    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 35 (Monday, September 4, 2006)]
    [Pages 1513-1518]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    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

    [[Page 1514]]

    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 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 Tommy 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.

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    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 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. 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,

    [[Page 1516]]

    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 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.

    [[Page 1517]]

        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 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

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    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 Barbour of Mississippi and his
    wife, Marsha; Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honore, USA, commanding general, First
    United States Army; Patricia Thompson Lott, wife of Senator C. Trent
    Lott; Mayor A.J. Holloway of Biloxi, MS; Mayor Rusty Quave of
    D'Iberville, MS; Mayor Billy Skellie, Jr., of Long Beach, MS; Vickie
    Williams, principal, Lizana Elementary School; and Jan White, principal,
    Gulfview-Charles B. Murphy Elementary School.