The plan?

Up for some reading?

"Rebuilding New Orleans"

The six main points:
1. Providing flood and storm water protection for all neighborhoods;
2. Helping residents to rebuild their neighborhoods by providing the information and expertise needed to plan community rebuilding;
3. Investing in neighborhoods that residents want to return to and rebuild;
4. Ensuring that residents in heavily flooded areas that don’t want to rebuild get 100% of the pre-Katrina market value of their homes;
5. Connecting the New Orleans neighborhoods with bus routes, street cars and light rail; and
6. Commitment to no less than 25% of CDBG funds for development of affordable housing and potentially as much as 33%.

Five of the points are not too crazy. Point #4 ought to scare the bejesus out of anyone, however it could actually work depending on the splitting of drilling rights described.

With regards to rebuilding, it's hard to say out loud what is being inferred here - that some neighborhoods are not coming back, and most people who lived there won't want to. With referring to greenspace and flood protection, you would have a good idea of the area being described based on the damage received and the news reported - has to mean the Lower 9th Ward at a minimum, and other parts of New Orleans East. Despite what is said on p. 6 about connecting those neighborhoods to the CBD and downtown with light rail. It won't make sense if folks won't live there.

A dam at the Industrial Canal would help avoid the problems of water being shoved into the canal from the Lake, and spilling over and through the banks.

Tourism/Culture: I find it very funny that the amount being requested here for a whole bunch of facilities will probably cost less than the Nationals' new ballpark ends up costing. This would be an important investment given the city's unique atmosphere. Tourism drives the local economy more than anything else and it's vital that this area is re-established - without people coming into the city, there is no tourism. With no tourism, there's no money for city taxes, businesses, employees, etc.

Anyway, it's an interesting read, at least.

More later from a more personal viewpoint from the past weekend...