::: Brazile & Associates :::

Time for Rebirth

The year 2005 will go down in my family's history book as the year of sorrow. Between August 28 and September 21, 2005, my family, like so many others residing in the Gulf coastal states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Alabama were driven from their homes and into the hands of their fellow citizens across America. This was a defining moment, not only for us, but also for our country. In this new year, it is time for our political leaders and the residents of the Gulf coast to work together to not only make sense out of our shared loss, but to also agree on the road map to rebuild and begin the rebirth of the region.

Life will never be the same for persons residing in the Gulf Coast communities destroyed by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. For the victims of these colossal hurricanes, life events will forever be categorized as before-and-after the devastating natural disasters that forever altered their lives and perhaps America's comprehension of the power of Mother Nature.

The whole world watched as hundreds of thousands of Americans confronted the challenges of surviving the raging floodwaters. Like so many families, my own folks felt abandoned. They lacked adequate shelter and medical supplies. They struggled to find loved ones who had been evacuated to places unknown. Amidst turf wars and finger-pointing among overwhelmed public officials, these good Americans wanted nothing more than a chance to return home to pick up the pieces and to start rebuilding.

Last fall, I responded to the call to serve in the rebuilding process. It was not a tough call. When your family is struggling to regain some sense of normalcy -- from finding new homes to looking for work in a totally new environment, you don't sit back and think about partisanship. You think about the pain and suffering of others and find ways to build coalitions. That was my charge and the course I pursued.

While spending time at home helping my family, Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco tracked me down to check in and talk about the future. She was working on a plan to convene a broad array of leaders and common folk to help with both short and long term planning. I told her to sign me up. Within days, she appointed me to the Board of Directors of the Louisiana Recovery Authority, the guiding agency to lead the state's rebuilding efforts.

Our mission is to help the local communities impacted by the storm with efforts to recover, plan and rebuild. We have met on several occasions to review the damage and to begin the planning process. One of the most pressing issues we had to confront was the need to assess the damage and come up with a comprehensive plan to start the recovery and rebuilding of our great state. During our first meeting at the mansion, the Governor spoke strongly of rebuilding our levee system which would require major help from the federal government. I signed up to personally lobby Congress and the Bush Administration, as well as my leaders in the Democratic Party.

While my family was hurting, when they were on the edge feeling left to fend for themselves, the last thing I wanted to do was whine. I got into the groove quickly and contacted Ken Melhman, Chairman of the Republican National Committee and an old friend, Karl Rove, Deputy Chief of Staff for the White House. They agreed to help me make contact with those responsible for shaping the Administration's policy in the rebuilding process.

Thus, in the days before Congress adjourned for the holidays, I spent numerous hours on the phone calling Democratic and Republican lawmakers and former staff colleagues on Capitol Hill. Time was running out and we desperately needed help. President Bush, who promised to rebuild the Gulf coast in a speech at Jackson Square, invited some African American leaders over to the White House on December 7th to discuss a broad range of issues. Along with Bruce Gordon, President of the NAACP, Marc Morial, former Mayor of New Orleans and the President of the National Urban League and Dr. Dorothy Height of the National Council of Negro Women, we met with the President to encourage the Administration to continue its efforts to rebuild the Gulf coast. To my great surprise, the meeting with President Bush was cordial and candid. The President listened intently and reassured us that his Administration would not drop the ball.

They will continue to put forward legislation and ideas to help with the recovery and rebuilding. Weeks later, the President, along with Mayor Nagin of New Orleans announced additional funding for the repair and rebuilding of the levees. The White House has also called on both FEMA and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to assist those still looking for temporary and permanent housing.

Since then, I have met once more with President Bush and other leaders who are committed to working together to restore the lives and the communities devastated by these two hurricanes. Our last meeting, right before Christmas, focused on job training and skill building for the region. I can tell from the meetings that the rebuilding of Louisiana remains high on his list of priorities. We'll know more when the Administration rolls out its priorities for 2007. For now, we have some resources to begin the rebirth of the Gulf coast.

Following is a brief summary of the allocation of the federal legislation that was recently adopted:

The Katrina Relief Package allocates and designates funds for specific purposes rather than leaving the spending decisions only to FEMA. Let's start with resources that state and localities to use for very specific projects such as $11.5 billion allocated under the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and $550 million that would be allocated under the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG). Under the block grant system, state and local governments may allocate funds as they see fit, without restrictions concerning privately owned institutions that would have applied if FEMA were administering the funds. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is responsible for drafting guidelines for the CDBG allocation. The Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for drafting the use of the SSBG funds.

The Army Corps of Engineers will receive $2.9 billion for research and analysis, repairs and reconstruction of levees and other structures. This is important for several reasons. Unless the levees are repaired, most residents will not be able to return. Another agency that will receive funding is the Department of the Interior which will receive $135 million to repair damages to National parks, wildlife refuges and forests and state and federal facilities as well as for a leaking storage tank program managed by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services will receive $550 million for a Social Services Block Grant, for states to spend on child care, mental health and other social services to assist devastated individuals and communities. There's more in the recent bill, but it's time to start planning the rebirth of our communities. As we look ahead in 2006, it's important that the resources allocated be spent wisely and fairly with appropriate oversight from the various agencies and independent auditors. The last thing we need is waste and fraud. Peoples' lives are at stake.
The next round of Federal Katrina aid will likely take place as part of the FY07 budget cycle which begins February 4, 2006 when President Bush submits his 2007 fiscal year budget request to Congress (the 2007 fiscal year begins October 1, 2006 and ends September 30, 2007). Before this debate begins, I hope every American will embrace and support bi-partisan legislation by Congressman Richard Baker (R-LA) that would create a Louisiana Recovery Corporation (LRC). Under the proposed legislation, the LRC could negotiate with banks to buy off mortgages of willing homeowners" with the proceeds from government-issued bonds. The land would then be sold to the original homeowners or developers. Homeowners would retain the right of first refusal to repurchase their property. Banks would receive a maximum of 60 percent of the mortgage value, and homeowners would receive in return a minimum of 60 percent of their equity. The bill would limit the maximum debt issuance by LRC to $30 billion.
Let us continue to work together and more importantly, rebuild together. Soon, the Mardi Gras season will be upon us in anticipation of the beginning of Lent. Let us resolve that the rebirth of the Gulf coast communities will quickly be underway and the good times will begin to roll up and down the bayou.
I know I speak for many in my family and others impacted when I say thanks for your prayers and your outpouring of support. We look forward to everyone coming back home soon to celebrate the rebirth of the Crescent City and the entire Gulf coast.