    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book II)]
    [August 28, 2006]
    [Pages 1557-1563]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Hurricane Katrina Recovery Efforts in Biloxi
    August 28, 2006

        The President. Listen, thank you all for coming. I'm glad to be back
    here in Biloxi, and I'm glad Laura came with me.
    I've been in this neighborhood before. As a matter of fact, I was here a
    couple of days after Katrina hit. It's amazing, isn't it? It's amazing
    what the world looked like then and what it looks like now.
        I remember meeting Patrick Wright.
    Remember, Patrick? I don't know if you all remember the picture of me
    seeing this fellow sitting in what used to be his home, a pile of
    rubble. Patrick, it's good to see you.
        I also met Sandy and Lynn
    Patterson when I was walking down
    the street, your neighbor. They--well, just about everybody here, they'd
    lost everything they owned. People can't imagine what the world looked
    like then. I went by their home--just came out of their home. It's got
    air-conditioning--[laughter]--and electricity. You can see the
    reconstruction effort beginning here in this part of the world.
        It's a sense of renewal here. It may be hard for those of you who
    have endured the last year to really have that sense of change, but for
    a fellow who was here and now a year later comes back, things are
    changing. And I congratulate you for your courage and your perseverance.
        And there's still challenges. There's still more to be done. You can
    see it with the temporary trailers. I feel the quiet sense of
    determination that's going to shape the future of Mississippi. And so
    I've come back on this anniversary to thank you for your courage and to
    let you know, the Federal Government stands with you still. Laura and I really care for the people whose lives have been
    affected. We understand the trauma, and we thank you for your
    determination.
        I want to thank Governor Haley Barbour and
    Marsha for joining us today. I appreciate
    the Federal Coordinator of Gulf Coast Rebuilding, Don Powell. He's my friend from Texas. We've got two of the
    military who helped after the storm. I think they made an enormous
    difference in people's lives: General Russ Honore and Admiral Thad Allen. Thank
    you for joining us. You've got two fine United States Senators from
    Mississippi, Thad Cochran and Trent

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    Lott. And I thank Tricia for joining us as well. I want to thank Congressman
    Chip Pickering who has
    joined us today. Congressman Pickering, like these two Senators, care a
    lot about the people of Mississippi.
        I remember walking the block here with A.J. Holloway, your mayor. He--A.J. obviously was upset and concerned,
    but he also made it clear to me that with the proper amount of help,
    Biloxi can rebuild. And Biloxi is rebuilding. You got a fine mayor in
    A.J. Holloway.
        I've had the pleasure of meeting some of the local officials up and
    down the coast--matter of fact, probably all of the local officials. One
    of the people that has intrigued me the most is Mayor Tommy Longo of Waveland. Mayor, good to see you, buddy. Thanks for
    coming. I'm always asking about you, Tommy.
        Mayor J. Thomas Longo. I'm always asking
    about you.
        The President. That's right. [Laughter] Check is in the mail.
    [Laughter]
        You know, one of the interesting people I met was Malcolm Jones; he's a city attorney of Pass Christian.
    Malcolm, thanks for coming. He helped design the plan that enabled us to
    expedite the debris removal, and I appreciate your contribution. I want
    to thank Chipper McDermott, who is
    the mayor--with us--he's Pass Christian's mayor. Rusty Quave is with us today. Mr. Mayor, thanks for coming. Billy
    Skellie is with us as well. These are all
    mayors trying to help their communities recover, doing the hard work to
    helping the people improve their lives. I want to thank my friend Brent
    Warr. He's the mayor of Gulfport. Brent, good to
    see you. Thanks for coming. I want to thank the Biloxi firefighters who
    have joined us today. Thank you for your work. Thank you for staying the
    job.
        When Katrina made landfall on August 29th at 6:10, it was one of the
    strongest hurricanes to ever hit America. The devastation and debris
    were unimaginable. You had to see it for yourself to fully understand
    the nature of this storm and the damage done. The terrible force of the
    storms tossed some of the giant casinos here onto the land. They twisted
    traffic lights. They ripped some of the beautiful trees from the ground.
    They stripped the cities of familiar landmarks and buildings.
        In the days that followed, the people of Mississippi worked together
    to save lives. People reached out to those who were trapped by rising
    waters. Three people were pulled through a window in that house right
    there, to save their lives. People opened their homes to help the
    suffering. The people of Mississippi said, ``We'll overcome this
    disaster,'' and worked together to do so.
        Since the days of heroism and bravery, the gulf coast has begun one
    of the largest rebuilding efforts in our Nation's history. This is my
    11th visit since the storm hit. You know, each visit you see progress. I
    was struck by the beauty of the beaches. The beaches were pretty rough
    after the storm, as you know. Today, they're pristine, and they're
    beautiful. They reflect a hopeful future, as far as I'm concerned.
        I appreciate the fact that the people down here have embraced this
    amazing challenge with determination and grit. And your
    Governor is leading the way. He says this: He
    says, ``With all its destruction, the storm gave birth to a renaissance
    in Mississippi that will surely result in building our State bigger and
    better than ever before.'' He believes that. A lot of the people in
    Mississippi believe that. And so do I.
        A year ago, I committed our Federal Government to help you. I said,
    we have a duty to help the local people recover and rebuild. And I meant
    what I said. Working with Thad and
    Trent Lott and other Members of the United
    States Congress, we have appropriated $110 billion to help rebuild this
    area. It is a strong Federal commitment that we will keep.
        We understand people are still anxious to get in their home. We
    understand people hear about help and wonder where it

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    is. We know that. But the first thing is, is that this Federal
    Government has made a commitment to help, and it starts with a large
    check. It also means that in order for the rebuilding to be as strong as
    we want, there has to be a partnership with the Federal Government and
    the State and local governments.
        Here's my attitude about the partnership: You know better than the
    people in Washington the needs of your communities. I'd rather listen to
    local mayors and county commissioners than folks sitting in Washington,
    DC, about what this part of Mississippi wants.
        The first test of this partnership was to clear debris. You can't
    rebuild a community when the community is full of debris. We've now
    removed about 98 percent of the dry debris. I remember when we first
    came down here; the mayors weren't so happy with the debris removal. But
    we listened to them. We got the funding equations right. And we got
    after it, and the debris is basically gone, which is step one of making
    sure our partnership works, and step two about making sure we can
    rebuild this area bigger and better than before.
        We're also working together to make sure we're better prepared to
    handle the hurricanes. Every Department of my administration
    participated in a comprehensive study that looked at our response to
    last year's hurricanes. Each Department came up with practical reforms,
    ways to do things better. And so we've been reviewing plans. We've been
    working with the State and local folks.
        The people in Mississippi are prepared. And I want to thank Governor
    Barbour and the local folks for making
    impressive efforts to protect the people of Mississippi. The truth of
    the matter is, we can work together, and will, but when disaster
    strikes, the first people that you rely upon--the people that matter
    most--are your friends. It's friends helping friends that turns out to
    make an enormous difference in saving lives and helping to get by the
    trauma of the first days.
        We all have roles to play, but in every State hit by last year's
    storms, it was the bravery of the local citizens that meant the
    difference between life and death. It was the bravery of the first-
    responders on the scenes. I'm here to thank you all for showing the
    country how to respond to natural disaster.
        See, there's a new Mississippi that's coming, and you're going to
    see it in the construction of homes and the return of local businesses.
    This requires a different kind of courage, but it's a courage,
    nevertheless, for people to take risk and to rebuild and to say, ``I'm
    not going to let the storm disrupt my life forever.''
        See, you got people here leading the reconstruction. We'll help you.
    We've committed more than $3 billion in housing grants, and that money
    is beginning to flow to the homeowners. And I know there's some
    frustration, but I want to appreciate the State working hard to make
    sure that when that money is spent, it's spent well and it goes to
    people who deserve it. That's what you expect, and that's what's going
    to happen. The checks have begun to roll; they're beginning to move. And
    the Governor and his staff are on top of it.
    It's a huge undertaking that's going to require cooperation with
    government agencies, insurance companies, volunteers, and community
    leaders.
        The folks right back here said they couldn't have rebuilt this house
    without the church, without volunteer organizations that have stepped up
    to help. Governor Barbour's Commission on
    Recovery, Rebuilding, and Renewal was an important step to bringing
    citizens together to develop a vision of how people can work together.
    It's a smart thing to have done.
        See, I said, you develop the plan. We're not going to do it for you
    because you know better the local needs, and Mississippi stepped up. The
    Commission brought together more than 500 volunteers.

    [[Page 1560]]

    The Commission held more than 50 public forums in 33 counties. They
    heard from thousands of citizens on how to rebuild, and as a result, the
    recovery efforts began with concrete recommendations on how to improve
    the infrastructure, on how to revamp zoning laws and building codes, and
    how to increase local cooperation in planning for future storms.
        It was a smart thing to do, Governor, and
    I appreciate you doing it. You have a strategy now to build smarter
    homes. You've got a strategy to have neighborhoods connected by parks
    and playgrounds. You've got a sound strategy.
        And I understand that rebuilding neighborhoods begins one house at a
    time, and that's what's happening here. When somebody goes back to their
    home, it helps renew the community, and so part of our efforts and part
    of our focus is to make sure that people can get back in their homes as
    quickly as possible.
        Sandy Patterson, she can tell you how
    important it is to feel reconnected. She says, ``My house is my home
    again, and it's good to be home.'' And that's what we want; people to
    help people here in this part of the world.
        Listen, the spirit is alive here in the small-business owners who
    are working hard to get their businesses open. One of the entrepreneurs,
    a fellow named Ernest Henley--he's here. He
    owns West End Cleaners. When Katrina hit, it blew out his windows, hurt
    his roof. Less than 2 weeks later, the windows were boarded up, but West
    End Cleaners was back in business. See, he wasn't going to let the storm
    stop him from realizing his dream, which is running his own business.
        Bobby Mahoney is with us. He showed the
    same spirit when he opened Mary Mahoney's. That's a restaurant he named
    for his mother. That's a smart thing to do if you have a restaurant.
    [Laughter] Within 2 months of Hurricane Katrina, Mary Mahoney's was once
    again serving its world-famous gourmet seafood gumbo. Inside the
    restaurant you can see where Bobby painted the lines to mark how high
    the waters were for Camille and then Katrina. He says this: ``The reason
    why Biloxi is going to get back real quick is because of businesses. You
    can come back and build a home with a job, but you can't come back and
    build a home without a job.''
        That's a smart man who understands that as this part of the world
    flourishes and businesses grow, people are going to find work and have
    the wherewithal to help rebuild the communities in their lives.
        I appreciate the spirit of Pass Christian. After the hurricanes
    leveled many of its buildings, the city responded by permitting
    businesses and community organizations to set up trailers in War
    Memorial Park. The idea started when Hancock Bank set up a shop in an
    RV. Today, the park has two banks, an insurance agent, a real estate
    business, a convenience store, a construction company, a takeout
    restaurant, and a town library. Scott Naugle,
    he's with us today; he's the president of the chamber. He says, ``We're
    going to do business even if we have to learn new ways to do it.''
        Optimism is the only option. We want to help. We want to help that
    optimism succeed. And so I signed legislation that creates what's called
    the Gulf Opportunity Zones. That means if you invest in this part of the
    world, you get tax breaks. In other words, they're using the Tax Code to
    say, come and invest your capital here. It's very important for the
    Congress to extend this legislation. It's important for planners and job
    creators to know that the incentive we created will still be there.
        And also, we've put out small-business loans. In other words, what
    we're trying do is just help you. The spirit is here. The people want to
    succeed. And our job at the Federal level is to help you succeed. That's
    what I've come to tell you.
        One of the remarkable things about this part of the world that was
    so affected by the storms was what happened to the

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    schools. Laura has visited the gulf coast 13 times. She's carried the
    message that a lot of people in America feel, and that is, it's
    important to help children get back to school as quickly as possible.
    And you've done that.
        For children who lost everything--their homes, their belongings, and
    their friends--going to school can be a place where they find stability
    and a familiar routine. The people of Mississippi understood that well.
    Teachers and community leaders worked hard to get the children back into
    school as quickly as possible.
        Catch this: As a result of these efforts, in the past school year,
    every district closed after Katrina was reopened. It's a remarkable
    accomplishment by the good folks in this part of the world. Lizana
    Elementary School is a good example. In the days and weeks after
    Katrina, it first served as a Red Cross shelter. And to get school back
    on its feet, the citizens from Mississippi and all across the Nation
    helped it rebuild. They donated desks and file cabinets and even
    clothing and bookbags and pencils and paper. Vickie Williams is with us today. Here's what she said. She said,
    ``None of the students had to purchase supplies. Through donation
    efforts across the country, everything got back to normal. It was a
    blessing from everywhere.'' Vickie, thanks for giving other people
    credit, but you and your staff deserve a lot of credit.
        Charles B. Murphy and Gulfview elementary schools are another
    inspiring story. When the schools were destroyed, the teachers had to
    adapt, and they began to hold their classes in trailers. Teachers helped
    with maintenance duties, and parents pitched in, and volunteers came as
    far away as Vermont and Canada. And they assembled furniture and hauled
    boxes and set up computers and planted trees. There was an outdoor
    classroom that served as a meeting place for science and music and
    physical education.
        Jan White is with us. She said this: ``Last
    year was survival; this year is innovation.'' The school system has not
    only survived, but they're going to be stronger and better than they
    were before.
        One of the things that the Governor and
    the Senator said to the Federal Government,
    they said, ``We need help. Our tax bases have been destroyed. We need
    operating cash to keep our schools running.'' And so we've spent almost
    $480 million to help the schools recover. But there's a lot more work to
    be done.
        And one of the places where work can be done and is being done is in
    libraries. Laura Bush feels strongly about this.
    She's set up what's called the Laura Bush Foundation, and in working
    with the private sector, has awarded more than a million dollars in
    grants to 20 schools to purchase new books.
        We see the new Mississippi because of the faith-based and community
    organizations that abound here. When the hurricane struck, men and women
    of faith stepped forward immediately. The following Sunday, Father
    Harold Roberts--he's with us today--and
    the congregation of Episcopal Church of the Redeemer gathered at the
    site where their church once stood. They carried lawn chairs, and they
    brought blankets to sit. Some of them had been through this before.
        See, back in 1969, Hurricane Camille destroyed everything but the
    steeple and the old church bell. This time, nothing was left standing,
    and so the congregation had to ring the old bell from its new place in
    the rubble. On that first Sunday after Katrina, Father Harold
    Roberts read from the Book of Romans.
    Here's what he said: He said, ``Rejoice in hope. Be patient in
    suffering. Persevere in prayer''--precisely what the people of this part
    of the world have done.
        Father Roberts is working hard. His
    congregation began to rebuild their school, and now they're building--
    they're going to build a church on higher ground. In the meantime,
    they're gathering in the gymnasium. He said, ``In spite of the
    challenges

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    of the past year, we see the power of God working. The people have been
    incredibly patient. We will recover from this, and we will not rebuild
    until we can do it right.''
        Good citizens have risen up all over Mississippi to rebuild this
    State. Many volunteers traveled thousands of miles to be here. In other
    words, I hope you realized you weren't alone. One of the amazing groups
    was Hands On Gulf Coast.
        Hands On Gulf Coast is a group of volunteers, total strangers to the
    people of this part of the world, in large part. They said, ``What can I
    do to help?'' They came en masse. They did all kinds of things. They
    cleaned up wreckage, and they removed mold, and they repaired roofs, and
    they provided clothing, and they tutored students. Somebody said, ``We
    have a need.'' They said, ``I want to help.''
        When the Coastal Family Health Center lost three buildings and more
    than 60 staff members, Hands On offered to help. They worked with nurses
    who came from the gulf coast. They got FedEx to supply funding for
    airfare. They provided food and housing. And as a result, the Coastal
    Family Health Center was able to provide critical help for good people
    in this part of the world.
        Suzanne Stahl, who I happen to have met,
    is standing right over there. You've been down here for 12 months, see.
    Isn't that amazing? Somebody shows up and says, ``I want to help,'' and
    is still here helping because she cares, as do a lot of other people.
    She said this: ``It's been incredible to see the power and will of all
    the volunteers who have come to do something. If only I could have
    bottled the energy and enthusiasm of these volunteers. It's just about
    as unbelievable as the devastation.''
        So, I want to thank all those who have volunteered. I want to thank
    those who have given of their hard-earned money to help the good people
    down here recover. I want to remind those who are constantly looking for
    a way to serve your fellow man that there's still work to be done down
    here, that there's still hope. There's still a need for people to come
    and help.
        The armies of compassion that conducted the millions of acts of
    kindness remind us that the true strength of the United States of
    America lies in the hearts and souls of our citizens, and we're thankful
    for that.
        No doubt in my mind, Mississippi will have the renaissance that
    Governor Barbour talked about. You can't drive
    through this State without seeing signs of recovery and renewal. It's
    just impossible to miss the signs of hope. And you've done it the old-
    fashioned way, with vision and hard work and resolve.
        Some of the hardest work is still ahead. We'll complete the clearing
    of the wet debris from the Mississippi Sound. We'll ensure Federal money
    reaches the individuals who need it to build their homes. We'll make
    sure the schools and libraries are rebuilt better than before, and we'll
    stand by you as long as it takes to get the job done. And when the job
    gets done, your children and your grandchildren will have a brighter and
    more hopeful future.
        May God continue to bless the courageous people of Mississippi.
    Thank you for coming.

    Note: The President spoke at 2:10 p.m. in an East Biloxi neighborhood.
    In his remarks, he referred to Gov. Haley R. Barbour of Mississippi and
    his wife, Marsha; Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honore, USA, commanding general,
    First United States Army; Patricia Thompson Lott, wife of Sen. C. Trent
    Lott; Mayor A.J. Holloway of Biloxi, MS; Mayor Rusty Quave of
    D'Iberville, MS; Mayor William Skellie, Jr., of Long Beach, MS; Vickie
    Williams, principal, Lizana Elementary School; and Jan White, principal,
    Gulfview-Charles B. Murphy Elementary School.

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