Katrina relief idea gaining attention

By CAMDEN EASTERLING Chronicle Staff Writer

Tracy Velazquez's idea for Hurricane Katrina relief financing is gaining national media attention, including mentions in the Wall Street Journal and on C-SPAN.

At the Sept. 6 Bozeman City Commission meeting, Velazquez suggested Bozeman redirect $4 million in federal highway dollars for the proposed downtown parking garage to relief efforts.

A Wednesday Wall Street Journal editorial praised the idea, stating, "The glory of what is happening in Bozeman is that taxpayers are proving to be wiser about priorities than their politicians."

Velazquez, a past candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives and the current vice-chair of the Montana Democratic Party, said she's pleased to see news organizations talking about funneling pork barrel dollars into Katrina efforts.

"I think it's very telling that the national press is picking up on this," Velazquez said. "I think that Americans of all political persuasions and all across the country realize that it's a time for the country to make hard decisions. And I think the national press will get our politicians and folks all across the country thinking."

Velazquez is not mentioned by name in the editorial, but the editorial cites Chronicle stories and a comment from Jane Shaw, senior fellow at the Property and Environment Research Center in Bozeman. Shaw's writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal in the past.

A Wall Street Journal editor contacted Shaw about a similar idea expressed by Ron Utt, of the national conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation. She then mentioned Velazquez's idea.

C-SPAN had trouble reaching Velazquez Wednesday morning so instead called Bozeman City Commissioner Marcia Youngman and aired a phone interview on its "Washington Journal" program.

Youngman described Velazquez's suggestion and mentioned she personally would like to consider it along with other options, such as postponing some capital improvement expenditures for some time to free up additional money for Katrina cleanup.

These ideas should come before the city commission in the near future, Youngman said.

But the publicity for the idea doesn't stop there. On Thursday, Velazquez will be a guest on National Public Radio's "Here and Now" news magazine program, which airs during the noon hour on Yellowstone Public Radio's KBMC.

NPR got the idea from the Wall Street Journal editorial and tracked Velazquez down via the Internet, said Lynn Menegon, an associate producer of "Here and Now," which is produced in Boston.

"I hadn't heard about anyone grabbing the bull by the horns, so to speak," Menegon said of Velazquez's suggestion.

Velazquez said she hopes Bozeman's commissioners will ultimately support her idea.

"I was hoping Bozeman would take this on and set an example," she said.

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