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19 Months


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March 2007 is month 19 and things are looking a bit better, but it is still one day at a time. The big issues remain unchanged. Race, flood control, and the economic future of the city remain in doubt.

ICF dramatically improved its performance in February by closing nearly 2,000 transactions in the last week of the month. Until that time they had only closed 297 transactions in six months. Now it looks like they can get the Road Home finished. The unofficial goal is 5,000 more in March and then 10,000 per month thereafter until done. As of March 19 it is looking like ICF may miss another goal, but that remains to be seen. With 3,085 closings completed and 1,725 scheduled, they could get to 5,000 by the end of the month. That would be 2,000 short of their goal.

President Bush returned to New Orleans on March 1st for his 12th visit since the storm with a message of hope. Recognizing that only $53 of the $110 billion committed for the recovery has actually been spent he committed to cut through bureaucracy to get the money rolling. He praised the charter school initiative. Curiously but not unexpectedly he came to New Orleans during a week in which Gov. Blanco was in Germany, maintaining the coolness and distance between the two. Click here to see what he actually said in full, but here is an excerpt about the money.

Just so you know, of the $110 billion, $86 billion of that has been obligated -- in other words, it's out the door. But only $53 billion has been spent. And so part of the day today we talked about if the money is out the door in Washington, where is it and how come it hasn't been out farther? And that's one of the things that we're going to continue to work on, to make sure that obligated money ends up in somebody's pocket, so it helps...

And one of the issues we have to work on is to make sure that the money that has been sent from Washington to fund the Road to Recovery program, the home program, actually gets spent. I don't know if you know this or not, but there is $6.2 billion that has been sent down; $50 million has been spent. And so we have an obligation, all of us involved with this process, to work to make sure that people begin getting that money so they can get back to living their lives.

One of the issues that we talked -- spent a lot of time about is infrastructure. And Louisiana has had -- now had $4.6 billion sent from the federal government. And actually, it's your money, so we're sending your money back to you -- about $4.6 billion and about $2.5 billion has not yet been spent. I guess what I'm telling you is, is that, first of all, there is money in the pipeline that I hope will help improve lives. And if it is stuck because of unnecessary bureaucracies, our responsibility at the federal, state and local level is to unstick it, is to make sure that it keeps moving.


I may be picky, but I don't like the President's terminology. He's done this before in a benign sort of way, but when he says "I don't know if you know this or not, but there is $6.2 billion that has been sent down; $50 million has been spent." I take offense. It not because only $50 million has been spent (in the "Road Home," that's not his problem), but it's because he said it's been "sent down." It is patronizing. Even he admits it is our money that's being sent back to us.

Crime fighting efforts ratched up dramatically. As a new initiative. the "1 New Orleans" civic action group turned its attention toward crime. People continued to get shot throughout the city. Drug on drug is the continuing theme.

As the 18 month deadline for filing maritime claims approached New Orleans' citizens and businesses filed huge law suits against the Corps of Engineers in the hope of reclaiming their flood related losses. The theory that the MrGO was a navigation project and not an immune flood control project may create some liability for the Corps. Chances are, just like the levees, the theory "won't hold water."  The filing deadline caused massive traffic jams in Carrollton at the Corps main office where last minute filers had to hand deliver documents. As a  result, for the first time, many New Olreanians became acquainted with this site. Many were amused that the address was on Leake Avenue at the levee, how appropriate. Over $400 billion in claims were filed including $200 billion by the state and $97 billion by the city. Corps personnel are still opening claims envelopes.

The big Health Care Information Management Systems conference was in town. With over 24,000 attending this is a big conference Its success further demonstrates the capacity of the city to host big events. Tourists continue to be surprised to see how well parts of the city are running and still ask if there is water in the streets.

Census figures emerged. 235k in NO is better than it was. Jefferson is the biggest in La. That explains the traffic. St. Tammany grows but not so much. Baton Rouge remains number 2. No one is happy with the data.

Blanco decided not to run for reelection. John Breaux may reemerge. There are billions and billions of dollars to spend. Jindal was most unhappy to hear this news. Black voters...?



It is still reasonably safe to visit or live in New Orleans unless you get involved in the drug subculture.  More and more of the citizens are armed (permits to carry concealed weapons are up 70%), but that is generally a good thing and could help suppress random violence.



18 months 20 months


Created : 4/5/2007 2:05:34 PM Updated: 4/5/2007 2:05:44 PM

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