I would like to thank all the officials who joined on this tour today. I think we all saw just how important HB 3 is to our communities, and how important changes in the National Flood Insurance Program will be to communities in the future.
Speaker Busch, Delegate McIntosh and members of the Baltimore County delegation put a lot of time and energy into the Isabel Disaster Relief Act, and I can't thank them enough for how hard they worked on behalf of our citizens.
When we first got to Annapolis, Isabel wasn't in the front of a lot of people's minds. It had been a while since the storm, and for big parts of the state the clean up was over. But Speaker Busch and Delegate McIntosh knew - from their own districts and from visits in other parts of the State - how much work there was yet to be done. Their leadership was essential, and they came through for our citizens.
It is also important to thank our private sector partners, Bradford Federal Savings Bank and Rosedale Federal Savings and Loan. They are providing a monumental service to residents here. Thanks to the combined efforts of our legislators and our banks, the funds provided by House Bill Three will make an immediate impact for those still struggling to rebuild and will finally allow these communities to move beyond this disaster.
We are very thankful for House Bill Three, and I would urge the State to move quickly, and apply the law liberally to help as many people as soon as possible. The east side of Baltimore County is already wrapped in miles of red tape, we don't need any more. It is time to move forward, cut through the bureaucracy and produce results for the victims of Isabel.
I've seen this community flooded, and I hope that very soon we will see it flooded with contractors and construction projects, and rebuilt homes.
I am joined here today by Senator Barbara Mikulski who has been very involved with the residents of our east side, and is working hard at the federal level to assist the rebuilding process.
Revised November 9, 2004
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