Louisiana Gets $4.2 Billion

Governor Kathleen Blanco and Mayor Ray Nagin returned from Washington with the promise of an additional $4.2 billion in block grants from the federal government. The money will be spent on improving housing. However, Blanco hinted that the money will be used for housing in areas that are not vulnerable to flooding.

Once again, the levees are put on the back burner. This new housing is not going to matter very much if the levees are overwhelmed again. Furthermore, this money is not going to help rebuild devastated areas; it appears that the city of New Orleans is willing to sacrifice the people in the outer areas of the city in an effort to make the city smaller. The neglect of both the levees and the people in heavily flooded areas of the city is unacceptable and will surely be regretted later on.