New Orleans Mercedez-Benz Superdome
Throughout my years of service I have consistently put regionalism and regional solutions to problems foremost. I advocate regions having control over these domains in their policy across many issues, including policy concerning coastal regions.
The simple truth is that every part of our country is different, and these differences provide unique challenges. Just as an example, there are many rare species in the Everglades, the only place in the world where both alligators and crocodiles are found. My region is also home to the famous Bayou, a biome unique in its own right.
Handling this biodiversity is a task that I believe is best handled by the people who know the region, as opposed to a one-size-fits-all approach handed down by the federal government.
The recent disaster of Hurricane Matthew indicated some of the problems that face the Southern region. We need to
develop hurricane preparedness plans, tackling a natural disaster that hits our region hardest of all. We need to work on cleaning up coal ash, a power plant byproduct that litters our rivers and contributes to the problems of flooding. We need to work on dredging our rivers, to help prevent flooding in the future.
When I left the Senate after two terms back in 2009, I wanted a successor who would continue to fight for the regions and giving them the prerogative to handle their own affairs. I chose North Carolina Yankee as my successor, and I had only the highest expectations for him in that role. He has exceeded those expectations, and I believe that he will continue to exceed them as President.
