Congressman receives national award in Houma

U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon (D-Napoleonville) received an award last week in Houma from the National Association of Development Organizations for his strong support of regional development policies, according to a release.

The association is an advocacy group for government regional development organizations in the U.S.

Melancon is a former director of the South Central Planning and Development Commission based in Gray. The commission coordinates federal and state highway and transportation development funds and performs building inspection services for a six-parish area, including the Tri-parishes.

“Melancon has known how important it is to keep up with funds,” said Commission CEO Kevin Belanger. “He has worked against party lines to get funding.”

Melancon’s speech did not address regional development concerns but discussed issues facing Louisiana and the country.

He said the U.S. is confronting a $9 trillion debt and is paying $800 billion a year in interest on that amount. The U.S. had a $5.5 trillion surplus 10 years ago, he said.

“I’m a blue dog Democrat,” Melancon said. “I’m concerned with the debt.”

“We could build all the levees we need in south Louisiana (with the money spent on the interest),” he said. “We could restore the wetlands.”

Melancon said workers in New Zealand have a $12 an hour minimum wage while workers in the U.S. will receive more than $7.

“Give them a good minimum wage and health care and they’ll have an incentive to go to work,” he said. “We’ll be better off.”

The indigent and the wealthy in the U.S. have access to healthcare but the rest could be one illness away from bankruptcy.

Melancon said he was disappointed President George W. Bush vetoed an expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program in October. The federal-state program provides health insurance to families making too much money to receive Medicaid.

He emphasized the importance of building flood-control locks on the Houma Navigation Canal to prevent a hurricane storm surge from inundating Houma and brought up the fact that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had disauthorized some levees in southern Lafourche Parish, which had been built using local tax funds.

“With the next election, I hope we get someone with concern for our region,” Melancon said, adding that Louisiana is often viewed as a stepchild by the rest of the country.

“We’ve provided energy and food for decades for the rest of the country without recognition,” he said. “If I ever find the gas valve turning off gas to the rest of the country, I hope it’s a cold day.”

Melancon pointed to the oft-told story of how, during the late 1940s or early 1950s, the federal government offered 50 percent of the revenue from oil drilling off Louisiana’s coast to the state. Local politicians wanted more; the state ended up receiving no revenue. (The story is disputed, however.)

“The state is just starting to receive that (revenue from offshore oil drilling),” he said.

“Our economy is pretty damn good in Louisiana,” Melancon said. “But it’s hard to explain to people.”

He said every Democratic Party candidate for president has mentioned hurricane protection but the Republican Party candidates have said nothing about the subject.

U.S. Congressman Charlie Melancon was awarded by the National Association of Development Organizations last week for his support of regional development policies. Pictured from left: Kevin Belanger, CEO of South Central Planning and Development Commission; Dale Hymel, commission chairman; U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon, Terrebonne Parish President Michel Claudet, and Mark Atzenhoffer. * Photo by MIKE BROSSETTE