[StBernard] Even time stands still out of respect - A Column by Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco

Westley Annis westley at da-parish.com
Sun Aug 27 12:02:43 EDT 2006


Even time stands still out of respect
- A Column by Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco


Kathleen Babineaux Blanco

I remember exactly where I was when President Kennedy was shot. My mother recalls clearly the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and my children know precisely what they were doing when the World Trade Center collapsed - as though it were only yesterday.

Hurricane Katrina - and not quite a month later, Rita - still conjure powerful memories of the best and worst blows that life can possibly deliver amidst the greatest natural disaster in United States history. For us, this was not one single shocking moment, but relentless assault - hour after hour, day after day, and week after week - of terrible and transforming energy.

Now, a year later on August 29, we are wise to pause and remember - to grieve for those departed and our inestimable loss; to thank those whose heroic and selfle! ss acts meant survival and hope; to celebrate miracles and victories that support our belief in the resilience and power of the human spirit.

For this memorial occasion, even time stands still out of respect.

Though tested, our people's faith has never broken. Although our journey ahead is long, we are closer than ever to getting those displaced on the road home, and all of us to a better and stronger Louisiana which is our final destination. On this anniversary, we have earned the right to celebrate progress and note many hard-won successes along our path.

In New Orleans, about 50 percent of the population has returned. Schools there will soon open to some 28,000 students. All area colleges are operating during this fall semester. Over 85 percent of New Orleans hotel rooms are open. Daily, 111 flights leave the city's international airport to 33 destinations. Conventions are returning - 70 percent of those booked in 2007 have been ret! ained; 90 percent are confirmed for 2008. Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest att racted over 700,000 visitors.

Serving you as governor during this critical time in our state's history is a huge challenge and my greatest honor. As your leader, I witnessed unprecedented devastation and human suffering. I have also experienced first-hand extraordinary acts of heroism and sacrifice. And I have accepted on your behalf America's - and the world's - astonishing generosity.

We are grateful to the President of the United States, Cabinet secretaries, Chairman Donald Powell and the United States Congress for providing funds to help repair our levees and infrastructure and bring our people home. We recognize and thank hundreds of companies, faith-based and grassroots organizations from every state in the nation whose aid and assistance proved that even in the worst of times, we are never alone.

But most of all, I thank personally and on behalf of all our citizens, the courageous men, women and families who each day face challeng! es and hardships that we could not imagine or predict one year ago. I pray daily for them - joined by so many others throughout our state and world - and for us all, endurance and strength to continue each day making real our dream of a safer, smarter, stronger Louisiana.

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The Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation
Louisiana's Fund for Louisiana's People
www.louisianahelp.org




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