Kudos to U.S. Rep. Chip Pickering, who promised this week to push Federal Emergency Management Agency officials to simplify their rules with regard to local governments.

In the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, communities that suffered damage from the storms complained of being left behind by the federal agency. But our own local communities, which were hit hard as we tried to care for thousands of people stranded by the storm, have at times felt left out by federal officials as well.

We don’t fault the FEMA workers on the ground &045; they simply don’t always have the information or the resources to help. That needs to come from a chain of command that starts at the top.

Pickering said he wants FEMA to respond within 30 days with what action it will take when local governments ask for help.

Mayors in our local communities &045; both in Adams County and Concordia Parish &045; have been asking for guidance for weeks on housing for Katrina evacuees. Meanwhile, thousands of trailers are going unused in Alabama, where officials set them up in state parks expecting evacuees to flock to that state.

Not only would prep-planning have helped avoid that problem, simply paying attention to what was happening on the ground might have been a good idea. After Katrina, it was obvious where most of the evacuees were &045; you simply had to look at the numbers of people in shelters and hotels. It was a big gamble to think families would want to uproot themselves once again to go to another state for a new home.

Pickering also said he will push FEMA to make 100 percent reimbursements for work done after storms. Currently, FEMA only reimburses 75 percent of the cost if local governments clean up debris on their own rather than call in a contractor. That makes no sense, and it’s a rule we hope Pickering can get changed.

We’ve learned a lot from the aftermath of Katrina and Rita, and at least one federal official is listening to local governments’ problems &045; let’s hope he can convince others as well.