Friday, February 20th, 2009 at 11:52 am
New commitment to the Gulf Coast
"We must ensure that the failures of the past are never repeated," President Obama said in a statement today, announcing the extension of the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding and his decision to send two cabinet members to the region.
Homeland Security Secretrary Janet Napolitano and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan are heading to the Gulf Coast and New Orleans in early March to evaluate firsthand the progress that's been made and assess the region's needs.
"The residents of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast who are helping rebuild are heroes who believe in their communities and they are succeeding despite the fact that they have not always received the support they deserve from the Federal government," the President said. "This executive order is a first step of a sustained commitment by my Administration to rebuild now, stronger than ever."
Some important facts:
This August will mark the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
Mardi Gras is this Tuesday, Feb. 24.
New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin was among 85 mayors gathered this morning at the White House
More at NOLA.com.
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Will the Gulf Coast be threatened by more Hurricanes? Is it time to reassess where we build our town out of harms way? Will coastal communities along the Gulf Coast need to be abandoned in the near future? Will more environmental refugees flee these regions and more lives be lost?
ReplyDeleteI feel deeply for these disposed people in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast but for their sake and those of others in the future should we be learning from the lessons of the past?
Anthony J. Gerst
ReplyDeleteIt is about time we put some of that stimulus money to work on creating artificial barrier reefs. We would be adding to the economy by generating some jobs while we are at it.