A bold plan exists to bring Katrina survivors home to rebuild the Gulf. Now, Congress just needs to make it a priority. Join us in demanding that Congress act now:

Last week, the Democrats launched their "100 hours" agenda--a plan to begin a "new direction for our country." Sadly, it says nothing about Congress's continued abandonment of those left behind after Katrina.

A plan to bring survivors home exists. The Gulf Coast Civic Works Project would hire 100,000 displaced residents who want to return, providing them with training and jobs to rebuild their homes and communities. It's a solution that would rebuild the Gulf by investing in its residents, but Congress won't act without massive public support.

More than ever, those of us who seek to justice for Katrina survivors must make our voices heard. Please join us and demand that Congress put Katrina back on the agenda and enact a plan to help displaced residents return and rebuild.

http://www.colorofchange.org/gccw/

It's been done before

The idea behind the Gulf Coast Civic Works Project is not new. During the Great Depression, the federal government believed it had a responsibility to ensure that those hit hardest did not fall through the cracks.¹ It also knew that those Americans wanted a hand up, not a handout. So, in 1935, Congress created a program to hire out-of-work Americans to get things done to benefit their communities. Within 2 weeks of launching this unprecedented project, over 800,000 people were hired; within 2 months, 4.2 million were working to build bridges, roads, libraries, schools and other public facilities. If we could put 4 million people to work in just 8 weeks in 1935, why can't we immediately put 100,000 people to work rebuilding the Gulf Coast?

It's the right thing to do

For the last sixteen months, we've seen public officials accept--whether out of hopelessness or carefully concealed joy--that post-Katrina New Orleans will be a smaller, whiter and wealthier city. We've seen politicians support plans that will push Black and poor people out of the Gulf, amplifying race and class inequalities and permanently gentrifying the area.

The Gulf Coast Civic Works Project (GCCW) represents a powerful shift from that path.² The plan calls for hiring 100,000 Gulf Coast residents to rebuild New Orleans and the surrounding region. They'll be provided with temporary housing and job-training and will build and repair houses, schools, parks, and other civic buildings.³ It's not only a smart path for re-establishing destroyed communities, it would also save the federal government money. The author of the plan estimates that the project can be done for one-third of the amount earmarked by Congress for rebuilding the Gulf, or less than half of what we spend in a month on the war in Iraq.

The Gulf Coast Civic Works Project is a plan that makes sense--for displaced survivors, for the communities of the Gulf Coast, for the nation as a whole. It provides an opportunity to invest in Americans while reversing the most glaring problems that plague current rebuilding plans: gentrification, government waste, and massive corporate profiteering.

The Gulf Coast Civic Works Project is a great idea, but it can only happen with a groundswell of public support. You can help by letting Congress know you're behind the idea--it only takes a moment:

http://www.colorofchange.org/gccw/

Thank You, Peace, and Happy New Year,

-- James, Van, Clarissa, Gabriel, Liat, and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
   January 10th, 2007

References:

1. "Works Progress Administration," Wikipedia, January 9, 2007
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Works_Projects_Administration

2. "Gulf Coast Civic Works Project"
http://colorofchange.org/gccw/description.html

3. "Students invited to aid Katrina recovery," San Jose Mercury News, 12-15-2006
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/living/education/16246335.htm