The Gulf Coast was denied a Presidential Debate in New Orleans while moderators of Democratic and Republican Presidential Debates have avoided asking how each candidate plans to rebuild the region. During the January 5th New Hampshire Democratic and Republican Debates, ABC News and WMUR have the opportunity to ask the candidates if they support H.R. 4048 to rebuild the region. Urge ABC and WMUR to Bring the Gulf to the Debate by getting the candidates on record about H.R. 4048:
Dear Friends,
If the debate is not coming to Gulf Coast then we need to Bring the Gulf to the Debate.
What will our next President do to rebuild the Gulf Coast? Americans want to know but the question has not been fully answered in the 25 Presidential Debates to date. Perhaps worse, New Orleans was denied a chance to bring the candidates to the region for a Presidential Debate during the general election. Thousands of Americans are displaced from their homes as their communities struggle to meet housing and critical infrastructure needs with limited funding. The result is an American human rights crisis.
You can stand with Gulf Coast residents in an effort to get Presidential candidates of both parties on record about their policy to rebuild communities in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. 2005 RFK Human Rights Laureate, Stephen Bradberry, his organization, ACORN <http://www.acorn.org/> , the region's largest community based association of low and middle income families, RFK Center and the Gulf Coast Civic Works Project <http://www.solvingpoverty.com/>, a national network of students, are launching a campaign to Bring the Gulf to the Debate.
The Gulf Coast remains a top domestic issue and polls show Americans hunger for a renewed federal effort to empower residents to rebuild. Candidates from both parties agree the federal response to the crisis has been a failure. As communities
struggle to come back, Debate hosts such as ABC News and WMUR have avoided asking what candidates plan to do to address the problem. Republicans haven't been asked. Democratic debates have devoted minimal time to the issue.
Congress recently introduced H.R. 4048 , the Gulf Coast Civic Works Act, a plan developed and approved by the Gulf Coast community leaders to give communities devastated by Katrina, Rita and the levee breaks the resources they
need to rebuild stronger neighborhoods (Click here to see a summery of the Bill) <http://www.rfkmemorial.org/human_rights/GCCWASummary.pdf>
• Helping displaced families to return home and participate in rebuilding;
• Rebuilding schools, police and fire stations, hospitals and flood protection;
• Creating 100,000 living wage jobs and training opportunities;
• Promoting local businesses and improving economic and social conditions
• Giving residents a voice in how their communities are rebuilt
Presidential Debate hosts need to know this issue matters. During the January 5th Republican and Democratic New Hampshire debates, ABC, WMUR and Facebook have a chance to support the Gulf Coast and get the candidates on record about whether or not they support the Gulf Coast Civic Works Act! Click Here to Send an urgent message <http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5107/t/1578/campaign.jsp?campaign_KE>
to ABC and WMUR News executives and debate moderators Charles Gibson and Scott Spralding.
Facebook.com Users, click here to join our group <http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6615553983> and learn how to take actions to directly contact ABC political reporters and urge them to help Bring the Gulf to the Debate in New Hampshire and get the candidates on record about the Gulf Coast Civic Works Act!
Thanks to ABC's new partnership with Facebook, Facebook members can tell ABC News's Charles Gibson, moderator of the New Hampshire debate what he should ask Democratic <http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6489353671&topic=3475> and Republican <http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6489353671&topic=3476> Candidates. Make sure to post a message to them urging them to ask each candidate if they support HR 4048, Gulf Coast Civic Works Act, to create jobs and rebuild the communities devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the levee failures and help us Bring the Gulf Coast To the Debate.
References:
1. "Bringing the Gulf Coast to the Debates" , Alternet, January 2008
2. "Congress Introduces Gulf Coast Civic Works Act, Local Residents and Businesses to Return and Rebuild
Infrastructure Post-Katrina and Rita "<http://www.rfkmemorial.org/legacyinaction/2005_GCCWA/> ,
RFKMemorial.org, November 2007
3. "Where did the Katrina Money Go?"
<http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=55752b4c967c62288a14b86216c4b9ad> ,
New America Media, August 2007
4. "Will Katrina Be Our Defining Moment?"<http://www.zogby.com/news/readnews.dbm?ID=1326> ,
Campaign and Elections, June 2007
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