Keep Mardi Gras safe
February 19, 2014
T’bonne investigation results in no criminal charges
February 19, 2014Dear Editor,
Louisiana property owners scored a victory when the U.S. Senate passed the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act last week.
The Louisiana Municipal Association wishes to thank our congressional delegation and in particular Sens. Landrieu, Vitter and Cassidy for their leadership on the issue.
Additionally, we wish to recognize the hard work by the Greater New Orleans Inc. Coalition for Sustainable Flood Insurance. Their effort led a lobbying and awareness campaign with business, civic and governmental entities nationwide.
It is important to note that since 1967, the National Flood Insurance Program was a financially solvent government sponsored program until the federal government’s Corps of Engineers designed levees in New Orleans and Hurricane Sandy’s devastation on the East Coast.
Homeowners and businesses nationwide have paid premiums and also have benefitted from the insured protection of this government program sine the private insurance industry could not cover this risk.
Now the flood insurance issue will be debated in the House of Representatives, whose many members represent 55 percent of Americans who live within 50 miles of the coastline, as well as the thousands of households in communities located in the flood plain along our rivers and streams.
Louisiana’s culture is based on or around the water. Our hard working residents who depend on our water resources – such as shrimpers, fishermen and oil and gas to name a few – are now facing disastrous premium rate hikes if the present flood insurance rules remain in place.
Senate Bill 1926 will require FEMA to perform an affordability study, which was called for in the original legislation. It will seek to recognize secondary levees as part of the new flood maps.
Furthermore, if a policyholder appeals their flood map designation and succeeds, they will be reimbursed by FEMA. This legislation makes sense and we should all support its passage.
Our organization represents more than 300 cities, towns and villages that have a vital stake in the outcome of this legislation. Recently, through our efforts, the National League of Cities added its support to this effort.
If passed municipalities across the nation, not just Louisiana, will feel secure that their properties will be protected and quality of life assured.
Van Breland,
Mayor, Town of Sterlington,
President, La. Municipal Association
