New Orleans...what a mess!

From the Times-Picayune, New Orleans:

Louisiana congressional members expressed disappointment late Tuesday that President Bush didn't offer any new initiatives or plans to help the Gulf Coast recover from Hurricane Katrina in his State of the Union Address.

Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., said she doesn't sense that the president grasps the magnitude of the problems on the Gulf Coast by devoting only one short paragraph to Katrina recovery.

Sen. David Vitter, R-La., said that he, too, wished Bush had devoted more time to Hurricane Katrina.

Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, said he hoped the effort to rebuild the Gulf Coast would have gotten more than one paragraph in a speech that ran 64 paragraphs

Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville, said he appreciated Bush's plea to tone down the bitter partisan rhetoric and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil. "However, I cannot help but wonder if Washington grasps the situation in Louisiana," Melancon said. "Things aren't getting better by themselves and time is not on our side."


Maybe it’s just my poor memory, but didn’t Bush deliver an entire speech from Jackson Square devoted to the Gulf Coast recovery effort? Didn’t he outline a complete plan on how to rebuild the area? It was arguably the best speech he has ever given as President and his plan for recovery was brilliant. Now it’s up to the local communities to execute that plan. But the process of rebuilding is now bogged down in the courts because certain citizens feel that their homes, which were at one point under ten feet of polluted water, shouldn’t be demolished. It’s awfully hard to rebuild a city that’s full of condemned homes that can’t be demolished. My advice to the local Louisiana politicians…ensure you clean the city before demanding help from the federal government. No matter how much money is thrown your way, you can’t rebuild a city in ruins without brushing aside the ruins!