[StBernard] Hurricane Update From Senator David Vitter

[Westley Annis]

Vitter's View: Hurricanes Katrina & Rita Recovery 

This week, while the Congress is in Columbus Day recess, I will be traveling
throughout the state of Louisiana to the following cities: 

 	 Monday	 Shreveport and Monroe	 
 	 Tuesday	 Monroe and Alexandria	 
 	 Wednesday	 Cameron, Lake Charles, Lafayette and Baton Rouge

 	 Thursday	 Plaquemines, Belle Chasse and New Orleans	 
 	 Friday	 Slidell and Kenner	 

Before Congress adjourned for the week, here are some of the things I was
working on: 

In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita we learned that we needed
bold, innovative approaches to doing things. Outside of the box proposals
have been overshadowed by Washington politics, which have focused solely on
the costs of the Hurricane Katrina recovery legislation to rebuild south
Louisiana instead of viewing it as a blueprint, and we're missing the
opportunity to focus on specific initiatives and priorities to rebuild
Louisiana. 

Recently I introduced three specific initiatives in the U.S. Senate and
outlined two other areas of focus that I've identified as priorities as we
move from short-term to medium- and long-term recovery in Louisiana. One
would create a Louisiana Katrina Recovery Administrator to oversee all
federal efforts, another would severely restrict the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) in handing out the huge no-bid contracts that
agency seems wedded to and the third would give much-needed immediate relief
to local government entities.

The first initiative would create a Louisiana Katrina Recovery
Administrator, who would be focused exclusively on the efficient and
effective use of federal resources for rebuilding Southeast Louisiana
following Hurricane Katrina. A strong federal leader is needed for three
reasons. First, we need to streamline the federal response, get through the
federal bureaucracy and cut through the red tape. Secondly, we need to make
sure we bring real leadership and vision to these enormous challenges by
working hand-in-hand with state and local leaders. Finally, and very
importantly, we need to ensure real transparency and accountability in
spending taxpayer dollars to see that all federal funds are used wisely and
not wasted so that we have something lasting to show for this effort.

As we struggle to get our infrastructure rebuilt and to jump start our
economies, we are running into a major obstacle-our people are not getting a
fair shake when it comes to obtaining contracts. Huge contracts are being
awarded by FEMA, many of them without the benefit of any competition, to
companies outside of the Gulf Coast region to assist with Hurricanes Katrina
and Rita recovery. I've introduced legislation that will greatly curtail
this unproductive practice. 

My bill would severely restrict FEMA in handing out the huge no-bid
contracts that agency seems wedded to. Because of these huge no-bid
contracts, money is being wasted, and, in addition, very few Louisiana
workers and businesses are involved in the rebuilding effort when this
involvement is so essential to real economic recovery. According to a recent
article in the Washington Post, "Companies outside the three states most
affected by Hurricane Katrina have received more than 90 percent of the
money from prime federal contracts for recovery and reconstruction of the
Gulf Coast." 

I'm also working with many other leaders in the Senate to have hearings on
this problem of Louisiana workers not participating enough in this recovery
work even though it will be a big part of our economic recovery effort. 

I'm happy to say we succeeded this week in giving some immediate relief to
local entities so they don't have to lay off vital service workers like
police, fire and hospital workers. I worked for well over a week with the
Bush Administration, the Office of Management and Budget, the Senate
leadership and the U.S. House of Representatives leadership to come together
around this legislative package. 

Other Katrina-related legislative priorities that I am focused on are
ensuring that the private sector truly helps lead the rebuilding effort in
southeast Louisiana and ensuring adequate hurricane and flood protection.
Businesses need innovative tax and depreciation incentives, liberty bonding
capacity and other measures to make sure that jobs return, including
immediate short-term measures to help small businesses survive. We must also
continue to work to ensure that Louisiana has adequate hurricane and flood
protection, including effective action against coastal erosion. On this
effort, I have requested a full Senate Committee inquiry into whether the
present New Orleans area levee system failed, and if so, why.

My goal will always be to complete a historic rebuilding of south Louisiana
that is remembered for innovation more than bureaucracy so that we rebuild
lives stronger and better than before.

I am especially interested in hearing all of your thoughts how to rebuild
all of south Louisiana or any other federal matter. Please contact me at any
of my state offices or in my Washington office by mail at U.S. Senator David
Vitter, U.S. Senate, 516 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C.
20510, or by phone at 202-224-4623. You can also reach me on the web at
http://vitter.senate.gov