[StBernard] House Committee Passes "Gulf Coast Recovery Act"

[Westley Annis]

Westley:
 
In plain English, am I correct in reading that:
 
(1)  The Federal government is covering 100% of the base and overtime pay
for St. Bernard deputies, fireman, and public works employees.
 
(2)  The Federal government is covering 100% of the expenses associated with
the removal of debris throughout St. Bernard parish, retroactively to August
29th, therefore there is no reason that the parish officials cannot utilize
every possible resource to clean-up the parish before it becomes overrun
with rats, mice, etc. 
 
(3)  The Federal government is covering 100% of the Hazard Mitigation costs,
so the excuse that the parish does not have the money previously needed to
cover its 25% share of Hazard Mitigation costs no longer exists, and we can
expect to see the parish immediately move forward with their Hazard
Mitigation Plan (assuming that we ever developed one). 
 
(4)  The Federal Government has authorized funding through the Stafford Act
to improve our emergency communications network, again assuming that we have
determined exactly what our needs are.  This should be fairly easy knowing
what communication obstacles the parish experienced during and after
Hurricane Katrina. 
 
If I correctly understand the above points of the Gulf Coast Recovery Plan,
we should quickly see information on the parish web-site advising residents
of what actions we can expect to see our elected officials take, along with
a time table of when each will occur.  This information will be invaluable
to all parish residents, and should provide a bit of encouragement for those
of us wanting to return. 
 
It appears that the ball is now in our hands; how we handle things may very
well determine the future of St. Bernard Parish.
 
 
	----------------------------------------------------
	WASHINGTON - The U.S. House committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure,
	which has jurisdiction over Stafford Act disaster-response policy,
today 
	passed the "Gulf Coast Recovery Act," including provisions sponsored
by
	senior committee member U.S. Rep. Richard Baker, R-Baton Rouge, to
aid storm
	victims and enhance local and state government resources to aid in 
	Louisiana's recovery.
	
	"The vote today marks one of the most meaningful actions taken in
Congress
	to help the victims of the hurricane disasters and to help local
authorities
	tackle Louisiana's recovery," said Baker. "I know Chairman Young
shares the 
	belief that more must be done, and I know he is committed to doing
more
	early next year. But for now, this bill, when enacted, will put
people back
	to work, it will help families endure financially, and it will help
make way 
	for recovery. When the committee revisits the issue next year, I
expect to
	seek specific assistance for schools, hospitals, and utilities."
	
	The bill must now be taken up by the full House, and Baker plans to
try to 
	expedite its enactment before Congress recesses for the holidays.
	
	The "Gulf Coast Recovery Act" addresses several time-sensitive
issues
	significant to the continued recovery of the Gulf region.
	Public Assistance Allowable Costs Allows the president to provide
assistance
	to financially distressed state and local governments to cover base
pay and
	overtime expenses for some essential response and recovery
personnel. The 
	assistance is limited to the six-month period from January 1, 2006
to June
	30, 2006 for state and local governments. This section applies only
to
	disaster declarations made for Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita
on or 
	after August 29, 2005.
	
	"Base pay" inclusion is essential for local governments that have
needed
	additional personnel to handle either the disaster response or the
strain of
	providing service with the influx of evacuees. 
	
	Disaster Loan Program Amends the Community Disaster Loan Act of 2005
to
	allow local governments to receive loans up to 50% of the local
government's
	budget. Current law caps loan amounts at 25% of the local
government's 
	budget.
	
	Federal Share for Debris Removal Sets the federal cost share of
debris
	removal for disaster declarations resulting from Hurricane Katrina
or
	Hurricane Rita on or after August 29, 2005 at 100% for the period of
the 
	declaration. The president has the authority to set the federal cost
share
	for debris removal at 100%, and has done so temporarily through a
series of
	extensions.
	Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) Sets the federal cost share
of the 
	HMGP program at 100% (instead of the current 75%-25%) for a one-
year period
	with respect to disaster declarations made for Hurricanes Katrina
and Rita
	on or after August 29, 2005. Currently, State and local governments
are 
	unable to implement the HMGP program due to inability to cover the
	non-federal cost share, which limits their ability to perform cost-
	effective mitigation measures during recovery.
	
	The bill also restores the percentage of the Disaster Relief Fund
already 
	approved by Congress used to calculate the availability of HMGP
funds
	following a disaster from 7.5% to 15%. The Committee and the House
approved
	a similar proposal in the 108th Congress in H.R. 3181.
	Extension of Unemployment Assistance Extends the eligible period of
disaster 
	unemployment assistance from 26 to 52 weeks from the date of
disaster
	declaration made for Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita on or
after August
	29, 2005 and raises the amount available to at least 50% of the
national 
	average.
	
	Emergency Equipment Assistance Amends the Stafford Act to create a
new grant
	program for state and local governments nationwide to improve
	interoperability and survivability of emergency communications
systems. The 
	program is authorized at $600,000,000 over 3 years.
	Improving such communication abilities for first responders was a
key
	recommendation by the 9/11 commission.
	
	CONTACT: Michael DiResto, 225-929-7711