[StBernard] Mrs. Bush's Remarks after Visit to St. Bernard UnifiedSchool

[Westley Annis]

When asked about the President's rejection of the Baker Bill, First Lady
Laura Bush said:

"But there was money yesterday that was announced for Community Development
Block Grants, which states can use just like the Baker bill proposed. Once
states write their plans for how they want to use Community Block
Development money, they can start that out. And if they want to do what was
in the Baker bill, which was to buy out areas, they can write that in their
proposals for their Community Block Grants. It takes a plan, and that's the
really hard work. Your temptation is just to throw your arms up and say,
this just looks like too much work. And you might have thought that. But you
didn't. And you went to work, even though there was not FEMA money yet. And
this is where you are, after just really a few months of devastation. 

So it's really important for local people, for local officials, for state
officials to work as hard as you can, to meet with your community, to see
what your needs are, to draw out your plans that you want, and then to
access the federal money. And there is federal money. I think yesterday it
was $6.2 billion for Louisiana, and approximately a little over $5 billion
for Mississippi, for Community Block Grants, that sort of money that the
Baker bill proposed. 

So once states really figure out either are our neighborhoods safe -- we
don't want people to move back until neighborhoods are safe. We want to make
sure the levees are safe."

***In some discussion here, it appears Louisiana needs to devise a plan to
use the 6.2 Billion, then reapply for more, until the federal governement
act upon recovery.

I can assure you, that the initial stages of its allocation will be towards
infrastructure, (roads, buildings, waterways, whatever) before individual
relief is addressed (bailouts, buyouts and outbacks <G>>.)..The 6.2 billion
given will be gone before the trash in the homes are gone. If people don't
get relief, they won't have the funds to travel back, re-work their
property, and provide needed money to evacuate when the next storm forces
them away..

==Jer==




Mrs. Bush's Remarks after a Visit to St. Bernard Unified School 
 
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/01/20060126-3.html