Failed Politics Should Not Control Louisiana Rebuild

BayouBuzz.com ^ | 9/19/2005 | Jeff Crouere

[Ben Mugged]

Now that President Bush has made a massive commitment to the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast and the Greater New Orleans area, the usual suspects are moving in to try to secure the federal money. Last week in Dallas, a group of mostly white business leaders met with Mayor Ray Nagin about their vision of how to rebuild New Orleans. Upon his return, Nagin was greeted by complaints by African American politicians who did not appreciate the Mayor’s meeting. These politicians want to control the flow of federal funds to the city. So, which group should lead? Actually, neither group should direct the rebuilding of New Orleans because both of them failed the city miserably over the past few years. Not only did the business community and the politicians fail, but the ministers failed as well. Otherwise, New Orleans would not have been so poor, so crime ridden, have some of the worst public schools in the country and of course be completely vulnerable to hurricanes.

[Ben Mugged]

I'm not sure the Mayor is the right person to handle our money.

[jw777]

I'm positive he's not the right person. Get someone in there who is not a politician. Someone who knows how to run a business and who will make sure the money is not fettered away on corrupt commissions and boards and most importantly, a piece of real estate that is not designed to sustain life below sea level

[RexBeach]

Trying to decide who should ride herd over all of that dough is like chosing between getting your head chopped off or burned at the stake.

It is not possible in the environment of LA politics, especially in NO. 25% of the city lived below the poverty line for a reason.

We, as taxpayers, just have to hold out our money-filled hands, and hope that the scaliwags don't take off too many fingers.

[WasDougsLamb]

DO NOT let that dumb as an ox mayor handle it by ANY means or anyone he picks. They all have their own agenda and it has nothing to do with improving living conditions for the displaces citizens. Nagin should have NO SAY at all unless he is using his own money, which we all know he isn't. Let someone with a brain handle it.