Posted on 09/24/2006 6:00:30 AM PDT by Ellesu
CAMERON – The rest of the United States should realize that rebuilding southwest Louisiana after Hurricane Rita is crucial to the nation’s economy, Gov. Kathleen Blanco said Saturday.
Southwest Louisiana processes much of the nation’s oil and gas, catches a large share of its seafood and exports the nation’s goods to the rest of the world through its ports, Blanco said.
America’s WETLAND and the Southwest Louisiana Chamber of Commerce staged a symbolic cattle drive Saturday to demonstrate that the region is recovering and also to commemorate the first anniversary of Rita.
“We have so much value here in Louisiana. We have not told our story loudly enough,” Blanco said.
Blanco and other elected officials called for approval of the proposed oil and gas revenue-sharing plan moving through Congress, which would help Gulf Coast states such as Louisiana with millions of dollars in recurring revenues to help shore up wetlands.
“It’s our people who do the hard work and the heavy lifting and we deserve more than we are receiving,” Blanco said.
Like many of the elected officials, Blanco donned jeans, boots and a cowboy hat and rode a horse during the 2-mile cattle drive.
The officials led the drive, though the 40 head of cattle were attended to by professional cowboys.
In addition to Blanco, those participating in the ride included U.S. Sens. Mary Landrieu, D-La., and David Vitter, R-La., as well as Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, Army Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honore and Don Powell, the Bush administration’s coordinator of Gulf Coast rebuilding.
The cattle drive ended at the Cameron Recreation Center, once a compound of buildings and baseball fields, but now an open area. It was cleared of debris a day after Rita to make room for first responders.
The oil and gas revenue-sharing plan is vital to helping Louisiana rebuild its wetlands, which are needed not only for protection from future hurricanes but to support coastal industry, Vitter said. He said he hoped Congress would soon approve a plan.
Blanco praised Louisiana’s congressional delegation for working to get Louisiana its fair share.
“It’s not about party, it’s not about politics,” Blanco said of the plan. “It’s about our salvation.”
Blanco said the state is prepared to continue to play “hardball” — referring to its lawsuit attempting to block lease sales in the Gulf — in order to pressure Congress.
Sen. Landrieu blamed the plan’s slow progress in Congress on “ignorance” of other public officials about the importance of the plan to Louisiana’s future.
“You can’t have these great United States of America without these great wetlands,” Sen. Landrieu said.
U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., left, and Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco head a cattle drive in Cameron Parish Saturday to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Rita
Who's that sitting on top of Blanco?
How about you and your people do like the folks in Mississippi,Alabama and Florida and quit your whining, get off your backsides and quit expecting the rest of the United States to do it for you?
I'm sick of hearing that I'm not doing enough to help irresponsible people continue to be irresponsible at my continued expense as a taxpayer.
Horses Asses atop horses.
And, you are welcome. No need to thank us.
Just knowing that you enjoy blaming, and spitting on us is all the thanks we need.
The Rita folks *are* doing just that. Southwest Louisiana is nothing like New Orleans. Blanko is just stupid and a typical dem. She's gotta blame someone for something.
OK, where's the pic of the looter hauling the bin of beer?
I'm surprised they even remember hurricane Rita. Those of us who were affected by her are the red-headed stepchildren. It's all Katrina, all the time.
It's not about what you do, it's how you look.
Aw, look! Mee-Maw's got a pony!
Patty Cope of Houston (left) holds a shovel as her daughter, Jenny Broussard (right), cleans it in Cameron, La. They were trying to open a clogged sewage line.
Jenny Broussard (right) checks her boots after her mother Patty Cope of Houston (left) spray-cleaned them in Cameron, La. They borrowed a neighbor's hose as water to Broussard's home no longer ran.
LT. Gen Honore is thinking "Blanko's still stuck on stupid".
Mary is looking kind of butch there. I guess she's been hanging out with Hitlery too long.
Vitter's thinking, good lawd not only is Blanko a dumb @ss she's also got a fat @ss too.
You are obviously ignorant about Southwest Louisiana, Southeast Texas and Hurricane Rita. There was no looting, very little crying, and no request for help from you, we just cleaned up the mess and got back to work. Think about that the next time you gas up your car, we have six of the largest refineries in the US in Lake Charles and Beaumont, all were back up and running by the end of October 2005 despite tremendous damage. All FEMA did was haul off the trash.
That's just Blank-Oh blather. The people who were affected by Rita are completely different from the in-your-face-give-me-a-handout ones from Katrina. The southwest La. people are strong, self-sufficient and immediately started taking matters into their own hands after Rita. If Blank-Oh had shown up right after that, they would have probably told her she was in the way. The Rita people picked up and started forward on their own, they didn't wait for help or hand-outs.
Mai, sha - you right!
Yep!
LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!
Too bad you posted that pic, Ellesu. I was about to ask whether Kathleen and Mary participated as drivers or as part of the herd.
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