August 24, 2005 03:53 PM
BRAC votes to spare Naval Support Activity
"Louisiana is still in the game," Gov. Kathleen Blanco said late today. "This is a significant victory for us. The BRAC commission voted unanimously for New Orleans Federal City concept."
Blanco said the commission saw Louisiana "as the only state with a plan to position itself as a leader in consolidating its military and federal offices ... ."
Local officials have promised millions in additional savings compared with the Defense Department’s original proposal to close the NSA.
“We have preserved thousands of jobs for the New Orleans area, but we have also saved the federal government money because our proposal is better than their original proposal,” said Sen. Mary Landrieu. “Federal taxpayers are going to benefit, the people of New Orleans and the region will benefit and it’s going to be a huge economic boost.”
Landrieu, Blanco, Mayor Ray Nagin, City Councilwoman Jacquelyn Clarkson and others held a morning press conference to applaud the panel’s decision. Officials have been lobbying to save the base for more than a year by asking the government to consolidate several agencies into one campus. The state has offered to finance the $166 million project. It could pay as much as $100 million of the construction cost and lease space to the government for a reduced rate.
Last month at a public hearing in New Orleans, Blanco told three members of the commission that the state could come up with the funding within two years if they decided to spare the base. The commission added an amendment giving Louisiana until Sept. 30, 2008 to come up with the money to build the project. If the state doesn’t come up with the funding, the base would then be closed.
“Let’s not underestimate the significance of the state’s contribution to this effort,” Landrieu said. “Yes, we at the federal level did our best to put this presentation before the commissioners in a way that they could grasp it and understand it, but the governor’s commitment to put the state’s money up and these legislators to make federal city a reality is what is going to basically seal this deal.”
The Federal City plan calls or the construction of a government complex on the Algiers campus of the NSA that would bring together: the national headquarters for the marine reserves, the offices of the Naval Reserve Force Commander, the 377th Army Theater Support Command currently stationed at the Lakefront, and the 8th Coast Guard District headquarters downtown. It could also house homeland defense operations should the city be chosen for a regional office. The campus would allow several agencies to share support expenses and other administrative costs to further save money.
The NSA houses headquarters for the Army and Marines reserves and employs more than 4,000 on campuses on both sides of the Mississippi River. It has an annual payroll around $142 million.
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"We have some hard work ahead of us to meet the commission's requirements," Blanco said. "But, with a great team already in place, I know we can execute a rapid and smooth development of Federal City."
SHOW: CNN LARRY KING LIVE 9:00 PM EST
August 28, 2005 Sunday
Special: Hurricane Katrina Rumbles Towards Louisiana Coast
Larry King, Rob Marciano, John Zarrella, David Mattingly, Gary Tuchman
Jeffery Halverson, Joe Becker, Kay Wilkins, Max Mayfield, Ray Nagin, Kathleen Blanco, Moby Solangi
Tonight, right now Hurricane Katrina looks like one of the biggest, baddest storms ever recorded in U.S. history. And this massive, category 5 monster is headed straight for New Orleans, 25 percent of which lies below sea level.
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We'll check on the phone now with Mayor Ray Nagin. He's the mayor of New Orleans. Where are you situated, Mayor?
MAY. RAY NAGIN, NEW ORLEANS: I'm definitely hunkered down in City Hall waiting for this storm, kind of decide what it's going to do.
KING: How prepared is the city?
NAGIN: Pretty well prepared. We've gone through out various stages of -- excuse me -- of our evacuation process. There's a million, two million, three people in the metropolitan area. We probably evacuated about a million people out of this city and the surrounding parishes.
KING: Are all the hotels, the Super Dome, are they safe from these kind of winds?
NAGIN: Well, you know, as safe as you would expect. But this is an unprecedented storm with incredible power -- 160 mile an hour winds, gusting up close to 200 miles an hour. So, the Super Dome is definitely pretty safe, and that's a shelter of last resort. We have about 20,000 to 25,000 people in there right now. And the hotels seem to be holding up OK right now at the moment.
KING: Your city hasn't taken a major, direct hit since Betsy in 1965. It also, the Port of New Orleans, handles much of the nation's oil transportation. Have all those ships moved out?
NAGIN: Most of the ships have moved out. And Larry, you bring up a great point, we probably handle about 25 percent of the nation's domestic oil production. And if that is halted for a significant amount of time, it could impact prices at the gas pumps.
KING: That's all we need.
What about the nightmare scenario that as some are forecasting, as "National Geographic" forecast last year, that this could, if it stays a 5, become a toxic lake of chemicals and oil from the refineries and waste from the septic systems. And you could have a horrendous tragedy?
NAGIN: Well, you know, I think we're going to have an incredible challenge regardless. This storm has a 20 foot storm surge, plus waves. The city of New Orleans is basically designed like a bowl. We're below sea level for the most part, so we most likely will have a significant amount of water and everything associated with that. So it's going to be a tremendous challenge.
KING: What happens in the cemeteries?
NAGIN: Well, the cemeteries, most of them -- most of the people are buried above ground, some are below ground. So, with all that water, I'm sure it's going to disrupt several of the cemeteries.
KING: All your police on duty?
NAGIN: Every police is on duty. We have the National Guard that has taken control of the Super Dome. I've gotten calls from the White House. There are people standing by ready to help. So, once the storm gets through, the clean up efforts will commence in haste.
KING: Did you get all the homeless in shelters?
NAGIN: We've got just about everybody in one major shelter, which is the Louisiana Super Dome, which is designed to probably sustain the kind of winds that we're going to have. There's probably 20,000 to 25,000 people in the Super Dome as we speak.
KING: That can hold 80,000, can't it?
NAGIN: Yes, it can. We've gotten a significant amount of people out of the city, so fortunately, we didn't have to have it at full capacity.
KING: That doesn't have emergency power, though, does it -- the Super Dome? It's going to lose it's air conditioning, isn't it?
NAGIN: It does have emergency power, but I think for the most part, after the storm hits, the entire city will probably be without power at some point.
KING: Thanks mayor. Our prayers are with you.
NAGIN: Thank you, Larry.
KING; Mayor Ray Nagin, the mayor of New Orleans.
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Joining us on the phone from the capital in Baton Rouge, is Governor Kathleen Babineau Blanco, the governor of Louisiana. Governor Blanco, have you spoken with the president?
GOV. KATHLEEN BABINEAU BLANCO, LOUISIANA: Yes, I have, Larry. He called earlier today and certainly issued his concern, voiced his concerns for the citizens of Louisiana. Was glad to hear that the mayor had already decided to do a mandatory evacuation, because he was recommending that -- evacuation of New Orleans, that is -- a mandatory evacuation. I believe that he understands the magnitude of what we're dealing with. And we appreciate his concern.
KING: What are you saying to the people of your state?
BLANCO: I'm asking that they stay patient. We still have a number of people on the highway systems. They're continuing to move out of harm's way into safer regions of the state. We still are moving a large number of people, and we're asking them to be patient and to be courteous and to be helpful to each other.
KING: Governor, what -- in and era like this, I don't know how you rate this -- but what's your biggest concern?
BLANCO: My biggest concern right now, Larry, is the unknown. We don't know what the storm will deliver to us. We can expect a fairly large amount of water. We don't know what kind of flooding we'll experience. Of course, we have the nightmare scenarios of 20 feet or better of water that may envelope the city. That would be the worst of all worlds, I believe.
We know, we're going to have property damage. We know we're going to have high wind damage. We're hoping that we don't lose a lot of lives.
KING: What will you do all night?
BLANCO: Well, we'll be monitoring this storm, as we've been doing for the last day and a half. We've been watching very carefully, it's progression and encouraging our citizens to be safe. And I'll continue to do that.
KING: How well are you prepared?
BLANCO: Well, Louisiana has experienced hurricanes over and over again. We've got a lot of emergency personnel that are well trained and well experienced in recovery efforts. But there's no way to actually be prepared for a hurricane of this magnitude going into that populated area. We've had other areas of the state hit, and they've been dramatically impaired. Now, we're talking about into Louisiana's most heavily populated area, and it gives us great concern.
KING: Governor, thank you. We'll stay close.
BLANCO: Thank you, Larry. And I appreciate your concern.
KING: Governor Blanco. The governor of Louisiana
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