Chicago Sun-Times Editorial - Failed flood of promises - Bush's inaction leaves New Orleans mired

Chicago Sun-Times Editorial - Failed flood of promises - Bush's inaction leaves New Orleans mired
Copyright by The Chicago Sun-Times
August 29, 2007



Dear President Bush, don't be afraid to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty when you address New Orleans today. You might be shocked by what you don't see.
Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Big Easy two years ago today, wiped out whole neighborhoods, killed 1,800 in the region and threatened the spirit of a city that made its mark by its improvised music -- and its laid-back way of life.

But much of that has changed.

Federal spending on Gulf Coast repairs has exceeded $114 billion, and we hear you're seeking an additional $7.6 billion to restore New Orleans' mangled levee system. That's pocket change compared to the more than $500 billion we've spent so far on Iraq. If you can rebuild a nation, surely you can rebuild a single city.

Perhaps you should take a cue from Sen. Barack Obama, who suggested creating a national catastrophic insurance reserve to assist affected homeowners.

We aren't blaming you for local corruption that has slowed progress, but two years ago, you said you'd take control.

"When the federal government fails to meet such an obligation, I, as President, am responsible for the problem, and for the solution," you said.

If that's true, let's take a look at your solutions:

YOU SAID: "We're going to restore order in the city of New Orleans."

WHAT HAPPENED: Military police still patrol the streets. The murder rate has doubled with more than 125 homicide victims so far this year. Burglary rates jumped 73 percent since Katrina. Police ranks have fallen, and as of July, no repairs had been made to damaged police stations.

YOU SAID: "I appreciate that FEMA will be providing a lot of temporary housing, and that's one of the responsibilities that Federal Emergency Management Agency assumes, to find shelter for people."

WHAT HAPPENED: FEMA spent $7.6 billion to repair and replace about 1.4 million homes. The agency also paid $2.3 billion on rent. Today 61,817 families live in FEMA trailers and shelters.

Another federal program designed to rehab damaged homes will fall short by $5 billion. That's partly because FEMA underestimated the need for house repairs. Only 45,000 of the 184,000 who asked for help have received it.

YOU SAID: "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job."

WHAT HAPPENED: Disgraced former FEMA director Michael Brown has since taken a job selling disaster response and data-mining technology.

YOU SAID: "Out of New Orleans is going to come that great city again."

WHAT HAPPENED: Before Katrina, New Orleans had 128 public schools, only 83 have reopened. Before Katrina, the city had 13 public libraries, today it has nine. Fewer than two-thirds of pre-storm hospital beds are available. Just 98 out of the 276 child-care facilities have reopened. Only 60 percent of its pre-Katrina population of 455,000 reside in New Orleans today.

Local musicians -- the city's heart and soul -- are barely making it. Once numbering 3,000, musicians have dropped to 1,800 -- with many begging to be paid minimum wage. So desperate, a few dozen took to the streets Sunday protesting the cut-throat wages.

What remains in parts of New Orleans is a ghost of what was. Many homes are still in disrepair and unoccupied, their front stoops leading to piles of splintered two-by-fours and dangling wires.

What we're asking, Mr. President: How can New Orleans achieve greatness, when so many residents can't go home?