Post by Okwes on Apr 30, 2006 19:16:26 GMT -5
Donate Trailers to Tribes
Senator: Donate Trailers to Tribes
By Terry Woster
The Argus Leader
Monday 24 April 2006
www.truthout.org/docs_2006/042506G.shtml
20,000 homes unused by hurricane victims.
Pierre, South Dakota - Mobile homes bought for hurricane victims but not used for that purpose should be delivered to Indian Country for housing and school buildings, US Sen. Tim Johnson says.
Johnson recently made that suggestion to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, saying that as many as 20,000 homes bought for Hurricane Katrina relief are unused, while 90,000 Native American families across the nation are homeless or in inadequate housing.
"Rather than allow these homes to go to waste, they can be used immediately in native communities, not only for housing but also as additional classrooms for reservation schools, whose facilities are in desperate need of repair," Johnson's March 24 letter said.
The letter went to R. David Paulison, acting director of FEMA.
"FEMA must begin doing intelligent problem-solving for distressed Americans," Johnson wrote.
"Providing these homes to native communities would be a much-needed step towards serving communities in crisis, and a thoughtful deployment of federal resources."
Julianne Fisher, Johnson's communications director, said the senator hasn't received a response.
Aaron Walker, FEMA press secretary, said in an e-mail response Friday, "We have the letter, and it's under review."
Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said the suggestion is "an idea worth pursuing," said Kyle Downey, the senator's press secretary.
"Using the trailers as schools would make the most sense," Downey said.
During a recent discussion of efforts by the Crow Creek Tribal School to replace living quarters and space for administrative services lost in a dormitory fire a year ago, Johnson said the Bureau of Indian Affairs school construction budget was cut by $117 million this year, from the $307 million in the previous budget.
"We are asking children to learn in school buildings that are literally falling down around them," Johnson said.
Downey said the BIA budget so far is just the administration's proposed spending.
"Congress ultimately decides how tax dollars are spent," he said. "Senator Thune has opposed many of the proposed reductions in spending for Indian Country."
Leaders of several tribes and Indian advocacy groups pleaded for more money for BIA education and school construction during hearings earlier this year in US Senate and House budget committees. Transcripts of those hearings show a common concern for the condition of those schools.
"We need teacher salaries, school programs and school construction monies," Joe Shirley, president of the Navajo Nation, told a House budget committee. "Everything is a priority to us - education, health services, public safety and economic development. You name it, we're behind."
Lillian Sparks, executive director of the National Indian Education Association, said the group supports at least $263.4 million in school construction money, the amount in the 2005 fiscal budget. That was enough to let BIA schools make headway, she said.
"Right now, a lot of our students are being forced to receive their education in nonstable and nonpermanent structures," Sparks told the House panel. "When they're coming from homes that are also unstable and poor conditions, and then we're asking them to receive their education in poor conditions as well, what kind of message are we sending to our children?"
Ryan Wilson, NIEA president, summed it up this way in a Senate budget hearing: "The backlog (in school projects) is becoming a first-class crisis. And, again, our young people are attending second-class schools at rates that should never happen here in America."
Senator: Donate Trailers to Tribes
By Terry Woster
The Argus Leader
Monday 24 April 2006
www.truthout.org/docs_2006/042506G.shtml
20,000 homes unused by hurricane victims.
Pierre, South Dakota - Mobile homes bought for hurricane victims but not used for that purpose should be delivered to Indian Country for housing and school buildings, US Sen. Tim Johnson says.
Johnson recently made that suggestion to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, saying that as many as 20,000 homes bought for Hurricane Katrina relief are unused, while 90,000 Native American families across the nation are homeless or in inadequate housing.
"Rather than allow these homes to go to waste, they can be used immediately in native communities, not only for housing but also as additional classrooms for reservation schools, whose facilities are in desperate need of repair," Johnson's March 24 letter said.
The letter went to R. David Paulison, acting director of FEMA.
"FEMA must begin doing intelligent problem-solving for distressed Americans," Johnson wrote.
"Providing these homes to native communities would be a much-needed step towards serving communities in crisis, and a thoughtful deployment of federal resources."
Julianne Fisher, Johnson's communications director, said the senator hasn't received a response.
Aaron Walker, FEMA press secretary, said in an e-mail response Friday, "We have the letter, and it's under review."
Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said the suggestion is "an idea worth pursuing," said Kyle Downey, the senator's press secretary.
"Using the trailers as schools would make the most sense," Downey said.
During a recent discussion of efforts by the Crow Creek Tribal School to replace living quarters and space for administrative services lost in a dormitory fire a year ago, Johnson said the Bureau of Indian Affairs school construction budget was cut by $117 million this year, from the $307 million in the previous budget.
"We are asking children to learn in school buildings that are literally falling down around them," Johnson said.
Downey said the BIA budget so far is just the administration's proposed spending.
"Congress ultimately decides how tax dollars are spent," he said. "Senator Thune has opposed many of the proposed reductions in spending for Indian Country."
Leaders of several tribes and Indian advocacy groups pleaded for more money for BIA education and school construction during hearings earlier this year in US Senate and House budget committees. Transcripts of those hearings show a common concern for the condition of those schools.
"We need teacher salaries, school programs and school construction monies," Joe Shirley, president of the Navajo Nation, told a House budget committee. "Everything is a priority to us - education, health services, public safety and economic development. You name it, we're behind."
Lillian Sparks, executive director of the National Indian Education Association, said the group supports at least $263.4 million in school construction money, the amount in the 2005 fiscal budget. That was enough to let BIA schools make headway, she said.
"Right now, a lot of our students are being forced to receive their education in nonstable and nonpermanent structures," Sparks told the House panel. "When they're coming from homes that are also unstable and poor conditions, and then we're asking them to receive their education in poor conditions as well, what kind of message are we sending to our children?"
Ryan Wilson, NIEA president, summed it up this way in a Senate budget hearing: "The backlog (in school projects) is becoming a first-class crisis. And, again, our young people are attending second-class schools at rates that should never happen here in America."