[StBernard] (no subject)

[Westley Annis]

The Charlie Melancon campaign was quite happy in an email to its supporters.  The email sent Wednesday said, Our campaign has taken off and has some encouraging news to share. The latest polling conducted by Anzalone Lizst Research shows us with a commanding 32- point lead over our closest opponent. The polling memo is attached to this e-mail or you can download it here: http://melanconforcongress.com/2006pollingmemo.pdf .

 

While not trying to mix the power of the incumbency with politics, Bayoubuzz reports that Melancon also said it a press release that the U.S. Representative on Wednesday announced that the school boards in St. Bernard and Plaquemines Parishes, together with the Roman Catholic Church/Archdiocese of New Orleans, will receive $28,834,801.51 in federal disaster aid grants from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security´s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).  The grants will reimburse the parishes for disaster relief costs incurred from August 29, 2005, through June 30, 2006.  

The Melancon Washington Office itemized these grants:

$6,711,390.00 for Buras High School Main Building (Plaquemines Parish).    $1,038,581.10 for Port Sulphur Senior High School (Plaquemines Parish).         $1,648,400.44 for Andrew Jackson High School (St. Bernard Parish).        $1,206,266.36 for St Bernard High School (St. Bernard Parish
$1,582,134.41 for N.P. Trist Middle School (St. Bernard Parish).         
$1,189,352.71 for Joseph Maumus Arts Center (St. Bernard Parish).         $9,016,057.81 to Rebuild Arabi Elementary School (St. Bernard Parish).         $1,394,035.87 for Sebastien Roy Elementary School (St. Bernard Parish).        $1,111,817.56 for J. F. Gauthier Elementary School (St. Bernard Parish       $1,365,892.45 for St. Bernard Parish School Board´s Bus Maintenance and Storage Building (SBMB) (St. Bernard Parish)
$1,115,749.20 for Archbishop Hannan High School Temporary Facilities (St. Bernard Parish
$1,455,123.60 to Relocate and Rebuild Archbishop Hannan High School Arts Building (St. Bernard Parish

In fairness to his opponent Bayoubuzz is uncertain to what extent the Congressman played a role in procuring these funds, but, this is the power of the incumbency in a political year during the time of rebuilding.    

In the 2nd District, Republican, Joe Lavigne, 2nd Congressional District Candidate, called on President George W. Bush to support the House of Representatives bill that would give Louisiana its fair share of existing oil and gas leases.  There is also a Senate bill dealing with oil revenues which Lavigne addressed.

Lavigne said in a written statement, “I was grateful to hear the President acknowledge how important this issue is to Louisiana when he visited New Orleans last week. The problem for Louisiana is that the White House supports a Senate bill that doesn´t address existing oil and gas leases, only future leases, meaning this new well in the Gulf wouldn't be covered,” said Lavigne.

 

Currently the White House supports the Senate version of the offshore oil revenue bill, and opposes Rep. Bobby Jindal's bill that would give Louisiana a share of the royalties from existing leases. The House and Senate bills must go to conference and be passed by both chambers before the President can sign either bill into law.

 

“It seems to me that if we deserve a share of these royalties, we ought to deserve a share of what´s being extracted today, not just what they may find tomorrow. I call on President Bush and Congress to pass meaningful legislation that will allow Louisiana to restore our protective wetlands with our fair share of the oil and gas royalties from drilling off of all of Louisiana's coast,” Joe Lavigne added.

 

Meanwhile, Lavigne's strongest opponent, incumbent William “Bill” Jefferson announced he would host an issue forum during the Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference titled, "Economic Opportunity in the Wake of a Disaster: Putting the Market to Work for Working Families and Communities." The forum will be held on Thursday, September 7, 2006 at 4 p.m and Jefferson further announced the impressive names and positions of participants from various industries participating.