From Westley at da-parish.com Thu Nov 19 07:43:56 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:43:56 -0600 Subject: [StBernard] Read for yourself: The Democrats "Obamacare" Bill, HR 3962 Message-ID: <176301ca6915$f5b092e0$e111b8a0$@com> In case anyone was wondering what to believe among all the arguing and debates what is actually said in the recently passed "healthcare reform" bill by the U.S. House, let me post one particular section of the bill in its entirety. It reads.... "If the Secretary estimates for any fiscal year that the aggregate amounts available for payment of expenses of the high-risk pool will be less than the amount of the expenses, the Secretary shall make such adjustments as are necessary to eliminate such deficit, including reducing benefits, increasing premiums, or establishing waiting lists." The "Secretary" mentioned above refers to the Administrator of the government run option. It could be one person, but will likely be a "panel" of administrators. This section of the bill basically says is if there is not enough money in the "pool account" that covers all persons in the government run option, then the secretary/administration is forced to make sure the government option healthcare plan does NOT run over budget - and this is to be accomplished by either (A) increasing the premiums (which Obama and Pelosi are publicly quoted saying that is NEVER to happen, (B) establish "waiting lists" exactly like the kind you've heard horror stories about in Canada and England where sick people hope to get a needed medical procedure before they die - or they come to the United States for the medical treatment, or (C) reduce the total benefits to everyone in the government run option plan. WHAT DOES "reduce benefits" mean? RATIONING!!!! It means they will "ration" the healthcare services under the government plan, which means if you're not the most sick, then you will not likely get the medical help you need or you'll be put on the "waiting list" that was mentioned earlier. Of course, this also means if you're "too sick" then the Panel might decide your quality of life is not work saving, so you would likely be denied the needed medical treatment....and if you think I'm exaggerting, didn't you read last month about that Oregon woman who died waiting to be approved for a medical treatment by the State of Oregon's public option medical plan - very similar to this very bill. Folks, they've built in provisions to do the very things they get on TV and say will not happen!!! So, Congressman Wilson was factually correct when he told Obama..."you lie." If you don't believe what I'm saying, read the section of the bill for yourself. You'll see I've not edited one word or done my own interpretation of the bill's language. It's pretty clear cut and simple to read. Maybe Westley can post a PDF of the bill on the website or google it under key words "HR 3962 Affordable Health Care for America Act" Actually, this section begins at the bottom of Page 26 and continues on to Page 27. It can be found in the bill (HR 3962, the "Affordable Health Care for America Act") under the section...Title I - Immediate Reform: National High Risk Pool Program, Section 101 (h) (2) Oh, I can't wait to see how some of the idiot liberals out there try to put a spin on this. - John Scurich From westley at da-parish.com Thu Nov 19 21:44:33 2009 From: westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:44:33 -0600 Subject: [StBernard] Work begins on new visitor's center at Chalmette Battlefield Message-ID: <1a5f01ca698b$64aab480$2e001d80$@com> Work begins on new visitor's center at Chalmette Battlefield By Bob Warren, The Times-Picayune November 19, 2009, 10:15AM Construction has begun on the new visitor's center at Chalmette Battlefield, officials said. A host of dignitaries gathered last week to break ground on the new center, which will twice as large as the park's visitor's center that was destroyed by flooding during Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. In addition to the visitor's center, Katrina everely damaged many other structures at the battlefield and adjoining national cemetery. A temporary visitor center has been in place since fall 2006. The new visitor center will help explain the story of the Battle of New Orleans and its affect on world history through displays, interactive exhibits, and films. The new center is expected to open in fall 2010. "The park staff and this community have made do with temporary and inadequate structures at the battlefield for several years now," said Carol Clark, superintendent of Jean Lafitte National Park, of which Chalmette Battlefied is a component. "Now we can all look forward to a new visitor center which will be more welcoming and contain more exhibit space to enhance the experiences of park visitors." Gee Cee Construction Co. of New Orleans is building the new center, which will cost just under $4 million. It will be 3,500 square feet, park officials have said. Officials hope to open the new center next fall. The National Park Service says the Battle of New Orleans, fought in January of 1815, was the greatest American land victory in the War of 1812. The park will remain open - although some its roads are closed - through the construction. The battlefield had 55,000 visitors in 2008, about a third less than the average pre-Katrina year, officials have said. For more information, call 504.589.2636 ext. 1 or visit www.nps.gov/jela From westley at da-parish.com Thu Nov 19 21:45:30 2009 From: westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:45:30 -0600 Subject: [StBernard] Judge Seeber bridge in 9th Ward closed today, tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Message-ID: <1a6001ca698b$864c04e0$92e40ea0$@com> Judge Seeber bridge in 9th Ward closed today, tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. By The Times-Picayune November 19, 2009, 10:45AM The Judge Seeber bridge on Claiborne Avenue will be closed today and tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for repairs. A St. Bernard Parish government news release said the bridge will be closed in both directions for rehabilitation contract work. The St. Claude Avenue bridge is an alternate route, as is the Interstate 10 high-rise or the Florida Avenue bridge. The bridges across the Industrial Canal are heavily traveled as major throroughfares connecting St. Bernard Parish to New Orleans. From Westley at da-parish.com Thu Nov 19 21:48:28 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:48:28 -0600 Subject: [StBernard] Senior Health Care Solution Message-ID: <1a6701ca698b$f04a6b20$d0df4160$@com> Senior Health Care Solution So you're a senior citizen and the government says no health care for you, what do you do? Our plan gives anyone 65 years or older a gun and 4 bullets. Your are allowed to shoot 2 senators and 2 representatives. Of Course, this means you will be sent to prison. There you will get 3 meals a day, a roof over your head, and all the health care you need! New teeth, no problem. Need glasses, great. New hip, knees, kidney, lungs, heart? All covered. And who will be paying for all of this? The same government that just told you that you are too old for health care. Plus, because you are a prisoner, you don't have to pay any income taxes anymore. IS THIS A GREAT COUNTRY OR WHAT?! From Westley at da-parish.com Thu Nov 19 21:48:44 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:48:44 -0600 Subject: [StBernard] Garbage Reduction - Newspaper Recycling Message-ID: <1a6801ca698b$fa143780$ee3ca680$@com> Copy of correspondence sent to Parish Council 11/19/09 : Subject: Reduce Garbage Through Recycling Newspapers -Provide Funds for Fire Department ? Win Win Approach Recycle newspapers - Since 2007 I have made several attempts to get a newspaper-recycling program implemented in our Parish. Contacted the School Board, we use to have a recycling dumpster at Chalmette HS, reached out to non-profit groups including the Rediscover District C group to continually hear all the reasons why we can?t do it. With the failure of the proposed $20.00 monthly increase that was to cover additional garbage fees and Fire Department support other avenues are needed to address this issue. Implementing a recycling program wouldn?t solve the entire garbage issue but would start a garbage reduction plan. The primary reason stated in the past was that other trash would be placed in the dumpster. The eligibility to participate requires that the recipient of the funds must be either a civic or non-profit group. I suggest that we consider putting the dumpsters at several fire stations that are manned 24/7 with the proceeds from the recycled newspaper allocated to the Fire Department. The SP Recycling Corp currently offers a program to recycle newspapers. The contact person is Scott O?Neal at 504-733-1954 505 New Orleans Division 246 St. George Ave, New Orleans La.70121 SP Recycling Corporation purchases old newspapers through its ten Florida Divisions and its other 27 processing-facilities in 12 states by offering collection containers for community and non-profit group fundraising. The recovered paper is then collected, processed and shipped to the mill for recycling into new newsprint. The Dublin mill uses old newspapers exclusively as its fiber source. If in fact our garbage service must be decreased, consider keeping the service at 2 a week during the summer months since grass cutting debris is at it?s highest during that time. Jill W. Dolese 2300 Despaux Dr. Chalmette, La. 700 504-439-0580 From Westley at da-parish.com Thu Nov 19 21:51:37 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:51:37 -0600 Subject: [StBernard] The Word from Washington: Oyster Ban, Health Care Reform, and Honoring Louisiana`s Veterans Message-ID: <1a6901ca698c$616b2470$24416d50$@com> Fall is my favorite season in south Louisiana, when the heat of summer fades and everyone can get outside to enjoy festivals, football games, and the start of duck hunting season. While I try to get home to Napoleonville as many weekends as possible, this fall has been an especially busy time in Congress. Last Tuesday, I headed back to Washington for a special meeting with the FDA to fight their proposed ban on Gulf oysters during summer months. Following this meeting, the FDA announced they were putting the ban on hold while they studied the possible consequences it could have on Louisiana and its economy. Recently, the House held a special Saturday session to vote on the health care reform bill. After listening to Louisianians, I voted against the health care bill because it would add billions in new spending to our budget and because it included a government-run public insurance option. And on Veterans Day, I had the privilege of honoring many of south Louisiana's heroes at ceremonies in Houma and Gonzales. Continue reading for more about these latest events affecting south Louisiana. Fighting the Gulf Oyster Ban Rep. Melancon joins Gulf Coast oystermen in calling on the FDA to reverse its proposed ban. Recently, the Food and Drug Administration announced a proposal to ban the sale of fresh, live Gulf Coast oysters during warm-weather months unless they are processed. The ban, which would begin in spring 2011, would severely impact Louisiana's oyster and restaurant industries, major sectors of our state's economy. On November 10th, I organized a meeting with Gulf Coast Senators and Representatives and senior officials in the FDA to voice our strong opposition to this proposed ban. Fresh Gulf oysters are part of our culture, and an irreplaceable part of Louisiana's seafood and restaurant economies. The FDA heard loud and clear that Louisianians don't want the federal government telling them how to eat oysters any more than they want a bureaucrat in Washington telling them how to make a roux. The FDA got the message, and last Friday announced they had halted movement on the proposed ban, pending the results of a feasibility study on the possible consequences of the proposal. While the details of the study haven't been determined yet, I am encouraging the FDA to look at how the new regulations could affect the viability of the Gulf Coast oyster industry, how many jobs could be lost, and how the changes would impact the market price for Gulf oysters. If the FDA continues to move forward with this misguided regulation, I have co-sponsored the Gulf Oyster Protection Act (H.R. 4022) to prevent the agency from using federal funds to implement the proposed ban. We all want safer food for our families, but Americans have been enjoying fresh, Louisiana-produced oysters for hundreds of years. This restriction on Gulf oysters, proposed in the name of food safety, is like swatting a fly with a sledgehammer. Instead of heaping unnecessary new regulations on Louisiana businesses, the FDA should support the successful education campaign already in place to reach out to at-risk consumers and prevent illnesses. Consumer education works, and the FDA should support these efforts. Voting Against the House Health Care Bill Rep. Melancon explains vote against health care bill in House. For several months now, I have been listening to people in Louisiana express their concerns and opinions about health care reform. At the grocery store, in restaurants, even at the fall festivals, health care is the first thing people bring up when we talk. Those discussions were my guide in deciding to vote against the House health care bill on November 7th. I am working to make health care more affordable and accessible for our families and businesses in Louisiana, but the House bill is not that bill. I'll work with anyone, or stand up to anyone, when it comes to what's best for Louisiana. And the House's healthcare bill doesn't work for Louisiana. In these tough economic times, Congress needs to be smarter about getting government spending and the deficit under control, and the House's health care bill simply costs too much. You don't have to be an economist to know that the skyrocketing cost of health care is bankrupting our citizens and our country. A fundamental goal of reform must be to bring down the growing cost of health care. America's leaders need to get health care spending under control, or we will never dig ourselves out of the mountain of debt this country is under. I also can't support a government-run insurance option that the people of Louisiana don't want. In letters, emails, phone calls, and personal conversations, Louisianians have told me they want insurance reforms that will bring down costs, increase value and improve access for everyone. But they also believe there are better ways to achieve those goals than a new government program. As someone who is personally pro-life and represents a deeply pro-life constituency, I was happy to support the Stupak-Pitts amendment to the House's health care bill, which would prohibit tax-payer funding of abortions. This amendment passed 240-194 and will now be included in the bill. Throughout the consideration of health reform in the House, I have fought to ensure that pro-life provisions were included in any health reform proposal, and that fight will continue. In the coming months, I will keep listening to folks in south Louisiana and working with people from both sides of the aisle. And I'll keep working for smarter, more fiscally-responsible, market-based healthcare reforms that protect the sanctity of life. Together, we will find a way to make health care more affordable and accessible for all Louisianians, and bring down the rising cost of health care in this country. Honoring Louisiana's Veterans Rep. Melancon discusses veterans issues with a Louisiana veteran and thanks him for his service. On Veterans Day, Americans pause to honor those who have protected the freedoms and opportunities we enjoy year round. I had the opportunity this year of thanking many of Louisiana's heroes at Veterans Day ceremonies in Houma and Gonzales. Shaking these veterans' hands was a great privilege, and I am humbled by their sacrifice and love for America. Making sure America's veterans get the unwavering support they've earned should be a top priority for all public officials. America's veterans have made enormous sacrifices to protect our freedom, and our nation should honor their service not just with words, but with action , too. Recently, I supported passage in Congress of the Veterans Small Business Assistance and Servicemembers Protection Act (H.R. 3949), which will strengthen the Veterans Administration's outreach efforts to ensure that veterans get their earned benefits. The bill will also hold the VA accountable for making sure federal contracting preferences and advantages for veteran-owned small businesses are effectively targeting veterans. I also supported passage of the Veterans Retraining Act (H.R. 1168), which provides a stipend and moving assistance to veterans who have been unemployed for at least four months and are enrolled in a U.S. Department of Labor re-training program. And I supported the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act (S. 475), which gives military spouses the ability to keep or change residency when they move from station to station, as is done for service members. This eliminates the need change vehicle and voter registrations and to file tax returns for multiple states with each move. These bills will help our men and women in uniform, both while they are serving our country and after they have fulfilled their commitments. I will continue working in Congress to keep our promises to Louisiana's troops and veterans by providing them with the resources they need and the benefits they have earned. As your representative in Congress, I am proud to be working on behalf of the people of south Louisiana and see great things in the future. As always, please feel free to write, email or call my offices and share your opinion on the many issues being considered by Congress. Sincerely, Charlie Melancon From Westley at da-parish.com Thu Nov 19 21:52:33 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:52:33 -0600 Subject: [StBernard] RNC STATEMENT ON HARRY REID'S GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH CARE EXPERIMENT Message-ID: <1a6a01ca698c$824db8b0$86e92a10$@com> RNC STATEMENT ON HARRY REID'S GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH CARE EXPERIMENT WASHINGTON - Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele released the following statement today: "After months working in secret behind closed doors to cobble together his health care bill, Harry Reid finally unveiled a 2,074-page government-run monstrosity that would still increase premiums, still shifts costs to states, still increase taxes by nearly half a trillion dollars and still cuts Medicare by nearly half a trillion dollars. But wait, there's more. At a time when our national debt just hit a record $12 trillion, Harry Reid's bill would cost $2.5 trillion when fully implemented. Oh, they didn't tell us that. It even uses accounting gimmicks to allow federal funds to be used for abortions. They didn't tell us that either. This bill is far from the common-sense incremental reforms the American people want. The voters spoke loud and clear at the ballot box earlier this month - they are sick and tired of all the reckless spending and big-government interference coming out of Washington, DC. Harry Reid's bill is exactly what the voters don't want, and Senate Democrats who let this bill even come up for debate will pay a price on Election Day next year." ### From westley at da-parish.com Thu Nov 19 23:03:36 2009 From: westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:03:36 -0600 Subject: [StBernard] Revived La. Parish Faces Fight Over Race Message-ID: <1a9101ca6996$6f6150e0$4e23f2a0$@com> Revived La. Parish Faces Fight Over Race by Debbie Elliott November 19, 2009 Slowly, about half the population of St. Bernard Parish has returned to the area since Hurricane Katrina. But with a twist - it's not as white as it used to be, which has sparked a battle over low-income housing and race. After Katrina, local attorney David Jarrell decided he could help his native St. Bernard Parish rebuild by buying and renovating damaged houses. In a bound notebook with pictures of the dozen or so properties he has refurbished, he singles out one that was "trashed" by the hurricane before he restored it. "This was the inside - it was wood floors, 10-foot ceilings," he says. "Everything was meticulously designed. But it was still affordable for people, so if anybody was looking to rent, it was just a great little house." But there's a problem: Jarrell can't get a permit to rent it. The parish council has limited the number of rental properties allowed in each neighborhood and, for now, has put a moratorium on approving any new permits. "It's just bad for business," he says. "It's bad for the re-growth of St. Bernard and the recovery of St. Bernard, and I just want to see it go away." Jarrell is one of three people who have filed fair housing complaints with the Department of Housing and Urban Development against the parish. It's the newest front in an ongoing battle over affordable housing and the changes that have taken place in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina. St. Bernard is a mostly working-class parish southeast of the city. Since the storm, new people have moved in - many of them minorities. According to the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center, the parish's white population has dropped from 84 to 77 percent. Now some residents here, like Keith Buras, are adamantly opposed to developers who plan to build four mixed-income housing projects in the parish. "It's not discrimination," Buras says. "It's called self-preservation." Buras says he doesn't want the kind of crime problems that have plagued housing projects in New Orleans. "You see what's going on in those," he says, "not just in the black community. I mean, there's good and bad. Some of them could be Nobel Peace prizewinners. With any low income, you have bad element: You got your prostitution moves in, you got your drug gangs come in." That kind of talk is what U.S. District Judge Helen Berrigan found to be "camouflaged racial expressions." She ruled that the parish must grant permits for the housing projects in a lawsuit brought by the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center. In 2006, the center sued to stop a parish ordinance that said homeowners could only rent to blood relatives, arguing that the impact was discriminatory in the mostly white parish. "I'm absolutely sick and tired of being called a racist!" says St. Bernard Parish councilman Wayne Landry. Landry admits that in the rush to rebuild, mistakes were made, especially with the blood-relative ordinance. But he says the intent was not racist - it was to bring back the people who lived there before the storm. "We had a bedroom community. Everybody knew everybody. Houses got passed down from generation to generation. They were trying to preserve that. Nothing wrong with that," he says. Landry says he is frustrated that the local government is hamstrung by the federal courts. "We should have the God-given and government-given right to govern this parish to protect the property values and the people for their life, and for all of the values of their community," he says. "It has nothing to do with race. It has to do with the economic stability of the people of this parish." But there is clearly a need for rental property in the parish. A report by the Brookings Institution estimates that rents in the New Orleans metropolitan area are about 46 percent higher than they were before Hurricane Katrina because of the low supply and high demand for rental units. Rental property developer Sam Hodorov adds that the economic stability of the parish will depend on people from the outside. "Part of progress and part of changing is diversity," he says. "People will come from many other countries and they will do their business. And this town will prosper because of the diversity. Not because of narrow-minded thinking that whatever was, will be. It will never be, because there was a big chaos here, you know." From westley at da-parish.com Thu Nov 19 23:32:42 2009 From: westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:32:42 -0600 Subject: [StBernard] Parents Seeing Enforcement Of Truancy Law Message-ID: <1a9b01ca699a$806e41f0$814ac5d0$@com> Parents Seeing Enforcement Of Truancy Law St. Bernard Arrests 30 Since New Law Enacted POSTED: 3:57 pm CST November 19, 2009 CHALMETTE, La. -- Law enforcement officials in St. Bernard Parish are working hard to enforce a new truancy law that went into effect last year, and so far, around 30 parents have been arrested for their kids being late or not going to school. Parents get ample warning, but some say the law isn't fair. "After, I think it's five, you get in trouble. You can go to jail and I just think it's crazy," said parent Kelly Bordelon. Bordelon said the truancy law is a hassle for parents. Students are only allowed to miss school or be late five times. Her daughter missed three days of school and was late twice. "Four of them, I had doctor's notes, but I still got called to see the officer and everything, and had to come up with proof and all, or I was going to go jail," Bordelon said. Bordelon came up with the proof and is in the clear. But other parents aren't so lucky. Truancy officers said they give parents plenty of time to get their act together. Parents are called in two or three times and asked to sign a letter stating they understand they can face jail time or pay a fine. "It's kind of a lengthy process, because we kind of give them time to get everything together, but once we see that they're just not going to do what they're suppose to do, that's when it goes to an arrest," said St. Bernard Sheriff's Lt. Lisa Jackson. The law is designed to keep kids in school and out of any trouble they can find when they're on the street. "We feel like if we can get them to school, then we can do our jobs and we can produce a successful young person who can be a contributing member of society," said St. Bernard School Superintendent Doris Voiter. "So we want them in school. We want them with us." That's the reason parent Sandra Hauppetta supports the truancy law. "I frankly think it's a good idea because most of the time it's the parent's fault," she said. The truancy law applies statewide. So far in St. Bernard Parish, there have been more than 800 complaints and 30 arrests. If a parent is arrested, he or she is charged with improper supervision of a child. Parents can face up to 30 days in jail and/or pay a fine of up to $250. From westley at da-parish.com Thu Nov 19 23:37:14 2009 From: westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:37:14 -0600 Subject: [StBernard] Corps' MR-GO claims should be settled, and fast, attorneys say Message-ID: <1a9c01ca699b$222a10f0$667e32d0$@com> Corps' MR-GO claims should be settled, and fast, attorneys say By Mark Schleifstein, The Times-Picayune November 19, 2009, 6:41PM Congress and the Obama administration should move quickly to settle out of court damage claims against the Army Corps of Engineers, in light of a federal judge's ruling that corps mismanagement of the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet maintenance was responsible for a significant part of the Hurricane Katrina flood damage in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans and St. Bernard Parish, attorneys for the winning plaintiffs said Thursday. Attorneys say the government should settle claims quickly. 12/17/05 Attorneys Joseph Bruno of New Orleans and Pierce O'Donnell of Los Angeles, leaders of the team of lawyers representing plaintiffs in the MR-GO lawsuit, said any settlement also should include compensation for residents, businesses and local governments of other flooded parts of the New Orleans area where U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval Jr. had ruled last year that the corps was responsible for the failure of levees but was immune from liability under federal law. The lawyers said they and local elected officials have been invited by U.S. Rep. Charles Melancon, D-Napoleonville, whose district includes St. Bernard, to meet with members of Congress after Thanksgiving to discuss their suggestions for legislation to settle the lawsuits and to "reform" the corps. O'Donnell said the Obama administration has two choices in responding to Duval's Wednesday ruling. "The Justice Department could continue the scorched earth policies of the prior administration and stonewall the people of New Orleans and St. Bernard Parish for years to come," O'Donnell said. "We've been in court for four years, and if the Corps of Engineers exercises its threat, they'll go to the Supreme Court of the United States and literally continue this litigation for years to come. "Or the new president and his Justice Department can honor (Obama's) campaign promise and his recent promise in New Orleans to do the right thing by the people of New Orleans and St. Bernard Parish," he said. "It's time that we stopped litigating and we started negotiating." St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro said he would like to see a settlement also include the cost of restoring wetlands and cypress forest destroyed by the MR-GO. He estimated that the parish also has more than $1 billion in claims for damage to parish infrastructure pending before the corps, in addition to the close to $1 billion in aid the parish already has received from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other agencies. "The day that the first explosion was delivered to the cypress forest to begin digging and developing the MR-GO was the first day of public outcry that this was going to be the ruination of St. Bernard Parish," Taffaro said. "It's a bittersweet victory in the sense that: yes, we are at the table, yes, we are grateful for the judge's ruling, for the legal team to deliver us to this point. But what a shame that we had to go through such devastation and destruction to get here." Both attorneys said they also hope to use Duval's harsh criticism of the corps in arguing for congressional changes in the way the agency does business, or even to strip it of its present roles enforcing the federal Clean Water Act, which governs dredging, and in construction of environmental restoration projects. "The larger message here is that this corps is not the same corps that built the Panama Canal," Bruno said. "This Army is no longer a corps of engineers. They subcontract it out. They're cozy with their contractors. They waste money. They're not interested in the welfare of the people. Neither the Justice Department nor the corps would respond to the attorneys' suggestions. "The department is currently reviewing Judge Duval's decision," Justice Department spokesman Charles Miller said. "We have made no decision as to what the government's next step will be." "We have nothing to add at this time," said Corps New Orleans District spokesman Ken Holder. Bruno said that if attorneys are unsuccessful in brokering a settlement, when appeals of the ruling are completed, the attorneys representing the plaintiffs will ask Duval to certify the case as a class action and to issue a judgment against the corps that finds it liable for damages for all claims in the two areas. "The only thing that will be left is for the individual to come in and prove their very specific damages, how much did the flood damage their home, did the flood cause them loss of life, did the flood cause them personal injury or emotional stress," Bruno said. The "class" would include only those people, businesses and governmental entities who filed SF Form 95 claims with the Army Corps of Engineers two years ago, involving losses incurred in the Lower 9th Ward and St. Bernard Parish, he said. Homeowners and renters would be covered. O'Donnell recommended that those who filed claim forms make sure they have the financial records necessary to prove their damages, including receipts for replacement of lost items or reconstruction costs. He expects any damage claims to be reduced by money already received by the claimants from insurance settlements or Road Home grants. The original plaintiffs in the MR-GO case recognize it could be a long time before the appeals process ends. "It may take years to get anything monetary, but that's not the important thing," said Lucille Franz, 75, whose two-story home on St. Claude Avenue in the Lower 9th Ward was destroyed. "It's important that they be held accountable for what they've done -- or what they didn't do, let's put it that way." The home at the intersection of St. Claude and Gordon Street had been in the family of her husband, Anthony, 80, since 1922. He was born in the house seven years later and inherited it when his mother died. "It hurt, because there was really a sentimental attachment there," Anthony Franz said. "What got me mad was that I've got to go find another place to die. I can't die in the old family mansion." Duval's decision was hailed by several members of the state's Congressional delegation officials. "I am hopeful the federal government will work for a quick resolution to this case, so these resilient citizens can close this horrible chapter and move on with their lives," Melancon said. "I hope that this ruling encourages the corps to reform the way that they do business," said U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La. "For the people of greater New Orleans who lost their loved ones and their homes during this horrific storm, this news is too little too late. But perhaps this decision can serve as a warning for the future and as a means to help bring some form of relief to the victims of this storm." U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu.said, "In the coming days, I will be working directly with President Obama to ensure that his administration understands the implications of this decision and the immediate need for the government to reach a final resolution for the people of New Orleans and St. Bernard Parish. "This decision also confirms my belief that we need sweeping change to flood protection, coastal restoration, and water management for our cities, large and small, in Louisiana," she said. "The Corps of Engineers can no longer be relied upon as the lone agency charged with protecting our coastal communities." Gov. Bobby Jindal said, "This ruling highlights the fact that Hurricane Katrina's damage was exacerbated by the failure of the Corps of Engineers to properly operate and maintain water resources projects in Louisiana. There are very real and human implications of the failure to quickly solve challenges and address vulnerabilities in our hurricane protection system. I hope this decision will serve as a catalyst for the corps, Congress and the administration to aggressively move forward on hurricane protection and coastal restoration efforts in Louisiana." From Westley at da-parish.com Thu Nov 19 23:39:46 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:39:46 -0600 Subject: [StBernard] RNC STATEMENT ON HARRY REID'S GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTHCARE EXPERIMENT Message-ID: <1a9d01ca699b$7d205a00$77610e00$@com> Could somebody give me a hard copy of both the House and Senate bills on healthcare reform? I'm thinking it should save me a fortune on toilet paper over the next few years. John From Westley at da-parish.com Thu Nov 19 23:40:36 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:40:36 -0600 Subject: [StBernard] RNC STATEMENT ON HARRY REID'S GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTHCARE EXPERIMENT Message-ID: <1a9e01ca699b$9abe2380$d03a6a80$@com> I read just yesterday that Switzerland has an excellent healthcare system with highly rated medical care (some of the best in the world), where I belive everyone there has medical coverage and it's one the least expensive in the world? And get this...it's all private - not socialized one bit...no government option, no government control. So the question must be raised...how do the Swiss do it? 565 idiots on Capitol Hill and has any of them looked into the Swiss system of healthcare????? John