[StBernard] USA Today Endorses Governor Blanco's and LRA's Push to Waive Ten Percent Match

[Westley Annis]

USA TODAY Endorses Governor Blanco's and LRA's Push to Waive Ten Percent Match

Over recent weeks, several national and local editorial pages have called on President Bush to waive Louisiana's federal cost share as the state rebuilds from the first and third most catastrophic disasters in American history. The cost share requirement was waived for New York following 9/11 and Florida after Hurricane Andrew. 

Editorial: Gulf Coast's halting recovery leaves much to be done
USA TODAY
March 2, 2007

"Louisiana has asked the federal government to waive a requirement that local governments put up 10% of the cost of rebuilding public projects. While the requirement is reasonable, many localities are broke, according to the Louisiana Recovery Authority. Further, the 10% mandate has turned the process into a bureaucratic quagmire. Bush could quickly waive it, or at least work with local officials on a backup plan they've advanced to cut through the red tape."

Read the full editorial here: http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2007/03/post_5.html <http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2007/03/post_5.html> 

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated South Louisiana, claiming 1,464 lives, destroying more than 200,000 homes and 18,000 businesses. The Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) is the planning and coordinating body that was created in the aftermath of these storms by Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco to lead one of the most extensive rebuilding efforts in the world. The LRA is a 33-member body which is coordinating across jurisdictions, supporting community recovery and resurgence, ensuring integrity and effectiveness, and planning for the recovery and rebuilding of Louisiana.

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