Click here for a list of organizations that are doing important work right now to help the people affected by Hurricane Katrina. 

I had planned to talk today about taxes and the burden they place on middle class New Yorkers and those struggling to make it.  But I am setting that aside today, because something is going on in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast that requires those with a public voice to speak up right now.

I want to read to you the first paragraph of an Associated Press story from last night – “New Orleans descended into anarchy Thursday as corpses lay abandoned in street medians, fights and fires broke out, cops turned in their badges and the governor declared war on looters who have made the city a menacing landscape of disorder and fear.”

This is a moment for America to decide what kind of country we will be.

A choice where we will decide what kind of country we live in.  A part of our nation is cut off, alone, and suffering.  We watch television and see the poor, the sick, and the old left alone.

Private citizens across our country are doing all they can. We know they will keep responding.  But federal, state and local government must act.  Now.

They have done something, but it is not enough.  That is not my opinion, it is unanimous. Our City's editorial pages noted that "nothing short of a swift, national response, is called for." And asked "who's in charge" and noted the elements that have made this a "man made disaster."
The American spirit is not to blame those left behind.  It is to send adequate police to stop criminals, and adequate resources to help those struggling to survive.

There will be plenty of time to argue about failed policies that may have contributed to this problem – but now is the time for action.
The pictures we are seeing are terrible because they show fellow citizens suffering – children without food, the sick without medicine. Poor people in despair and fighting chaos.

Again, I am not calling for finger pointing.  I am calling for more action.
 
When people are still stranded, when dead bodies have not been collected, when people are begging for water, it is obvious. We need to do more right away.
 
Congress is set to approve a supplemental bill to start the process of sending money. That will help, but that is not enough.
 
The most important thing to do is act. I have ideas on what to do, but I think it is tremendously important that we not just say the government is handling this -- clearly there has not been enough done.

Today, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development has sent a request to mayors throughout the country, asking them to begin to do an inventory to see if they can house some of the victims.  New York should immediately take stock of how we can accommodate some of our brothers and sisters in need.

But we should be ready to deploy whatever resources we need.  
 
The President and the director of FEMA should be calling mayors and governors throughout the country asking for help.  We have more resources here in New York City that could have been deployed by now – but we haven’t gotten the call.

They should be taking up bus companies and airlines on their offers to help evacuate victims.  Instead, we hear stories about victims waiting for hours for buses that never came.

This should have been done before the disaster.  It’s now well known that FEMA identified a major storm on the Gulf Coast as one of the nation’s most significant vulnerabilities.  But it’s clear today that we were unprepared.
 
I have reached out to my colleagues who represent Louisiana, and they’ve said they’re in dire need of boats, rafts, medical personnel, law enforcement personnel, clothing, money, shelter staff, sewer and electrical workers.  We in New York should stand prepared to deploy what we have.

Again, this is not about politics. I know the Mayor will do whatever is asked of him.

I hope the President will increase his efforts today, and anyone who can help will do so right now.

These are our brothers and sisters calling out for help.  Once we cried out and a nation responded.  Let us hear New Orleans today and give what we can, and do what we can.
 
Thank you.

- Anthony