Dean On The Failed Katrina Response And The Dream Of A Better America

[MaineDem]

For Immediate Release
August 29, 2006
Contact: Stacie Paxton/Mark Paustenbach - 202-863-8148

Dean On The Failed Katrina Response And The Dream Of A Better America

Washington, DC - Today our nation officially marks the one-year anniversary of
Hurricane Katrina. As we remember the Americans who lost their lives, those who
are still trying to return home, and those who are struggling to move on with
their lives, we also assess the work that still needs to be done to rebuild the
Gulf Coast.

Yesterday marked the 43rd anniversary of the historic March on Washington for
Jobs and Freedom, which united civil rights leaders, labor unions and Americans
from all walks of life in the struggle for social and economic justice. As
today's census numbers show, much work still needs to be done to tackle
poverty, economic and social injustice in America. It is clear that the vision
of a level playing field for all Americans has not yet been fully realized.
Despite rhetoric and promises to the contrary, President Bush has not kept his
promise to address the extreme poverty exposed during Hurricane Katrina, while
the area's infrastructure remains in disarray and many in the region are still
waiting for help.

A new AP-Ipsos poll shows that the American people believe that the Bush
Administration failed miserably in its response to Katrina. The poll found that
57 percent of Americans "said they felt at least somewhat strongly the country
was ill-prepared" and that "just one in three Americans polled believe Bush did
a good job with Katrina, down from 46 percent a year ago."

According to the latest poverty statistics released today, the poverty rate has
increased every year but one under President Bush. American families also saw
no real change in their median real income in 2005. More importantly, the
earnings of full-time, year-round workers went down by 1.8 percent for men and
by 1.3 percent for women. According to the Census Bureau, “this is the second
year that men experienced a decline in earnings and the third consecutive year
for women.” the United States: 2005, Issued August 29, 2006]

President Bush has also broken his promise to help the uninsured in America. “A
priority in my budget will be to make sure that health care system in America
is strong, for the elderly, for the uninsured, and for all of us concerned
about health," he noted in February 2001. 2/20/01] But, according to the latest Census figures, the percentage of
Americans without health insurance increased from 15.6 percent to 15.9 percent,
an increase of 1.3 million people.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued the following
statement:

“Katrina and its tragic aftermath serve as a painful reminder that too many of
our fellow Americans live and struggle in poverty. As we mark this anniversary,
we should remember the words of Dr. Martin Luther King and others who spoke on
the Mall in Washington some 43 years ago calling on each one of us as
individuals and our nation to honor our obligation to one another as part of
the American community. As Dr. King so eloquently stated, ‘we cannot walk
alone.’

“Our message to the people of the Gulf Coast is that we have not and we will
not forget you. We will work hard to ensure the Gulf Coast has the resources
needed to rebuild its communities, and that the people of the Gulf Coast have
the resources to rebuild their lives.

“Too many Americans live in poverty, and too many Americans in the Gulf Coast
are awaiting the help and resources needed to rebuild their lives. Despite the
President’s rhetoric that he would work to eliminate poverty and other social
and economic injustices highlighted in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina,
President Bush has abandoned the same programs he touted just one year ago. We
have a long way to go in ensuring the dream that Dr. King spoke of some 43
years ago, and Republicans’ misplaced priorities are not getting us closer to
making that dream a reality. We need a new direction on the Gulf Coast. We call
on President Bush to honor his promise to fight poverty and restore the
confidence of the American people in their government.”

Bush: "We Have A Duty To Confront This Poverty With Bold Action." "Our third
commitment is this: When communities are rebuilt, they must be even better and
stronger than before the storm. ...As all of us saw on television, there's also
some deep, persistent poverty in this region, as well. That poverty has roots
in a history of racial discrimination, which cut off generations from the
opportunity of America. We have a duty to confront this poverty with bold
action. So let us restore all that we have cherished from yesterday, and let us
rise above the legacy of inequality. ...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. ...
And to help lower-income citizens in the hurricane region build new and better
lives, 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."

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 17 2005. http://thomas.loc.gov/ , 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 13, 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>

House Democrats Introduced Legislation To Rebuild and Renew the Gulf Coast.
Hundreds of pieces of Democratic legislation have been introduced to address
the needs of Katrina survivors - the vast majority of which have been ignored
by the Republican-controlled Congress. A key House Democratic bill is H.R.
4197, the Hurricane Katrina Recovery, Reclamation, Restoration, Reconstruction
and Reunion Act of 2005, a bill that was introduced by the Congressional Black
Caucus on November 2, 2005. This comprehensive bill includes housing, health
care, education, small business, voting rights, unemployment, and environmental
provisions. Some of the highlights of the bill’s numerous provisions include
providing Medicaid coverage for each Katrina survivor whose income is below the
poverty level and provides additional federal funds targeted for the Katrina
disaster area for certain housing programs that have proven to be effective,
including an additional $1 billion for HOME, $200 million for YouthBuild, and
$100 million for HOPE VI Community Revitalization.

Senate Democrats Introduced Legislation to Rebuild and Renew the Gulf Coast. On
September 8, 2005, less than two weeks after Hurricane Katrina struck, 25
Senate Democrats introduced a comprehensive bill, S. 1637, the Katrina
Emergency Relief Act. This broad legislative package sought to provide
emergency relief to meet the immediate needs of survivors of Hurricane Katrina
for health care, housing, education, financial relief, and for other purposes.
Specifically, the bill provides for grants to local educational agencies and
states with a large influx of displaced students due to Hurricane Katrina. The
bill also requires the Secretary of Education to authorize higher education
institutions to waive federal financial aid requirements for students affected
by Hurricane Katrina, and make payments to institutions for financial aid for
such students.

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