Calling on the Federal Government to Rebuild New Orleans' Levees to Withstand Category 5 Hurricanes so that New Orleans' Residents and Businesses can be Confident and Secure in Making the Financial and Emotional Investment Necessary to Rebuild their Homes and Businesses.

WHEREAS, Hurricane Katrina displaced more than 800,000 New Orleans residents-the largest displacement of Americans since the great Dust Bowl migration that occurred in the Midwest during the 1930's; and

WHEREAS, It has been a year since the Hurricane Katrina disaster and many residents and businesses have not returned to New Orleans to rebuild their homes and businesses; and

WHEREAS, Residents and businesses will not rebuild unless they are confident that the levee system will protect them and their investment from future hurricanes including category 5 storms similar to Katrina; and

WHEREAS, The price tag for rebuilding a levee system to withstand category 5 hurricanes, including stronger and higher levees, better drainage canals and environmental restoration could run over $32 billion; and

WHEREAS, Some federal officials have complained that the cost of better levees will cost too much; and

WHEREAS, The $32 billion needed to rebuild a better levee system represents just 1.2 percent of the $2.6 trillion in federal spending planned for this year; and

WHEREAS, The cost is well below the $95 billion in tax cuts passed by the House of Representatives in 2005; now therefore, be it,

RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Calls on the Federal Government to Rebuild New Orleans' Levees to Withstand Category 5 Hurricanes so that New Orleans' Residents and Businesses can be Confident and Secure in Making the Financial and Emotional Investment Necessary to Rebuild their Homes and Businesses; and

FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be sent to President Bush and all members of the House of Representatives and Senate.

End