[StBernard] Governor Blanco delivers remarks on the second annivesary of Hurricane Katrina

[Westley Annis]

Governor Blanco delivers remarks on the second annivesary of Hurricane Katrina

NEW ORLEANS - Standing in the library of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School for Science and Technology, Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco delivered the following message on the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

Gov. Blanco toured the Lower Ninth Ward school with President Bush, meeting with education leaders and observing a moment of silence. During the President's visit, the Governor hand-delivered a letter to him, thanking him for the federal commitment to recovery, and seeking help with ongoing needs. 

Click here 
<http://www.gov.state.la.us/assets/docs/08.29.07-Pres.%20George%20W.%20Bush.pdf>  to read the letter.

Katrina Anniversary Remarks
Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco
August 29, 2007

Louisiana marks the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina with the optimism and hope that comes with progress. Schools are welcoming new students. Homes are being rebuilt. Businesses are opening their doors. Life as we knew it is slowly but surely returning to our neighborhoods. 

We are making progress in the face of an unprecedented catastrophe that requires an unprecedented response. A full recovery will take a sustained effort - at the local, state, and federal levels - over a period of years. The people deserve no less that a full court press by all parties.

We've reformed the New Orleans school system and our levee boards, distributed thousands of grants to small businesses, privately funded world-renowned planners and adopted long term plans for rebuilding our communities safer and smarter than before.

The American people have been generous in their support for Louisiana. In addition to prayers and funds, volunteers have built houses, donated supplies and provided more than one million hours of service to rebuilding the region. Combined with the hard work and determination of our people, this sweat equity helps to drive our recovery. It's unbelievable to see that so many people are devoting so much time to Louisiana. 

To those who want to help, we welcome you with open arms. Come be a part of this historic rebuilding. Come teach in our schools and work in our hospitals. If you want to make a difference, Louisiana is the place to be.

Despite considerable progress, much remains to be done. Louisiana has committed more than $4.9 billion dollars to our own recovery, and we will continue prioritizing resources. But we cannot do it alone. We must have a renewed and sustained commitment from Washington.

Today I asked President Bush to recommit to the long-term recovery of the Gulf Coast. I asked him to act now on four key priorities. 

First, I asked the President to support full-funding for the Road Home Program. Louisiana has more homeowners with more damage covered by less insurance than FEMA estimates, resulting in a shortfall. Louisiana committed $1 billion in state resources towards this gap, now we need a federal commitment to close the remaining balance. 

If the President would free up the $1.2 billion dollars of promised Hazard Mitigation funds from red tape, this would go a long way towards filling the gap. Smart rebuilding requires homeowners to access this funding to strengthen their homes against future storms. Congressional leaders have pledged their support, now we need support from the White House, too.

Second, I asked the President to rescind his veto threat and sign the WRDA bill. Louisiana stands to receive billions of dollars to strengthen our levees, close the MRGO and protect against future storms. At a time when our communities remain vulnerable, we cannot afford to be sidelined by political turf battles. Six years is long enough to wait for WRDA. We need it now.

Third, I asked the President to waive the local match for the $7.6 billion in levee work needed to strengthen the federal levees to the level they should have been pre-Katrina. It will be next to impossible for future governors to pony up the resources we do not have to meet this $2.6 billion price-tag. Let's do what it takes to rebuild the federal levees, and let's do it without delay.

And fourth, I asked President Bush to cut through federal red tape and reform the Stafford Act. Every dollar, every ounce of federal assistance is tied up in pounds of red tape that is choking our recovery. 

The Stafford Act is like an archaic relic from the past. Our school systems have to justify their replacement expenses pencil by pencil before they can be reimbursed. A strong recovery requires an efficient, effective and expedient government that is not caught in a bureaucratic nightmare.

While it is true that money alone does not rebuild communities -- it certainly does help.

Sustained federal support will give the hardworking people of the Gulf Coast confidence in knowing they do not stand alone as they rebuild from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. This second anniversary is a time of optimism and hope. It is a time of innovation and renewal. Momentum is taking hold in Louisiana, our recovery is accelerating, and our people are growing stronger by the day. Thank you. 

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