"The social compact between citizen and government has been badly torn.  As citizens, we have various responsibilities (e.g., vote, pay taxes, sit on juries, and serve our country); at the same time, the government has responsibilities, and one of them is to respond effectively when its citizens are in crisis.  Passing federal legislation to implement the Gulf Coast Civic Works Project will be a major step in repairing the social compact."

— Scott Myers-Lipton, Ph.D.,
San José State University

Gulf Coast Civic Works: An In-depth Look

1/28/07: Position Paper: Based on Louisiana Winter
2/17/08: GCCWP: From Inception to today

The Guiding Principles of the Gulf Coast Civic Works Project have been developed in conversations with 100s of people throughout the Gulf Coast in the past 9 months.

• The civic work jobs will be in the areas of construction and the
arts (e.g., plumbing, electrical, brick building, construction, air conditioning, as well as music, murals, theater and dance.) We need to bring back both the bricks and mortar, as well as the soul of the Gulf. If workers do not have these skills, paid apprenticeships will be provided. After the rebuilding is completed, people can use these skills to make an independent living.

• The process to obtain a civic works job should be simple. A
streamlined process will be conducted at county employment service offices and/or at faith-based and community initiatives connected to the White House.

• The civic work jobs will pay prevailing wages—no lower than
$15—so people can support themselves. The civic workers will have the right to join unions.

• The local communities affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
will decide which structures will be given priority to rebuild. Some communities may focus on schools, while others focus on hospitals, libraries, fire and police stations, community centers, water pipes, or parks.

• A Gulf Coast Authority, similar to the Tennessee Valley Authority
will oversee the Gulf Coast Civic Works Project to ensure transparency. This inter-state agency will give final approval to local project proposals in a timely fashion. The Gulf Coast Authority will also be charged with working with the local communities, the city, and the state to expedite matters and to create a smooth process between agencies to ensure that what the local communities want comes to fruition quickly.

• The money for the program, which is estimated at $4 billion a year for building material and labor costs (i.e., if the 100,000 civic workers are paid $15 an hour) and, will come from federal, state, and private sources (e.g., insurance companies). Private sources will be asked to contribute $1 billion a year.

• The federal government, which bears responsibility for incorrectly building and maintaining the levee system, will allow civic work projects to rebuild the rental housing stock to pre-Katrina levels.
In pre-Katrina, there were 75,000 rental units, and now today, the projection is for 21,000 units. By rebuilding the rental housing stock, the right of return of displaced persons will be guaranteed.
For the rebuilding of these units, rental owners will be asked to offer 50% of the units to low-income families.

• To encourage civic workers to move from rental to home ownership, Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) will be setup, with matching funds from the federal government.

• The Gulf Coast Civic Works Project is open to open to all who lived in the Gulf Region pre-Katrina or can show 90 days of residency.

Brief Summary:
The Gulf Coast Civic Works Project will hire 100,000 Gulf Coast residents to rebuild New Orleans and the surrounding region.  The residents will build and repair houses, schools, hospitals, parks, roads, and bridges.

The civic work jobs will be in such areas as construction, plumbing, electrical, brick building, and air conditioning.  If workers do not have these skills, paid apprenticeships will be provided. 

A new regional agency will be created to oversee the implementation of the Gulf Coast Civic Works Project.  This TVA-like agency will include community-based organizations from the Gulf Coast, as well as other
regional partners (e.g., politicians, school officials, and engineers).

We call upon Congress to immediately develop legislation based on the Gulf Coast Civic Works Project.  The project has the dual goal of rebuilding New Orleans and the Gulf Coast using the citizens from the region, as well as restoring faith in the government's social compact with its citizens.

The Gulf Coast Civic Works Project will accomplish 4 things:

1. provide our citizens with living wage jobs,

2. make housing available for themselves and their communities,

3. restore a sense of personal empowerment and hope,

4. restore faith among our citizenry of the government's ability to respond to the needs of our people.
 

Projected Cost:
Based on a ratio of labor to materials of 80-20, which was used under the Civil Works Administration of 1933-1934, and a wage rate of $15 per hour, the total cost of the project is $3.9 billion.  

The Gulf Coast Civic Works Project will be funded plan by federal and state governments (e.g., Louisiana Recovery Authority), as well as from private sources (e.g., insurance companies).
 

Mississippi Summer 1964 / Louisiana Winter 2007:

In 1964, 800 college students from around the country came to Mississippi to register African American voters who were being denied this constitutional right.  In that spirit of democracy, students came to the Gulf Coast to participate in "Louisiana Winter" from January 14-20, 2007. 

The goals of Louisiana Winter were: to (re)turn the nation's attention to the Gulf Coast; to have students witness first-hand the social suffering that is occurring; and to promote the immediate development of federal legislation based on the Gulf Coast Civic Works Project. Click here to learn more