New Gulf Coast Rebuilding Appointment Raises Questions

Janet Woodka, a former legislative aide for Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) who focused on energy infrastructure issues in the post-Katrina Gulf Coast has been appointed the new federal Gulf Coast rebuilding coordinator.  Woodka is less high profile than her predecessors, and her insider role raises questions about the on-going power and existence of this coordinator role, as well as her office's reception to the region's anti-poverty and economic and human development advocates.

The position is set to expire on September 30, though the Louisiana Congressional delegation and others would like to see it extended another two years.  Woodka has greater opportunity to structure the role as she sees fit, and a major emphasis is expected to be coordinating federal response to Gulf Coast recovery (because, it's true, that hasn't really been happening in the last four, almost five years now).  For now, her office is in the Department of Homeland Security but outside FEMA.  Advocates say it needs to be moved into the White House, though at the moment Obama assures us she has a direct line of communication to him.  Her legislative and insider role seems more suited to getting things done from within the White House, say Gulf Coast supporters, as she's a "long-term advocate" who knows "the terrain" and can use this knowledge to bring the necessary heads and resources together.

Will Obama quietly move her office into the West Wing and allow her to get some long, long overdue work done?  Or will she remain one of many reports in the sprawling, chaotic DHS?

Of greater interest to me is how much she can be an advocate for rectifying so much of the region's poverty and economic inequality worsened by the 2005 storms.  One the one hand it's great that she's been focused on the region's energy infrastructure, as the Gulf states, particularly Louisiana, have earned meager profits from the massive oil and gas extraction happening so close to their shores - profits that otherwise could be used to pay for recovery efforts.  On the other hand, what does her macro-economic focus mean for the voices of those trying to rebuild affordable homes and safe neighborhoods and stem rising homelessness and mental illness and crime?  I'm cautiously optimistic that we can bend her ear, but time will tell as we learn more about Woodka and the Administration's plans for rebuilding the Gulf Coast.

(Photo by rkimpeljr)