Posted on 08/04/2006 8:31:49 AM PDT by Uneasy Rider
LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Nearly a year after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans remains without a blueprint for reconstruction, the lack of which leaves its already shaky future in doubt. Without a plan outlining which neighborhoods will thrive again and which won't, the remaining critical elements have yet to take shape for New Orleans -- its makeup, direction and, ultimately, its economic outlook.
Mayor C. Ray Nagin has vowed to rebuild every neighborhood, even those severely flooded when Katrina's storm surge trashed several levees and deluged three-fourths of the city on Aug. 29.
"The mayor's not casting off any area of the city," said Terry Davis, a spokesman for Nagin. Not content with plans others have put forward, the city is going neighborhood by neighborhood to canvass homeowners for their thoughts on rebuilding -- a time-consuming process to say the least.
(Excerpt) Read more at marketwatch.com ...
Democrats in action...
The mayor can say what he wishes about "casting off any area of the city" but the reality is that he has no call in that. The entire eastern part of the city will not get any insurance...the cost of providing utilities, police and fire will be astronomical on per household unit basis - the city cannot afford the delivery system to that area. In the end, as it is always,economics will determine what gets built where - not the politiicans.
I'm familiar with this technique:
Voter #1: "We need ABC"
Voter #2: "We need ABC"
Voter #3: "We need ABC"
Mayor Nagin: "Our polls have confirmed what we suspected -- the voters want XYZ."
I'd be hesitant to bet money on that. The eastern part of the city (the "newest" suburban area in Orleans parish) was turned into a gigantic public housing project in the mid-1980s by an overabundance of apartment complexes turned Section 8 federally-subsidized housing. Single-family residences in the area are badly undervalued, due to the large number of HUD bond money mortgages.
HUD is suing the city to force the reopening of the public housing facilities, so you can bet there will be some legal arm-twisting to ensure that the "underprivileged" sections of town receive full city services at pre-Katrina prices (or less) - even if it means the rich white Uptown residents have to tote more of the load.
By the time everybody gets their cut, it'll be a great wonder if there's enough left over for a good crawfish boil.
Mr. Spike Lee can make a movie, sell tickets to guilty liberals, run sniveling ads on HBO and rebuild his roach infested chocolate paradise to his own specifications.
As for me, any penny vacuumed out of my pockets and into the purses of Louisiana politicians is robbery and dammned robbery too.
Man, you hit it right on the button!
I... Have... A Plan.
The Democrats who run local and state guvment are waiting for the Federal guvment to tell them what to do. (?)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.