TAKE ACTION: Support Recovering Gulf Coast Communities!

We’ve seen bailouts for Wall Street and a bailout for Main Street, but what a bailout for the forgotten streets of New Orleans and recovering communities along the Gulf Coast?  If we can work to sway 100 leaders in Washington, we can help bring justice to the survivors of our nation’s most devastating disasters, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Families across Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas continue to endure homelessness, poverty, abusive labor practices, the collapse of local institutions and rampant inequality in addition to the threats of environmental degradation and climate change.

On May 5^th the bi-partisan Gulf Coast Civic Works Act of 2009 (HR 2269) was introduced to create 100,000 green jobs for hurricane survivors rebuilding communities and restoring the environment.  We need to tell our legislators, now is the time to make good on our broken promises and pass this vital legislation.

Tell Congress now is the time to empower hurricane survivors to return home and rebuild more sustainable and equitably communities.

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Press Release Introducing HR 2269, Gulf Coast Civic Works Act

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jainey Bavishi, Equity and Inclusion Campaign, Jainey@equityandinclusion.org (225) 772-2714;
Dr. Scott Myers Lipton, GCCWP, smlipton@gmail.com (510) 508-5382;
Diane Yentel, Oxfam America, dyentel@oxfamamerica.org(202) 496-1304;
Jeffrey Buchanan, RFK Center, buchanan@rfkmemorial.org(202) 257-9048;

Campaign Applauds Job-Creating Gulf Coast Recovery Legislation

The Newly Introduced Bipartisan Gulf Coast Civic Works Act (HR 2269) Promotes Infrastructure, Training, Comprehensive Flood Protection and Energy Efficiency.

WASHINGTON, DC – May 7th – The Gulf Coast Civic Works Campaign, a diverse national partnership of community, environmental, faith-based, human rights and student organizations, applauds the introduction this afternoon of bipartisan legislation to rebuild more equitable and resilient communities across the areas still recovering from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

The Gulf Coast Civic Works Act of 2009 (H.R. 2269) would create 100,000 “green” living wage jobs and training opportunities for Gulf Coast residents and displaced people to rebuild critical infrastructure, restore natural flood protection and increase energy efficiency.  This important legislation allows the federal government to partner directly with local leaders and non-profits to address remaining recovery challenges while building resilience to climate change, mitigating the effects of future deadly storms and confronting poverty. It also addresses the challenges faced by internally displaced, elderly, disabled, women, low income, immigrant and minority communities.

HR 2269 was introduced in the U.S. House May 6th by Representatives Zoe Lofgren (CA), Rodney Alexander (LA), Joseph Cao (LA), Charles Gonzalez (TX), Charlie Melancon (LA), Gene Taylor (MS), Bennie Thompson (MS), John Conyers (MI), Alcee Hastings (FL), Barbara Lee (CA), John Lewis (GA), Peter Stark (CA), and Charlie Rangel (NY).

Read the full bill at: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:HR02269:

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