Saturday, February 25, 2006
Now is the time for change.
BOSSIER PRESSby Rachel Hayes
(excerpt)
United States Congressman Bobby Jindal wants the citizens of Louisiana to know that now is the time for change.
Speaking in front of more than 200 guests from the Bossier/Shreveport area at the Bossier Holiday Inn on Monday, Jindal said that in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Louisiana has the opportunity to rebuild and make right many things that were areas of concern long before hurricane winds and rain destroyed south Louisiana.
“This is a chance we’ve been given,” Jindal said. We’ve got a choice on how we rebuild.
“If we rebuild exactly what was here before, shame on us,” he said. “We had problems before Katrina, and now we have a chance and an opportunity to do better,” he said.
Housing, health care and education are three areas of concern Jindal said must be addressed. These have been areas of concern for the state since long before the hurricanes hit, and they have become even more serious in the last six months.
Jindal said as part of rebuilding and strengthening Louisiana, the state must also invest in preparedness for future disasters, whether natural or man-made.
“The lesson from Oklahoma and 9/11 is, there is going to be a next time and we’ve got to be prepared,” he said.
But for every bad story told, Jindal said there are hundreds of stories of the unsung hero who risked their lives to save others and opened their doors and arms to those displaced from their homes.
It is this resilience that Jindal said will carry the state through this time of recovery and healing.
