Obama’s Plan to Restore New Orleans
Obama’s got a plan. I’ll try not to be cynical and give him the benefit of the doubt. He’s a fairly new politician so maybe he actually means what he says.
From the NY Times, Obama’s Plan to Restore New Orleans. His planned approach is a welcome one:
The Gulf Coast restoration, Mr. Obama said, has been weighed down by red tape that has kept billions of dollars from reaching Louisiana communities. As president, he said, he would streamline the bureaucracy, strengthen law enforcement to curb a rise in crime and immediately close the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet in order to restore wetlands to protect against storms.
As is his plan to appoint a czar (let’s not call it an overseer):
Mr. Obama, according to details provided by his campaign, said he would appoint a chief coordinating officer to “cut through bureaucratic obstacles” and a chief financial officer “to minimize waste and abuse.” Only about 40 percent of the money allocated by FEMA to rebuild schools, hospitals and other infrastructure has reached Louisiana communities, he said, which could be improved upon with better coordination.
I honestly think that one is the most significant.
He also wants to start a drug enforcement agency in New Orleans and start a “Cops for Katrina” program to hire more police and prosecutors. I wonder how all of this will be paid?
LewisC
new orleans, obama, politics, katrina
August 28th, 2007 at 5:22 pm
I think it’s going to take more than politics to rebuild the damage done. This is the type of thing that makes me wish that I was rich, so that I could help more.