You have to wonder how many of these "displaced" voters were taxpayers to begin with.
Some of the feeders might actually have gotten jobs.
Put yourself in the state revenue position. Upwards to 200,000 residents have "suddenly" left. Most have jobs set up in other states now...paying their taxes. Of the vast majority of small business owners in New Orleans...I'd bet half are not back in business and half of that group won't ever be able to return to business (or won't do it in New Orleans). Since the hurricane...you've lost alot of sales tax revenue, and employee income tax. You can't make this up. The state will be in serious trouble by the end of this year with revenue probably 25 percent lagging behind expectations...and the city of New Orleans? Don't expect their case to get any better by the end of this year. My bet is that the Feds will be invited by the summer of 2007...to help run the municipal services of New Orleans...thats how bad this revenue thing will go. It'll be just another reason to leave the state.