Reps. Kucinich and Tubbs Jones Call On Bush To Hire Local Residents,Pay Living Wage to Rebuild NOLA

Publisher’s note to congressional members....

I am sure you mean well but do you really think Bush will read your letter and/or give a damn? The definition of Insanity is to continue doing the same thing expecting different results.

You NEED to take this to the AMERICAN PEOPLE, who will then support you and demand justice for the people of New Orleans.

What are you all thinking giving more money to FEMA? It is not about money, they turned away much needed resources because they are cruel and inhumane. Do you think throwing more money at the problem will help? They are planning on giving the money to Halliburton and Bectel, who have proven themselves fraudulent and willing to rip off Iraqis as well as the American people.

http://bellaciao.org/en/IMG/jpg/Halliburton.jpg

You NEED to go to the MEDIA(see broussard video) and demand they let you speak your peace. You must stand together and raise your voices. TELL AMERCIA what what is really going on and we will help DEMAND JUSTICE.

You cannot rely on Bush and FEMA. Haven’t they done(or not done) enough already?

Reps. Kucinich and Tubbs Jones Call On President To Hire Local Residents And Pay A Living Wage In Rebuilding Gulf Region
88 Members of Congress, Including Representatives From Louisiana and Mississippi, Send A Letter To The President

WASHINGTON - September 9 - Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH) and Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH) today sent a letter to President George W. Bush calling on him to sign an Executive Order to require contractors receiving federal Hurricane relief funds to hire locally to the greatest extent feasible and pay them a living wage. Kucinich and Tubbs Jones were joined by 88 Members of Congress, including Congressman William Jefferson (D-LA) and Congressman Bennie Thompson (D-MS).

"It is not enough to just throw federal dollars at the region," stated Kucinich. "We must also provide the opportunity for the people of the region to rebuild their lives and provide for themselves and their families."

"It is important that the local residents affected by the hurricane benefit from these huge government contracts," stated Tubbs Jones. "We owe the people, who have lost everything, nothing less."

In their letter the Representatives state:

Dear Mr. President,

For the Hurricane-affected regions of Louisiana and Mississippi, the economic devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina is on par with effects of the Great Depression. Unemployment is on a huge scale. We ask that you issue an Executive Order requiring all contractor companies receiving federal Hurricane relief dollars to hire local residents of the Hurricane-affected region and pay them a living wage.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, of the 510,000 private-sector workers in the New Orleans metropolitan statistical area, "the majority will be off payrolls at least through September, with only a gradual rebound." Another 113,000 in the Gulfport-Biloxi MSA and 54,000 in the Pascagoula MSA face unemployment caused by the Hurricane’s devastation of workplaces, transportation routes, public utilities and housing.

The House of Representatives has already appropriated over $60 billion for the region, and will surely appropriate more. But restrictions on the rule governing debate and amendments made it impossible for us to debate an amendment to require contractors receiving federal Hurricane relief dollars to hire locally and pay a living wage.

During the Great Depression, the federal government put millions of unemployed people to work rebuilding the country’s infrastructure with federal dollars. The hurricane-demolished region needs a similar emphasis today.

We ask that you issue an Executive Order to require contractors receiving federal Hurricane relief funds to:

1. hire locally to the greatest extent feasible. Specifically, contractors for non-construction projects would be required to meet local hiring goal of 50%, and contractors for construction projects would be required to meet a local hiring goal of 25%.

2. pay each employee a wage of no less than $6.55 per hour if that employee is currently being provided health insurance under a health insurance policy maintained by that employer, or no less than $7.75 per hour if that employee is not currently being provided health insurance under a health insurance policy maintain by that employer.

This is an urgent matter. We ask that you issue this executive order at the same time you sign into law the Hurricane relief funds appropriated by HR 3673

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