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28317: Hermantin(News)State still backs Haiti initiative (fwd)





From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Sun Sentinel


State still backs Haiti initiative



Marie-Florence
Siclait Bell Palmetto Bay

April 16, 2006



Re your April 2 editorial and a previous South Florida Sun-Sentinel article about Gov. Jeb Bush' s Florida-Haiti Initiative: While it is unfortunately true that in the 2005 legislative session, the Florida Legislature reduced the governor's recommended international affairs budget by $2.83 million, including funding for implementation of Haiti assistance recommendations, Florida efforts to assist Haiti have continued to move forward with zeal.

Despite the lack of state funding and significant political unrest in Haiti, the governor's office has been able to accomplish a great deal in the few short months since the release of the Haiti Advisory Group Report. Working with a number of entities, some of Florida's accomplishments include: criminal forensics training of Haitian National Police (PNH) officers in Florida as well as the securing of criminal forensic equipment for the PNH, the recruitment and dispatch of election observers from the offices of Florida supervisors of elections for February's Haitian presidential elections, the briefing/training of Haitian civil protection officials in Florida and Haiti in preparation for the upcoming hurricane season, and the securing of federal funding for Haitian student scholarships for study at Florida community colleges.

These are just a few examples; many, many more can be found in the Florida-Haiti Initiative status report, at http://international affairs.flgov.com.

For fiscal year 2006-2007, and the second legislative session in a row, Bush has recommended state funding for the implementation of Haiti Advisory Group recommendations. If the Florida Legislature sees fit to fund this noble initiative, much more work can be done in Haiti.

And it could not come at a better time. With a newly elected and long-awaited Haitian president soon to be sworn into office, the country is at a crucial turning point in its history. Gov. Bush and the state should be commended for continuing to extend the hand of supportive friendship to Caribbean neighbors in Haiti.


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