At last money is flowing for rebuilding, maybe as much as $100 billion (on our national credit card) but who will be getting it? Not the people who need the jobs and can do the heavy work, but the big guys, Halliburton, Bechtel and friends who can swing no-bid contracts.

The workers have to take a pay cut because our president decreed that the prevailing local wage was too generous. That's $9 an hour in New Orleans, $7 in Alabama and Mississippi for construction.

There is no shortage of big money going elsewhere. The federal transportation bill included $1.3 million for a feasibility study for I-3 that would cut through our mountain slopes and streams, adding one big unnecessary road from Savannah to Augusta to Knoxville and the Oak Ridge bomb plant. Senators Chambliss and Isakson and Congressman Norwood are all in favor.

That bill also includes two bridges to nowhere in Alaska. One, the size of the Golden Gate bridge, connects 50 people on an island (already served by a regular ferry) to 8,000 people in Ketchican. The other connects Port McKenzie (population 1) to Kinik (population 22). Sen. Don Young (R-Alaska) is proud of his work.

In California, the Reagan Freeway is to get $2.3 million for beautification, and Speaker Hastert gets Prairie Parkway for $207 million - already called the Hastert Sprawlway by local residents.

People in Bozeman, Mont., have petitioned their own city council to return the $4 million coming from that bill for a parking garage. “We figure New Orleans needs the money right now more than we need extra downtown parking space,” said one Montanan.

I would say the same about the $1.3 million feasibility study for I-3. Private money is flowing like oil. Big Oil never had it so good. Shell reported $37 billion profit last year. ExxonMobil expects $10 billion profit after just the last three months. The energy bill that passed in July generously offers $4 billion in new subsidies to the needy oil companies.

A House bill, HR 2070, calls for redirecting that money to New Orleans reconstruction - you could tell your congressman at 202-224-3121.

Before Congress cuts any more from veterans' benefits, Social Security, school lunches, Medicare or Medicaid, we need to rechannel the money flow the way local residents want and need - not a fancy theme park and condos but affordable housing, mass transit, good schools, renewable energy. Make your own list!

We are all part of America and we can work together.

Adele Kushner
Alto

< Back

Hosting donated by
Netspace Ads.com

Citizens Speak Letters-to-the-Editor and Editorial Opinions from the Regional and National Press and individuals' letters to the Stop I-3 Coalition

Time to rechannel money

Citizens Speak
Letters-to-the-Editor and Editorial Opinions from the Regional and National Press
and individuals' letters to the Stop I-3 Coalition