[CircleUp] NCAI LawLobb: Letters to Obama Needed on Economic Stimulus (Draft Letter Attached)

[Stewart Sarkozy]

IMPORTANT - Tribal community development folks - PLEASE FORWARD AND SEND YOUR LETTERS...
 
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Indian Country Economic Stimulus Proposal

Tribal Letters to President-Elect Obama Needed ASAP

 

Call To Action: Letters to Obama on Economic Stimulus

 

NCAI has been working to ensure tribes are included in the upcoming Economic Stimulus bill and has put together a $5.4 billion proposal including infrastructure for tribal roads, schools, etc., as well as removing legal barriers to investment. Based on information gathered thus far, we are concerned about Indian Country needs getting the attention they deserve. We urgently need tribal leaders to send letters urging President Elect Obama to include Tribal governments in the Economic Stimulus/Recovery Package.

 

WHAT:                       Tribal Letters Addressed to Obama on Economic Stimulus

 

WHEN:                       By Wednesday January 14, 2009

 

SEND TO:                  President-Elect Barack Obama

c/o       Robert Nabors, Economic Policy Team

Jason Furman, Economic Policy Team

Wizipan Garriott, First Americans Public Liaison

David Hayes, Energy and Natural Resources Team

                                                Keith Harper, Energy and Natural Resources Team

Presidential Transition Office

Sixth and E Streets, NW

Washington, D.C. 20270

                                                

COPY TO:                  (1)        Senate Committee on Indian Affairs

                                                John Harte 

john_harte at indian.senate.gov 

                                                Fax (202) 228-2589

 

                                    (2)        NCAI

                                                Dante Desiderio 

ddesiderio at ncai.org 

                                                Fax (202) 466-7797

 

ATTACHMENTS:    (1) Draft letter to Obama on Economic Recovery/Stimulus

                                    (2) The Indian Country Economic Stimulus Proposal

 

 

Background

 

The proposal was compiled in December at the direct request of the Obama Transition Team. NCAI held a series of meetings in DC and telephone meetings with tribal leaders, regional and national organizations. The Obama Team indicated strict guidelines our request had to meet, and those limitations largely framed what we were able to include. The proposal has been amended several times as additional input was provided by tribes and Congress.

 

As Native Americans comprise approximately 2% of the population, we focused on that division within the economic stimulus. The plan combines two essential areas (1) infrastructure investment (targeting "shovel-ready" projects) with (2) removing legal barriers to accessing capital necessary for tribal governments to leverage taxpayer funds and create more jobs for all of rural America.

 

Infrastructure Section: As requested by the Obama team, we focused on (1) pre-existing federal programs which are national in scope and fund tribal government infrastructure projects (no "earmark" projects) (2) programs which have projects which are ready to go in 120 days (have all of the planning work done, NEPA studies, etc.), and can be fully expended within 1-2 years, and, (3) will create substantial short and long term job growth. (All "lists" that are attached to the proposal are included only as examples of the types of projects that are in fact ready to go right now. The lists in general have already been created by the federal agencies through tribal consultation, and pre-agreed formulas.)

 

Access to Capital Section: These are all legal corrections whose need has long been acknowledged by the financial industry and Indian Country. Most each of these recommendations have already been introduced in Congress and are familiar to Tribal leaders. 

 

What Is Not Included

 

Infrastructure Section: This proposal does not include tribal specific individual projects ("earmarks"). By request, we only highlighted programs which benefit all tribes, and then provided examples of lists of projects within those programs that were "ready to go."  It is assumed that tribes will meet directly with their home Congressional delegations if they choose to advocate for specific projects. It also does not reference national programs in which tribes are already participants such as Food Stamps, Head Start, etc.

 

Indian Country Economic Recovery Proposal Sections (Document Attached)

 

Infrastructure Spending 

A.         Reservation Roads and Transportation Infrastructure 

B.         21st Century Green Schools Rehabilitation and Construction 

C.         Clean Water, Waste Treatment and Irrigation Infrastructure

D.        Energy Independence Development, Efficiency and Reliability Program  

E.         Health Facilities and Treatment Center Modernization and Construction  

F.          Telecommunications Access and Emergency Management Infrastructure 

G.        Public Safety Infrastructure 

H.        Housing Relief Rehabilitation and Construction Program 

I.           Indian Lands Consolidation Program 

 

Access To Capital And Credit 

A.         Access to the Governmental Tax-Exempt Capital Market 

B.         Federal Appropriations Utilization for Project Financing Expenses 

C.         Clarification of Tribal Governments in SEC Regulation 

D.        Alternative Energy Partnership Incentive Program 

E.         Expedited Reservation Community Banking Program 

F.          Guaranteed Loan and Surety Bonding Program

G.        USDA Pilot Loan Program for Business & Industry  

 

Please do not hesitate to contact NCAI with any questions. You can reach Dante Desiderio ddesiderio at ncai.org or Heather Dawn Thompson hthompson at ncai.org at (202) 466-7767.

 
_______________________
Heather Dawn Thompson
Cheyenne River Sioux
Director of Government Affairs
National Congress of American Indians (NCAI)
1301 Connecticut Ave, NW   Suite 200
Washington, DC 20036
w (202) 466-7767
f  (202) 466-7797
c (202) 258-3767
hthompson at ncai.org
www.ncai.org <http://www.ncai.org/> 
 
 
 
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