[FoCHAT] Reminder, please contact two Senators today about the LA Road Home Program Shortfall & spread the word

Tue May 29 10:47:18 PDT 2007

Tens of thousands of Louisiana homeowner-victims of floods due to faulty work of the US Army Corp of Engineers or to the hurricanes themselves are suffering as promised federal help dangled in front of them has still not been given to them. Worse, the federally funded program that was supposed to help us is running out of money. All of Louisiana will suffer if money has to be diverted from other pressing needs (post-hurricane infrastructure repair, rebuilding hospitals and schools, etc.). This will happen if  the federal government doesn't cover all or most of the shortfall right away.

We need you to post a letter, email, or to call  Senators Mary Landrieu and Ted Stevens today to ask for federal money to cover the $3-4 billion shortfall in the federally funded Road Home Program.  

  Please copy the form letter below or print it from http://chat.thinknola.com and mail it. If you can, it is even better to fax it. 

The letter or phone message  to these two members of the Senate Disaster Recovery Subcommittee will become part of  the Public Record of the Hearing of the Senate's Disaster Recovery Subcommittee if it is received by June 5th. 

  The Road Home Program manages the federal money that has been promised to Louisiana homeowners. The needed money is mired in red tape and underestimates of need. Now many homeowner storm victims are stuck in limbo, construction stalled, and loaded with debt, waiting and waiting for the money that was promised and suffering through no fault of their own.

People made their life plans based on that promise of the Road Home Program. 

Let's send the federal government a message.

Please:
1) Print the letter from our web site, copy it from below, or change it as you like.
2) Sign the letter with your name and your address.
3) Fax or stamp and mail the letter.
4) Or you can email the letter or make a phone call to the two Senators.

  Please also tell all your friends, neighbors, and relatives to do the same, even if they don’t live in Louisiana. 

  From
  Citizens' Road Home Action Team (CHAT)
  To find out about the important improvements in the Road Home Program due to work of our all-volunteer group or to join (no dues and open to anyone interested in Louisiana's recovery), go to http://chat.thinknola.com

  The letter to post or, if you like, modify and send is:

  May 29, 2007

  The Honorable Mary Landrieu 
  Chairman
  Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery
  340 Dirksen Senate Office Building
  Washington D. C. 20510
  Email: laverne_saulny at landrieu. senate.gov 
  Fax: 202 224-9735

  Phone: 202 224-5824      

  The Honorable Ted Stevens
  Ranking Member
  Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery
  340 Dirksen Senate Office Building
  Washington D. C. 20510
  http://stevens. senate.gov/ public/index. cfm?FuseAction= Contact.EmailSen atorStevens
  Fax: (202) 224-2354 

  Phone (202) 224-3004 

  Dear Senators Landrieu and Stevens,

          We thank you, the US Congress, and the American taxpayers very much for your help in the past. The people the Road Home Program was intended to help are proud, hard-working, honest homeowners determined to rebuild their lives.  But they have been stretched to the breaking point.  Many have come back, many more want to return, but they cannot do it without additional assistance from Congress as soon as possible.

  Please help the Louisiana victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita rebuild by providing additional funds to cover the shortfall in the Road Home Program. The storms hit nearly two years ago, the devastation to our state was enormous and very, very little has been done so far. 

              We need our schools, hospitals, groceries and thousands of other businesses to return, so people can return.  We need our infrastructure repaired. We need to be able to afford insurance and electricity and streets that you can drive on without tearing up your car.

              But most of all we need the Road Home Program not to run out of money before everyone gets their fair grant.  We need the Road Home Program to work faster and better so we can get our grant money before we run out of time. 

              We want to rebuild, we want to come back.

              We know you have not forgotten us, and we appreciate the work of your committee and the help of the Congress in making money available to set up the Road Home Program, but the work has only just begun and the damage is worse than anyone expected.  We need the rest of Congress not to forget us. 

              Please help us and our city come back to America .  

              Please enter this letter into the public record for testimony from your May 24th subcommittee hearing on the Road Home Program. 

  Thank you.

              Sincerely,

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