[Ben Mugged]

Spend, spend, spend

[Windsong]

Welcome to FR (relatively speaking)

[frankjr]

Phew, I am glad Nagin was at the meeting...I am sure he had a lot of great insights to contribute. So $3B seems reasonable assuming the levees really do hold in future storms. Now what are Blanco and Nagin going to do with the other $247B they requested?

[Fishtalk]

Hmmm.

This is more interesting by who WASN't there then by who was.

No Governor Blanco, no Senator Landreau. I suppose they have cast their fate to the wind. Mayor Nagin, on the other hand, who USED to be a Republican, seems to be right in the thick of it. Nagin could be useful in grooming a new society and culture of New Orleans, one, dare I say it, of a more conservative bent.

Then again Nagin is the Mayor of NO and should be there. Thus my political speculation is for nought.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

The Left will say that it's "not enough" and will blame Bush anyway when another Hurricane hits.

[BarbM]

Instead of listening to the "Honorable" Mayor Nagen lie about the Feds doing shoddy work on the Levees and even blowing them up (we call them dikes up North, but dike isn't politically correct) why don't we do a thorough audit of all levee funds? Are the Jails in New Orleans open?

[GaltMeister]

Wow, the Nawlins criminal politicians are gonna have to work overtime to figure out how to steal that much money.

[Smile-n-Win]

When asked if the levees would be built to withstand a Category 5 storm, officials used broader language instead, promising that the city's citizens would be safe and the levees would be "stronger and better."

I suppose a Category 5-proof levee would cost $5 billion. But maybe it's just my optimism.

[American Quilter]

I object. I realize the govt has no interest in my opinion, but as one of the millions of taxpayers who will be forced to pay for levies to protect a city built below sea-level, I object anyway.

I think New Orleans should be rebuilt only if the residents of Louisiana are willing to pay for it.

[Pookee]

In other news, ground broken on new casino construction!

[LA Woman3]

NAGIN: WE WILL HAVE "THE HOLY TRINITY OF RECOVERY"

[TChris]

Oh fer cryin' out loud!

It would be better to buy every New Orleans family a brand new house in the state of their choice and bulldoze what's left of the city. You would save money now and in the future too.

[NJ_gent]

Only $3 Billion? Why not $10 Billion? Or $100 Billion?

Someone please remind me which party won the Presidency for the White House in 2004.

[TXBSAFH]

And naturally there will be cuts to pay for this? NOT!!!!

[jw777]

why not just burn it. same result.

[noblejones]

Are those three billion "big dig" demoRAT dollars, which would be roughly equivalent to thirty billion human dollars?

[John Jorsett]

When asked if the levees would be built to withstand a Category 5 storm, officials used broader language instead, promising that the city's citizens would be safe and the levees would be "stronger and better."

I'd be vague too. We might design and build them to withstand a Cat 5, but with the same city bozos in charge of maintaining them, who knows what might happen?

[NRA2BFree]

President Bush will request billions more to help rebuild the levee system in New Orleans, Louisiana, Donald Powell, the top federal official for reconstruction, announced Thursday.

What's a few billion between friends? I'm sure our great-great-great grand kids won't mind paying for it. I mean, gee whiz, it's only money! < / sarcasm >

[philsfan24]

great - spend $3 billion on these levees and then 20 years from now, theyll be destroyed by a cat 5 hurricane. heres an idea: BUILD THE CITY ABOVE SEA LEVEL.

[Mo1]

Exactly WHO will be in control of that money and the rebuilding of the Levee

Not ONE dime should go in the hands of the state or Blanco

Speaking of Blanco .. I didn't see her name mentioned in this article

Was she not invited??

[gridlock]

For $3 Billion, couldn't we just pay everybody in New Orleans $12,000 to move?