The conference, titled “Resilience: Strength Through Compassion and Connection” will be held May 16 through 18 at the Morial Convention Center. World-renowned author and speaker Margaret Wheatley and famed Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry Dr. Richard J. Davidson will speak at the conference.

In addition to the conference, His Holiness will speak at two events that anyone can attend with the purchase of a ticket. The first event, titled “Strength Through Compassion” will be held at the Morial Convention Center on Friday, May 17. The second talk, titled “Strength Through Connection,” will be held the following day, Saturday, May 18 at the University of New Orleans Lakefront Arena.

To commemorate the historic visit, Drepung Loseling monks will visit New Orleans. The monks are renowned for their multiphonic chanting, known as zokkay. They will perform at the beginning of each of His Holiness’ talks.

The monks will also create an elaborate sand mandala at the Morial Convention Center beginning Tuesday, May 14. The public is welcome to view the ancient tradition in progress for free of charge between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. A closing ceremony will be held on Friday, May 17 at 5:30 p.m. when the monks will lead a procession to the Mississippi River and disperse the sand into the flowing water.

The public is also invited to a Tibetan Bazaar where authentic goods will be sold. It will be held at the Morial Convention Center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the conference through Friday, May 17 and at the UNO Lakefront Arena on Saturday, May 18.

Revenue generated from ticket sales will be used to underwrite the events. There will be no profit generated, and any remaining funds will be donated to a nonprofit organization.

For more information visit DalaiLamaNOLA.com.

Recognizing that the time for action is now, the Campaign works in Washington, DC and around the country to educate people on the need for a comprehensive plan to fix our long-term debt and deficits. In our history, America has always been able to tackle its greatest challenges — we are confident we can rise to the occasion again.

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WASHINGTON – By now, you’ve probably heard the news that failure by PresidentBarack Obama and Congress to reach a deal on the so-called fiscal cliff means higher taxes and spending cuts in both defense and domestic programs starting January 1. This week, various think tanks and advocacy groups are discussing some of the other potential effects on Louisiana.

One analysis by George Mason University economists predicted that the cumulative impact of no budget deal would cost Louisiana 28,000 jobs. For starters, according to the Pew Center on the States, a failure to reach a deal would cut 6.6 percent of all federal grants to Louisiana on an annual basis.

Since much of that money has already been budgeted, it will like result in even more cuts by the state of Louisiana. Already, Gov. Bobby Jindal has implemented large cuts in health care services in response to a large reduction in federal Medicaid funds implemented last summer at the insistence of House Republicans.

“The longer Washington takes to avert the damaging consequences of sequestration and tax increases, the more communities across Louisiana must prepare for the worst,” said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget and head of the Campaign to Fix the Debt. “If the arbitrary combination of ill-thought out spending cuts and tax hikes take effect, it’ll be another economic setback for small businesses and families in Louisiana.”

Other effects:

• Since Louisiana allows state taxpayers to deduct their federal taxes from state returns, higher federal taxes that would take effect on January 1 for all Americans, if no deal is reached, would mean less revenue for the state.
• If no deal is reached, the Bush income tax rate reductions be rolled back for all Americans, not just for those with incomes under $250,000.
• Expanded child tax credits and earned income tax credits for low income working families enacted over the last decade would expire, if no deal is reached. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that a single mom with two kids working full time at the minimum wage would see her child tax credit drop from $1,725 to $173 if the expanded benefits aren’t extended.

Though President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner have significantly narrowed their differences, there’s still no accord. At issue is what the cutoff point should be for people to continue to benefit from the George W. Bush cuts in income tax rates. Obama started out saying the rates should rise to Clinton-era levels for families once incomes exceed $250,000. Since then, he agreed to raise that threshold to $400,000 and recently suggested he could go as high as $700,000.

Boehner has said he’d only accept rate increases for families with income over $1 million and complained that the president hasn’t yet agreed to enough cuts in federal spending.

On Thursday, Rep. John Fleming, R-Minden, said he opposes any increases in taxes, regardless of income, on grounds it would, in his view, hurt job growth. Others point to robust job growth during the Clinton years as evidence that the higher rates favored by the president for high income earners wouldn’t hurt the economy.

By Robin Shannon, New Orleans CityBusiness

The Civic, oldest known theater building in New Orleans, has sat hidden and forgotten among a cluster of high rise towers within the Central Business District for more than 30 years. But developers are hoping that by year’s end, the 106-year-old performance venue can be put back into commerce.

A trio of partners — including developer Brian Gibbs; Bryan Bailey, who works in film production and real estate; and Solomon Group, an entertainment management company — is working to restore the 15,000-square-foot building so that it host to live theatrical and music performances, movies, corporate functions and receptions.

A meticulous nine-month, $10.5 million renovation project is now in the home stretch. Gibbs Construction is the general contractor for the project.

“We are definitely looking to fill a void in the city’s live entertainment scene,” said Stephen Fink, a partner with The Solomon Group. “Seating can fluctuate between 750 and 1,100, giving us the opportunity to accommodate shows that are too small for a Saenger or Mahalia Jackson theater, which hold more than 2,000 people, or too big for something that would have been at Le Petit or Le Chat Noir.”

In addition, Fink said the renovated Civic will also feature an adaptable modular flooring system that will allow for transformation from theater-style seating to a modern concert format or corporate conference setting in only a matter of minutes.

“The theater isn’t big enough to live off a traveling show, and it also is not situated near the other known theaters so we had to be creative with our business plan,” Fink said. “This allows us to be flexible. We will have the ability to hold a corporate event by day and a concert at night.”

Gibbs, who has owned the property since 2001 along with the loft apartments that flank both sides, said the project got a huge boost from multiple state and federal tax credits. The most crucial among them was the state’s Live Infrastructure Tax Credit, meant to help re-establish performance venues. The program provides 25 percent of the cost of the project in fully refundable tax credits, he said.

“When I bought the property in 2001, the value of the theatre was at zero,” Gibbs said. “I didn’t know what to do with it or how to go about doing something with it. The tax credits made it feasible because now we had a goal.”

Although the building’s structure was solid and completely fireproof, renovation came with its share of challenges, Gibbs said. The building needed a brand new roof and ventilation system, and the basement had to be drained of about 4 feet of water. The stage was rotten in some areas, and the balconies needed to be rebuilt with larger seating.

Gibbs said much of the plasterwork on the balcony façades was intact and just needed some minor restoration. Construction crews also had to work to expand restroom space, sacrificing seating on the bottom level.

Additional seating was eliminated for the installation of bars on each theater level. Fink said the partners are working with Neil Bodenheimer of the cocktail lounge Cure to develop the menu and service plan.

“We are looking at something simple, but we want to ensure that it is pleasing to the crowds we are catering to,” Fink said.

Another challenge came with designing the entrance. Architect Jack Sawyer with Eskew+Dumez+Ripple said in past incarnations, the main theatre entrance was on Baronne Street, where patrons would pass through an open-air arcade into the lobby. The old Civic marquee still remains, but the traditional entrance is no longer viable because of the condominiums that now occupy the buildings on either side. Theatergoers will now enter from the side through an alley off O’Keefe Street, where a new marquee was recently installed.

Although renovations are nearly complete, the owners have intentionally shied away from booking the theatre for events until it is ready to host them.

“People are tired of hearing about what people are going to do, and we did not want to be that way,” Fink said. “We wanted to come out and be real. We wanted to have the space ready and know it is ready before laying out a schedule of events.”

***Louisiana Fact Sheet Below Press Release***

(BATON ROUGE, LA) December 17, 2012 – With less than a month to act, the U.S. faces a real risk of going over the “fiscal cliff” – a dangerous combination of spending cuts and tax expirations scheduled to hit on January 1 unless Congress and the White House take action. The Congressional Budget Office predicts that the cliff could push the country back into a recession. In Louisiana, up to 28,000 jobs would be lost if we go over the cliff, according to an analysis by George Mason University, and experts warn local economies could bear the brunt of losses.

If lawmakers fail to avert the fiscal cliff, 18 percent of the federal money that is sent to the states will be eliminated. Those cuts will reduce funding for important local programs including education, housing, and low-income initiatives. Curtailments of federal grants will cut out 6.6 percent of all revenue Louisiana receives on an annual basis, according to the Pew Center on the States, much of which has already been allocated into the state’s future spending plans. The combination of tax hikes and nearly across-the-board federal spending cuts would have profoundly negative effects on working families, funding for K-12 and higher education, and small businesses and major employers alike.

“The longer Washington takes to avert the damaging consequences of sequestration and tax increases, the more communities across Louisiana must prepare for the worst,” said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget and head of the Campaign to Fix the Debt. “If the arbitrary combination of ill-thought out spending cuts and tax hikes take effect, it’ll be another economic setback for small businesses and families in Louisiana. We need deficit reduction, but it must be targeted and gradual in order to protect our fragile economy recovery and the middle class families who are driving it.”

Already, uncertainty around the fiscal cliff is affecting financial markets. A national survey by the National Association for Business Economists found 87 percent of respondents believe economic uncertainty is holding back the economy. Unfortunately, gridlock in Washington is threatening to push the country over cliff as the January 1 deadline looms.

Americans have expressed a desire for lawmakers in Washington to work together on comprehensive debt reduction legislation. A Gallup poll in December found 62 percent of Americans want government leaders to work on bipartisan solutions.

The Campaign to Fix the Debt is a nonpartisan coalition with more than 315,000 members active across 17 states. Members come from a broad range of social, economic, and political backgrounds. The Campaign supports a debt reduction framework that produces greater tax revenue, cuts wasteful spending, and improves important social programs, all while aimed at putting the long-term debt on a path of gradual reduction.

LOUISIANA FACT SHEET

What the “Fiscal Cliff” and Rising Debt Mean for Louisiana

The “fiscal cliff” – the ham-handed combination of spending cuts and tax hikes worth $600 billion in 2013 alone – will take effect at year’s end unless elected leaders in Washington take action. If we tumble off the cliff, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projects our economy will contract by an annual basis of 3.9 percent in the first quarter of next year.1 And already, businesses are postponing hiring and investment decisions, fearful that the new year will deliver customers with less disposable income.2
But what does going over the fiscal cliff mean to Louisiana? If we were to go over the cliff:

• Louisiana will lose up to 28,000 jobs due to federal spending reductions.3
• The vast majority of Americans will see their federal tax bills rise. Because of how their state taxes interact with the federal tax code, some Louisianans will see their state tax bills rise as well. Because Louisianans will see less after-tax money in their pockets, local businesses will suffer.4
• All states depend on the federal government to fund specific programs. However, 18 percent of federal grant dollars flowing to the states will be subject to the fiscal cliff’s “sequestration” policies. This is money that funds nutrition programs for low-income women and children, education programs, public housing and many other programs that protect the most vulnerable among us.
• Federal grants that will be subject to the fiscal cliff’s “sequestration” of federal funds represent 6.6 percent of state revenue Louisiana receives on an annual basis. This is money Louisiana has already allocated for spending.
• Louisiana will face an environment of policy uncertainty, as revenues it depends on from both taxpayers and federal grant programs become harder to foresee, making long-term planning extremely difficult.

As you can see, Louisiana cannot afford to go over the fiscal cliff. But at the same time, we must begin controlling our debt; research shows that once debt reaches elevated levels, an economy can be expected to grow significantly slower each year, and would increasingly face the threat of a fiscal crisis.5 We need our leaders in Washington to come together and craft a plan to avert the fiscal cliff and to stabilize our long-term national debt.

1 Congressional Budget Office, Baseline Economic Forecast—August 2012, 22 August 2012
2 Nelson Schwartz, Fearing an Impasse in Congress, Industry Cuts Spending, New York Times, 5 August 2012
3 George Mason University, The Economic Impact of the Budget Control Act of 2011 on DOD and non-DOD Agencies, 17 July 2012
4 This, and all following state-specific statistics, from Pew Center on the States, The Impact of the Fiscal Cliff on the States, 15 Nov. 2012
5 Carmen M. Reinhart & Kenneth S. Rogoff, Growth in a Time of Debt, American Economic Review, May 2010

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