[StBernard] Brazile Column: The Gulf Coast Is Saying: "Throw Me Something, Mister"'

[Westley Annis]

The following column by LRA board member Donna Brazile was published in
today's Roll Call Newspaper. It can be found online at the following link:
http://www.rollcall.com/issues/51_58/brazile/11425-1.html. 

December 6, 2005 

By Donna Brazile, 

Roll Call Contributing Writer 

________________________________ 

"Mr. President, we need your leadership to ensure that the federal
government fulfills its commitment to help Mississippians get back on their
feet. That isn't going exactly right, and the nation cannot celebrate its
economic recovery until Mississippi is whole again." 

- Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.), Dec. 2 

President Bush went down to North Carolina yesterday to celebrate some good
economic news and to restore voter confidence in his economic plan. Like
Lott, I find it hard to celebrate the so-called economic recovery when so
many of our fellow citizens are struggling to make ends meet and growing
more disenchanted each day. 

While I was growing up in Louisiana, my mother, Jean, loved Mardi Gras, and
on carnival day we would gather at her parents' home near Uptown to watch
the parades. Jean taught us the traditional cry of parade goers: "Throw me
something, mister." 

Like Sens. Lott, Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and David
Vitter (R-La.), residents of the Gulf Coast are begging the administration
and their Congressional colleagues to "throw us something" before they
adjourn for the year. Just last weekend, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco (D)
threw Congress thousands of e-mails, hand-written notes and other materials
to document how she handled the hurricane-related crises. (Disclosure: I was
appointed to serve as a member of Blanco's Louisiana Recovery Authority.) 

By contrast, what does Congress have to show for its efforts? 

Months after two powerful hurricanes killed hundreds, dispersed more than
one million American citizens, shut down more than 80,000 small, medium and
large businesses, closed down major hospitals and created havoc for state
and local governments, we natives of the Gulf Coast are pleading with the
administration to support our appeal for Congress to throw us something
substantial before adjourning for the holiday season. 

Since the storms, Congress has appropriated $62 billion to the Federal
Emergency Management Agency for disaster relief (according to Landrieu's
staff, $37 billion remains unspent), provided $2 billion in borrowing
authority for the National Flood Insurance Program, given the Department of
Education the authority to waive the repayment of federal student loans and
grants for students who had to delay their education, and provided some $6
billion in tax relief to individuals and businesses who are assisting or
employing victims of the storms. 

Still, we urgently need more help, and based on what the lawmakers are
pushing, here's what they're requesting this holiday season. 

Congress must invest in ensuring that levees are restored to withstand a
Category 3-plus hurricane and not support any rebuilding that dupes locals
in thinking the levees are strong enough to withstand the next storm season.
Congress also should fund efforts to determine what it would take to protect
and respond to the affected Gulf Coast region in the event of a Category 5
hurricane and to prevent further coastal erosion. 

Don Powell, the new White House liaison to the Gulf Coast, visited the
region last week and indicated that the White House needs more time. Well,
Powell should understand there's no reason to encourage residents to return
home and invest in rebuilding if the federal government cannot stand by its
commitment to rebuild the levees. 

Congress also could embrace Rep. Richard Baker's (R-La.) approach to helping
revitalized neighborhoods by adopting H.R. 4100 - the Louisiana Recovery
Corp., which will purchase property from willing sellers who will be
entitled to receive compensation for their equity. The sellers would have
their entire loan obligation settled so that they are stable financially and
able to plan for the future. Moreover, sellers will be provided options for
rebuilding in or otherwise returning to the neighborhood they called home.
This legislation has received the backing of Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.),
who came on board after Baker accepted some of his changes. 

Congress also could pass much-needed legislation, now pending in the Senate,
to provide relief to first responders and to assist Mississippi, Louisiana
and Alabama with covering their match funding of Medicaid costs. 

Congress also should look into giving real support to small businesses.
Again, the Senate passed a good bipartisan bill sponsored by Sens. Olympia
Snowe (R-Maine) and John Kerry (D-Mass.). But the White House has opposed
that bill in favor of pushing Gulf Opportunity Loans for immediate relief.
Sadly, those loans are not working. So far, only six Gulf Opportunity Loan
checks have been issued nationwide, even though more than 18,000 businesses
have been "catastrophically destroyed" in Louisiana alone. Congress cannot
ignore that a big problem with those loans is the 11.5 percent to 13.5
percent interest rate - higher than my credit card. Go figure. 

Before Congress goes home for the holidays, it should make sure that money
will get in the hands of victims, rather than FEMA, which has done a
terrible job managing the disaster. Look, there are good people working very
hard to help the storm exiles, but many of these employees are just as
confused as the residents. One day, FEMA will announce checks are coming.
The next day, FEMA tells families to wait until they sort it out. Meanwhile,
residents are begging for trailers or assistance to pay deposits for
apartments or temporary homes. 

We need Congress to throw us something fast. Throw us some hope so
homeowners can move forward in salvaging what's left and begin to put
together their rebuilding plans. 

Throw the small businesses some bridge loans so they can call back their
employees and re-open their doors by Mardi Gras. Throw those still stranded
in hotels, motels and shelters the resources to leave those temporary places
before the next deadline approaches on Jan. 7. Throw some courage, and call
on the insurance and mortgage companies to play fair and stop messing with
lives of many people. 

Throw us something, mister. Many of our residents are not able to return to
see their beloved Mardi Gras in 2006. But if Congress acts soon, they will
catch more than Mardi Gras beads, doubloons and other trinkets. They can
pick up and begin to rebuild. 

Donna L. Brazile, the campaign manager for Democratic presidential nominee
Al Gore in 2000, runs her own grass-roots political consulting firm. 

Copyright 2005 C Roll Call Inc. All rights reserved. 

The LRA, a 26- member body appointed by Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco
to identify and prioritize short and long-term needs of the recovery, is the
planning and coordinating body that will assist in implementing the
Governor's vision for the recovery of Louisiana. It will seek out and value
local input as it plans and implements the recovery. 

### 

The Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation (LDRF), Louisiana's fund for
Louisiana's people, has been established by Governor Kathleen Babineaux
Blanco in order to support long-term family restoration and recovery and
help provide assistance to our citizens in need through a network of
Louisiana charities and non-profit agencies. 

1-877-HELPLA1 (877-435-7521) www.louisianahelp.org