[StBernard] Weekly Update from Bobby - September 2, 2006

Westley Annis westley at da-parish.com
Sat Sep 2 20:41:15 EDT 2006


An Update from Bobby
September 2, 2006
Dear friends,

Remembering one year ago

As we reflect back one year after the landfall of Hurricane Katrina, my
prayers continue to go out to all of the families that lost loved ones, and
the families that are still rebuilding and recovering from the destruction
of last year. We also cannot forget about the upcoming anniversary of
Hurricane Rita and the devastation it wreaked on Southwest Louisiana.

Louisiana still faces many questions, but the most important is whether we
will use this as an opportunity to build the Louisiana of our dreams, or if
we will simply recreate a system that was not succeeding.

My colleagues and I in Congress have allocated billions of dollars to our
state to help rebuild our homes, schools, hospitals, and businesses, and we
must ensure that this money is used with our futures in mind.

Louisiana does not have to be ranked last in the nation for health care
anymore. We can move off of the worst lists for educating our children. We
not only can rebuild, but can overhaul our education system, our health care
infrastructure, our business environment, and our lives. We must take this
opportunity to make decisions that will make our state even stronger. A
brighter economic future will mean a better quality of life for people in
Louisiana, and ensure the future prosperity of Louisiana.

We have the opportunity to build the Louisiana of our dreams. The money
allocated to our state has given us the chance to give our children and
ourselves a better future, and it is crucial that we not waste this
opportunity. I am committed to this effort as we continue to rebuild and
recover.

In addition, I have continued to host my colleagues in Congress as they
visit our state to witness firsthand the devastation that Hurricanes Katrina
and Rita. I have said since the landfall of the hurricanes last year that it
is essential for every Member of Congress to see the devastation firsthand,
as that is truly the only way to grasp the magnitude of our situation.

Last week, Congressman Mike Pence (R-IN) visited our state. His visit is
important because he is the Chairman of the Republican Study Committee in
Congress, an influential group of more than 110 House Members. I will
continue to push all of my colleagues in Congress to visit our area to
better understand the challenges we still face.

You can read his thoughts about his Louisiana visit here:
http://www.mikepence.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=49147
<http://www.mikepence.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=49147>

Gaining support for my bill to give our state a fair share

On Tuesday, while the President was speaking in New Orleans at a Hurricane
Katrina remembrance ceremony, he announced his support for a bill to give
Louisiana a fair share of offshore energy royalties. This is great news for
Louisiana because his support moves us one step closer in our almost 50 year
wait in getting our fair share of offshore royalties.

I have been working with the Administration to make this happen, and I am
very pleased that the President came out in support publicly for this issue.

As you know, I have been working in Congress to convince the nation of the
importance of giving Louisiana our fair share of royalties generated off of
our coastline. The House of Representatives already passed a bill I
introduced to provide Louisiana with its fair share while also addressing
the need for our country to reduce its reliance on foreign sources of
energy.

My bill will provide Louisiana with $9 billion over the first 10 years and
nearly $2 billion a year once fully implemented and will ensure that funds
are available to restore our coastline, develop our infrastructure, and
improve our flood and hurricane protection.

The U.S. Senate passed a similar but less comprehensive energy bill earlier
this month. A conference committee is expected to convene after Labor Day to
work out the final details of this legislation. I have encouraged both the
House and Senate leadership to come to conference willing to compromise to
ensure that Louisiana begins to receive a fair portion of offshore energy
royalties. We cannot sacrifice the good, while trying to achieve the
perfect. Too much is at stake for this to happen.

Creating more jobs for Louisiana

I was pleased to see that a local company that employs thousands of
Louisiana residents was awarded a major contract this week to build the next
generation of spacecraft for NASA. The contact was awarded to Lockheed
Martin which will build part of the manned lunar spaceship at the Michoud
Assembly Facility in New Orleans.

It is critical that Louisiana companies continue to succeed in getting
contracts like this one that will help provide a boost to the local economy
and the job outlook for the area. We need more skilled workforce jobs in
Louisiana to lure companies and employees to the state at this crucial time.
I will continue to fight to make sure Louisiana companies compete for these
federal opportunities.

The hurricanes of last year eliminated more than 150,000 jobs from our area,
and we have to do more to secure skilled labor jobs for Louisiana as we
rebuild a large part of our state. We must focus our efforts on bringing
economic viability back to Louisiana. What our state needs most right now
are opportunities to rebuild and rejuvenate small businesses in Louisiana.
We need better prospects for our family-run industries that are the backbone
of our state. We need tax credits for hardworking Louisiana employees and
businesses that can provide economic opportunities in our hard hit
communities. We need to focus on bringing people back to their homes in
Louisiana, and creating more job opportunities that can help people rebuild
their lives.

Although we have been challenged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, we must
take this opportunity to make decisions that will make our state even
stronger. A brighter economic future will mean a better quality of life for
people in Louisiana, and ensure the future prosperity of Louisiana.

In case you missed it.

I wanted to share with you a column I wrote that was published in the
National Review earlier this week about the need to eliminate waste, fraud,
and abuse in the hurricane recovery efforts. I wrote about the importance of
making commonsense reforms to ensure that the relief dollars allocated go to
the people on the ground that really need it most.

You can read the entire column here:
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=OTYyNTc3MzU5MWI0MTFmZjIzNzYyZmY2MjQ2MmU
3ZmI=
<http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=OTYyNTc3MzU5MWI0MTFmZjIzNzYyZmY2MjQ2Mm
U3ZmI=>

Celebrating Labor Day

I wanted to remind you about a Labor Day picnic that my wife and I are
hosting this Monday. We would like for you and your family to join us for a
Re-Election Campaign Kick-off Picnic. I have included details below, and I
hope to see you on Monday.

Join us for a Re-Election Campaign Kick-off Picnic on Labor Day!

Labor Day
Monday, September 4, 2006
4:00 until 6:00 p.m.

Kenner City Park
3800 Loyola Drive
Kenner, Louisiana 70065

Pick up a yard sign and bumper sticker, and learn how you can help us win
re-election! Family-friendly event will feature jambalaya, soft drinks, and
a spacewalk for children.

This event is free and open to the public.

As always, please feel free to contact my offices if we can be of assistance
to you.

Sincerely,
Bobby Jindal





More information about the StBernard mailing list