Louisiana is still reeling from the devastating effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, but it also struggles with twomajorproblems that existed long before the storms: an uneducated labor force and an unhealthy reputation for corruption.
Paying for gas, finding a good-paying job, housing problems and paying for health care are major components of peoples' concerns in these two states, chosen because they will be critical in this fall's national elections.