NEW REPORT: Gulf Coast recovery hinges on action in Congress

[babylonsister]

http://www.southernstudies.org/gulfwatch/

NEW REPORT: Gulf Coast recovery hinges on action in Congress

This week marks the 18-month anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. The Gulf Coast is still in crisis -- tens of thousands of people are still displaced, the region's recovery stalled due to a lack of housing, jobs, schools and other basic needs.

Today, Gulf Coast Reconstruction Watch has released A New Agenda for the Gulf (pdf), a 14-page report documenting the scope of the crisis in the Gulf. The report also reveals that -- while state and local leadership is important -- many of the most impressing issues go straight to Washington, and that federal action is needed to jump-start the recovery.

http://www.southernstudies.org/NewAgendaGulf.pdf

The report gives over 30 action steps Congress and the President can take now to help turn things around.

President Bush and the new Congressional leadership have all said Katrina and the Gulf Coast are still a top priority. It's time for them to live up to their promises and responsibility, and help rebuild the Gulf South.

[Sapphire Blue]

1. Come on people, call Congress! Toll-free numbers: 1-877-851-6437 or 1-800-828-0498

[babylonsister]

2. Thank you, S B.

:hug:

[Sapphire Blue]

3. You're welcome, babylonsister. We should also send copies of the report to our Senators & Reps!

:hug:

[EFerrari]

6. Good morning, Sapphire Blue. Thanks for the head's up. And

I have a question.

Nancy is my critter. Do you have a suggestion for a "hook" when I call? What would be the most effective one, iyo?

:hug:
:hi:

[Sapphire Blue]

7. The Democrats LEADING in responding to Katrina after the repub Congress FAILED our citizens.

:hi: Now that the Congressional Dems have the reins, they need to come through where the repubs refused to even make the effort. There are excellent solutions right there in the report.

[EFerrari]

8. Okay! Thanks! Here's goes nuthin'

[uppityperson]

24. Thank you for those numbers.

[BOSSHOG]

4. TAKE A MOMENT AND READ PLEASE

and act if you'd like by calling the numbers provided above. If "conservatives" can build valued olympic size pools in Iraq then we can also work to rebuild our (your) gulf coast.

Take a moment and consider the effects of shutting down the Mississippi River at New Orleans. Why Not? Conservatives have no use for the city.

[EFerrari]

5. K&R and bookmarking. Thank you, babylonsister.

:kick:

[Cleita]

9. K&R

eom

[EFerrari]

10. I FOUND THE CONTACT PERSON in the Speaker's Office

who is tasked with Gulf Coast issues.

Her name is Sheryl (sp?) Parker Rose. If you call the Speaker's Office, you can leave voicemail for her.

My question for her was, do you have a copy of this report -- because if you don't, I will send you one. :shrug:

You know what's sad? When I said "Gulf Coast" -- the receptionist wanted to transfer me to the person tasked with MILITARY affairs because she thought I meant that OTHER Gulf. :(

[babylonsister]

12. Wow. So many gulfs... how soon they forget. nt

[EFerrari]

11. kick

[Cleita]

13. Come on people.

One more vote to the greatest page. Links are a must read.

[EFerrari]

14. That's right.

:kick:

[Solly Mack]

15. Signing on

:)

[EFerrari]

16. Thanks.

:kick:

[uppityperson]

17. k&r

off to read it now.

[Hubert Flottz]

18. Joe Liebermann will turn freeper if congress investigates Bush's

dirty deals during Katrina.

[EFerrari]

19. Why? How are those dirty deals different than all the other ones? nt

[Hubert Flottz]

20. Joe heads the committee on "Homeland Security" and Joe has

already said he won't investigate anything that happened RE: Katrina. Karl paid for Joe's campaign, so I guess Joe owes Bush/GOP a favor.

It's a damned shame.

[EFerrari]

21. Thanks. I'd forgotten that JL had that spot.

Sometimes we tend to suppress the untenable, I guess. :(

[Sydnie]

22. Kicked and rec'd

going sit down and make a call, then follow that up with an email, then follow that up with a pen and paper, USPS letter too.

They will hear us if we scream loudly enough!

[Kurovski]

23. K&R.

[Jcrowley]

25. K&R

[Sapphire Blue]

26. ^^^

:kick:

[Pastiche423]

27. K & R

[bobbolink]

28. There are a LOT of us in crisis, all over this damned country!

I've given up thinking that Congress, or the Dems, or ANYONE can really SEE what is happening.

The Gulf coast is more visible because of Katrina.

But there are huge needs all over, and needless deaths all over because of the attitude of :shrug:

I used to say--"What's it gonna take?????!!"

I no longer question it.

Undoubtedly it will take EVERYONE experiencing for themselves what so many of us have suffered with.

:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

We are one SICK society.

[nam78_two]

29. K&R...thanks for posting SB.nt

:hi:

[RB TexLa]

30. Don't waste your time calling, congress is going to do nothing

They'll probably give Mississippi something but that's it.

[Sapphire Blue]

31. It's not a waste of time to insist that Congress act to help our Gulf Coast brothers & sisters.

We owe it to them to make those calls.

[RB TexLa]

32. I'm from Louisiana, trust me they don't care

they never have and never will. We already know what to expect from America. Nothing.

[Sapphire Blue]

33. Call anyway. Call Pelosi's office, too - sfexpat2000 posted the name of the contact person...

... in her office upthread.

:hi:

[LafayetteTGR]

38. I'm beginning to feel that way too!

The person who I thought was my best friend in the world is from Nebraska. I talked to her on the phone yesterday about how I went to New Orleans and how sad it was. She informed me that she, and "most everyone else" doesn't think that New Orleans should be rebuilt and that the people who lost their homes should be happy to live in their FEMA trailers because it is not really the government's responsibility to take care of them. She says she doesn't feel sorry for anyone who lives down here because itis our choice. I would have never believed that she would say something like that, seeing that she is a self-professed born again Christian. Anyway, it broke my heart and the conversation ended badly. I don't know if I should call her back or not.

Sorry to vent, but I am new: former republican, now registered democrat, new to DU, and fighting with my very conservative family and friends. They think I am evil now.:-(

[intheflow]

36. Maxine Waters was just in NOLA last week.

http://www.louisianaweekly.com/weekly/news/articlegate.pl?20070226p

So I know the new Congress is working on Katrina stuff. It's just a painfully slow process. But maybe by calling it will help light a fire under their butts to give them a reason to quicken the pace.

[Swamp Rat]

34. k&r

[intheflow]

35. I love learning about new watchdog groups!

This one looks particularly near and dear to my heart. Thanks for posting this, babylonsister. :loveya:

[nadinbrzezinski]

37. kick