By: James Ronald Skains
Journal Correspondent

Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco called a "short" twenty minute special joint session of the Louisiana Legislature to address problems caused by Hurricane Katrina. The session that started at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 15, 2005 was the shortest in Louisiana history.

Focus of the thirty minute session, which this correspondent observed from the balcony of the House Chamber, was the aftermath of Katrina and what Louisiana must do to put it behind us and survive economically.

The Governor noted, "We are a brave and resilient people here in Louisiana. However, the damage caused by Katrina is almost beyond comprehension."

"The things that must be done to bring back the parishes that have been hit the hardest are many and will take a long time to accomplish," the first-term Governor pointed out. "But we will prevail. I have requested that FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, pick up all the cost of restoring southeast Louisiana."

"Also, I want each and every one of you to know what a great friend that we have in President George W. Bush," Blanco, who is Democrat, emphasized. "President Bush has promised to provide us the resources to rebuild and restore our great state."

One of the first actions taken by President Bush after the rescue efforts subsided was to suspend the Bacon-Davis Act. This long-ago legislation establishes the so-called "prevailing wage" rate that is required to be paid for workers on federally funded projects.

Now, contractors receiving federal funds will be able to pay much lower wages to their employees who are part of the recovery and rebuilding of Southeast Louisiana. Thanks to a $62 million federal grant administered by the Louisiana Department of Labor, evacuees looking for work can earn $9 per hour helping out with the Katrina recovery efforts.

The Louisiana Governor also used her speech to the joint session to say thanks and give tribute to numerous groups who played important roles in the rescue efforts during the first few days after Katrina. Representatives from the Louisiana State Police, the Louisiana National Guard, the New Orleans Fire Fighters, EMS personnel, and the New Orleans Police Department, and the Sheriffs Departments of Jefferson, St. Bernard and Plaquemine parishes were with the Governor in the House Chamber during her speech. She also noted that many Senators and Representative from Southeast Louisiana had lost their homes.

"Also, I have asked that FEMA change its current policy of paying its contractors every six months, to paying on more regular basis," the Governor added. "We want as many Louisiana based contractors and residents to be able to work in the clean\_up and restoration of our state."

So far, the Shaw Group, the giant engineering firm based in Baton Rouge is the only Louisiana-based contractor to be awarded any contracts of significance on the clean-up and repair phase of the aftermath of Katrina.

The firm is headed by Jim Bernhard, who recently resigned as Chairman of the Louisiana Democrat Party to concentrate more on the mess left by Katrina. Bernhard also headed up Governor Blanco's transition team.

Other firms receiving major FEMA contracts related to Katrina are KBR of Houston, a division of Halliburton, Fluor Corp., based in Aliso Viejo, California, Bechtel National in San Francisco, CH2M Hill in Denver, and Dewberry Technologies in Fairfax, Virginia.

Also, the US Army Corp of Engineers awarded three $500 million contracts to three out-of-state firms to remove an estimated 17 million cubic yards of debris in southeast Louisiana. Those companies receiving $500 million contracts were Environmental Chemical Corp. of Burlingame, California, Ceres Environmental Services, Inc. of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, and Phillips and Jordan, Inc. of Zephyrhills, Florida.

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