[Antiracism] STOP THE EVICTIONS OF KATRINA/RITA EVACUEES!

[Nick Camerota]

From: Troops Out Now Coalition <troopsoutnow at action-mail.org>
Reply-To: info at troopsoutnow.org
CC: action.news at organizerweb.com
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TELL BUSH AND CONGRESS: STOP THE EVICTIONS OF KATRINA/RITA EVACUEES!

Please join the online campaign to
STOP THE EVICTIONS OF KATRINA/RITA EVACUEES!
YOUR EMERGENCY ACTION IS NEEDED NOW!

Please click http://www.troopsoutnow.org/nokatrinaritaevictions.shtml
to send emails to President Bush, Acting FEMA Head Paulison, the Governors 
of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, key senators and representatives, 
U.N. Secy General Kofi Annan and your own governor, Federal senators and 
representatives, and state senators and representatives, DEMANDING that the 
EVICTIONS OF KATRINA/RITA EVACUEES BE HALTED IMMEDIATELY and that money 
raised for reconstruction go to the evacuees, not the corporations.

And, in NYC on February 28, join the NY Solidarity Coalition for 
Katrina/Rita Survivors in front of FEMA's offices at 26 Federal Plaza from 
4:00 pm to 7:00 pm -- or join local actions in your own area demanding 
justice for Katrina/Rita survivors!

Please click http://www.troopsoutnow.org/nokatrinaritaevictions.shtml to
send the following letter to Bush, FEMA officials, congressional leaders, 
and your governor, congressional delegation and state senators and 
representatives:

TO: President Bush, Acting FEMA Coordinator Paulison, members of Congress, 
and state and local officials,

The ongoing actions of FEMA in evicting Katrina and Rita evacuees from 
temporary housing in New Orleans and around the country is illegal and must 
be stopped immediately.

The massive evictions of 20,000 from 8,000 hotel rooms scheduled for March 
1, 2006 must not be allowed. These evictions would come on top of evictions 
from 4,400 hotel rooms on February 13, and at a time when 98,000 requests 
for mobile homes have been made, but only 41,000 are currently occupied by 
families.

The survivors of hurricanes Katrina and Rita should be granted an indefinite 
extension in federal, state and local housing assistance until such time as 
they obtain affordable, habitable housing.

FEMA is mandated by the Stafford Act to provide Housing for disaster victims 
for eighteen months. The attempt to cut off shelter programs is illegal as 
well as immoral.

The Stafford Act requires that transitional housing and rental assistance 
must be provided locally to the survivor's workplace. Trailers hours outside 
of New Orleans, LA are neither feasible nor acceptable.

Congress must increase staffing and funding for inspections and enforcement 
of OSHA and federal environmental laws and regulations to ensure that 
workers and residents work and live in a safe environment in the Gulf 
Region.

The money that has been raised and pledged to the recovery belongs to the 
people, not the corporations. Homeowners need the grants to rebuild, not 
loans. Give the corporations the loans - they were insured, and could afford 
to repay.

A national public works jobs program must be funded and implemented 
immediately giving priority to the residents of the Gulf region and all 
sections of the country with unemployment rates of 30% or higher.

The Katrina/Rita evacuees databases held by FEMA & the Red Cross should be 
made public, to enable evacuees to find each other and supporters to provide 
assistance.

Katrina/Rita Relief Service Centers should be established with centralized 
information for coordination of government benefits and services.

Federal, state, and municipal elected officials must pass emergency 
legislation that would reaffirm all of the demands listed above, including 
ensuring that no Katrina/Rita evacuee living is evicted from transitional 
housing.

Justice for Katrina and Rita survivors NOW!
Stop Illegal Evictions!
Housing is a Right!
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No Katrina/Rita Evictions! Campaign
Sponsored by: NY Solidarity Coalition for Katrina/Rita Survivors
For further information call: (718) 789-1732

The People's Hurricane Relief Fund & Oversight Coalition
<http://www.communitylaborunited.net>
IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS, email wmassiac at hotmail.com or phone 413-896-5219
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