REP. LORUSSO SENDS OUT LAKEVIEW STREETS SURVEY AND TOURS OIL SPILL IN THE GULF

Dear Lakeview Residents,

There are two bills regarding street repairs in the Lake Area pending in the Louisiana Legislature.  Below is an explanation of these bills.  I hope you will review this information and take the time to complete and return the survey to me as soon as possible.  Your opinion is important to me and will help me better represent you, my constituents, and as I vote on these issues.  Please note that the passage of either one of these bills does not preclude passage of the other.

House Bill 957 (Rep. Lorusso)

• Imposes no additional fee or tax, but instead allows the Lake Area to keep city sales tax and apply it towards street repairs
• Goes into effect only if approved by the New Orleans City Council
• Could generate approximately $2.5 million annually for street repairs, depending on the amount approved by the New Orleans City Council

Senate Bill 64 (Senator Murray)

• Imposes a $150/year fee per parcel of property in Lakeview
• Goes into effect if approved by majority of voters in Lakeview
• Could generate approximately $1.2 million annually for street repairs and/or the purchase of equipment such as a pot hole killer

For a complete copy of each bill, please log on to the Louisiana Legislative website at: www.legis.state.la.us

Take the full survey online by clicking this link.

REP. LORUSSO PARTICIPATES IN AERIAL TOUR OF OIL DEFENSE PREPARATION

I was among a group of legislators taken on an aerial tour of the coastline last week to see firsthand what efforts have been undertaken to protect the area from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Groups of lawmakers from around the state were escorted by the Louisiana Air National Guard on a helicopter flight over the Gulf of Mexico coastline.
We observed multiple crews working in various water passages that connect to Lake Pontchartrain and area marshlands. We flew over South Pass all the way to Biloxi Marsh and the Mississippi coast. Booms in place at South Pass were displaced by the storms last week and there were crews on the island restoring and replacing them in strategic areas.

Booms have central channels that allow for maritime traffic, but can be closed quickly by vessels and crews engaged from among the local fishers whose work has been halted by the spill.

While State and Federal agencies are working tirelessly together to prevent catastrophic damage to the Louisiana coast, the oil leak has yet to be stopped and continues to fill the Gulf with sweet crude. Hopefully, BP’s second, smaller ‘top-hat’ dome will stop the flow of oil in the very near future.

Read more updates and information on the oil spill by visiting http://emergency.louisiana.gov/index.html

Your concerns are important to me.  If I can be of assistance in any way, please do not hesitate to contact my office or send me an email.

Sincerely,