Gulf Coast Civic Works hanging by a thread

For tens of thousands of Gulf Coast residents still reeling from Hurricanes Katrina, Gustav and Ike, the prospects of getting a major boost are hanging by a thread.

Despite a call from 140 national and state organizations, the U.S. House failed to include a Gulf Coast Civic Works program -- a pioneering initiative to create green jobs in hard-hit communities -- in its latest draft of the American Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act [pdf].

Advocates are now turning to the Senate, where there's still hope that Gulf Coast Senators Mary Landrieu, Thad Cochran and Richard Shelby -- especially Landrieu of Louisiana -- can include authorizing and funding language for the bill.

Many in New Orleans and the Gulf have been hopeful about a new Congress and administration signaling a new commitment to Gulf recovery. This weekend, the New Orleans Times-Picayune quoted New Orleans advocate Monique Harden, who focused on the Gulf Coast Civic Works plan:

"All of us who have been shut out for the last eightyears because we're interested in social justice andenvironmental protection and poverty and schools, all of uswho have been locked out are now included in thisconversation," Harden said. "They were asking realquestions: 'What do you want? What do you see?'"

They talked about Obama issuing an executive order tocreate a Gulf Coast Civic Works Project -- which stalledas legislation in the last Congress -- that would trainand employ at least 100,000 people who lost theirlivelihoods in past storms to work rebuilding theircommunities.

But unless the Senate acts, this long-time dream of Gulf advocates and residents could end. For more background, see Facing South's earlier coverage here.