So to begin with, I ask Paul, “How many Louisiana jobs are in oil and petrochemical plants?” “Today, less than 10 percent,” he answers. I am shocked. For all the talk of jobs, this seems below the level that would justify General Honoré’s remark that there was “just enough to” all the talk about jobs, that people felt threatened by the word “environmental” and gave an exasperated sigh at “regulation.” But later when I check his figures I discover that the highest estimate—offered by the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association—was 15 percent of all jobs in the state. The lowest—from the
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