Reply #26: Obama copycat: Follows Hillary's Lead On Gulf Coast Recovery Plan [View All]

[HillaryVoter]

http://facts.hillaryhub.com/

To bad he is just a copy cat:

In May, Hillary introduced a comprehensive Gulf Coast Recovery Agenda.
http://www.hillaryclinton.com/feature/katrina/

Three months later, in August, Sen. Obama released a very similar proposal. Today, Sen. Obama "introduced" the same plan he released in August.
http://www.hillaryclinton.com/feature/katrina/

A comparison of the core elements of Hillary's plan and Sen. Obama's plan is below.

Cutting red tape

May 2007: Senator Clinton will cut red tape by streamlining the FEMA “project worksheet” project, by amending the Stafford Act, and by giving FEMA maximum flexibility in implementation. She will also elevate the federal rebuilding coordinator so that he or she reports directly to the President.

August 2007: Senator Obama will cut red tape by streamlining the FEMA application process and by altering/eliminating unnecessary regulations to give FEMA more flexibility. He will also elevate the federal rebuilding coordinator so that he or she reports directly to the President.

Health care

May 2007: Senator Clinton would provide financial incentives to skilled medical professionals to return to New Orleans and serve high need areas. She would deploy the Gulf Coast Corps to rebuild hospitals and clinics, especially those that serve the under- and uninsured.

August 2007: Senator Obama would provide incentives to lure medical professionals back to the region. He would fight to establish a major medical complex in downtown New Orleans that would serve the entire community.

K-12 Education

May 2007: Senator Clinton would fill the large teacher shortage by recruiting skilled teachers though her Gulf Coast Corps. Senator Clinton would renovate and modernize school facilities so that they are modern, energy efficient, and free of lead, mold, and other pollutants.

August 2007: Senator Obama would work to recruit and retain top teaching talent for New Orleans schools and would help communities make necessary school infrastructure investments so all kids would have safe and supportive learning environments.

Public safety

May 2007: Senator Clinton would provide sufficient COPS and Byrne Grant funding to put 200 new police officers back on the beat and would work in partnership with local community leaders to deploy new crime-fighting technologies and methods. She would provide funding and technical assistance to help federal, state, and local leaders confront the challenge of interoperability across police departments and other law enforcement agencies.

August 2007: Senator Obama will establish a “COPS for Katrina” program to put new police officers on the street and to develop community-based crime fighting strategies. He would help federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies establish an integrated regional crime control partnership.

Housing

May 2007: Senator Clinton would convene a state-local-federal summit to resolve challenges confronting the Road Home program. She would work to expand the stock of affordable rental housing through a number of specific initiatives.

August 2007: Senator Obama would work with the state to approve all Road Home applications within two months and would work to increase the supply of rental property.

Jobs and economy

May 2007: Senator Clinton would create a Gulf Coast Corps that would directly hire thousands of workers and apprentices – especially locals and those who left but want to return – to complete priority public works projects.

August 2007: Senator Obama will fight to ensure more Katrina-related recovery or reconstruction activities can be done by local residents. These measures would ensure that Gulf Coast residents, and not big corporations, will rebuild their communities.

May 2007: Senator Clinton would support and extend federal incentives to stimulate a thriving Gulf Opportunity Zone and to support small businesses.

August 2007: Senator Obama would target tax incentives to lure businesses to the hardest hit areas of the Gulf Coast.

Hurricane protection

May 2007: Senator Clinton would order a stem-to-stern review of the Army Corps plans and progress and expedite construction of the levees and pumps. She would order the Corps to move to Category 5 protection over time. She would require the Corps and other agencies to integrate a wetlands restoration plan as a vital component of hurricane protection efforts.

August 2007: Senator Obama will have the levees and pumps to 100-year storm protection by 2011 and would ultimately move to Category 5 protection. He would help the Gulf Coast restore wetlands, marshes and barrier islands that are critical to tamping down the force of hurricanes.

FEMA

May 2007: Senator Clinton would elevate FEMA to cabinet-level status (with the director reporting directly to her). She also proposed in late 2005 that Congress pass a law requiring the director to have professional emergency management experience. That proposal became law in 2006.

August 2007: Senator Obama would have the FEMA director report directly to President Obama, serve a six-year term, and have professional emergency management experience.

May 2007: Senator Clinton would add a Catastrophic Annex to the Stafford Act and direct FEMA to work with folks on the ground to develop preparedness and response plans and lines of authority.

August 2007: Senator Obama would work with emergency management officials, emergency responders and other experts to create a real National Response Plan. Transportation

May 2007: Senator Clinton would promote smart development by helping communities build environmentally friendly public transit systems.

August 2007: Senator Obama would help the New Orleans area develop regional transit partnerships.

National Insurance Reserve

May 2007: Senator Clinton announced at a campaign stop in Florida that she would work on legislation to create a national catastrophe fund. She introduced that legislation in the fall.

August 2007: Senator Obama would work with the insurance industry to set up an efficient catastrophe insurance “backstop.”


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