Posted on 09/15/2005 6:50:47 PM PDT by anonymoussierra
President George W Bush has promised the US government will do and spend whatever it takes to rebuild the hurricane-hit Gulf Coast. Speaking from New Orleans, Mr Bush said billions of dollars would be spent on the reconstruction - "an unprecedented response to an unprecedented crisis".
New Orleans' mayor said three districts would re-open next week, and the historic French Quarter a week later.
Meanwhile the confirmed death toll from Hurricane Katrina rose to 792.
The president's prime-time speech from the French Quarter came on his fourth trip to the region since Katrina smashed communities across the Gulf Coast over two weeks ago.
It is two days since Mr Bush said he accepted responsibility for the failings of the federal government's response to the hurricane. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
'Great city'
The BBC's Claire Marshall said it was a surreal scene as Mr Bush stood in a deserted Jackson Square, in an empty city, addressing millions of people via the airwaves.
"Throughout the area hit by the hurricane, we will do what it takes. We will stay as long as it takes to help citizens rebuild their communities and their lives," Mr Bush said.
"There is no way to imagine America without New Orleans, and this great city will rise again."
The president needs to put in a convincing performance to counter falling approval ratings, the BBC's Justin Webb in Washington says.
'Life, commerce'
Mayor Ray Nagin earlier announced that residents will be allowed to return to some parts of the city from next week.
The move should allow about a third of New Orleans' 485,000 people back home.
"The city of New Orleans will start to breathe again," he said.
Mayor Nagin said the first section to re-open to residents would be Algiers on Monday. The city's uptown areas would follow in stages next Wednesday and Friday.
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"We will have life. We will have commerce," he said.
Residents of three suburbs have been returning home since basic services damaged during the storm and its floods were restored.
Some of those allowed back into Gretna, Westwego and Lafitte at daybreak on Wednesday found their properties relatively unscathed, while others were piles of rubble.
However, much of New Orleans still lacks basic amenities such as clean water and electricity, Claire Marshall reports from the city.
It is thought that around 40% of the city is still rotting under the fetid flood waters, our correspondent says.
People are being advised that the receding flood waters contain hazardous substances, such as e-coli, lead and arsenic.
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Better to help them get a mortgage so they have a vested interest in the reagion than to house them back into "projects".
Sam, you're talking about free enterprise and individual initiative. These are concepts that once existed, but these ideas fly completely over the heads of some freepers on this post.
"take from one group of people and give to another "
They aren't taking anything from us. That's a cynical approach. We're giving to them in their time of need. And that's Christ-like.
Homeowners have pretty much been helped in State and National emergencies via loans and grants to rebuild or relocate. Since 70% of NOLA residents were renters there may be fewer homeowners than you might think.
Did your finger fall asleep on the return key?
Did your finger fall asleep on the return key?
Did your finger fall asleep on the return key?
Did your finger fall asleep on the return key?
Did your finger fall asleep on the return key?
"And ah...it's not just "your" money. Why should you be the "one" to decide?"
I have no wish to decide how other people's money will be spent, only my own. Wanting to decide where my own money will be spent is a strange concept in this day and age, it seems.
If others wish for a central authority to decide how much of their money will be spent and on what cause, that's their prerogative. But it is flatly wrong for them to decide how other people's money will be spent.
The government has to intervene here to secure our BORDER for the market to generate cash flow.
Ref:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1485468/posts
The Port of New Orleans - Why We Must Rebuild!
That's for sure, weirdly. But, to quote Sir William Harcourt, English Parliament, 19th century, "We are all socialists now."
I actually don't think that's as much of a stretch as it sounds at first glance. Unhappily.
He's spending far more than WE have. Of course WE are the ones who will have to pay it all back........with interest.
He's spending far more than WE have. Of course WE are the ones who will have to pay it all back........with interest.
Huh?? Was there actually such a campaign theme??
To give a brief answer. Take the NYC Twin towers 911 disaster, it covered a total of 16 acres.
Katrina has devastated 60,000,000 acres, an area larger than all of Great Britain. Well over 1,000,000 people have been displaced, their homes, businesses, cities and towns almost totally destroyed.
You are familiar with the concept of taxes, aren't you?
We're giving to them in their time of need. And that's Christ-like.
Christ-like is not forcibly taking money from someone to give to someone else. You're free to give as much of your own money as you choose.
thank you
That is assuming you are privy as to how the money is being allocated. New Orleans IS a border.
Possibly I missed something, but I thought I understood President Bush to say he was going to appoint 'overseers' to see that the money was used wisely. In the past, the State of Louisiana has had control of the money and squandered it on project for which it was not alloted. The State wasted millions on wetlands at the suggestion of environmentalists rather than reinforcing the levees.
The Governor of Louisiana had asked that the Federal government pay ALL the expenses for damage caused by Katrina, and I did not hear the President agree to do that. I am cautiously optimistic about his recommendations. He had to do something, and while I have read much criticism of what he has outlined; I haven't seen any proposals as to how we should solve all the problems facing this nation.
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