PERSON. REMEMBER THE TAX CUT AND JOBS ACT IN 2017 THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP SIGNED INTO LAW? WE HAD AN EXPLOSION IN THE ECONOMY AS A RESULT OF HIS CUTTING TAXES. AND WHO BENEFITED THE MOST PEOPLE ON THE LOWER END OF THE INCOME SPECTRUM? ACTUALLY DID BETTER. AND LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT INSURANCE, SINCE YOU BROUGHT IT UP, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE PACKAGES THAT WERE PASSED THIS PAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION? WITH THE HELP OF COMMISSIONER TIM TEMPLE, TO REDUCE REGULATION ON INSURANCE COMPANIES? AND IN RETURN, HIS THEORY IS THAT IT MAY MAKE IT MORE COMPETITIVE FOR COMPANIES TO COME IN RIGHT IN THIS STATE. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT? WELL, I BELIEVE IN MORE COMPETITION AND I BELIEVE IN GENERAL AND LESS REGULATION, BUT NOT NO REGULATION. BUT I THINK SOME OF THE REFORMS THAT WOULD HAVE BENEFITED US DIDN’T MAKE IT THROUGH OR WERE VETOED. SO AS A RESULT OF THAT, WE ARE NOT SEEING THE CUT IN INSURANCE RATES THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER THAT THE ENVIRONMENT IS VERY COMPETITIVE. INSURANCE COMPANIES WANT TO DO BUSINESS HERE, BUT JUST LIKE ANY OTHER BUSINESS, IF IT’S HOSTILE TO THEM, THEY’RE NOT GOING TO COME AND INVEST THEIR MONEY. YEAH. SPEAKING OF INSURANCE, YOU PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE IN KEEPING BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD A LOUISIANA BASED COMPANY. HOW WERE YOU ABLE TO DO THAT? RIGHT. WELL, I JOINED IN WITH THE LOUISIANA STATE MEDICAL SOCIETY, WHICH I’M A MEMBER OF. I’M A PHYSICIAN STILL PRACTICE FROM TIME TO TIME. AND WHAT WE FOUND IN LOOKING AT THAT IS BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD IS AN OLD COMPANY THAT SERVICED THE PEOPLE OF LOUISIANA VERY, VERY WELL OVER THE DECADES. HOWEVER, ELEPHANTS IS A COMPANY THAT HAS A POOR TRACK RECORD AROUND THE COUNTRY, AND WHAT WE FOUND WAS FRAUD AND CLAIMS UNPAID AND THAT’S THE LAST THING IN THE WORLD WE WANT FROM OUR BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD. SO I STOOD WITH THEM. I WAS THE ONLY STATEWIDE ELECTED OFFICIAL WHO STOOD WITH THEM AND SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF OUR SENATE WHO DID INVESTIGATIONS. AND I THINK WE DID A GREAT JOB FOR THE PEOPLE OF LOUISIANA, BECAUSE BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD IS STILL DOING A GREAT JOB FOR ALL THE PEOPLE. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE WHOLE CONVERSATION OF ESG, ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL GOVERNANCE? WHAT ARE YOUR CONCERNS WITH FINANCIAL FIRMS THAT USE ESG STRATEGIES? WELL, AS YOU KNOW, WE INVEST THE PEOPLE’S MONEY FROM THE STATE, WHETHER IT’S FEDERAL MONEY OR INCOME TAX MONEY. WE INVEST TO GET A BETTER RETURN, TO KEEP UP WITH INFLATION SO THAT WE CAN SPREAD THAT DOLLAR, THAT TAX DOLLAR THAT COMES IN TO US IF WE INVEST THAT MONEY IN SOMETHING THAT THE PRIORITY IS NOT RETURN ON INVESTMENT, WE’RE GOING TO GET A LOWER RETURN. THE STUDY WAS DONE BY THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO, WHERE THEY COMPARED ESG AND NON ESG FUNDS. WHAT THEY FOUND WAS THE ESG FUNDS DID MUCH POORER IN THEIR RETURN ON INVESTMENTS THAN NON ESG FUNDS. WHAT IS ESG. IT’S ENVIRONMENT GOVERNANCE AND SOCIAL. WHICH MEANS THAT THE POINT IS TO INVEST THE MONEY FOR POLITICAL VIEWPOINTS POLITICAL OUTCOMES AND NOT FOR BETTER RETURN ON INVESTMENT. I DON’T THINK WE SHOULD PUT PUSH A CONSERVATIVE AGENDA THROUGH OUR INVESTMENTS, NOR A LIBERAL VIEWPOINT. WE SHOULD JUST INVEST MONEY FOR RETURN ON INVESTMENT. WELL, IN THAT CASE THEN HOW DIFFICULT IS THAT TO ENFORCE? BECAUSE THERE’S ONLY A COUPLE OF BANKS OUT THERE THAT YOU CAN DO BUSINESS WITH. HOW DO YOU BALANCE THAT? WELL, I’LL TELL YOU THAT LAST YEAR WE WITHDREW ALMOST $1 BILLION OF INVESTMENTS FROM BLACKROCK BECAUSE BLACKROCK IS NOTORIOUS FOR DOING THIS. THERE ARE OTHER COMPANIES THAT DO IT OR DO IT LESS. AND THE POINT IS, IF YOU WANT TO INVEST YOUR MONEY IN THAT WAY, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO, AS AN AMERICAN, AS AMERICAN CITIZEN, YOU SHOULD BE FREE TO DO THAT. BUT THIS IS TAXPAYERS MONEY. I’M A FIDUCIARY. I HAVE TO DO WHAT’S BEST FOR THE TAXPAYERS. AND SO JUST BECAUSE THERE MAY BE A CAUSE THAT I LIKE, THAT’S NOT THE REASON TO INVEST THE MONEY IN AN ESG FUND. YEAH. LET’S MOVE ON TO UNCLAIMED PROPERTY. MY FAVORITE. IT’S A GREAT DIVISION YOU HAVE. AND RECENTLY YOU HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL DISTRIBUTION OF CHECKS. YES, 27,000 RECIPIENTS MORE THAN TOTALING 5.1 MILLION. BUT I KNOW THIS WAS A POLICY THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED A FEW YEARS AGO DURING THE 2018 REGULAR SESSION. WHAT NEW AND CREATIVE STRATEGIES HAVE YOU IMPLEMENTED SINCE YOU’VE BEEN IN OFFICE FOR THAT PARTICULAR DIVISION? WELL, WHEN I TOOK OFFICE, WE HAD A BACKLOG OF 2500 CASES, AND WHAT WE FOUND WAS THAT THE PEOPLE WHO PROCESSED THE CLAIMS WERE ALSO THE PEOPLE ANSWERING THE PHONES AND WHO WAS CALLING PEOPLE WHO DIDN’T HAVE THEIR CLAIMS PROCESSED. SO WHAT WE DID IS WE HIRED A CALL CENTER. WHO DOES THIS FOR OTHER STATES? AND REMEMBER THAT OUR REVENUE IS SELF-GENERATED FROM OUR OWN FEES. SO IT’S NOT TAXPAYER MONEY. WE USE THAT MONEY TO PAY THE CALL CENTER TO DO THEIR PROCESSING, SO WE CAN LET OUR EMPLOYEES WHO ARE ON STATE PAYROLL DO THEIR JOB AND PROCESS. SO REALLY, THE BACKLOG WAS CLEARED UP IN ABOUT TWO MONTHS. WOW. SO WE’RE HOWEVER, AS PEOPLE LEARNED MORE ABOUT THIS, WE’RE GETTING MORE CLAIMS AND MORE CLAIMS. WELL, YOUR PREDECESSOR HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL SHOW HERE IN THE GREATER NEW ORLEANS METRO AREA EVERY YEAR, I THINK AT THE LAKESIDE MALL, I COVERED THAT. ARE YOU GOING TO CONTINUE THAT TRADITION? OH, ABSOLUTELY. YES. WE’RE GOING TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA. WE’RE GOING TO USE WE’RE ACTUALLY BUDGETING MONEY TO ADVERTISE TO PEOPLE BECAUSE REMEMBER, THIS IS NOT THE STATE’S MONEY. IT IS YOUR MONEY. AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE THAT. WHAT CAN PEOPLE DO IF THEY’RE CURIOUS TO KNOW IF THEY’RE OWED ANYTHING? OH, IT’S VERY SIMPLE. THEY CAN GO TO LA CASH CLAIM ORG LA CASH CLAIM DOT ORG, OR THEY CAN JUST SIMPLY GOOGLE US. YOU KNOW DO A SEARCH FOR UNCLAIMED PROPERTY OF LOUISIANA AND IT’LL TAKE THEM RIGHT THERE. THEY CAN LOOK UP. ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS PUT THEIR NAME A LITTLE BIT OF ID STUFF IN THERE AND THEIR NAME WILL POP RIGHT UP. IF THERE’S MONEY TO BE CLAIMED. THERE, AND IT COULD BE FROM AN INHERITANCE, IT COULD BE MONEY OWED FROM A TAX REFUND. THERE’S MANY DIFFERENT WAYS. SO DON’T THINK THAT YOU DON’T HAVE MONEY BECAUSE YOU’LL BE SURPRISED WHEN YOU FIND OUT YOU DO. 1 IN 6 LOUISIANANS ARE OWED MONEY THROUGH UNCLAIMED PROPERTY. ALL RIGHT. THAT’S GOOD NEWS THERE, ABI. OKAY, SO THE CREDIT RATING HAS GONE UP RECENTLY SINCE YOU TOOK OFFICE. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU SPECIFICALLY DID FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT, OR IS THIS THE RESULT OF PREVIOUS POLICIES THAT ARE PAYING DIVIDENDS NOW? YEAH, I THINK IT’S AN ACCUMULATION OF ALL. WE, UH, THERE WAS A TIME SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHEN OUR RAINY DAY FUNDS OUR RESERVE FUNDS, WERE DEPLETED, AND NOW THEY’RE ALL FILLED BACK UP. WE HAVE A MUCH BETTER BALANCE IN OUR BUDGET AND SO FORTH. SO WHAT WE’VE DONE IS INCREASED OUR RATING THROUGH S&P FROM A NEGATIVE TO DOUBLE A. YOU MIGHT SAY. SO WHAT? WELL, WE GET LOWER INTEREST RATES ON OUR BONDS ON OUR STATE BONDS. SO WE DO BORROW MONEY JUST LIKE EVERYBODY DOES ALL STATES AND ALL PEOPLE BORROW MONEY FROM TIME TO TIME. SO WE GET BETTER TERMS. WE GET BETTER RATES, AND THEREFORE WE HAVE MONEY, MORE MONEY TO SERVE OUR PEOPLE. DO YOU THINK THE STATE DEBT RIGHT NOW AT $9 BILLION IS REALLY HIGH? SO WHAT IS YOUR PLAN OR THOUGHTS TO REDUCE THE STATE DEBT? AND HOW WOULD YOU GO ABOUT DOING THAT. WELL I’VE SORT OF DISAGREED WITH THE LEGISLATURE ON THIS. THE LEGISLATURE HAS TAKEN EXCESS FUNDS THAT WE’VE HAD IN RECENT YEARS, SUCH AS THE COVID FUNDS, AND THEY’VE USED IT TO SPEND ON APPROPRIATIONS FOR THINGS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE BENEFICIAL WHEN THEY COULD HAVE USED THAT MONEY TO PAY DOWN OUR DEBT ON RETIREMENT FUNDS, PENSION FUNDS. REMEMBER THAT WHEN THE PENSION FUNDS WERE CREATED, THERE WAS NO MONEY IN THE FUNDS, SO WE HAD TO BORROW MONEY TO BE ABLE TO TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE OBLIGATIONS. WELL, WE STILL HAVE DEBT ON OUR RETIREMENT FUNDS. THE SOONER WE PAY THOSE DOWN, THE SAFER THEY WILL BE. AND THE MORE MONEY WE’LL HAVE TO TO SPEND FOR THE NEEDS FOR THE STATE. YEAH. AND AGAIN, THIS NEXT QUESTION ALSO, I KNOW THAT YOU DON’T HAVE DIRECT AUTHORITY, BUT YOUR OPINION MATTERS HERE AS THE TREASURER AND I KNOW THAT YOU CAN ADVOCATE FOR POLICY. THE LOOMING FISCAL CLIFF IS A BIG TALKER. SO DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC PLANS TO DEAL WITH THAT? WELL, I DON’T HAVE BUDGETARY AUTHORITY OF COURSE, THE GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATURE DO, BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE WE SHOULD RENEW THE 0.45 SALES TAX BECAUSE THE WE HAVE THE HIGHEST SALES TAX IN THE COUNTRY, AND IT’S REALLY HURTING OUR ECONOMY. PEOPLE ARE LEAVING THE STATE A RESULT. REMEMBER, PEOPLE CAN GO ACROSS THE BORDER AND BUY THINGS IN OTHER STATES THAT HAVE LOWER SALES TAX. SO IT’S IMPORTANT THAT WE GET OUR FISCAL HOUSE IN ORDER. WE CUT OUR SPENDING ON WASTEFUL THINGS. UH, IN FACT, WE DID A LOOKBACK STUDY AND WHAT WE FOUND IS, AS THE STATE DOES BETTER FINANCIALLY, WE SEE THE SPENDING GOES UP. AND WHEN THE STATE INCOME GOES DOWN, OUR SPENDING GOES DOWN. SO IT TELLS YOU THAT THERE’S EXCESSIVE SPENDING AT TIMES. SO WE SHOULD DEPLOY THAT MONEY TO DEBT RETIREMENT BUT NOT INCREASING TAXES BECAUSE TAXES SLOWS THE ECONOMY. WE KNOW THAT WHEN YOU CUT TAXES, IT SPEEDS THE ECONOMY AND IT IMPROVES LIFESTYLES AND UPWARD MOBILITY. SO I THINK THAT SIMPLY, SIMPLY THROUGH SOME SOME BUDGET CUTS, SOME ADJUSTMENTS, WHICH THE GOVERNOR IS DOING, AND I SUPPORT THAT AND AVOIDING SOME OF THE WASTEFUL SPENDING WE’VE DONE IN THE PAST, I THINK WE’LL HAVE NO PROBLEM IN TAKING CARE OF SO INSTEAD OF ANYTHING SPECIFIC TO REPLACE THE LOSS IN IN IN REVENUE, YOU WOULD HAVE TO SHIFT AND JUST KIND OF STREAMLINE, UM, AND SPEND WISELY, SPEND WISELY, SPEND LESS DOLLARS. AND WE’VE DONE THIS BEFORE AND WE’LL DO IT IN THE FUTURE AS INCOME GOES UP, SPENDING GOES UP. WHY DON’T WE JUST LET THE DOLLARS COME IN AND UTILIZE THEM? PAY OFF DEBT INSTEAD OF JUST SPENDING THE MONEY ON THINGS THAT THAT MAY BE OF DUBIOUS BENEFIT. YES. SO SPEAKING OF YOU KNOW, SPENDING, UH, WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN CONCERNS WITH THIS SPENDING LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT? ARE YOU A BUDGET HAWK LIKE YOUR PREDECESSOR WAS AND KIND OF A CONSTANT CRITIC OF GOVERNMENT WASTE? I AM YOU KNOW, I SERVED IN CONGRESS FOR EIGHT YEARS. I VOTED AGAINST EVERY BUDGET BILL THAT WE HAD IN WASHINGTON. THE WASTE IS RIDICULOUS. IT CANNOT BE SUPPORTED. IT’S NOT SUSTAINABLE. WE’VE GONE FROM A NATIONAL DEBT OF AROUND 11, 11 BILLION, EXCUSE ME, $11 TRILLION, $11 TRILLION FROM GEORGE WASHINGTON TO GEORGE BUSH TO NOW $34 TRILLION UNDER THE CURRENT PRESIDENT THAT IS UNSUSTAINABLE. WE WILL EVENTUALLY RUN IT. WE’LL RUN OUT OF MONEY, MEDICARE, SOCIAL SECURITY, ALL THESE THINGS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CONTINUE MAKING THEIR CHECKS IF WE CONTINUE IN THIS DIRECTION. THE STATE IS THE SAME WAY. WE CANNOT OUTSPEND OUR REVENUE. AND SO AGAIN, YOUR CITIZENS ARE GOING TO WANT TO LEAVE THE STATE IF WE’RE BURDENING THEM WITH TAXES THAT THEY DON’T HAVE IN OTHER STATES. WE’RE COMPETING AGAINST OUR NEIGHBORS ON THIS. YEAH. SO GIVE ME THREE SPECIFIC POLICIES. THEN HAVING SAID ALL THAT TO THAT, YOU PLAN TO IMPLEMENT WHILE YOU ARE IN OFFICE AND HOW YOU PLAN TO WORK WITH LEGISLATURES ON THESE POLICIES? WELL, I’M GOING TO BE SOLIDLY AGAINST ANY TAX INCREASES. I THINK WE SHOULD REDUCE TAXES IMMEDIATELY, BOTH CORPORATE AND PERSONAL INCOME TAX. I BELIEVE WE SHOULD LOWER SALES TAX, CERTAINLY NOT RENEW THE POINT 4 OR 5 SALES TAX. WE NEED TO DRASTICALLY REDUCE REGULATIONS. I WAS TOLD THE OTHER DAY, AND I DON’T KNOW IF THIS IS TRUE, THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN, UM, UH, COSMETOLOGY TYPE OCCUPATIONS THAT REQUIRE RIDICULOUS SORT OF FEES FOR A CERTIFICATE OR A LICENSE. THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT DON’T REALLY NEED A LICENSE NECESSARILY. SO WE WANT TO MAKE IT WHERE WE’RE OPEN FOR BUSINESS. AND EVERYBODY IN THE COUNTRY KNOWS THIS, AND WE WE CAN LEARN FROM BEST PRACTICES FROM STATES AROUND US WHO FOUND A WAY TO SURGE IN THEIR ECONOMY AND IN THE GROWTH OF THEIR POPULATION. WHILE WE’VE BEEN HOLDING BACK. YEAH. SO IS THERE A SPECIFIC PLAN ON HOW YOU PLAN TO ATTRACT THOSE ENTREPRENEURS OR BUSINESS PEOPLE OR MORE PEOPLE? WELL, WE’VE ALREADY FROM OUR DEPARTMENT, FROM THE TREASURY, WERE ALREADY MAKING, UM, INROADS. WE I WENT TO ISRAEL LAST YEAR AND I BROUGHT, UH, MY ISRAELI, UH, THE ALLIANCE, UH, INTO OUR STATE. SO WE’RE LOOKING AT A TRADE AGREEMENT SO THAT WE CAN SHARE. ISRAEL HAS A LOT TO OFFER, PARTICULARLY IN THE AREA OF TECHNOLOGY. AND THEY WANT ACCESS TO OUR MARKETS. SO I’M ALREADY DOING THAT. I’M WORKING WITH LAD, WHO’S ALSO DOING THESE SORT OF THINGS. SO THERE’S REAL ACTION GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES. BUT AGAIN WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT BUSINESSES KNOW THAT WHEN THEY COME HERE, REGULATIONS ARE LOW AND SIMPLE AND EASY TO CALCULATE. TAXES ARE LOW AND EASY TO TO UNDERSTAND AND NOT BE COMPLICATED AND THAT THEY’RE GOING TO GET THE SUPPORT OF THE STATE THAT WE’RE NOT GOING TO BLOCK THEM THROUGH. UH, YOU KNOW, NOT ISSUING PERMITS OR IN SOME WAY REGULATING THEM OUT OF BUSINESS. THEY NEED TO FEEL COMFORTABLE. WE ACTUALLY HAVE COMPANIES THAT HAVE LEFT THE STATE WHO STARTED HERE TO GO TO STATES AROUND US. WE NEED TO REVERSE THAT TREND RIGHT? HIGH PAYING. WE NEED HIGH PAYING JOBS, HIGH PAYING JOBS. ABSOLUTELY. AND HIGH PAYING COMPANIES. LAST QUESTION FOR ME BECAUSE I’M CURIOUS, ARE YOU PLANNING TO RUN FOR US SENATE? OH MY GOODNESS, I DID NOT EXPECT YOU SURPRISED ME WITH THAT ONE. UH, LET’S JUST SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, AS ANYBODY WHO IS COMMITTED TO SERVING THE PEOPLE, I’M ALWAYS LOOKING AT ANY OPPORTUNITY THAT WE CAN BETTER OUR GOVERNMENT. I THINK THERE’S A LOT OF WORK TO DO HERE IN LOUISIANA. THERE’S ALSO A LOT OF WORK TO DO IN WASHINGTON. I’VE BEEN IN WASHINGTON. I SPENT 12 YEARS THERE, INCLUDING FOUR YEARS IN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. SO I LOOK FOR ANY OPPORTUNITY WHERE WE MIGHT ACTUALLY SEE BETTER RESULTS, WHETHER IT’S BATON ROUGE OR WASHINGTON, D.C. SO THAT’S A YES, POSSIBLY A YES, A YES. WE’LL SEE. A YES. THAT’S A WE’LL SEE. ALL RIGHT.