“[The determination came in response to a virtual fishery shutdown in the affected states due to major flooding, damage to fishing boats and fishing ports, waterways clogged with debris and closed processing facilities.] We are taking action now because of the significant economic effects of Hurricane Katrina on fishing communities in the Gulf of Mexico, ... Major commercial fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico include fin fish, shrimp and oysters, with an estimated value of almost $700 million per year.”
“The first priority that we are all focused on is people, ... Over time we are going to have to rebuild the economy of the Gulf Coast. We have to get momentum into what was once a very vibrant economy. Ultimately, what we have, if we look long-term, is the highest opportunity economically in the country once we get through the phase of helping people of cleaning up the city. The more we can help entrepreneurs to reinvest in this area, the sooner we will get to the point, as President Bush said, of making this an even better place than it once was.”
“We went into this hurricane with a strong economy, with a resilient economy and we'll have a short-term impact but we will be right back to the growth that we saw before,”
“This administration is reaching out to companies of all sizes, especially minority-owned enterprises, to guarantee that those seeking to join the rebuilding efforts can navigate federal agencies and bid for contracts with ease, ”
“This effort is expected to change many activities and eliminate others, ... As we move to 1999, our goal is to be a more tightly focused organization that is fully aligned with our strategy.”
