Latest news from NO

[snappy]

I am in hopes of a Jazz Fest as well (April). It sounds like the fairgrounds is really torn up though. I can't really see getting it cleaned up a real priority for the city. However, Jazz Fest does bring in a lot of folks from out of town with money to spend. We'll see.

 

[snappy]

Keep checking on progress C.Ann. I-12 is a good bypass though and one we take anyway unless we plan to stop in New Orleans.

Yep, when we go to Orlando, or even just Slidell we go I-12. Longer in miles, but avoids much congestion. Although I don't guess traffic congestion will be an issue. Everyone seems to be here in Baton Rouge.

 

[ducklite]

I am in hopes of a Jazz Fest as well (April). It sounds like the fairgrounds is really torn up though. I can't really see getting it cleaned up a real priority for the city. However, Jazz Fest does bring in a lot of folks from out of town with money to spend. We'll see.

What I'm hearing is that the NO Jazz and Heritage Society is willing to get a lot of the work done on behalf of the city.

Anne

 

[mickeyfan2]

I just saw on the news that the Governor of LA said that the Feds should pay 100% of the bills that LA occurs and that LA companies should be given contracts first even if they are not the lowest bidder.

I think that LA needs to pay part of the bill.

I would be more interested in the number of LA residents employed not the company being from LA.

I think the best/low cost/fastest contractor should be chosen.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

mickeyfan---it sounds like they are trying to have "locals" work the projections..so evacuees from new orleans would get first dibs working repairs in the city....st. tammany residents in st. tammany, jefferson residents in jefferson and so on and so forth.

They have to get the economy kicking in these areas b/c without commerce, noone comes back. Encouraging the local businesses in construction and other areas to return to work is quite important.

Not sure why the federal government is responsible for 100%.....yes it is a catasrophe...but gee....there is some local responsibility for paying some of the efforts to fix what mother nature breaks.

 

[mickeyfan2]

mickeyfan---it sounds like they are trying to have "locals" work the projections..so evacuees from new orleans would get first dibs working repairs in the city....st. tammany residents in st. tammany, jefferson residents in jefferson and so on and so forth.

They have to get the economy kicking in these areas b/c without commerce, noone comes back. Encouraging the local businesses in construction and other areas to return to work is quite important.

I agree, but I would prefer the company hire more LA workers than just have the company be from LA. All things equal, then pick the LA company.

Not sure why the federal government is responsible for 100%.....yes it is a catasrophe...but gee....there is some local responsibility for paying some of the efforts to fix what mother nature breaks.

This bothers me too.

 

[agnes!]

The next time that coastal Virginia gets hit by a major hurricane, I think that all the other 49 states should pay the freight.
The next time tornadoes destroy part of Wisconsin or of Kansas or of North Dakota, I think the other 49 states should pay for all of the damage.
The next time that major areas of California get burned out by multi-thousand-acre forest fires, I think the other 49 states should pay to replace everything lost.
The next time...
The next time...
The next time.

The other thing is, if *SHE* wants the Feds to pay 100% of the Katrina rebuilding effort?... Then *SHE* cannot be in charge of how the money gets spent.
Best-quality construction bids for the least amount of dollars gets my vote. If it's my money(and it would be if it's completely Federally-funded), then I want the best-quality rebuilding done. Let's not have a repeat of the levees failing *ever* again, in my lifetime or in my possible future grandchildren's lifetimes

And if she wants a LA company to get first dibs on rebuilding funds, that doesn't necessarily mean than former residents will get hired the most. It just means that there will be LOTS of construction companies with figurehead LA owners. I'm with the posters who think that evacuees/LA workers should be the first-hired/last-fired.

agnes!
PS - Hey, what about Waveland, Mississippi? Or Biloxi?
Waveland was completely destroyed, hardly anything was left standing. Many Gulf Coast communities in other states were mangled beyond recognition. New Orleans did suffer greatly, but let's not forget Alabama, Mississippi and other affected areas.

 

[Tiggerlover91]

It may be worse than the I10 over Pensacola Bay that staill only has one side open after a full year.

Not to hijack the thread or anything, but it's not Pensacola Bay Bridge that sustained the damage from Ivan it was Escambia Bay Bridge.