NATION IN BRIEF
Tuesday, February 7, 2006; Page A07
Louisiana Legislature Convenes in Superdome
NEW ORLEANS -- Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D) called for unity Monday on the opening day of a second special legislative session for hurricane recovery, warning that many Washington politicians have moved beyond the hurricanes.
Blanco said she would ask Congress for further help, but was worried by President Bush's scant reference to Hurricane Katrina in his State of the Union Speech last week.
  Members of the Louisiana legislature pass by protesters during a bus tour of the Lower Ninth Ward to see the hurricane damage in New Orleans. (By Alex Brandon -- Associated Press) |
"The harsh reality is that for many people in Washington, Katrina is yesterday's problem and Rita never happened," Blanco told a joint session of the Louisiana legislature held at the New Orleans convention center, where thousands of evacuees had languished for days after Katrina.
For the first time, Blanco outlined how she wants to use $6.2 billion in federal hurricane recovery block grants and $1.5 billion in federal aid to minimize future damage from flooding. Most of the aid, about $5.6 billion, would go to housing assistance under plans up for debate during the session.
Rep. Jim Tucker, chairman of the state House's Republican caucus, said he was relieved to hear Blanco spell out her plan for spending the federal money.
"At least she gave us a basic plan for how the money is going to be spent," Tucker said.
The governor said her legislative proposals were long overdue: to consolidate levee boards to strengthen hurricane protection and to streamline government in New Orleans.
The location of her speech, away from Baton Rouge, and a bus tour earlier in the day of hurricane devastated areas upended legislative tradition.
Some said the governor was wasting time in a 12-day session and was using sites of devastation and suffering as a publicity stunt to repair her image. Fewer than half the 144-member legislature took the tour, but most lawmakers showed up for her speech.
Hundreds Flee Fire In Southern California
LOS ANGELES -- A fast-moving brush fire fanned by warm Santa Ana winds forced hundreds of Orange County residents to evacuate and sent up plumes of smoke that could be seen 50 miles away in downtown Los Angeles.
The blaze started at dawn in a remote area of the Cleveland National Forest months before the Southern California fire season officially starts in June. It quickly scorched 1,200 acres, and embers started two smaller fires near houses in rural Anaheim Hills and Orange Hills. Three schools were closed for the day because of the smoke.
Fire officials said they had no idea when the blaze would be contained, and as afternoon winds picked up and temperatures rose to around 80 degrees, they issued mandatory or voluntary evacuation orders for about 1,500 residents as a precaution.