VP Rotary Club welcomes Rainey

By: HEATHER
BOGARD
Lifestyles Editor

The following is a recap of the recent meeting of the Ville Platte Rotary Club.
June 23, Meeting
Leonard Rainey, regional representative for U.S. Senator David Vitter, was the guest speaker for the June 23, meeting of the Ville Platte Rotary Club. He oversees constituent services including Social Security, FEMA, HUD and immigration issues.
He stated that Senator Vitter is chairman of the Small Business Committee in the Senat and that he is focused on helping small business owners via infrastructure improvements and shrinking the unemployment numbers in the state of Louisiana.
Ville Platte Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Camille Fontenot asked Rainey for Vitter’s support to turn US 167 between Ville Platte and Opelousas into a four lane highway. Rainey said it is not a quick process because the road in question is a federal highway under federal jurisdiction.
Rainey discussed the slow process of applying for and receiving Social Security benefits, noting the training and education of staff is required and there is currently a large backlog. He added that the application process can take between 15 to 18 months and that the office does not have the current staff to expedite services.
Due to the recent amount of rainfall, Rainey stated that Senator Vitter is working with the Corps of Engineers to watch flooding along the Red River and Atchafalaya River.