[StBernard] The Momentum is Building

[Westley Annis]

April 15, 2007	 
 	 
Building Momentum for a Fresh Start

Thanks to the hard work and generous support of thousands of Louisianians
like you, last week my campaign announced that we have now raised more than
$5.1 million! The message is clear. It is time for a different direction and
real results from government. We do not want to simply recover - we want to
thrive.

The thirst for change in our state is massive. I constantly hear from people
who say they are tired of Louisiana being at the bottom of the list when it
comes to education, economic development and health care. They want change.
The overwhelming commitment of Louisianians to bring our state to the top of
the good lists is driving the building momentum behind my agenda for a fresh
start.

Thanking our First Responders

I had the pleasure of spending this weekend thanking fire chiefs from all
across the state for the heroic job that they and all first responders do on
a daily basis. During times of disaster, these first responders run towards
danger in order to protect us from tragedy. These first responders are
usually only publicly recognized after large tragedies, such as 9/11 and
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, but I wanted to take a special opportunity to
thank them for their service. I would encourage you to take a minute when
you see first responders in your neighborhood to thank them for their
sacrifices for our communities.

Franklin Parish Catfish Festival

After the storms moved through on Saturday, I enjoyed the cooler weather by
attending the Franklin Parish Catfish Festival in Winnsboro, the largest
single-day festival in the State of Louisiana. This festival, and those like
it around Louisiana, add to the great culture of our state and provide a
great economic impact to these communities. Based on the great crowds that I
saw on Saturday, I know that families, friends and neighbors enjoyed getting
together to enjoy some delicious pond-raised catfish.


In the coming months we will be attending additional festivals across the
state. This is a great opportunity to meet other volunteers by helping pass
out bumper stickers and other campaign materials. To volunteer at an
upcoming festival, sign up here. 

Protecting the Bayou Region

A very serious issue emerged last week when the White House signaled their
potential opposition to the Morganza to the Gulf project which is vital to
the protection of the bayou region. This project will help guard Terrebonne
Parish and portions of Lafourche Parish which are currently left largely
unprotected from the threat of natural disasters.

The Army Corps of Engineers has spent 15 years developing the Morganza to
the Gulf plan to help secure the bayou region area which is important to our
domestic energy and fishery industries. The opposition from the White House
shows that the Administration not only neglects to understand the
seriousness of protecting and restoring our coasts, but fails to realize the
vital role this region plays in our national oil supply.

I am urgently requesting that the President correct the misguided opposition
of his administration to the Morganza to the Gulf project, and instead join
the Louisiana delegation in supporting this bipartisan plan. I am working to
help ensure the House approves legislation authorizing this important
project this week.

Working to Provide Affordable Insurance

I am pleased to report that both the Senate Banking and the Senate Commerce
committees held hearings this week on my companion legislation addressing
the insurance crisis facing the Gulf Coast region. These hearings are
another sign that Congress is starting to pay attention to our insurance
crisis. I am currently a lead co-sponsor on two bills concerning insurance -
the Multiple Peril Insurance Act (H.R. 920) to allow homeowners the option
of buying wind coverage when they buy flood coverage, and the Insurance
Industry Competition Act (H.R. 1081) to protect consumers against the threat
of artificially inflated prices.

We must find concrete solutions to providing Gulf Coast residents with
affordable insurance. It is inexcusable that so many Louisiana families are
faced with a choice between paying for their expensive insurance coverage
and putting food on the table. Many others cannot find coverage at all. With
the help of my colleagues in Congress, I am working to provide real
solutions to the insurance crisis plaguing the Gulf Coast and will continue
to keep you informed as these two important bills make their way through
Congress.

Combating Violent Crime

This past week the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing in New Orleans
focused on combating violent crime. I introduced a statement into the record
at the hearing concerning my legislation - The Violent Crime Reduction Act
(H.R. 638) - aimed at reducing violent crime throughout Louisiana and the
rest of the nation. Violent crime must be confronted and eliminated in order
for citizens to thrive in other areas vital to their success. Economic and
educational advancement largely depend on the safety and security of our
neighborhoods.

I am committed to keeping the safety of our communities at the forefront of
the Congressional agenda. The problem of crime is not a new one, nor is it a
problem limited to major urban areas. The first five minutes of local
newscasts - whether in Shreveport, Monroe, Lake Charles or anywhere in
between - recap the violent crimes, robberies and drug arrests that have
occurred in the last 24 hours.

We must better coordinate federal, state and local law enforcement agencies
to fight violent crimes, as well as gang and drug activity. The Violent
Crime Reduction Act I introduced will work to do this, and more specifically
to:

- Establish joint task forces of federal, state and local law enforcement
and prosecutors so they can share resources and intelligence to help target
the most serious gangs and drug activity in a community.

- Create guidelines to designate High Intensity Gang Areas in these
communities and authorize Federal funding to help combat gang and drug
activity, as well as help states hire prosecutors and purchase technology,
equipment and training for gang enforcement.

- Authorize the U.S. Department of Justice to award grants to state and
local programs for the specific purpose of designing and establishing a
statewide database to track criminals, arrests, prosecutions, and
convictions. This database will help law enforcement officers have vital
information they need when confronting a possible criminal. For example, if
a sex offender is released through the Orleans Parish criminal justice
system and is later pulled over blocks from an elementary school in Bossier
City, this database will give law enforcement officers detailed information
on the past arrests and crimes of the offender that was previously
unavailable.

Looking Ahead

I have been humbled and honored by the overwhelming support of Louisianians
from across the state who have joined me in my commitment to bringing real
change to our state. This week we continued meeting thousands of people
excited about our agenda to bring a fresh start to Louisiana. Some of the
places I visited this past week include Natchitoches, Coushatta, Shreveport,
Arcadia, Homer, Haynesville, Iowa, Hammond, Opelousas, Krotz Springs, New
Roads, Lake Charles, Gonzales, Monroe, Winnsboro and Lafayette. While
independent polls show us ahead, we will continue to work as if we are
behind. The election is still more than six months away and we have a lot of
work to do. I cannot do it without you.

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

Bobby