Bill requires LA gov'ts to pay back FEMA...Landrieu and Vitter

[AnnInLa]

http://www.acadiananow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051008/NEWS05/510080316

Bill requires Louisiana governments to pay back FEMA

John Hill
Louisiana Gannett News Service
# Complete Local Coverage

snip

Federal law allows FEMA to pay for police officers' and firefighters' overtime during a disaster, but not regular pay and normal operating costs. However, with tax bases wiped out or severely damaged in several parishes, including Orleans, St. Bernard, Plaquemines and St. Tammany, governments have begun laying off personnel. The same situation will exist in Rita-ravaged southwestern Louisiana parishes.


snip

For weeks, President Bush has promised grants to local governments.

In Washington, Democrats in Congress objected that the money was a loan program, but Vitter said the House Republican leadership, wary of Katrina's costs, insisted the $750 million be a loan rather than a grant program. "That is not my preference," Vitter said. "This is an urgent need. This is what could be accomplished today," he said. Vitter said he would work later to get the loans forgiven.


snip




U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans, and other congressional Democrats expressed anger that Congress was requiring the money to be a loan program. "At some point, it became clear that House Republicans were not going to accept anything but a loan program," Landrieu said. "I wasn't willing to sit down. I'm not willing to sit down now. For 37 days, my people have heard that help was on its way. Words are cheap. Actions are what people value."


snip




After the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Congress didn't require New York City to say first how it would pay back money for operations, said U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-New York. "I am bewildered why we are turning the people of the Gulf Coast into second-class citizens," Clinton said. "It's not going to be available to many communities because they are not going to be able to pay it back."





U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville, expressed his fury that the Republican leadership insisted on a loan program. "I'm going to look my local leaders in the eye and tell them to take the money and run," he said. "The federal government has let them down. I believed the White House when they said they would help local government. My advice is to spend it on your deputies, your police and your firefighters. Spend it and don't pay it back." Vitter said he has asked Gov. Kathleen Blanco if she could put up any state money to help local governments, but Blanco said there was no money.



more at link above