[StBernard] In Maiden Visit To New Orleans, Obama Faces Criticisms, High Hopes

Westley Annis westley at da-parish.com
Thu Oct 15 21:29:44 EDT 2009


In Maiden Visit To New Orleans, Obama Faces Criticisms, High Hopes
October 15, 2009 9:33 a.m. EST


New Orleans, LA (AHN) - President Barack Obama on Thursday visits New
Orleans for the first time since assuming office, amid lingering criticisms
about his absence during the fourth anniversary of Katrina in August, and
new grumblings about the quickness of his maiden trip.

The destruction wrought by the costliest and one of the deadliest hurricanes
in the nation's history is still all too evident in New Orleans, where after
four years nearly 66,000 homes remain abandoned and more than 8,000 families
still await word about their Road Home grant applications, according to the
Greater New Orleans Community Data Center.

The city's only public hospital, Louisiana State University's Charity
Hospital, is also still closed, mired in a legal battle between community
groups and the the university and the Veterans Affairs Department over a
proposal to destroy a 27-block of the Lower Mid-City to make way for a new
teaching hospital and veterans medical complex.

Moroever, New Orleans remains vulnerable to floods, with levees unfinished
and hydraulic pumps constructed after the hurricane found ineffective.

During his trip, Obama will visit students at Dr. Martin Luther King Charter
School, and hold a town hall at the University of NewOrleans "to hear
directly from the people on the ground about Gulf Coast rebuilding, what is
going well and what their concerns are," according to the White House.

The President had visited the city five times after Katrina as a senator.
His first trip -- four hours long -- comes after was criticized for not
visiting the Gulf Coast in August and high hopes about his administration's
future efforts at rebuilding the region.

The New Orleans Tribune wrote in an open letter:

"Recovery cannot move forward without a heavy infusion of federal dollars
directed to coastal reconstruction, levee protection and small business
incentive. Without such a commitment from the federal government, this
region is doomed.

"Citizens in New Orleans are still riding behind the sign on the bus
watching and waiting; and quite frankly conditions for our people and the
atmosphere permeating this community have grown even more oppressive and
toxic since the storm. In the next three years and three months, we hope to
see a shift in emphasis by your administration to an all out attack on
problems affecting urban America."

A group in Mississippi is also "disappointed" that the President is only
visiting New Orleans.

"The Mississippi Gulf Coast has been recovering from Hurricane Katrina in
likeness with New Orleans," the STEPS Coalition said. "The impact has
devastated the lives of many of the Mississippi Gulf Coast residents as it
did New Orleans. We are asking for the same opportunity to allow President
Obama and his Administration to witness our recovery, as well."

The White House has responded by saying the visit "isn't about rhetoric but
action," and that local officials including Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal
have praised the efforts of the administration in expediting the recovery of
the region.

As a candidate, Obama had pledged not to repeat the mistakes of his
predecessor, who was widely panned for his administration's slow response to
the tragedy.

To mark the hurricane's fourth anniversary, Obama had said in August, "We
must also learn the lessons of Katrina, so that our nation is more protected
and resilient in the face of disaster. That means continuing to rebuild
hundreds of miles of levees and floodwalls around New Orleans, and working
to strengthen the wetlands and barrier islands that are the Gulf Coast's
first line of defense. In Washington, that means a focus on competence and
accountability - and I'm proud that my FEMA Administrator has 25 years of
experience in disaster management in Florida, a state that has known its
share of hurricanes."



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http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7016699733?In%20Maiden%20Visit%20To%
20New%20Orleans,%20Obama%20Faces%20Criticisms,%20High%20Hopes#ixzz0U3fIMp54



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