ALERT Letters regarding FEMA TRAILERS Your letters

[Okwes]

ALERT Letters regarding FEMA TRAILERS Your letters needed
Posted by: "[e-mail]" [e-mail] unitednative
Thu Jun 15, 2006 10:57 am (PST)


Greetings,

Below is a letter sent from a friend in Indian Country. Please consider
her request and take actions. In this case, our letters of support will
actually MEAN something.


[Background information]

After Hurricane Katrina, FEMA spent millions of dollars purchasing
mobile homes and trailers to house displaced people. Thousands of trailers were
never used and are just sitting in a "giant parking lot" somewhere in this
country.

A few months ago, it looked like FEMA would send those trailers to
Indian country to help provide Native People adequate housing. Later, for whatever
reason, they changed their minds. Now those trailers are sitting, empty and
unused.

For those who aren't aware, MANY of South Dakota's Indian populations,
including children, are living in distressing,third world conditions. This is
not an exaggeration. Some live in run down shacks; many lack indoor
plumbing, electricity, and other necessities we accept as a basic right of the modern
world.

As for Indian Country schools, building inspectors have labeled hundreds
of school facilities as hazardous and unsafe for use. Some buildings have
even been condemned for years. Yet students keep attending these schools
because there's no where else to go. The U.S. government, who is responsible
through treaties to educate and provide educational facilities for Indian youth,
knows this -- the inspectors are their own. Yet they continually cut funding
and ignore the fact that our youth are in danger simply because they want an
education.

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What they have requested from us is this:

They would like all of your letters to be mailed directly to Senator
Johnson, he will then forward them to the appropriate contact at FEMA. The address
is listed below. You may also email Senator Johnson your letters, please go to
the link listed below and email direct from their website.

To email Senator Tim Johnson
_http://johnson.senate.gov/offices.html_
(http://johnson.senate.gov/offices.html)

To mail or fax Senator Tim Johnson
Washington Office:
136 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone [phone]
TDD [phone]
Fax [phone]
*Toll Free from anywhere in South Dakota*:
1-800-537-0025

Please include in ALL letters & emails your Name and mailing address. This
is required info, without it, your letter will not be considered valid.


Read more: _http://msnbc.msn.com/id/13302722/_
(http://msnbc.msn.com/id/13302722/)
The Native Village website, _http://www.nativevillage.org_
(http://www.nativevillage.org/) , has several news articles in our archives which provide more
information, if you wish to search.


Thank you,
Warm Regards,
Gina Boltz, Director
Native Village Publications
_http://www.nativevillage.org_ (http://www.nativevillage.org/)
A National Heritage Foundation

[Okwes]

FEMA Trailers for Indian Country Petition
Posted by: "[e-mail]" [e-mail] unitednative
Thu Jun 15, 2006 6:28 pm (PST)

FEMA Trailers for Indian Country
_http://www.petitiononline.com/Trailers/petition.html_
(http://www.petitiononline.com/Trailers/petition.html)

To: FEMA - Pamela Turner, Assistant Secretary for Legislative and
Intergovernmental Affairs

FEMA acquired mobile homes in 2005, for the Hurricane Katrina victims. As of
June, 2006 20,000 brand new and unused mobile homes are sitting empty in a
storage facility in Hope, Arkansas.

United States Senator Tim Johnson,(SD) wrote a letter to Pamela Turner,
Assistant Secretary for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs Office with
FEMA, suggesting the mobile homes be donated for housing and schools in Indian
Country. There are thousands of Native American people that are either
homeless or are living in substandard conditions on Reservations throughout Indian
Country. The reservations in South Dakota have estimated up to 30% of people
are either homeless or living in substandard conditions. It is not uncommon
for 20 or more residents to live in a three-bedroom, one bath home with three
or four generations under one roof due to the lack of unavailable and safe
housing.

FEMA's response to this request was, that these trailers would continue to
be stored for disaster relief within several areas of the country.

FEMA has 20,000 available mobile homes sitting in storage, while there are
thousands of homeless families living across the county. These homes were
purchased with our tax dollars, the homeless people in this country should be a
priority instead of letting them collect dust in a storage lot.

Please demand that our tax dollars stop being wasted by these agencies and
the money actually be put to helping the people of this country!

Please make sure you send a letter requesting this action to:
To email Senator Tim Johnson
_http://johnson.senate.gov/offices.html_
(http://johnson.senate.gov/offices.html)

To mail or fax Senator Tim Johnson
Washington Office:
136 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone [phone]
TDD [phone]
Fax [phone]
*Toll Free from anywhere in South Dakota*:
1-800-537-0025

Please include in ALL letters & emails your Name and mailing address. This
is required info, without it, your letter will not be considered valid.

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