Gov. Blanco's speech to the Louisiana Legislature

gov.state.la.us ^ | 02/06/06 | kathleen blanco

[Ellesu]

Gov. Kathleen Blanco/Special Session of the Legislature:

Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, distinguished members of the legislature, Mayor Nagin, parish presidents, council members, and distinguished guests: it is an honor to be here in New Orleans tonight.

Let me begin by reflecting upon the contributions of Coretta Scott King, a woman who stood for the dignity of all humanity. Her life will be celebrated in Atlanta tomorrow. Her courage reminds us that even in the darkest hours, there is a great hope for the future. My husband, Raymond, and I extend our condolences to the King family.

Louisiana has weathered the largest natural disaster in American history. The tragedies unleashed by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have challenged us. But we are witnessing a resurrection. We are a people of faith and hard work. We are rising together to build a safer, stronger and better future.

I asked you to come to New Orleans in an historic meeting of this legislature, just as I continue to ask every member of Congress to see the devastation. Tonight marks the first time in 125 years that our legislature has met outside of Baton Rouge. These families, these homes, these images that stretch across coastal Louisiana are the reasons we are here.

I appreciate the efforts of the Women of the Storm and others to convince Congress to visit us. To understand the scope of this catastrophe is to see it.

You may have noticed last week that President Bush, in his State of the Union speech setting the nation's priorities for the year, said so little about a tragedy so great. I noticed. I was there. And that signal worries me.

The harsh reality is that for many people in Washington, Katrina is yesterday's problem and Rita never happened. We are asking Congress to understand that Rita did to Southwest Louisiana what Katrina did to Mississippi.

Public opinion polls are telling lawmakers that the nation has moved on and what happened to the Gulf Coast is yesterday's news. I know you will agree with me that the long-term stability of our region is far more important than the instability of public opinion polls.

Did we poll the decision to invest in the Marshall Plan and rebuild Europe after World War II? Of course not. Our leaders just did the right thing.

I am holding their feet to the fire in Washington, and this is not about party politics. It's about our people. To all of our people who are still displaced, I want to assure you that our number one priority is to bring you home.

We must fight so that families in Gentilly, Lakeview, New Orleans East, the Ninth Ward and Chalmette will be able to return.

We must fight so the young couples trying to restore their flooded homes in Metairie, Kenner, LaFitte, Slidell, or Grand Isle whose insurance company left them at the door empty handed will recover.

We must fight so the elderly widows in Bogalusa, LaFourche, Terrebonne, Iberia, Plaquemines, Delcambre, or Erath will be able to repair the homes they loved all their lives. And we must fight so the total devastation of Cameron, Calcasieu, Vermilion and other Southwest parishes will see a new day.

Those who plow and fish to feed the nation, and labor on the offshore oil rigs to power our country may be forced to give up the struggle to stay in business.

They will never recover from the loss of their homes, their farms, their schools, their churches, their hospitals or their businesses if we don't fight for them.

We had all better put Louisiana politics aside and worry about Washington politics or our people and our state will lose. Anyone who wants to sacrifice the good of our people to politics and cronyism needs to rethink their actions. Louisiana can no longer tolerate the perception that you must pay to play if you expect to do business in this state. We must put the sins of the past behind us and use our recovery as an opportunity to earn the trust and confidence of the nation.

Over the next 11 days, I am asking you to overhaul problems that have begged for reform for generations. If we love our state - and I know we do - the time to act is now. I am asking you to address, head-on, four bold actions:

Consolidate levee boards to strengthen our security and restore confidence in our levees; Create a housing trust to move families back into their homes; Reorganize New Orleans government for efficiency and accountability; and Establish the Louisiana Recovery Authority by law.

First, let us secure our communities by strengthening our levees. The levees are federal levees.

It is inexcusable that our people - hardworking and patriotic American taxpayers - were asked to entrust their lives and property to a worn and broken system. We must replace false security with a reliable 21st Century hurricane protection system based on today's engineering and technology.

The state has a responsibility, too. As the Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans know, if we expect Washington to make the lasting investment to rebuild the federal levees, then we must do our part.

You approved the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. The CPRA is charged with overseeing levee boards statewide and developing a master plan for coastal and flood protection. Now let's take the next step.

By consolidating the levee boards in Southeast Louisiana, we have an opportunity to improve the oversight and maintenance of hurricane protection levees. Some levee boards work better than others. Some have diverted attention away from flood control to various levels of corruption and cronyism.

The people of Southeast Louisiana want and deserve a single levee board run by professionals devoted exclusively to flood protection.

There is 12 million dollars in federal money we risk losing if we fail to consolidate those levee boards. I'd prefer not to give that federal money to some other state.

Second, we must rebuild our homes. I am asking you to design a Louisiana Housing and Land Trust Authority to help people return. Congress gave us 6.2 billion dollars in Community Development Block Grant funds.

We're eligible for 1.5 billion dollars in FEMA mitigation funds. We need these funds to address infrastructure, housing and economic development priorities. We will get these funds directly into the hands of our homeowners and communities as they become available.

Let me tell you my plan for investing the 7.7 billion dollars Louisiana has been allocated for Block Grant and Hazard Mitigation Funds:

4.6 billion dollars will help Louisiana homeowners repair, rebuild, or relocate their homes;

1 billion dollars will develop affordable housing;

1.75 billion dollars will bring back our hospitals, schools, and utilities, like our sewerage and water systems; and

350 million dollars will grow jobs with bridge loans, workforce training, and other business incentives.

Although we appreciate this funding, it only covers half of our housing needs. It covers less than half of our infrastructure losses. And it doesn't come close to providing the resources we need to recreate the 200,000 jobs the storms destroyed.

Our state suffered well over 75% of the housing damage from Katrina and Rita, as compared to neighboring states. We had ten times more businesses destroyed. We had five times more jobs lost. And we weathered more than 75% of the total property and infrastructure damage caused by the storm. However, we received only 54% of the block grant funding.

Congressman Richard Baker created a solid proposal that would make up the difference. It enjoys the bipartisan support of our entire Congressional delegation. As you know, the White House tried to blow this solution out of the saddle. This is second-class treatment. Our people who lost everything are not second-class citizens. They deserve an equitable solution. We will continue to fight for a fair hearing.

While in Washington last week, I met with White House officials to ask: "If not the Baker plan, then what?" They agree. Our people suffered a disproportionate loss and will be slighted in terms of assistance. But they have yet to show me an equitable solution. This is why I ask you to enact our version of the Baker plan at the state level now.

Our plan is not designed to replace the Baker Bill. We don't have the means to do that. But let's put the infrastructure in place while we continue to work for passage of the Baker bill. Our delegation is also asking the President to include additional block grant funding in his Supplemental Appropriations Bill.

Third, let us right-size New Orleans' government. This is painful for some. But life has changed dramatically. We have an almost insurmountable mountain to climb. New Orleans has always enjoyed being the exception to the rule. The sad truth is that those exceptions have not always served New Orleans well.

Finally, I urge you to statutorily establish the Louisiana Recovery Authority. The LRA works in partnership with this legislature, as do other state agencies. It has worked in Washington to help secure funding for our recovery. The LRA has represented Louisiana well. It's work must continue in order to advance long-term recovery solutions.

I will also be asking you in the Special Session to enact legislation that will:

Protect the fundamental voting rights of our citizens; and Elevate the Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness to a position that reports directly to me.

Together, we have made great strides. We are:

Reforming the New Orleans public schools; Shrinking the state budget to reflect our new reality; Improving our hurricane protection system, and enacting the first-ever statewide building codes.

We must continue to move forward by passing new reforms.

Louisiana is fighting for 50% of the oil and gas royalties from off-shore drilling. We need this money to finance a comprehensive hurricane protection and coastal restoration system. The two storms melted 100 square miles of coastline into the sea. Our fragile environment changes the way we do business.

If no effort is made to guarantee our fair share of royalties, I have warned the federal government that we will be forced to block the August sale of off-shore oil and gas leases. Industry leaders understand our predicament. It's time to play hardball, as I believe that's the only game Washington understands.

Tonight we meet in the world-famous Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Some question why. I say, "Why not?" This extraordinary building housed many people waiting to be evacuated during the traumatic week of Katrina. To begin the process of normalcy, we cannot shy away from what happened.

We will conquer the memories and tell the stories of survival to our grandchildren. This Convention Center represents the lifeblood of this city. It has received hundreds of millions of international visitors and will do so again. It is central to New Orleans' recovery. And I say that being here is just what the doctor ordered.

Our greatest hope for the future is that our people find their way home. I see a bright future for Louisiana that restores our rightful place in the nation's trade and energy economy. I see a day when we return to the progress made before the storm.

Two years ago, the 2003 elections brought you and I together to carry Louisiana into a new century. In that two-year period, we put a new face and a new image on Louisiana. We reduced taxes on businesses and raised ethical standards. We recruited 3 billion dollars worth of new manufacturing business, and thousands of new jobs.

We are number one in teacher accountability. Children's test scores are rising, and we are improving health care services. I promise you that we will reclaim this progress and build upon it. Standing together, we can lead Louisiana to a future that is safer, stronger and better than before.

God bless Louisiana. God bless the United States of America. Thank you.

[Bender2]

Re: I think I would have gone for Stewie saying "Damn you, vile woman!", but that's just me.

Well, Rich... You just have no flair for comedy.

But you'd make a great fireplug. Meet me in about 30 minutes outside by the Exxon station on LaBrea Blvd... Just come up the 101.

[SaveTheChief]

Galveston was the largest city in this area at that time. Houston was relatively small. In addition to the lives, the storm destroyed a major shipping port, and the rest of the infrastructure on the island.

Yeah, Katrina was huge. I am just sick of Blanco and Nagin pointing their fingers at Washington, blaming the President for all their problems while at the same time holding out their hands begging for money.

These people are shameless and along with their Democrat predecessors, the reason so many poor were put into the position of having nothing one day, and having less than nothing the next.

[Dog Gone]

You're still arguing that the end justifies the means. Louisiana coastal lands need protecting and any tactic you can use to make others pay for it is justified.

Hell, just send the Lousiana National Guard to rob Fort Knox. At least you wouldn't be threatening the nation's energy supply.

[hsalaw]

Okay.

[Wisc Paul]

Agreed - I had an interesting experience in working in N.O. for a time, and I have never seen, or worked in, a more backwards, incompetent, corrupt, crime-ridden and childish atmosphere in my life. It was no supprise to me with what happened, and is no supprise what's happening today.

[Mila]

"It took an excommunication from the Catholic Church down here to get him under control."

No two ways about it, Leander was a real pip!

[Ben Ficklin]

"that most inland states get 50% royalties off of Federal land"

That amounts to significant money only in states where there is a large amount of federal land and if you look at the issue of how the feds dispersed, or didn't disperse, these lands in the 19th and 20th century, you see a situation which is more egregious than the shelf. The fact that this land is not on the local tax base is more significant than the shelf and while these royalties may offset the loss of tax revenue, it is only slight.

These federal lands in the western states has also led to significant water and property rights issues. Under Bush/Norton, this has not been as much of a problem, but under Clinton/Babbit, it was severe. Remember the Sagebrush Rebellion? Remember how Clinton screwed Utah on the low sulpher coal beds in the Grand Staircase-Escalante?

No-one doubts that LA will eventually get federal money for restoration. However, it is advantagous to wait until restoration in Florida/Everglades has progressed far enough that the technology developed there can be applied to LA.

No-one disagrees that LA and other Coastal states deserve more OCS royalties. LA needs to stop spitting on everyone and develope allies. Tauzin's CARA Title One is a good example of how it should be done.

[WatchOutForSnakes]

Reasonable argument. I would make one amendment though to your last sentence. That should read no "reasonable" people disagree, etc.

These threads are full of people saying Louisiana should get no royalties on offshore drilling.

[Elyse]

She is talking about the sins mainly from the Edwards years that still plage us. People forget that alot of this LOuisiana corruption charge comes from that era.

I hate to keep raining on your parade because I know that you just want to see our state and New Orleans rebuilt, but, Edwards had long ago been shown his jail cell when the Levy Board misused funds on casinos and fountains.

I continue to be disgusted that Blanco actually wants to try and blackmail the rest of the country into giving our state money. We have no right to the offshore oil revenues. To me it's just embarassing to see her stoop this low in the name of our state.

[The South Texan]

Again. The more this lady and the rest of the politicians in Louisiana speak, the less sympathy they get from the rest of the country.

[WatchOutForSnakes]

I'm interested in your statement that "we have no right to the offshore oil revenues". Do you mean we have no right to any additional offshore oil revenues or we have no right to any offshore oil revenues at all?

[CajunConservative]

She did order the evacuation. There was also a contraflow which is only done for mandatory evacuations.

08/27/2005 Saturday afternoon, after getting into town and taking care of some last minute supply issues with the fuel, food and over 12 gallons of water, I then headed out to film the evacuation. At 4:00 P.M. Interstate 10 was turned into the Contraflow. That is where all lanes of traffic on Interstate 10 flow west bound. No eastbound traffic.

08/28/2005 Less then 24 hours away and now people are taking Hurricane Katrina serious. Here is a video of the Contraflow on Interstate 10 with all lanes packed solid less then a day away from the zero hour of 7:00 AM when the power failed in downtown New Orleans. From the looks of this video, you would think there would be nobody left in the city.

[LA Woman3]

Legislators react to Governor Blanco's address

07:45 PM CST on Monday, February 6, 2006

“We’ve got to do something to unite to one levee board system in southeast Louisiana to get the federal money. Whether that will be easy to do, I don’t know. – Jane Smith, R – Bossier City.

“I think everybody agrees we should streamline if we’re going to have fewer citizens. The problem is, how many fewer citizens are we going to have? Rather than go in with a butcher’s knife and start cutting, I think we need to go with a scalpel and cut what we need to cut – no more, no less.” – Jeff Arnold, D – New Orleans, whose father Tom Arnold is a New Orleans assessor.

“Some very good ideas have been put on the table. We most definitely need to do something with the levee boards. I think something good will come from this and we’re just hoping that everyone will work together for the benefit of this area and southwest Louisiana.” -- Herman Ray Hill, D – Dry Creek

“I’m afraid up there (north Louisiana), they’re really proud that she’s doing this (trying to cut N.O.’s government). As a whole I think they’d like to streamline. We’ve got to figure out what the best thing is for New Orleans. If that’s what it takes, I’ll be for it, but I can assure you my constituents think it’s the best thing.” – Leland Kenny, D – Columbia.

“In the north, in my area, one of the main concerns is that we tackle the voting issue bill and they’re really strongly opposed to someone voting for the first time absentee without having ever voted in person.” – Jane Smith, R – Bossier City.

“We need to consolidate the governance of all these levees. It’s very, very critical. We took tours of the devastation today and it’s very widespread. We have destruction across this entire flood system. We have to have a consolidated, unified plan. We have to have highly qualified people to make these decisions. The federal government is telling us that before we spend hundreds of billions of dollars rebuilding the levees…we want to make sure our investment is safe.” – Mike Strain, R – Covington.

“I think they were nice words, but I’d like to see actions. I want her to look people in the eye, and say that I think you, more than I, can rebuild your home. I want to give people to their own money and have them build their homes. No more programs, no more studies. Whatever money we have from Congress, give it to the individual homeowner and let them rebuild their own home.” – Derrick Shepherd, D – Marrero.

[deport]

First, let us secure our communities by strengthening our levees. The levees are federal levees.

It is inexcusable that our people - hardworking and patriotic American taxpayers - were asked to entrust their lives and property to a worn and broken system. We must replace false security with a reliable 21st Century hurricane protection system based on today's engineering and technology.

The state has a responsibility, too. As the Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans know, if we expect Washington to make the lasting investment to rebuild the federal levees, then we must do our part.

You approved the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. The CPRA is charged with overseeing levee boards statewide and developing a master plan for coastal and flood protection. Now let's take the next step.

By consolidating the levee boards in Southeast Louisiana, we have an opportunity to improve the oversight and maintenance of hurricane protection levees. Some levee boards work better than others. Some have diverted attention away from flood control to various levels of corruption and cronyism.

The people of Southeast Louisiana want and deserve a single levee board run by professionals devoted exclusively to flood protection

---

I'm confused......... If these are federal levees then what did the local levee boards do, what authority did they have and how was it that they spent the money allocated to levee construction and maintenance?..... Either the locals were involved in the control/decision process or they weren't.

Sounds like the Gov. is trying to insulate responsibility from the previous levee boards by saying it is federal. Where are the investigations of the prior levee boards and their actions, where are the charges, if warranted, against the previous boards/members?

Sounds like the Gov., the State Attorney General and others have some ground work to do to show the nation they are sincere.....

I think her statement in the address is appriopriate but needs action rather than just some rheotric:

....Louisiana can no longer tolerate the perception that you must pay to play if you expect to do business in this state. We must put the sins of the past behind us and use our recovery as an opportunity to earn the trust and confidence of the nation.

Louisiana the ball is in your court.....

[deport]

"Louisiana has weathered the largest natural disaster in American history."

I'd just like to remind people that over six thousand people lost their lives to the 1900 hurricane that hit Galveston Island.

---

Even Galvestion doesn't come close, imo.

The Civil war took 200,000 or so combat related deaths and some 400,000 or so other deaths that may have been associated with the war along with massive destruction to the country and cities of the time... For the Gov. to compare the loss created by Katrina and say it was greater is wrong, very wrong, imo.

[CajunConservative]

The problem is misreporting. Katrina is the "costliest" natural disaster in regards to damages. Galveston was the deadliest natural disaster and of course the Civil War was the deadliest event in our history.

[WatchOutForSnakes]

The key words in that statement being "natural disaster". The Civil War was not a natural disaster. In numbers of deaths Galveston was greater. In widespread damage and cost, Katrina and Rita were greater.

[Elyse]

We had talked about this in another thread the other day and I knew that bayourant would understand that I mean additional revenue.

[Saints fan]

Texas already gets tax revenue from these off shore leases, much more than Louisiana. Louisiana is only asking for the same deal Texas and Florida get.

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/editorials/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1139124215210420.xml

[Saints fan]

They do Ben. Please visit the link in post #59