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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Lol, yeah "pretty much."
The GOP's been hijacked by "compassionate conservative" RINOs.
I agree with your sentiment, if I'm reading it right.
This is an excellent time to move the free market in and allow citizens who rent to instead buy.
Private property owners are America's strength, and private property owners stand as an example and reason to raze every federal housing complex in existence.
I'm 100% in favor of the government rebuilding the NO port because it stands as a critical fort for America's security in the old, constitutional meaning of the word.
But I also want the citizens of NO to become property owners and not renters and welfare check cashers in some federal housing project.
I absolutely do not want the government moving in and buying houses and apartments for NO citizens. I want the people going into the free market and finding loans and building what they want to live in.
I don't think you missed anything. I was replying to the poster who was talking about the money being used to lift people out of poverty, etc. In other words, being used to do things that government doesn't know how to do, or have the authority to do.
I'm not one of those who thinks government should take much of a role in the ordering and arranging of society, so my tendency is to be skeptical when I hear a politician talking about spending huge sums. But the way things operate these days, it's inevitable that the federal government will step in and I'm sure the chances that Bush will handle things more wisely than Kerry would have. But on the whole, my opinion is that the nation's problems, including this problem, tend to be solved better and more quickly when government stays out of the way. I do think this disaster qualifies as one which affects national security, though, so there is a role for the federal government.
The irony of having a conservative president is that he is, as far as I can see, increasing the power and reach of central government. That's not good, but it's really not good when a Dem gets elected and has the extra power at his disposal.
<1> Come on. If it's valuable, then private investors in the U.S. will grab it up.
Private industry is already showing up. I liked the lifting of the Federal taxes, the tax breaks, and god willing, the idiot regulations, many of which contributed to this mess, being suspended. I don't like the federal hand either ,but it beats the hell out of Blank-os cronies (read Edwards' cronies) gettng their paws on the rebuild money .
Give what you like, Peach, but don't be generous with what I produce. No matter how wonderful it makes you feel, my money isn't yours.
I think you're right on. It is strategically located, it has theadvantage of access to both sides of the nation. Now one thing tha tdoes need to ne done is get control of the airport out of the hands of the cronies and race hustlers like Revius Ortigue
I thought the President was pretty clear. He spoke of tax incentives for private business and some government aid. I did not read anything about the Feds ruling everything , monitoring yes, keeping it out of the crooks' hands, yes.
I think that some here have failed to see , and it is understandable in light of the Media blitz, how vital New Orleans is stratrgically, both in security and national commerce. Ithink one thing is the realization that COUP,SOUL,BOLD and the Democrat dictatorship left people helpless and poor.
Your thoughts?
But the Neocon, Bushbot, Kool-Aid drinkers will love it. Because, after all, Bush has an "R" after his name, and he's better than Hillary.
I understand your concerns, and actually share some of them. Regarding your comment that 'he is increasing the power and reach of the central government'; were you referring to his comment that he was going to recommend that the federal government have the control/power to use the military in an emergency situation w/o consulting with state and local governments? I'm conflicted about this proposal. He needed the right to take over in Louisiana because of the ineptness of the governor and mayor, but Barbour and Riley seemed to have the evacuation of Mississippi and Alabama under control.
Incidentally, I grew up in Louisiana, so I am well aware of the corruptness in the state, and the reasons for the high poverty level. We (Louisianians)need to stop the 'share the wealth' mentality that Huey and Earl Long incorporated and has been used by most of the state's politicians in order to secure the vote of the poor.
I'm gonna take my purse and set inside a bear trap so they can't get to our money. :-)
Though I agree with your sentiment regarding owning vs renting I was making the point that we will not be subsidizing landlords and management companies who seem to control about 70% of NO residential units. Whether they rebuild the rental property is the decision of the land owner.
As an aside I would think that most of the working renters are permanently lost to NO.
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Don't go to jail and stay out of San Francisco and your money just might be safe. :-)
I am so freakin' pissed!!!!,p>Bush said...,""It is now clear that a challenge on this scale requires greater federal authority and a broader role for the armed forces, the institution of our government most capable of massive logistical operations on a moment's notice."
"...greater federal authority"???? "...greater federal authority"????" ...greater federal authority"????" ...greater federal authority"????" ...greater federal authority"????" ...greater federal authority"????" ...greater federal authority"????" ...greater federal authority"????"
But..but..he was put in office by God himself. Just ask him!
I hope I'm not the only one to notice that Bush has done more damage to the conservative movement than five Clintons could have.
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You're welcome friend.
So you joined here a few months ago and have a lousy attitude. What do you think should be done with New Orleans? Let it die?
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