Taking Action for the Gulf
Advocates of public works programs and recovery for the Gulf Coast are hosting a Congressional call-in day pressing for the Gulf Coast Civic Works Act (H.R. 4048) to be included in an economic stimulus package advocated by President-elect Barack Obama. Last week the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the economy shed 533,000 jobs in November. This rising unemployment and the deepening recession are making a large stimulus plan of utmost importance to the incoming Democratic administration. This past weekend Obama unveiled plans for what is being called the most ambitious and largest public works infrastructure investment since Dwight Eisenhower created the interstate highway system in the 1950s. The overall stimulus package could range from $400 billion to as much as $1.2 trillion, experts say.
In Saturday's speech, Obama called for a massive public works infrastructure program; he also called for a "green" stimulus -- making public buildings and schools more energy efficient, modernizing health care with technology and electronic records, expanding broadband connections, and creating "green jobs" as a way to put millions Americans back to work.
As Obama said in his speech:
"We need to act with the urgency this moment demands to save or create at least two and a half million jobs so that the nearly two million Americans who've lost them know that they have a future. And that's exactly what I intend to do as President of the United States."
A 21st Century "New Deal": Rebuilding the Gulf Through Civic Works
During the Great Depression, the Works Progress Administration created 4 million public works jobs -- in two months. The "WPA army" built or fixed up 2,500 hospitals, 6,000 schools, 13,000 playgrounds; they even planted 3 billion trees. Today, Gulf activists are calling for a similar Gulf Coast Civic Works Project that would give residents good-paying jobs to revive their hurricane-stricken communities.
Facing South has reported that one of the major barriers to rebuilding and one of the
biggest problems facing residents of the Gulf Coast post-Katrina is finding good jobs.
Inspired by New Deal-era public works programs, the Gulf Coast Civic Works program could quickly put 100,000 people to work rebuilding their communities at a living wage, creating jobs and training opportunities for current and displaced Gulf residents to rebuild their region's infrastructure and restore its environment. Through the Gulf Coast Civic Works Act (H.R. 4048) the government could foster partnerships to rebuild neighborhoods across the region devastated by the hurricanes, including Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.
Gulf recovery advocates say that now is the time to push for this public works program. They hope to see H.R. 4048 passed in the first 100 days of the Obama administration or to see it included in the new stimulus package. The measure was first introduced in the House last year by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) with co-sponsors Charlie Melancon (D-La.) and Gene Taylor (D-Miss.).
Last week the Center for American Progress released its report "How to Spend $350 Billion in a First Year of Stimulus and Recovery," in which they made a similar proposal for the Gulf project to be included in a new stimulus package:
Gulf Coast Civic Works. $1 billion to create a minimum of 15,000 Civic Works jobs for local and displaced people to rebuild Gulf Coast infrastructure and environment. This will provide funding to the Office of Gulf Coast Federal Recovery Coordination to administer ready-to-go projects that will address the overwhelming unmet needs of the individuals, families, and communities devastated by hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and Ike.
Citizens are also pressing for H.R. 4048 at Ideas for Change at Change.org, which is a website that aims to promote the best policy ideas for the Obama administration.
You can hear Obama speak on his current ideas for ths stimulus package at Change.gov, the presidential-transition website. The new Congress is expected to take up the complete stimulus package when it meets in the first week of January, and Obama's aides have said they hope to have Obama sign a package into law on the day of his inauguration, Jan. 20.
* * *
Here is the call to action from the Gulf Coast Civic Works Program:
Please join hundreds of students in making a phone call to your local House of Representative requesting s/he includes the Gulf Coast Civic Works Project (H.R. 4048) into the 2nd stimulus package.
THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW! It will only take 2 minutes. Thank you in advance for making this important call.
WHEN: Monday, December 8 and Tuesday, December 9.
WHAT TO SAY: Hello, I am __________ and I am constituent of Congress Member __________. I am calling to ask Representative __________to make sure that House Resolution 4048, the Gulf Coast Civic Works Act, which is co-sponsored by by 27 Congress members, and is supported by the Center for American Progress, is included in the upcoming economic stimulus package. This federal bill will create 100,000 good jobs and training opportunities for local and displaced workers to rebuild Gulf Coast infrastructure and restore the environment. Please ask Rep. __________ to include the Gulf Coast Civic Works Project into in the 2nd stimulus package. Thank you.
PHONE NUMBER: To find out the phone number of your House Member, go to http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/ and then type in your address. The name of your Congress member and her/his phone number will pop up.EMAIL: An easy way to email your congress member is go to our web site at www.SolvingPoverty.com and click on the upper left where it says "Email Congress Today" or go directly to the site.
If you want to be a bit more sophisticated, you can contact your local Congress members Legislative Director by going here. Just click on the state that is yours, then click on each Congress member. Then scroll down and look at the bottom left side of the page for the Legislative Directors. Copy their name, put a period in between their first and last name and then add at the end @mail.house.govIt would look like John Smith and you would make it John.Smith@mail.house.gov This email address will get right to the Legislative Director!
