[Asfarastheeastisfromthewest...]

I can list so many reasons why this city should not be rebuilt that it would consume the rest of the day.....

[Left Coast Refugee]

This is unbelievable, almost.

[edcoil]

What do you expect from government. Look a the losers in the OJ Simpson case. They got to retire on the tax-payers dime.

[Mr. K]

Normally I would say 'unbelievble' but, sadly, it is very believable.

[SittinYonder]

This is the second or third time I've seen an aricle about this. The idea is so utterly preposterous and lacking all reason that until Ray Nagin comes to my home and confirms for me face-to-face that he really wants to send his emergency workers and their families to Las Vegas, I will assume this is a rumor that started on Scrappleface.

[NorseWood]

Thats right Mayor, after your police force has just gone through perhaps the shock of their lives, send them to an adult fantasy land where they can dump their hard earned money into slot machines, pay for overpriced entertainment and meals, etc. instead of saving their money for the personal expenses they surely have. Instead of sending them on an expenses paid trip to fantasy land, why not give them the leadership and management training and counseling that will help them deal with this horrible experience and prepare them for the next time.

[.cnI redruM]

Maybe he's hoping the trash he sends to Vegas stays in Vegas.

[Antonello]

Mayor Suggests 1 Wk Paid Vegas Vacation for Police

Well, that's one way to get rid of some of the looters.

[redlocks322]

This is a joke, right?

[The SISU kid]

"The Big Easies" "Finest" on the job...

[5by5]

Nagin needs to buy off the police, get them away from interviewers and work out the details of the post-hurricane script that they're all going to recite. This is part of his rapid response a$$-covering.

[wideawake]

Of course it should be rebuilt, but obviously not on the same scale.

If the high-value, higher-ground portion is kept, a smaller, less expensive levee can be built.

The city proper has been a shrinking city for the past few decades - there were 25% fewer people in NO in 2004 than in 1924.

Also, according to the census 40% of the population were non-families.

The traditional, culturally distinct NO can be approximated in a smaller city with a larger proportional tax base, less corruption and more capital.

A revamped NO may attract more artists, musicians and small businesspeople who were frustrated by the red tape, graft and criminality of the old NO.

The fact is, the number of live music venues, independent art galleries and distinctive restaurants in NO had been declining for decades before Katrina.

[FreeInWV]

Remember after 9/11 all of the people proudly wearing NYPD & FDNY hats & shirts. Millions were raised for those heroic folks.

I wonder how many NOPD hats will be sold?

[DallasMike]

Fellow Freepers:

At the suggestion of writer Michelle Malkin last Friday, I have cobbled together a blogsite called Texas Clearinghouse for Katrina Aid to serve as a clearinghouse for refugee efforts in Texas.

Texas is getting more refugees than any other state -- that's fine, we'll take them all -- but we need help providing them with food, clothing, medicine, and shelter. We need help taking care of their pets, too.

If you are a refugee, you can information that will help you find relief. If you want to donate or volunteer, you can find someone who needs you. Believe me, there are a lot of organizations who need your help.

Right now the site mostly covers Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas but I'm adding more every night. My wife was down at Reunion Arena in Dallas Tuesday handing out care packages and spiritually ministering to the refugees as a representative of her employer. She says that the situation is tragic and that there's a lot of work to be done. There are so many children who don't know where their parents are or even if their parents are still alive.

There are a lot of churches and other organizations in Texas that need help in dealing with the problem and I would appreciate it if you would get the word out.

Many thanks,

Michael McCullough

Stingray blogsite