Democrats and Republicans need to sink their teeth in to reach consensus

By Candyce Torres and Suzia Van Swol, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service. Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss) expresses his opinion on President Obama's speech, reaching consensus within both parties, and comments on promises of cutting the deficit in half. "Well I would have started with not spending the eight hundred billion dollars that we have spent on the stimulus." said Wicker

Report: Most American’s doing better than fifty years ago

Today in a House press conference authors Sarah Burd-Sharps and Kristen Lewis of the report “The Measure of America, American Human Development Report 2008-2009” explained their findings. The findings of the research were compiled from government documents that were available for the last two years, including the census and current economic reports. All of the findings were compiled to give the country “a very holistic approach that puts the person at the front and center,” said Burd-Sharps.

The research that was conducted looked at each state and each congressional district in the United States. The data that was collected looked specifically at life expectancy, educational degree attainment and medium personal income levels. Findings of the research documented that some states are advancing faster than others in terms of overall development. In terms of geographical regions that placed well the North East was ranked very high with the state of Connecticut receiving the highest ranking in the whole country. According to Lewis, Connecticut is where the country should be by the year 2020. Findings also concluded that the state of Mississippi was ranked lowest due to low life expectancy, income and educational attainment. The findings stated that Mississippi is where the country as a whole was in 1980.

Further findings looked at race and ethnicity, specifically which groups have been advancing fastest. The report states that Asian American’s and Whites are far ahead on wealth and education while African American’s are least healthy. The report indicates that African American males are less healthy now than they were in 1960 with infant mortality rates amongst African American’s up two and a half percent.

While the report does not offer clear explanations on how to address the issues that are documented, Congressman Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) believes the best way to address health care is universal coverage. Shays said “American’s should have universal coverage, it would be cheaper and would give American’s the same option as federal employees who currently have eighteen different options for health care.”

Mississippi official asks Congress to waive environmental regulations for Katrina relief

At a Committee on Financial Services subcommittee hearing on implementation of Hurricane Katrina relief funds, Director of the Mississippi State Governor’s Office of Recovery and Renewal Jack Norris asks Congress to “streamline or waive” the “cumbersome” environmental regulations that he says are the “number one impediment” to providing affordable housing for victims. (0:42)

Congress criticizes Mississippi use of Katrina relief funds

The House Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity of the Committee on Financial Services held a hearing to assess the implementation of Community Development Block Grant funds for post-Hurricane Katrina reconstruction among the states impacted along the Gulf Coast.


A main concern of Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Rep. Al Green (D-TX) was that Mississippi has allegedly used an unapproved portion of CDBG funds on construction of their main port as opposed to directly funding housing relief for low-income hurricane victims. It is unacceptable, Green said, to “put the port above the people” when there are so many victims still in need.

Jack Norris, Director of the Mississippi Governor’s Office of Recovery and Renewal, asked Congress to “streamline or waive” environmental regulations that he said have been the “number one impediment” to building affordable housing, which Waters said he was “exaggerating.” When criticized by Waters and Green for spending $600 million on port reconstruction as opposed to housing relief, he said that the port was essential to economic and job recovery and that Congress initially allocated the funds for holistic recovery. Norris said the state has spent over 70 percent of its $5.4 billion in funds directly on housing, with only $1.4 billion on “job recovery.” Green proceeded to ask representatives from other states, including Florida, Texas, and Louisiana, if they were spending CDBG funds on ports, and all replied they were not.

Derrick Johnson, President of the Mississippi State National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said that “discriminatory policies” towards hurricane victims are preventing a full recovery. He said that states should be required to track CDBG fund spending by zip code to determine how they are being allocated according to income and demographic.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) said the public believes there was “intentionality” in how information about hurricane victims was gathered when considering relief appropriation and that since it was gathered online it targeted low-income people who did not have access to a computer. He also said relief was “badly skewed” towards the wealthy or better-off.

Witnesses Bill Johnson, Director of the Alabama Dept. of Economic and Community Affairs, and Deputy Executive Director of the Texas Dept. of Housing and Community Affairs, mentioned faith-based organizations that have provided substantial relief for victims, with Johnson requesting Congressional funding to these groups so they can deploy more aid.