Statement by Governor Bill Richardson Honoring Victims of Hurricane Katrina, Calls for Administration to Fulfill Promises to New Orleans and the Nation

Governor has a comprehensive plan to restore the nation's ability to respond to emergencies

NEW HAMPTON, IA -- Governor Bill Richardson released the following statement today regarding the second anniversary of the Hurricane Katrina tragedy:

"The administration has failed to keep its promise to the residents of New Orleans and the American people. Katrina now stands as a monument to incompetence and arrogance. The citizens of this great country expect and deserve more from their President and their government. We need bold, dramatic change to ensure this never happens again.

"I have proposed a comprehensive plan to create an emergency response structure, able to respond immediately and effectively, that will restore the nation's confidence and peace of mind:

• We must pull FEMA out of the Department of Homeland Security and place it directly under the office of the President,
• Unlike the current administration, we must put competence ahead of cronyism. We must appoint the best qualified people to lead our important national agencies,
• We must eliminate bureaucracy and make sure assistance immediately gets to the people who need it most,
• We have to end predatory practices in lending, insurance, and rental housing which are outrageous, un-American, and intolerable,
• We must also guarantee a right of return for those who want to go home to New Orleans. We should allocate funding and create programs to facilitate the quick return of the thousands who want nothing more than to go back home,
• Furthermore, we have to guarantee residents and returning citizens first priority for jobs, job training, and contracting opportunities, and,
  
• We have to fully rebuild the great city of New Orleans and cities and towns all along the Gulf Coast.
• As President, Bill Richardson will make this a top priority.

"Two years ago, the President vowed to rebuild the city better than it was before and promised to restore our broken faith in his leadership. Like so many other promises he has made, this too was just empty words.

"New Orleans is still suffering and is far from being rebuilt. Many residents have not returned. The resilient people of New Orleans have put life back in the city, but they have done it mostly on their own.

"As a nation, we are no better prepared now to handle a disaster like Katrina than we were then. Presidential leadership is nowhere to be found.

"We need to change course.

"Today, let us take a moment to remember and pray for the victims of this tragedy. In their name, let us renew our promise to rebuild New Orleans, and together, rebuild the promise of America."