Mosaiko

U.S. State Governors Echo Obama’s Call to Help Haiti

• Comments
• Email This Post
• Share on Facebook

Chief executives pledge state resources, encourage citizens to give

Even as President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton are promising assistance from the U.S. federal government for the people of Haiti, their calls are being mirrored and amplified by similar messages from state governments.

More than 3 million people in Haiti are estimated to have been affected by the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck January 12, and it will be some time before the total numbers of dead and injured are known. The quake was the strongest to affect Haiti since 1860, according to seismologists.

In each of the 50 states, the structure of state government loosely mirrors that of the U.S. federal government with executive, legislative and judicial branches, and governors perform many of the same functions at the state level that the U.S. president does at the national level. As head of the executive branch, governors direct state government activities and have discretion over how state assets are used. Governors also are the public faces of their states and many can inspire their citizens at a more personal level than can national officials.

Throughout the United States, governors now are using the power of their office to encourage aid to and support for Haiti.

In Florida, Governor Charlie Crist announced January 13 he is activating the “Neighbors to the Rescue” program through the Florida Disaster Recovery Fund to aid survivors of the devastating earthquake.

The fund, established in 2005 to mitigate the destruction caused by Hurricane Wilma, works with nonprofit organizations to assist with long-term recovery and address unmet needs of Florida’s regional neighbors victimized by natural disasters.

“Floridians have time and again shown that they are good neighbors to those in need. Through the Florida Disaster Recovery Fund’s ‘Neighbors to the Rescue’ Program, Floridians can make monetary donations and demonstrate their solidarity with the people of Haiti,” said Marshall Criser III, president of AT&T Florida and chairman of the Florida Disaster Recovery Fund’s Advisory Council.

Floridians and neighbors across the country can contribute to “Neighbors to the Rescue” by going to www.FLADisasterRecoveryFund.org or by calling a toll-free telephone number.

In Maryland, Governor Martin O’Malley on January 14 directed the Maryland Emergency Management Agency to coordinate preparation of state and local aid to Haiti and encouraged Marylanders to donate what they can to their neighbors in need.

The governor said Maryland is working with its state and local emergency response personnel and with the Maryland National Guard to identify what assets and logistical support can be made available to the State Department to assist in helping the Haitian people.

“Tragedies like this remind us of the connections we share as humans,” O’Malley said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with those in Haiti during this time of tragedy.”

In New York, Governor David Paterson on January 13 extended the state’s “deepest sympathy to those affected by yesterday’s earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti,” and said New York stands ready to assist federal officials in providing immediate aid.

“The Haitian community is an important part of the fabric of New York state and New York City,” Paterson said.

New Jersey’s acting governor, Stephen Sweeney, echoed those sentiments, noting that New Jersey is home to the fourth-largest population of Haitian Americans in the United States.

“Now is the time for New Jerseyans to show the world yet again how we will not shy away from helping those in dire need of assistance, where ever they may live,” he said. “I encourage all residents to reach out to one of the many international aid agencies currently on the ground in Haiti to ask how they may be able to help the rescue and relief effort.”

Several volunteer groups from churches and organizations from New Jersey — including a group of 15 volunteers from Trinity United Methodist Church in Hackettstown — were in Haiti at the time of the earthquake.

Links:

http://www.america.gov/world/americas.html