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.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"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.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"What do you think?"
_
All your money are belong to New Orleans, Mississippi and Alabama.
Anyone see the ABC news interview of the Katrina evacuees in Texas right after the speech?
wow the interviewer tried really hard to get negative responses from the people and get them to blame Bush.
BUT HE COULDN'T!
IT WAS GREAT!
They praised Bush, they blamed Nagin and the State for the poor evacuation.
Just the cost of doing business!!
Hi, anonymoussierra. I think it's important that we don't let an entire city and many small towns get wiped off the face of the map as though they never existed.
It's important we don't let a million people go homeless.
And it's a good thing that people will be lifted out of poverty, if possible, and will no longer live in slums that are rife with gangs and drug dealers. Let their children grow up in safety and know that not everyone lives the way they have been living. Give them hope.
It's going to take a lot of money. And America has money. In spades.
You'll see a lot of carping that the Republicans have become big spenders. And to some extent that's true. But 9/11 has been the cause for most of the spending in terms of defense dollars. And not this disaster will cost a lot too. But, imo, we can afford it. And we have no choice.
Bush will go down as the biggest, big government president of all time. No wonder the price of gold goes up five dollars every day. The US dollar will be worthless because Bush is spending far more than he has.
It was certainly false, maybe not a premediated lie.
Not really, we are rebuilding Iraq why not our own cities after a natural disaster?
What other President has had the disasters as this man?
The U.S. Dollar is toast.
Gold bullion has been money for thousands of years and is your friend.
IT WAS GREAT!
They praised Bush, they blamed Nagin and the State for the poor evacuation.
-----
The disgusting MSM rears its ugly, anti-American head again, to try and not only denegrate Bush, but ATTEMPT to cast every negative angle on the situation. They are absolutely repulsive.
It's going to take a lot of money. And America has money. In spades.
That is TOTAL BS and our tax bill in the next few years will prove it!
wonderful.
Mrs. Shawnlaw - our taxes have gone down and this president isn't going to raise your taxes once red cent.
1.-he's starting to worry more about his legacy than his (stated) philosophy.
2.-he's back on the sauce.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.