Shortly after the storm estimates ranged up to $250 billion for reconstruction.

At least that's what the wish list proposed by Louisiana Senators Vitter (R) and Landrieu (D) suggested. The Bush administration and the Congress don’t want to appear uncaring but they also don’t want to turn that kind of money over to Louisiana and certainly not to the local elected officials in the hope that it will be spent wisely. They don’t trust FEMA either.

$250 billion translates into about $833 contributed to New Orleans by each and every American, or roughly $4,000 per family. That’s real money especially while our aging nation is supporting never ending Wars on Terror, Drugs, and Poverty (but that’s another story). Another way to look at this is to consider that $250 billion divided equally among the 485,000 citizens of Orleans Parish would be just over $515,000 per person. My family of five would receive over $2.5 million. We could undoubtedly find a way to scrape by. 

Congress needs to be convinced that rebuilding is going to be worthwhile. They are demanding to know how the money will be spent. They have asked for a vision of the rebuilt city. The Bush administration has wisely ducked this issue, claiming that they will support the vision proposed by local government. Will it be the same? If so, what will keep this from happening again? They don’t like that vision. They ask unpopular questions like whether some areas, perhaps the whole area should be abandoned. Local politicians, especially the ones elected from the affected areas are horrified.

 Donald Powell, the FDIC Chairman has been named reconstruction czar.  Interviewed by  Garland Robinette nine weeks after the storm but right after his appointment, he had to beg off on almost every question in order to gather some facts. Its too bad the feds couldn't maintain some continuity.

Blue Ribbon committees have been formed. The theory is that these “celebrities” will come up with an acceptable vision and that they’ll have the reputation necessary to sell their vision. It’ll have to be vetted at every level of government and pass public review.  A generally accepted vision could then be converted to a plan as the basis for federal funding and ultimately executed by a capable team of public and private sector executives. Governor Blanco has promised transparency at all levels with Big 4 audits all around. Sounds like it will take quite a while.

The Urban Land Institute studied the situation and recommended a plan that would focus rebuilding on the highest parts of the city first and designate some previously residential areas for flood control and greenspace.

Vision, planning, and execution are not the historical strengths of the political and business leadership in Louisiana and especially New Orleans. Insular politics, backroom deals, scandals and racism are the words that are more commonly associated with the region’s leadership. Since the 1929 depression, New Orleans has squandered its advantages in geography, natural resources and population to decline from arguably America’s fourth greatest metropolis into a second rate city barely able to retain its professional football franchise and unable to educate its young. It’s this type of leadership that makes the nation skeptical.