Two years after Katrina and thousands are still w/o homes; psssst... DO SOMETHING!

[Sapphire Blue]

Please sign the petition @ http://WhenTheSaints.org


It's been two years since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast region, and still there are tens of thousands of families without homes. 30,000 families are scattered across the country in FEMA apartments, 13,000 are in trailers, and hardly any of the 77,000 rental units destroyed in New Orleans have been rebuilt. Support the Gulf Coast Recovery Bill of 2007 by signing the petition at WhenTheSaints.org.


Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95XH7pTPg2U

[RB TexLa]

1. We housed many of them for about 6 months

[Blackhatjack]

2. IMHO the failure to act is intentional... I don't see any other way to view it

It is clear to me that another agenda is playing itself out in New Orleans, and it has nothing to do with helping the people who have lost everything.

[Trillo]

14. It's a lesson, or a message, if you prefer:

"We can do this to you, too"

[SeattleGirl]

3. Thanks, Sapphire

Signed the petition, and will be calling my Senators and Representative AGAIN.

[Sapphire Blue]

5. Thank you, SeattleGirl!

:hi: :hug:

[Swamp Rat]

4. k&r

[Sapphire Blue]

7. Thank you, Swamp Rat!

:hi: :hug:

[Swamp Rat]

10. Thank YOU!

:hug: We really need help here.

[Blackhatjack]

6. Look at the money Congress appropriated, and how little has been spent...

If this ADministration was really interested in helping residents of New Orleans they would have adopted the proposal by John Edwards --make it a daily priority, and put someone in charge of reporting on progress every day.

Just has not happened and you really don't have to wonder why.

[Blackhatjack]

8. K & R

[Sapphire Blue]

13. All the more reason to support Senator Dodd's bill!

S. 1668: Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act of 2007

A bill to assist in providing affordable housing to those affected by the 2005 hurricanes.

Summary

The following summary is provided by the Congressional Research Service, which is a government entity that serves Congress and is run by the Library of Congress.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6/20/2007--Introduced.

Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act of 2007 - Requires the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to allow specified uses by Louisiana of certain funds under the Road Home Program.

Requires state reports, made public on the Internet, on each state grant program for household assistance programs funded with community development block grant (CDBG) disaster assistance.

Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to require Louisiana to make certain funds available for specified community development pilot programs in Orleans and other parishes.

Authorizes additional funds for the Road Home Program.

Permits a state or locality to use, as a matching requirement, share, or contribution for any other federal program, certain CDBG funds previously made available for disaster relief, long-term recovery, and infrastructure restoration in major disaster areas affected by Hurricane Katrina, Rita, or Wilma.

Authorizes appropriation to HUD, via FEMA, of certain Hurricane-related unobligated disaster relief funds to reimburse metropolitan cities and urban counties for amounts used to provide rental housing assistance to hurricane-evacuated families.

Directs the Secretary to provide for an independent survey of public housing residents of New Orleans about returning to a repaired public housing or comparable dwelling unit.

Sets a deadline for the Housing Authority of New Orleans (Authority) to make a certain number of dwelling units available for occupancy.

Grants a right of return to previous public housing households.

Prohibits the Authority from: (1) preventing such households from occupying a replacement dwelling unit, except as prohibited by federal law; or (2) demolishing or disposing of any public housing dwelling unit operated or administered by it (including any uninhabitable unit), except pursuant to a HUD-approved replacement plan.

Requires the Secretary to report to certain congressional committees on all public housing projects in the Katrina or Rita disaster areas for which plans exist to transfer ownership to other entities or agencies.

Authorizes appropriations for repair and rehabilitation of the Authority's public housing.

Extends through June 30, 2008, the HUD Disaster Voucher Program and the Secretary's authority to waive specified requirements related to section 8 rental assistance.

Provides for: (1) tenant replacement vouchers for all lost units; (2) voucher assistance for households receiving FEMA assistance, including residents of FEMA trailers; (3) voucher assistance for supportive housing; (4) waiver of limitations on project-basing of vouchers; (5) preservation of project-based housing assistance payments contracts for dwelling units damaged or destroyed; and (6) reimbursement to landlords for damages resulting from abrogation by FEMA of commitments entered into under the city lease program.

Prohibits the HUD Secretary from denying conveyance of property title to HUD and payment of hazard or flood insurance benefits in specified circumstances.

Establishes within HUD an FHA-New Orleans Homeownership Opportunities Initiative.

Authorizes appropriations for the fair housing initiatives program.

Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on methods of improving distribution of federal housing funds to assist states with hurricane recovery.

Commends the actions and efforts by individuals and organizations who contributed to the hurricane relief effort.


http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-1668&tab=summary

[lonestarnot]

9. Done and K & R

[Sapphire Blue]

17. Thank you, lonestarnot!

:hi: :hug:

[lonestarnot]

27. kick'n! and screaming!

:hug: :hi:

[defendandprotect]

11. Shouldn't this be a hot issue for Democrats -- where are they?????

[Sapphire Blue]

12. S. 1668 is Senator Dodd's bill; Senator Obama is a cosponsor.

Other cosponsors:

Sen. Barbara Boxer
Sen. Sherrod Brown
Sen. Richard Durbin
Sen. John Kerry
Sen. Mary Landrieu

More info here: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-1668


Please sign the petition @ http://WhenTheSaints.org

[defendandprotect]

20. Edwards commented -- Just noticed an article in the NY Times today ....

[Sapphire Blue]

21. A little more on John Edwards...

John Edwards, Cleaning Up in New Orleans: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5285938


Building One America Starts in New Orleans: http://johnedwards.com/issues/new-orleans/

[rudy23]

44. Where's Hillary been on this for 2 years? nt

[bdamomma]

58. it was mentioned tonite that even when the Dems won

in November 2006 no one mentioned NO. unbelieveable to let such a vibrant city lose its soul.

[merh]

15. K&R - thank you Sapphire Blue

I make the 5th R, which is better than taking the 5th like repugs do. :rofl:


:hi: :hug:

[Sapphire Blue]

18. Thank you, merh!

:hi: :hug: :P

[Cetacea]

16. K & R

[Sapphire Blue]

19. Thank you, Artiechoke!

:hi: :hug:

[unhappycamper]

22. They brought a FEMA trailer up to Kennebunkport last weekend.

It was as bad as I thought it would be. :thumbsdown:

[AllieB]

23. I saw 'When The Levees Broke" a few months ago.

It should be required viewing for every American. :cry:

[Xenotime]

24. This is really so sad...

the MSM and * would have you think the gulf coast is back to normal.

[blogslut]

25. signed

:kick:

[Sapphire Blue]

28. Thank you, blogslut!

:hi: :hug:

[RestoreGore]

26. Signed and recommended

Thank you. And may God bless those still suffering from this hurricane, and %^%^^& Bush and Cheney.

[Sapphire Blue]

29. Thank you, RestoreGore!

:hi: :hug:

[RestoreGore]

41. You're welcome

I will light my candle for the souls lost this evening :hug:

[porphyrian]

30. Done, and a kick. - n/t

[Sapphire Blue]

32. Thank you, porphyrian!

:hi: :hug:

[porphyrian]

33. I gotta help out people who care about people who need help.

;)

[EFerrari]

31. K&R. I couldn't sleep tonight and caught a new film

"Kamp Katrina" -- a couple who after their own diaspora, let people put up tents in their yard for six months. David and Ms Pearl! :applause:

It's being run on LinkTv. :hi:

[Sapphire Blue]

35. Thanks for the info! It's scheduled again today @12:30PM ET/9:30AM PT & 11:30:PM ET/8:30 PM PT

http://www.linktv.org/schedule

:hi: :hug: I plan to watch it!

:toast: to David and Ms Pearl!

[EFerrari]

51. It has some hard stuff in it but it's real.

:hug:

[wicket]

34. Done

K & R

You rock SB :hug:

[Sapphire Blue]

36. Thank you, wicket!

:hi: :hug:

[AspenRose]

37. Done

eom

[Sapphire Blue]

38. Thank you, DesertedRose!

:hi: :hug:

[Greybnk48]

39. done and Kick.

I watched a special on MSNBC last night @ 12:00 a.m. CDT, (after the rerun of Keith, don't know what it was titled) that was very frustrating. It briefly depicted the worst of the neglect in NOLA after Katrina, and showed enough to see that the US Govt. almost completely abandoned a major city in its time of need. One couple was finally given FEMA money...10,500 to replace their home! What a joke. It was noted that they did not have flood insurance. What they needed was fraud insurance!! Many were and still are paying their mortgages AND rent on an apartment elsewhere. That is, if they still have a job. Shame, shame, shame.

[Sapphire Blue]

40. Thank you, Greybnk48!

:hi: :hug:

[Sapphire Blue]

42. ^^^

:kick:

[rudy23]

43. Why does no one challenge Rove's appointment as Hurricane Recovery Czar?

He's a freakin' political operative, known for dirty tricks. What's his experience with hurricane recovery. What steps has he taken to help the region get back on its feet?

WHY HAVEN'T ANY PROMINENT DEMOCRATS CHALLENGED THIS?

[snappyturtle]

45. Done. K&R

[Sapphire Blue]

46. Thank you, snappyturtle!

:hi: :hug:

[Sapphire Blue]

47. kick

:kick:

[musette_sf]

48. K&R

by a former New Orleanian. (1980 - 1984)

[Sapphire Blue]

50. Thank you, musette_sf!

:hi: :hug:

[musette_sf]

49. K&R

by a former New Orleanian (1980 - 1984)

[Sapphire Blue]

52. kicking for more signatures!

:kick: http://whenthesaints.org/

[Sapphire Blue]

53. ..

:kick: http://whenthesaints.org

[youthere]

54. Signed it proudly..Gave me a much needed break from hiding threads about Craig.

[Sapphire Blue]

55. Hey, youthere! Thanks!

(couldn't resist ;) )

:hi: :hug:

[ismnotwasm]

56. Signed

Sorry I didn't get to this earlier.

[Sapphire Blue]

57. Thank you, ismnotwasm!

:hi: :hug: What matters is that you signed!