Posted on 12/07/2005 1:28:34 PM PST by WKB
WASHINGTON - Congressional failures to approve emergency funding for roads, schools and housing construction have stalled Mississippi efforts to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina, the state's Republican governor testified Wednesday. ADVERTISEMENT
Without such help, Mississippi businesses are unable to decide where to relocate and rebuild — potentially costing the state jobs and chilling its economy, said Gov. Haley Barbour. His comments were among the sharpest criticism by a top Republican from the hardest-hit states of Congress and Bush administration relief efforts.
"We are at a point where our recovery and renewal efforts are stalled because of inaction in Washington, D.C., and the delay has created uncertainty that is having very negative effects on our recovery and rebuilding," said Barbour, a strong ally of House Speaker Dennis Hastert and former Republican National Committee chairman.
"It is taking the starch out of people who've worked so hard to help themselves and their neighbors," Barbour told a House panel investigating the government's preparations and response to Katrina.
Congress has approved $62 billion in hurricane relief aid, but nearly all of that money so far has been spent on victims' immediate needs, like food, clothing and shelter. Mississippi expects to use up to $17 billion of that funding — $9 billion of which has already been spent, Barbour said.
Republican lawmakers on the panel, chaired by Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., said Katrina aid no longer appears to be a high congressional priority.
"The reality is that a lot of members of Congress, both on the House and Senate side, do not have relief for Gulf Coast states on the front burner anymore," said Rep. Henry Bonilla (news, bio, voting record), R-Texas.
"In many cases around the country, members of Congress are hearing from constituents saying, 'We're really not interested in you supporting any additional relief until there's some real strong accountability,'" Bonilla said.
Barbour applauded some federal help to the state, like Coast Guard rescues in the immediate aftermath of the Aug. 29 storm, and fuel from the Transportation Department for emergency response vehicles.
He also estimated that debris removal in the state is only about half completed, and "we can't rebuild until we clean up."
But he chastised Congress for stalling federal highway funding that he said has prevented the state from rebuilding roads and bridges. He also said Congress has failed to approve financial aid for public school districts that are facing bankruptcy, or help homeowners without flood insurance rebuild or repair their homes.
"We must have assistance from the federal government to rebuild our infrastructure and make our citizens able to help themselves," Barbour said. "That important federal responsibility in the response to Katrina is needed terribly, and it is needed now."
Democrats on the House panel jumped at the political opportunity to align themselves with Barbour's remarks.
"I applaud you for scolding the House leadership," said Rep. Gene Taylor (news, bio, voting record), D-Miss. "I didn't vote to elect Dennis Hastert, governor — you helped get him there. I'd hope you'd use that influence to get him off his duff."
Also at the hearing, Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-La., said he would make a formal push next week to have the special oversight committee subpoena the White House for documents lawmakers requested more than two months ago.
Of about a dozen state, local and federal agencies that were asked to provide documents detailing preparations and response to Katrina, the White House and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld have not complied, Melancon said.
In a December 6 letter to Melancon and Davis, White House Deputy Counsel William K. Kelley said officials would have to sift through 71 million e-mails and records to find those requested by the committee. That process, Kelley said, could "be overly burdensome and unduly impinge on the separations of powers between the Legislative and Executive branches of government" Instead, Kelley offered a briefing with administration officials
Mississippi ping
The thing is, those schools which are facing bankruptcy were facing it long before Katrina!
The thing is, those schools which are facing bankruptcy were facing it long before Katrina!
Source
I haven't investigated this or anything, but my first inclination is: If Barbour is blaming the Feds for inaction, it must be really bad.
I haven't investigated this or anything, but my first inclination is: If Barbour is blaming the Feds for inaction, it must be really bad.
I agree but we already have the whiners calling
us bums on this thread.
At least we waited 3.5 months to ask for help
and didn't start before our sneakers got wet.
Always broke. Worst school system in the state. Highest crime rate in the nation. Shrinking population. All the corporations have moved out," said Bernie Pinsonat, a political analyst in Baton Rouge. "Any poll I do, the rest of Louisiana thinks, 'New Orleans is a deep, dark hole, and no matter how much money we send, it doesn't seem to get better.' "
Comments from Rep. Steve Scalise (R)from Metairie, District 82
We were able to pass a bill to take over most of the schools in the city and implement a more creative approach to public education in New Orleans. Hopefully this will result in a complete overhaul of the school system in Orleans, which was in academic and financial crisis before Katrina.
UH......Kind sir
we are talking about Mississippi Schools
here not LA Schools
Apology accepted.
I do apologize! And I'm a ma'am...grin. I read too hurriedly. Please accept my apologies. Mississippi is a totally different story.
I don't mind helping 'em rebuild,
but if they want to relocate, they're on their own.
I don't mind helping 'em rebuild,
but if they want to relocate, they're on their own.
Wille I think this is the first time you have
ever posted on one of my 647 threads
I feel I have reached the pinnacle of FR now.
Question: How much funding did FL get when hit by hurricanes to help with the same types of rebuilding?
Well then I suppose I owe you a long overdue apology...
Jeeez, I've posted 34,435 replies (this one will be #34,436)...
I'd think I should've hit at least SOME of your threads by now...
But who knows?
Anyway, I just want you to know that I wasn't intentionally ignoring you!
:^)
I don't know...
but I suppose a lot depends on whether you mean TOTAL or AVERAGE (per hurricane).
Florida gets hit a lot more often than Mississippi, so I don't think it's fair to compare to the total that Florida has received over the years. But I can't blame Mississippi for griping if they're getting something that's below average (whatever "average" is).
Thats what I am thinking too.
Early on, he was the only one defending Bush, and he was also the only one who talked about showing restraint (fiscal) with Katrina by not demanding or even asking for the kind of money Louisiana was screaming for.
This is out of character for him.
Yup. That's called credibility!
Congressman Bonita is cited in the article. He is saying what some of our local groups that have been to D.C. are saying. When you mention Rita to the powers that be in D.C. they act as if Rita never happened or they don't know what the person is talking about.
It will take years for the areas to recover, imo.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.