Getting better in the Big Easy

Things are getting better in New Orleans. Finally, the city is dewatering, and people can think of returning soon. However, now it is time for the fingers to REALLY start pointing in all directions.

One of the primary arguments that are sure to arise are the very issues that took the United States to war in 1861. Not slavery, but the very nature of federalism are at the heart of the response to Katrina. The Republican Party has sought to defer responsibilities to the states and the private sector. Appartently, they didn't get the message in New Orleans.

However, the reality is that no city or state could ever be prepared for such an immense disaster without being accused of greed. The costs to rebuild New Orleans, even without the loss to income they will face, far outstrip their financial abilities to pay. THe costs to the nation, however, are much greater. New Orleans is among the largest ports in the US and even the world, moving billions of dollars worth of goods throughout the middle part of America.

This loss is to the nation, and as such the nation bears a responsibility to help rebuild New Orleans. The City of New Orleans mustn't be rebuilt so that America has a place to party come February; the city must rebuild for the health of the national economy.