<p>“Nagin, who has hosted a steady stream of foreign dignitaries since Hurricane Katrina hit in late August, says he may seek international assistance because U.S. aid has not been sufficient to get the city back on its feet.”</p>
<p>Once a mendicant, always a mendicant!</p>
<p>“France can take Treme. The king of Jordan can take the Lower Ninth Ward,” Nagin said, referring to two of the city’s neighborhoods.</p>
<p>"France, Perben said through a translator, “wants to be a long-term partner for Louisiana and New Orleans.” </p>
<p>this guy is fodder for humor at every turn. Who shall drive this horse once Nagin has moved on??? I shall miss him if for nothing else but the incredible amounts of humor he provides us all. Where is Hale Boggs??</p>
<p>That is what makes him funny…he would be less dangerous if he weren’t for real that I can agree with. Pork and graft personified. Lowest common denominator. Tyranny of the majority.</p>
<p>Breeding isn’t the problem it is the fact that they are preventing any opposing opinions from breeding…hehehe It is in fact the restriction on opposing views and those rights.</p>
<p>I know the question does not beg for an answer in this thread … but Clinton would have declared the French Quarter a federal disaster area of the utmost importance. He would have made sure the brothels and bars return to their former efficacy and splendor in no time. Wait, maybe that did already happen in NOLA.</p>
<p>So what exactly has been done on the federal level for New Orleans and the area…how much money, where has it gone, what are the long term goals of the US Government</p>
<p>Leadership missing, no kidding, guess on overwhelmed Mayor is supposed to handle it ALL, to bad Brownie isn’t around to help out, now that was great leadership, and good thing Bush has been checking up on it and it was such a priority in the SOTU address, yep yep</p>
<p>Sen. David Vitter, R-La., called a 34 percent cut on the construction budget for the Army Corps of Engineers, which designs and builds storm protection projects, “extremely disappointing.”</p>
<p>And the contractors doing the work, well they are bidding in a fair and open system, right, right, and they are locals, right, right, and fair wages are going to be paid, right, right</p>
<p>And the largest port in the country is going to be protected, right, right</p>
<p>No wonder the Mayor is angry, and gee, even a Republican Sen is dismayed, but if he says much more, Rove will come after him</p>
<p>Um, no, he was saying NOW is not the time to cut the Budget for the Army Corps of Engineers when the levees, and levees all over the country are having problems, but so long as you personally are not affeced, you don’t seem to care, that I have been able to figure out</p>
<p>But remember, our American lives are more important than any others, that we know</p>
<p>Nay, Nay, Nay…I am saying that the levy/pump problem needs to be addresed NOW, with immediate funding. I have no opine that you attribute to me…doesn’t affect me so no support the the conditions. Really now. I am in no way saying that repairs shouldn’t happen but rather that an engineering remedy is needed at the same time.</p>
<p>CGM, I you ever were to wipe those partisan half-glasses clean and look a bit further than the tip of your nose -or those moronic blogs you so cherish- you may see that throwing more money at the Corps of Engineers is not a solution. Not a short term one, not a long-term one. Rebuilding the levees to their former state could be considered organized crime. Attempting to elevate them to Cat V is a waste of precious resources. Plans to mitigate the impact of the growth of the region and environmental disasters, as well as offer NOLA a fighting chance have existed for a … very long time. The main reason nothing has come from it has been Louisiana aboslute refusal to pay for its share of the expenses that were estimated at 15 billion. The current discussions are simply more of the same: a city and a state of beggars attempting to make their own problems a federal one. Now, they expect the country to absorb the entire price -without question- for their foolish decisions to live in unprotected areas. </p>
<p>The federal government should be very cautious in the manner it will help rebuild the area. Minimizing the amount of money that ends up in local hands would be a good start in a rotten-to-the-core city that is a poster child for all men’s sins and especially cronyism and corruption. The leadership of New Orleans and Louisiania has never shown much interest in the wellness of their own less fortunate citizens. It’s little surprise that they jump at the chance to blame others for the problems. It is always others! Always!</p>
<p>New Orleans seems to have no desire to fund the project I agree. Some will argue that they cannot but in fact what about the past? Why would funds be put on the table when one looks at the history??? Ask Nagin that???</p>
<p>“Our third commitment is this: When communities are rebuilt, they must be even better and stronger than before the storm. Within the Gulf region are some of the most beautiful and historic places in America. As all of us saw on television, there’s also some deep, persistent poverty in this region, as well. That poverty has roots in a history of racial discrimination, which cut off generations from the opportunity of America. We have a duty to confront this poverty with bold action. So let us restore all that we have cherished from yesterday, and let us rise above the legacy of inequality. When the streets are rebuilt, there should be many new businesses, including minority-owned businesses, along those streets. When the houses are rebuilt, more families should own, not rent, those houses. When the regional economy revives, local people should be prepared for the jobs being created.”</p>
<p>“And to help lower-income citizens in the hurricane region build new and better lives, I also propose that Congress pass an Urban Homesteading Act. Under this approach, we will identify property in the region owned by the federal government, and provide building sites to low-income citizens free of charge, through a lottery. In return, they would pledge to build on the lot, with either a mortgage or help from a charitable organization like Habitat for Humanity. Home ownership is one of the great strengths of any community, and it must be a central part of our vision for the revival of this region.”</p>
(Democrats, too.)</p>