Proposed_letter_to_Congressman_-_Word_97-2003_version

RECOMMENDED
LETTER TO CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION

The
Honorable Jo Bonner

United
States House of Representatives

2236 Rayburn
House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

The
Honorable Jeff Sessions
United States Senate
335 Russell Senate
Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-0104

The
Honorable Richard Shelby
United States Senate
335 Russell
Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-0104

Dear
____________:

I
am writing to request that you use the power of your position as a
member of Congress to add Mobile County to the ongoing U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers’ Mississippi Coastal Improvements Program
(MsCIP) Study. The MsCIP Study was authorized by Congress to respond
to the effects of Hurricane Katrina. The Corps was directed to
design improvements “… in the coastal area of
Mississippi in the interest of hurricane and storm damage reduction,
prevention of saltwater intrusion, preservation of fish and wildlife,
prevention of erosion, and other related water resource purposes”.
The Hurricane Katrina problems and issues experienced by coastal
Mississippi are identical to those suffered by Dauphin Island, the
Mobile County mainland, and Alabama’s portion of the
Mississippi Sound.

Dauphin
Island was greatly weakened by Hurricane Katrina which enlarged a
breach that cuts the island in half, allowing high salinity Gulf of
Mexico waters to intrude into Alabama’s portion of the
Mississippi Sound. The breach has contributed to eliminating oyster
production from Alabama’s principal reefs, contributing to the
economic problems of our already stressed local seafood industry.
The decimated western half of Dauphin Island also exposes Mobile
County’s mainland coastal communities to an increased risk of
higher wave heights in future storm events.

The
Corps MsCIP Draft Report recommends the development of a
Comprehensive Barrier Island Restoration Plan. That plan has a
projected construction cost of $477,200,000, all of which would be
expended to restore the Mississippi barrier islands west of Dauphin
Island. The primary purpose of that work is to protect the
Mississippi mainland and to maintain Mississippi Sound as an estuary.
These needs are just as pressing in Mobile County.

The
Corps Study revealed a regional shortage of sand within the barrier
island system that threatens the long-term existence of the islands.
Although the sand shortage actually begins on Dauphin Island, the
Corps did not include Dauphin Island in the restoration plan. As the
lead island in the barrier island chain, Dauphin Island must be
addressed in an equal fashion to the Mississippi islands to develop a
truly “comprehensive” approach to restoring the entire
barrier island system.

Dauphin
Island makes many important contributions to coastal Alabama that are
often not fully appreciated by most Alabamians. Significant among
those is the creation of the estuarine habitat conditions that are
essential to the production of shrimp, crabs, and finfish of
recreational and commercial finfish. Also of great importance is the
buffer the Island serves in sheltering the Alabama and Mississippi
mainland shoreline during major storms.

Since
the Corps recommends the Comprehensive Barrier Island Restoration
Plan be subjected to additional analyses it is not too late to
include Dauphin Island in the future analyses. I have no wish to
delay the progress of work in Mississippi. However, inclusion of
Dauphin Island in the future studies provides an opportunity to
accomplish a number of positive objectives in Alabama as well as
benefiting the down-drift Mississippi barrier islands. The fact that
the Comprehensive Barrier Island Restoration Plan will be prepared
“…at full Federal expense…” instead of
under a cost-shared arrangement means that there would be no costs to
the State of Alabama.

There
is a compelling case for Mobile County to be added to the MsCIP
Study, and Dauphin Island in particular to be included in the
Comprehensive Barrier Island Restoration Plan. Governor Riley has
recently requested you and other members of Alabama’s
Congressional delegation to work toward adding Dauphin Island to the
Comprehensive Barrier Island Restoration Plan. Your full support is
necessary and essential to make that happen. I request you to devote
all efforts possible in that direction for the benefit of a
substantial number of your constituents.

Sincerely,

_____________________

1

New Federal Real Estate Stimulus Program

New Federal Real Estate Stimulus Program


The Economic Stimulus Bill
(The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, H.R. 1.)
has been reconciled by the House and Senate. The details of the legislation have not been finalized but we expect the legislation to include a number of important housing provisions, including the remedies for the housing crisis that NAR prescribed at the annual meeting in Orlando, Florida.

Homebuyer Tax Credit -
a $7500 tax credit that will be available for qualified purchase of a principal residence by a first time homebuyer between January 1, 2009 and September 1, 2009. The credit does not require repayment. Individuals who purchase in 2009 using financing assistance from state and local mortgage bonds will be permitted to use the credit, as well.

FHA, Fannie and Freddie Loan Limits - Revised loan limits for FHA, Freddie Mac, and Fannie Mae. Specifics have not been released but reports indicate that the 2008 limits have been reinstated for 2009 except in those communities where the 2009 limits are higher. Additional increases in individual communities may also be available at the discretion of the HUD Secretary.

Foreclosure Mitigation & Neighborhood Stabilization -
Funding for states and local communities to be used for neighborhood stabilization activities for the redevelopment of abandoned and foreclosed homes are authorized.
These elements of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 are the pillars of the NAR Housing Stimulus Plan presented to the 111t Congress. Additionally we continue to work closely with the Department of Treasury and Secretary Timothy Geithner to implement a mortgage buy-down program.

NAR also recommended that the Treasury Department expand the Term Asset-Backed Loan Facility (TALF) to include commercial mortgage-backed securities as eligible collateral. The Treasury has approved this recommendation and thi will encourage investment in the commercial real estate market.

The Economic Stimulus Bill
(The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, H.R. 1)
Additional Housing and Other Provisions of Interest to NAR:

Rural Housing Service -
Increased funding for the Rural Housing Service direct and guaranteed loan programs.

Low Income Housing Grants -
Allow states to trade in a portion of their 2009 low-income housing tax credit for Treasury grants to finance the construction or acquisition and rehabilitation of low-income housing, including those with or without tax credit allocations.

Tax Exempt Housing Bonds -
Tax-exempt interest earned on specified state and local bonds issued during 2009 and 2010 will not be subject to the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). In addition, financial institutions will have greater capacity to purchase tax-exempt state and local bonds.

Energy Efficient Housing -
Grants for energy retrofits for federally assisted housing (section 8), funding for Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grants to states, and Increases in the residential tax credit through 2010 for certain energy efficient upgrades.

Transportation -
Spending for upgrades and repairs of road, bridges and transit facilities.

Broadband Deployment -
Grants to make broadband available in unserved communities

Make no mistake-our work with Congress and the Treasury Department is not
yet completed. As the leading advocate for homeowners and the real estate
industry, the National Association of REALTORS will continue to address
the issues facing Americans who are trying to purchase a new home, protect
their current home or preserve investment opportunities in residential and
commercial properties.

NAR recognizes the efforts of the members of Congress and the Senate who
understand that without a housing recovery, an overall economic recovery
is impossible.

Hopefully this will help Dauphin Island and the whole Gulf Coast.

2009 DRIVEWAYS

Town
of Dauphin Island

1011 Bienville Blvd.,
Dauphin Island, AL 36528

251-861-5525
251-861-2154 fax

2/12/09

FINAL
DRIVEWAY REPAIRS FEBRUARY 20^TH.

IF
YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH YOUR

DRIVEWAY
INSTALLED BY CROWDER GULF

PLEASE
CONTACT TOSH AT 251-269-8056 NO

LATER
THAN FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20^TH.