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RESOLUTION URGING THE U.S. CONGRESS TO PASS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LEGISLATION TO ASSIST HAITI IN REBUILDING BY CREATING A PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES LONG-TERM COMMITMENTS TO PURCHASE PRODUCTS FROM HAITI

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WHEREAS, on January 12, 2010, a devastating earthquake hit the Republic of Haiti approximately 10 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince; and
WHEREAS, more than three million people -- a third of Haiti�s population -- have been affected by the earthquake, including hundreds of thousands of deaths and injuries; and
WHEREAS, the earthquake is the latest in a series of events that have impacted Haiti in recent years, including four deadly storms that struck Haiti in 2008; and
WHEREAS, even before the earthquake, Haiti was the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere even though it is located only six hundred miles from the U.S., a distance that is approximately the same as that from Miami to Atlanta, Georgia; and
WHEREAS, even before the earthquake, Haiti�s per capita gross domestic product was 40 percent (40%) lower than that of Nicaragua, which is the hemisphere's next poorest country; and
WHEREAS, in the wake of the earthquake, Haiti is now in desperate need of economic development assistance from the U.S.; and
WHEREAS, Congress can help to stimulate economic development in Haiti through a program that establishes long-term commitments to purchase products from Haiti that could be produced in large job-intensive factories; and
WHEREAS, such a program would provide the incentives, stability and certainty needed to encourage businesses to establish locations in Haiti, as there would be a ready market for Haitian made products; and
WHEREAS, such a program will create jobs for Haitian citizens that can lead to a stable economy in Haiti,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Urges the U.S. Congress to pass economic development legislation to assist Haiti in rebuilding by creating a program that includes long-term commitments to purchase products from Haiti that can be produced in large job-intensive factories which will attract businesses to locate in Haiti and stimulate economic growth.
Section 2. Directs the Clerk of the Board to transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the members of the Miami-Dade Congressional Delegation.
Section 3. Directs the County's federal lobbyists to advocate for the legislation set forth in Section 1 above, and authorizes and directs that the 2010 Federal Legislative Package be amended to include this item.