Protecting Flood Prone Areas

April 7th, 2008 | Posted by admin

Dear Friends,

Protecting Flood Prone Areas

As the Mississippi River continues to rise throughout Louisiana, we are taking all of the necessary precautions and steps in order to ensure the safety of Louisiana families. I have been in close contact with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP), the Louisiana National Guard and State Police, and departments and agencies throughout the state, and our federal partners like the Corps of Engineers and the Coast Guard.

 

I have visited the levees in the Lake Providence and the Morganza areas, and was pleased at the actions taken by local and state authorities there in preparing for rising waters. Already throughout the state, more than 169,000 sandbags have been delivered to the nine parishes that have declared emergencies, and we are continuing to work day and night in order to ensure that the residents of these areas are safe.

 

I urge those of you in the nine parishes who have already declared an emergency - St. Martin, Pointe Coupee, Concordia, Vernon, Tensas, Sabine, Madison, East Carroll and Catahoula – to stay alert, and keep abreast of the ever changing conditions. Preparedness is the critical first step to staying safe.

 

Every possible resource will be made available to those in need in the affected areas, and I have directed GOHSEP Director Mark Cooper to continue to give updates on this situation on a daily basis to keep the public informed. I encourage you to visit GOHSEP’s website - http://www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/ - for updated information throughout the week. I have also included some news articles regarding the situation.

 

“Officials monitoring river levels; don’t expect it to overflow its banks,” New Orleans Times Picayune

“Levee Surveillance Increased,” Baton Rouge Advocate

“High crests close levees across state,” Monroe News-Star

“Flooding Still a Threat,” Lafayette Daily Advertiser

 

Honoring Our WWII Veterans

I was honored to be a guest at the groundbreaking of the National World War II Museum Expansion in New Orleans on Monday. I was joined by leaders and public officials from across our nation as we work to make certain that the memories and history of World War II are never forgotten.

 

Louisiana is proud to be home to a national museum that honors the Greatest Generation. Louisiana was a major player in World War II - one of the main reasons that this museum was placed in New Orleans. We had more than 280,000 of our brave citizens who served - the 4th largest representation of service men and women in the country per capita.

 

New Orleans serves our nation as the only destination where the public can gain a comprehensive view of not only D-Day, but with this expansion, all of the theaters of World War II. It has become a place where students can learn specific historical facts, families can mourn the loss of loved ones, and the men and women who served can share their stories with others.

 

This museum is not only important for our city and our state, but for all of America, and for the Greatest Generation of Americans. We must continue to honor those who selflessly defend our country so that you and I might enjoy our daily freedoms, and we continue to honor our armed forces as they follow in the footsteps of the Greatest Generation in defending our freedom. It is imperative that we do not forget the sacrifices that our veterans, servicemen and women, and their families have made in order to defend the freedoms that we hold so dear.

 

Continuing a Tradition

 

I was also pleased to attend the 44th Annual Governor’s Prayer Breakfast last week. One of the most amazing things I get to hear from people on a daily basis is that we are praying for you as Governor. Prayer is something that unites us all, be you a Republican, Democrat, Independent, and it was a wonderful experience to be joined by so many at the Prayer Breakfast.

 

Also attending the breakfast were recipients of the Truman and Goldwater Scholarships who attend LSU. Only 65 Truman Scholarships are awarded nationwide, and only 300 Goldwater Scholarships as well. These students are a great example of how Louisiana can be number one. Our young people can achieve their dreams right here in Louisiana, be it achieving a prestigious scholarship, finding the job of their dreams, or attending a top-notch academic institution. I have included some links below so you can read about these outstanding Louisiana students.

 

“LSU Junior Claire Kendig Receives Prestigious Truman Scholarship”
“A First: Four Awarded Goldwater Scholarships at LSU”

 

Fighting for a Better Louisiana

 

We have now completed the first week of the Legislature’s Regular Session, and we are continuing our work to ensure that our state has a world-class, highly trained and educated workforce.

 

My administration is working to partner our high schools with technical schools and community colleges so that our students have access to training classes earlier. We must offer businesses a guarantee that our workers will be ready to go on day one, or we will retrain them for free. We must work closer with industry itself in order to ensure that our training and educational systems are providing the preparation they require for their employees.

 

I am looking forward to working with the Legislature to create a properly trained, incredibly agile and focused workforce in our state. We have jobs – we have workers – we must make them sync up for the good of our economy and the good of our people.

 

“A Transition to New Jobs,” Baton Rouge Advocate

 

Sincerely,

 Bobby Jindal

Governor Bobby Jindal

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