When the mayor, Ray Nagin, a private sector executive, who is action oriented but politically isolated and considered a loose cannon, floated a five point plan including the idea of a gaming corridor in New Orleans it was quickly shot down. But no one offered an alternative. The mayor's concern that the city was financially adrift, even before the storm, went unaddressed.

Nagin was re-elected. He has a mandate and he has a line of credit for $150 million dollars. The budget is a patchwork and if this city is to survive he will have to find ways to cut costs so that the debt does not balloon to unmanageable levels. His pledge to open every area of the city for residents suggests he is not ready to cut costs.

Perhaps he's counting on a state or federal bailout. But a debt of $600 million spread across 200,000 residents is hard to imagine. That would be $3,000 for every man, woman and child in the city. I'm not ready to write my check for $15,000 so Ray can have his way. That would be a debt that no other city had to bear. Many will vote with their feet when confronted with higher sales and property taxes, maybe even a city income tax.