Help from Washington to take care of important Louisiana and GulfCoast needs might soon be on its way.On Thursday, according to US Senator Mary Landrieu, the United States Senate today passed an $8.7 billion package for GulfCoast hurricane recovery secured by her., and the Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va by a vote of 75-22. Landrieu’s office said in a press release that the package that includes funding for levees, criminal justice needs, health care and housing for low-income hurricane survivors was passed as part of the Emergency Supplemental Spending bill for Iraq and Afghanistan but must square with the legislation passed by the House.
“The Senate today cast a significant vote to address the emergency situation still facing the GulfCoast,” Sen. Landrieu said. “With hurricane season just around the corner, Louisiana can breathe a small sigh of relief that the Senate has approved $6 billion in funding for levees, with an additional half billion going toward crime prevention, hospitals and housing for our homeless. I will work to ensure that these critical funds remain intact in negotiations with the House.”
In a press release, Landrieu’s office said, “While the House of Representatives did include significantly more restrictive levee funding in its version of the Supplemental, it did not include a Katrina and Rita recovery package like that secured by Sens. Landrieu and Byrd. The two chambers will now negotiate the two versions of the bill before it is sent to the President’s desk. The President has opposed including any domestic funding in the bill, and has threatened a veto.”
Also, Landrieu’s office has told Bayoubuzz that the House version only covered the Levees, was for 5.8 billion and 1.3 billion would have to be repaid by the states over a three year period of time.
In the Landrieu press release, Landrieu’s office described the vote, as such:
Levees
The Senate bill includes $6 billion for 100-year flood protection with a $1.3 billion state share. Louisiana's share was reduced from $1.5 billion, which President Bush had requested in his annual budget and the House concurred with. The cost share for Southeast Louisiana Flood Control projects (SELA) was maintained at a historical cost share of 75 percent federal to 25 percent state, rather than an increase to 35 percent as the President had proposed. The cost share for Lake Pontchartrain and vicinity hurricane protection project was also maintained at a historical cost share of 70 percent federal to 30 percent state, rather President Bush's proposed increase to 35 percent by the state.
Other hurricane protection provisions in the Supplemental include:
• $75 million to move public facilities from the Port of New Orleans to accelerate the closing of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO).
• As much as $60 million for Mississippi River dredging and repair of flood protection projects, critically damaged by recent flooding. This funding means the Army Corps of Engineers will not have to reprogram money from other projects to complete necessary dredging of the river.
• Language directing the Corps to look at options for developing plans for permanent pumping of storm water in the New Orleans metropolitan area, taking into account the operational challenges that arise during major storms. Proposed plans include slow paving of outflow canals and the "Pump to the River" project in Jefferson Parish.
Criminal Justice
The Senate Supplemental includes $75 million for criminal justice needs along the GulfCoast, of which $50 million will go to Louisiana. Sen. Landrieu will work with the Department of Justice and the state to distribute the money in line with a comprehensive strategy developed by the New Orleans Crime Coalition, a group of business groups and nonprofits that are working to reduce rising crime in the New Orleans region. Priorities of the New Orleans Crime Coalition include hiring more police officers to fill vacancies; repairing the city's damaged crime lab; hiring more prosecutors and attorneys; purchasing equipment that was destroyed, such as radios and laptops; and drug treatment programs for adults and juveniles.
Hospitals
The Senate bill includes $350 million for hospitals in Louisiana and Mississippi, and Louisiana will be allocated approximately 45 percent of the total, or about $157 million. The Louisiana funds will go to six hospitals in Jefferson and Orleans Parishes: WestJeffersonGeneralHospital, EastJeffersonGeneralHospital, Ochsner, Touro Rehab, Tulane and LSUInterimHospital (Medical Center of Louisiana at New Orleans). Since the storms, more than half of the New Orleans area hospitals and healthcare facilities have not reopened. More than 6,000 physicians have left the GulfCoast since the storms and have not yet returned. When patients are brought to the hospital by ambulance, 70 percent of them remain in the ambulance for two hours before a room can be found.
Housing
The Senate Supplemental also includes $70 million for 3,000 Permanent Supportive Housing Vouchers. An additional $6 million was included for program administration and case management. These vouchers provide homes and case management services for extremely low-income people, including seniors and those with disabilities who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. This provision was previously included in a 2006 Supplemental but was stripped out in negotiations with the House of Representatives and the White House.
By January 2007, the homeless population in New Orleans almost doubled from its pre-Katrina levels to an estimated 12,000. These homeless residents are living in abandoned housing, on the streets, in cars or in limited shelters or other homeless-designated housing.
As part of the Road Home program, Louisiana committed to providing 3,000 permanent supportive housing units for elderly, disabled and other homeless residents most at-risk. However, these units have been coming online without necessary federal funding.
NASA
The legislation includes $200 million for NASA to restore cuts to science, aeronautics and exploration programs that were reduced to pay for the return to flight of the Space Shuttle. This would benefit NASA facilities, including the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans East, which is facing possible workforce reductions in the next five years as the Space Shuttle is retired.
Other Louisiana Provisions in the Senate Supplemental
$15 million for historic renovation of Jackson Barracks.
$5 million to Holly Beach La. for a waste water and sewer system
Nifty, too bad Louisiana doesn't know how to prudently direct some of those funds into a strongconcrete type of program.................. Written by
on 5/29/2008
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To its credit, the Bush Administration's recent Statement of Administration Policy (SAP) warns of the wasteful spending included in the bill and the inclusion of many projects outside the three main missions of the Corps. The SAP states that "the Administration strongly opposes H.R. 1495 in its current form."[1] Specifically, the Administration expressed concern about spending proposals targeted to wastewater and drinking water infrastructure projects—heretofore a state and local responsibility—and "a costly commitment to periodic nourishment of sand beaches." The Corps' beach replenishment program reflects a trickle-up economic policy designed to transfer the tax dollars of ordinary Americans to protect the vacation homes and seasonal businesses of the well-to-do. As has been the case in most years, the Corps budget is fully earmarked, and many of the included projects focus on its core missions of inland navigation and flood control and protection. While many of these projects have been subject to a rigorous cost-benefit analysis to ensure that the estimated value of their benefits exceeds their costs, other projects in the bill instead reflect the influence of privileged constituencies and their lobbyists working on retainer. Among the many questionable earmarks included in the bill are: Funding for a study on the impact on navigation of the proposed Knik Arm Bridge (renamed "Don Young's Way" in SAFTEA-LU) at Cook Inlet in Alaska (Section 4005); Riverfront development to enhance recreation in Perth Amboy, New Jersey (Section 4048); Ecosystem restoration of the Walla Walla River Basin in Washington (Section 4063); Water supply projects in Wilke County and Yadkinville, North Carolina, and Abilene, Texas (Sections 4058, 4059 and 4077); Authorization of $5,300,000 for the construction of Lake Lanier Olympic Center in Georgia (Section 5061); and Authorization of $65,000,000 for a Lido Key Beach, Florida, replenishment project (Section 3036). Several other beach replenishment projects have been added to Section 1001 of H.R. 1495, including: $21,000,000 for Imperial Beach, California, beach replenishment; $101,000, 000 for beach replenishment at Ocean City, Sea Isle City, and contiguous New Jersey seashore resorts; $59,000,000 for central New Jersey seashore beach replenishment; $122,000,000 for beach replenishment in northern New Jersey; and $10,600,000 for beach replenishment on Pawley's Island, South Carolina.
Written by And now for round 2...Batter's Up!!!!!
on 5/23/2008
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And then of course some other folks are easily distracted................ Yumpin Yiminies wuthvu.................... vus dat??????!?!?!?!?? Written by
on 5/23/2008
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To be clear, this does not mean that these other issues don't have merit. I just believe that the reason most of these items are tacked on to military spending is because they do not have the votes to stand alone. That is the politics of the budget. When it comes to paying and supplying our military, we should be able to find the political courage to make it crystal clear that this bill is for that and that alone. Written by Sharon
on 5/23/2008
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As you all know, I believe that any Bill for our Military should be a clean bill free of any and all add ons regardless of merit. The Constitution puts Job 1 of the government to protect the people. That job falls squarely on our All Volunteer Military. Yet politicians of all stripes continue to tag on vote getting pork endangering an effective military. Didn't any of them on either side of the aisle hear Secretary Gates tell them that there is a danger that the Army will not be able to meet its payroll in July if this bill is not passed. Such has been the politics of this Bill. This Blue Star Mom with a son in Iraq is plenty angry. This does not mean that the President should be blackmailed into soaking the taxpayer by signing a pork laden bill just to get the money he asked for and needs for the military. None in DC can claim to "support our military" if they cannot vote out a clean bill asked for by the President and the Pentagon. It is the least they can do. Written by Sharon
on 5/23/2008
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Ms. Landrieu is another 'player' that should be subjected to some form of a Strongconcrete litmus test.................. Written by Kit-Kat
on 5/23/2008
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Apparently Ms. Landrieu is continuing to thumb her nose at her constituents by pushing the recovery/domestic items into a bill for funding the war in Iraq and Afganistan. Why? Quit playing party politics and get to work helping fix things in south Louisiana. Agree or disagree with the war, but keep the domestic items separate. The President will veto the bill as he said he would and it's just going to take longer to get the needed help in this area. Party politics takes precedent over the good folks in Louisiana...must be an election year for the senior senator who only cares about staying in power. Say what you want, but this is politics as usual and I for one am sick of it. Written by Sid
on 5/23/2008
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