DNC: Dean on Promises Made and Promises Broken After Katrina

[MaineDem]

For Immediate Release
August 22, 2006
Contact: Stacie Paxton/Mark Paustenbach - 202-863-8148

DEAN ON PROMISES MADE AND PROMISES BROKEN AFTER KATRINA

Washington, DC - One week from today, America will mark the first anniversary
of Hurricane Katrina. In the aftermath of the Bush Administration's tragic
mishandling of one of the worst natural disasters in our history, President
Bush stood in Jackson Square and pledged to rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf
Coast. He promised to provide all the resources needed to rebuild devastated
communities, provide housing for displaced residents, rebuild New Orleans'
crippled infrastructure, and enact programs to fight the "deep, persistent
poverty in the region."

One year later, FEMA's housing program is fraught with problems, the New
Orleans' infrastructure is in disarray, the anti-poverty programs have been
dropped and many in the region are still waiting for help. A year after losing
almost everything during the hurricane itself, Katrina survivors are continuing
to lose hope in their belief that President Bush will fulfill the promises made
to them. And yesterday during his press conference, President Bush sidestepped
tough questions and offered only lip service.

These developments explain why a recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll found
that 70 percent of Americans believe the people affected by Hurricane Katrina
still have not gotten the help they need, while 56 percent said the federal
government hasn't done enough to help the gulf coast. In addition, 43 percent
believe the federal government failed to learn from Hurricane Katrina and the
nation is no better prepared for a major disaster.

"This great nation is one week away from one of its saddest anniversaries,"
said Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean. "As we remember our
fellow Americans in the Gulf Coast who suffered so much, our nation must
recommit itself to helping those who are still suffering, trying to rebuild or
come home, trying to move ahead with their lives.

"The tragic reality is that President Bush has had no plan for the Gulf Coast,
just as he has had no plan to address the problems of hard-working Americans
and no plan for Iraq. While Democrats have fought for the resources the Gulf
Coast needs to rebuild, President Bush has broken his promise to the people of
New Orleans and others affected by this storm. Countless survivors of the
hurricane continue to lose hope over the government's ongoing incompetence, as
the rebuilding effort has been plagued with delays, cost overruns, and
breakdowns. Worse still, America is still vulnerable, as the Bush
Administration has not taken the steps necessary to ensure that we are prepared
to address the next great disaster, whether it is a hurricane or a terrorist
attack.

"While the failures and incompetence of the Bush Administration's handling of
hurricanes Katrina and Rita virtually destroyed American's confidence in their
ability to deal with a crisis and lead the nation, the incredible spirit of the
American people - the generosity, acts of courage and heroism, of people coming
together, opening their hearts, reaching out to help one another - reminds us
that the American people can transcend that incompetence. In times of crisis,
Americans stick together, and we don't leave anyone behind.

"The new direction that Democrats offer will ensure that government
incorporates the lessons of Hurricane Katrina and keeps its promise to the
people of the Gulf Coast. Ours is a new direction that will end the failures
and incompetence of the Bush Administration, and restore the American people's
confidence in the ability of their government to deal with a crisis and lead
the nation."

See below for a new document from DNC Research:

PROMISES MADE, PROMISES BROKEN AFTER KATRINA

Question: Do you think that more needs to be done? Does the federal government
need to put its hands on what's going on? Because New Orleans is not moving --

President Bush: I think the best way to do this is for the federal government's
representative, Don Powell, to continue to work with Mayor Nagin and Governor
Blanco to get the money into the hands of the people. The money has been
appropriated, the formula is in place, and now it's
time to move forward.”

ONE YEAR LATER, HOUSING NEEDS OF EVACUEES NOT MET

2005: In Jackson Square, Bush Promised To The Meet The "Immediate Needs" Of Evacuees. In Jackson Square, Bush said, "Our first commitment is to meet the immediate needs of those who had to flee their homes and leave all their possessions behind." He specifically referenced "broader assistance in the future." He also pledged help with housing needs, saying that we'll provide mobile homes, and supply them with basic services, as close to construction areas as possible, so the rebuilding process can go forward as quickly as possible." Bush also said his goal was to "get people out of shelters by the middle of October." <http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/09/20050915-8.html, accessed 8/10/06>

70 Percent Of Evacuees Say Most Have Not Received the Help They Need; 84
Percent of African-American Evacuees Say So. According to a Washington Post
survey, 70 percent of Katrina evacuees surveyed said most individuals still
have not gotten the help they need with housing, health care and restoring
their lives. Among African Americans, a group that suffered disproportionately
from the storm's devastation, such sentiment ran stronger. Eighty-four percent
of black respondents said most people affected by Katrina had not gotten the
help they need to move on with their lives.

FEMA's Trailer Program Did "A Ridiculously Bad Job" Arranging Housing.
Hurricane victims and relief workers were frustrated by the FEMA's housing
program. Adam Bronstone, a relief worker assigned to coordinate post-Katrina
volunteer efforts for the Jewish community, said both FEMA and the Red Cross
"have done a ridiculously bad job," noting that the Federal Emergency
Management Administration has delivered only 16 percent of the trailers
promised to New Orleans residents whose houses were wiped out by Katrina.


FEMA Trailers Took Forever To Arrive. As of Jan. 24, 2006, the Federal
Emergency Management Agency had 2,796 occupied trailers in Orleans Parish, or
14 percent of the 19,709 requested since Katrina tore through. Almost 80
percent of those, 2,231, are installed on a homeowner's property, FEMA said. At
the current pace, every storm-tossed New Orleans resident seeking temporary
housing in a trailer should have one in time for the ceremonies marking
Hurricane Katrina's third anniversary in August 2008. And, despite Bush's
promise to "provide mobile homes as close to construction areas as possible,"
it took until January for trailer parks, serving the general public, to be
opened up in Orleans parish and the month of January only saw 102 occupied
trailer park trailers in Orleans parish. 1/28/06]

FEMA Trailers Are Very Expensive. FEMA spent about $75,000 to deliver and
install each of the 23- to 28-foot trailers for storm victims. This money could
have gone further. For less than $60,000, a Katrina Cottage, a 400- to 750-
square-foot prefabricated home that sleeps four, can be erected in days, and
could eventually be expanded into a full-size permanent home, could have been
set up.

FEMA Forced to Replace Locks On Trailers After It Was Discovered That Same Keys
Could Unlock Many Homes. The Associated Press reported, "FEMA will replace
locks on as many as 118,000 trailers used by Gulf Coast hurricane victims after
discovering the same key could open many of the mobile homes. One manufacturer
cut only 50 different kinds of keys for the trailers it sold to FEMA, officials
said Monday. That means, in a worst-case scenario, one key could be used to
unlock up to 10 mobile homes in a park of 500 trailers."

ONE YEAR LATER, NEW ORLEANS INFRASTRUCTURE STILL IN DISARRAY

In Jackson Square, Bush Promised That the Federal Government Would Fix Gulf Coast Infrastructure. Bush said, "Federal funds will cover the great majority of the costs of repairing public infrastructure in the disaster zone, from roads and bridges to schools and water systems. Our goal is to get the work done quickly." <http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/09/20050915-8.html, accessed 8/10/06>

56 Percent Say Federal Government Has Not Done Enough to Help Restore Services;
75 Percent of African-American Evacuees Say So. Fifty-six percent of Katrina
evacuees surveyed said the federal government has not done enough to help state
and local governments restore services in the affected areas and 30 percent
said it has. 75 percent of black respondents said the federal government had
not done enough to help state and local officials.

Most Federal Funds Have Not Been Spent, And Those That Have Have Mostly Gone to
Emergency Relief-Not Long-Term Reconstruction. National Journal reported that
in a late July report to Congress, FEMA announced that it had provided about
$37 billion for relief following three hurricanes: Katrina, Rita, and Wilma,
which struck Florida in October 2005. The report's fine print, however, made
clear that just a little more than half of the $37 billion was actually
"spent." The rest had simply been set aside -- in budgetary terms, "allocated" -
- for hurricane relief. In addition, the overwhelming majority of the cash that
the agency distributed was for emergency-response activities having nothing to
do with long-term reconstruction.

More Than a Fifth of FEMA Funds Have Been Wasted, Through Fraud And
Overcharging. "Of an initial $6.3 billion spent by FEMA as of mid-February, as
much as $1.4 billion was wasted, including through fraudulent registrations for
emergency funds, according to the GAO, the investigative arm of Congress. A
July House Government Reform Committee report also blamed FEMA for paying
Carnival Cruise Lines to house evacuees at a rate the company would have earned
from casino operations and on-shore excursions, without taking into account its
savings on expenses from not sailing."

New Orleans' Infrastructure In Disarray. Problems with New Orleans'
infrastructure prompted comparisons to Iraq. A New Orleans newspaper reported,
"Eleven months after Katrina, many people still believe New Orleans remains.on
par with Baghdad." Peter Reynolds, a British United Nations official who spent
three-months in Iraq to organize the December elections, compared New Orleans
after Hurricane Katrina with Baghdad. LA), 7/24/04; Fort Pierce Tribune (Fort Pierce, FL), 3/16/06]

The Water Supply Is Still Broken. The New Republic reported, New Orleans'
"municipal water system hemorrhages 85 million gallons of water per day." And
while water service is generally back, the pressure is often very low due to
leaks in the city's storm-fractured system. Times, 7/15/06]

Schools Have No Books; Schedules and Class Locations Unclear. At the end of the 2005-2006 school year, 25 of 128 New Orleans public schools had reopened and just 12,000 of the city's 60,000 students had returned. In the, 57 schools with physical space for up to 34,000 students and staff for 22,000 students were predicted to open in August and September for 2006-2007 academic year. However, the day before the first of 57 New Orleans public schools opened, state officials warned that parents and students are likely to face a messy first day. Many schools were not sure which buildings they will be in. A few schools did not know when they would be able to start classes. And dozens of others were not certain whether the thousands of desks and books they've ordered will arrive in time for the first day. http://www.nola.com/archives/t-p/index.ssf?/base/news-6/1154843399102520.xml&coll=1, accessed 8/11/06>

Transportation Is Difficult As Public Transit Is Minimal, Gas Isn't Available,
And Roads Are Falling Apart. "Only 17 percent of buses in New Orleans are in
use, and gas service is reaching just 41 percent of the pre-Katrina customer
base, according to Amy Liu, a scholar at Washington's Brookings Institution.
The water and sewage system is in desperate shape. With more than two-thirds of
the water pumped into the pipes leaking into the ground, sinkholes are becoming
more common."

ONE YEAR LATER, FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY ABANDONED

In Jackson Square, Bush Promised A Fight Agaist Poverty. Bush noted "there's also some deep, persistent poverty in this region.let us rise above the legacy of inequality." He added, "Americans want the Gulf Coast not just to survive, but to thrive; not just to cope, but to overcome." Bush proposed programs, notably Workers Recovery Accounts and Urban Homesteading, to address poverty. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/09/20050915-8.html, accessed 8/10/06>

Bush's Worker Recovery Accounts. Bush outlined a Workers Recovery Accounts Program, saying, "I propose the creation of Worker Recovery Accounts to help those evacuees who need extra help finding work. Under this plan, the federal government would provide accounts of up to $5,000, which these evacuees could draw upon for job training and education to help them get a good job, and for child care expenses during their job search." <http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/09/20050915-8.html, accessed 8/10/06>

One Year Later, Worker Recovery Accounts Do Not Exist. The Worker Recovery Accounts program, with an estimated cost of $650 million, was last referenced by the Administration in a November OMB report. The program was also introduced as H.R. 3976 in October and sent out to committee in November. The last action, refering it to a subcomittee, was taken on November 17th 2005. http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:HR03976:@@@X, accessed 8/10/06>
Bush's Urban Homesteading. Bush announced his support for the Urban Homestead Act. He said, "I also propose that Congress pass an Urban Homesteading Act. Under this approach, we will identify property in the region owned by the federal government, and provide building sites to low-income citizens free of charge, through a lottery. In return, they would pledge to build on the lot, with either a mortgage or help from a charitable organization like Habitat for Humanity." <http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/09/20050915-8.html, accessed 8/10/06>

One Year Later, the Urban Homesteading Act Is Not A Law. The House version, H.R.4514, was introduced by Louisiana Congressman Jindal in December. The last major action taken on the bill, referring the legislation to a House subcommittee, occurred on January 10, 2005. The Senate version only saw one day of action. It was introduced and referred to subcommittee on December 13th, 2005. No action took place subsequently. <http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.r.04514:, accessed 8/10/06; http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:s.02088:, accessed 8/10/06>

ONE YEAR LATER, CLEANUP STILL FAR FROM COMPLETE, BUT HUGE COSTS

Katrina Cleanup Still Far From Complete, But Cost Has Ballooned. The AP wrote,
"The job still isn't done. More than 100 million cubic yards of
debris have been cleared from the region affected by Katrina. So far the
government has spent $3.6 billion, a figure that might have been considerably
smaller had the contracts for debris removal been subject to competitive
bidding. Working through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, FEMA gave each of
four companies contracts worth up to $500 million to clear hurricane debris.
This spring government inspectors reported that the companies - AshBritt Inc.
of Pompano Beach, Fla., Phillips and Jordan Inc. of Knoxville, Tenn., Ceres
Environmental Services Inc. of Brooklyn Park, Minn. and ECC Operating Services
Inc. of Burlingame, Calif. - charged the government as much as four to six
times what they paid their subcontractors who actually did the work." 8/19/06]

ONE YEAR LATER, BUSH ADMINISTRATION BOTCHED LEVEE RECONSTRUCTION

Bush Waited Two Months Before Asking for Money For Levee Repair and Then Asked
for An Inadequate Amount. Bush did not ask Congress to allocate any money at
all for levee repair until Oct. 28, two months after Katrina. The requested
amount, $1.6 billion, was less than a quarter of what the Corps had already
stated was necessary.

Bush Only Requested Appropriation For Levees Following Public Disapproval Of
Katrina's Absense From His State of the Union. Bush devoted merely 160 words to
discuss one of America's worst natural disasters in history in the first State
of the Union after the event. This prompted public outrage. To quell outrage,
Bush publically requested that Congress appropriate $1.36 billion. This number
was below the amount Congress eventually appropriated.

Republican Congress Waited 10 Months from Katrina and 4 Months After Being
Asked By the President To Make A Major Appropriation for Levee Repairs. The
Republican controlled Congress waited until June to make an appropriation that
included a significant amount for levee repair. They appropriated $3.7 million
in June of 2006, ten months after Katrina hit and four months after Bush made
his post-State of the Union request.

Paid for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee, www.democrats.
org. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's
committee.

[ginnyinWI]

1. Howard Dean will be on Hardball tomorrow. n/t

[texpatriot2004]

2. Howard Dean speaks for me. Thank you Dr. Dean. nm