[StBernard] Road Home Tax relief update from Sen. Vitter

[Westley Annis]

I wanted to take this opportunity to update you on our work to provide
relief from the Road Home tax.  I continue to strongly support the Road Home
tax relief and am working everyday to enact it despite claims by other
partisans, including Sen. Landrieu, who have implied that my vote against a
$10 billion taxpayer-funded bailout of unscrupulous lenders means I oppose
the Road Home and GO Zone provisions. Nothing could be farther from the
truth.  Sadly, this is another example of partisan politics over substantive
legislation.

Through my insistence, the Republican leadership has now agreed to support
this important fix to reduce taxes for Road Home grant recipients and to
allow new projects to benefit from the GO Zone depreciation.  This important
provision, which I helped passed in the Senate already and that has passed
the House, has strong support from both sides of the aisle and both sides of
the Capitol.  Also, I worked closely with other Gulf Coast senators to get
this included in the last version of the housing legislation, and I will
continue to support it and work for it as the bill is negotiated in
conference. 

The truth about this current Housing legislation on the Senate floor is
that, even though it includes the Road Home tax relief provision, it has a
clear veto threat from the president - again, making it unlikely to actually
become substantive law.  Instead of working to produce a bi-partisan bill
that can actually become law and bring real relief to Louisianans, the
Democrat leadership continues to schedule votes aimed at scoring political
points only produce hot air and little substantive Road Home tax relief.  

 

Quite frankly, I'm sick of all the hot air and political posturing. I'm
going to continue to work day and night get the Road Home tax relief,
crucial levee funding, and many other issues sign into law and not be used
as a political paw in an election year political game.    

 

Please let me know if you have any questions and let's stay in touch.

 

 

                                                            Sincerely, 

 

                                                

 

                                                            David Vitter 

                                                            United States
Senator