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.