To all the Kossacks from the Bayou State, just giving you the heads up that Vice President Joe Biden will be making a visit to New Orleans this week:
http://www.nola.com/...
On Saturday, January 26, Vice President Joe Biden is traveling to New Orleans for a fundraiser benefiting Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. The event begins at 4 p.m.
Tickets for people under 35 are $250, while regular tickets are $500. Also available are sponsor tickets for $1,000 each, while host tickets are $2,500 per person. - The Times-Picayune, 1/15/13
Landrieu is no stranger to tough elections and Biden coming down to New Orleans to help raise money for her now is good because right now she has three potential Republican challengers, Congressmen John Fleming, Bill Cassidy and former Congressman Jeff Landry. For the record, Congressmen Fleming and Cassidy voted against a $50 billion aid package towards Hurricane Sandy relief efforts:
http://theadvocate.com/...
U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm, R-N.Y., called for national unity and to treat all Americans who need help equally.
“We’re not voting as Republicans or Democrats,” Grimm said. “We’re not voting as individuals. We’re voting as Americans.”
The argument they were making was that representatives from states like Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida that have been ravaged by storms, like Hurricane Katrina, would be hypocrites if they voted against the Sandy aid.
Rep. Bill Cassidy (R. LA-6) voted No.
At the end of the night, the Louisiana U.S. House delegation ended up split in half on the $50 billion aid package. U.S. Reps. Rodney Alexander, R-Quitman; Charles Boustany, R-Lafayette; and Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans, voted for it while Reps. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge; John Fleming, R-Minden; and Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, opposed it. Although the legislation easily passed, a majority of Republicans still voted against it.
Rep. John Fleming (R. LA-4) voted No.
The argument against the aid package was that the legislation included too many long-term mitigation dollars and too many community development block grant funds that lack specifics on how they will be spent. - The Advocate, 1/20/13
Senator Landrieu on the other hand not only voted for the $51 billion relief package but even used her state's experiences with Hurricane Katrina to make the disaster relief smarter and stronger:
http://www.philly.com/...
Sen. Mary Landrieu (D., La.) used her state's experience after Katrina to add policy changes for the Federal Emergency Management Agency that will help when FEMA rebuilds parts of New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut hit hard by Sandy in October.
FEMA now requires buildings to be restored to their original condition, which sounds nice until you realize it means a plywood and tar fish shack would be replaced with another plywood and tar fish shack. Landrieu would allow FEMA to raise standards so new buildings are more resilient.
That makes sense. Climate scientists warn that future storms will be more frequent and severe.
FEMA also only reimburses communities after they finish repairing roads, schools, and other infrastructure. That often means towns must borrow funds to rebuild. Landrieu's bill instead would allow some advance federal funding, so work could begin sooner and be planned better.
Currently, disagreements over storm aid to homeowners and businesses are resolved through appeals to FEMA. But the Landrieu legislation would allow third-party arbitrators to settle future disputes, which should make the process more fair.
These smart changes to how FEMA operates will put the Sandy states on solid ground to reach successful recoveries that start with sound planning and include modern building technologies that will help their communities weather future superstorms that come roaring up the coast. - Philadelphia Inquirer, 1/21/13
Just wanted to share that with all of you. Have a good night.