A Thirty-Second Aside for New Orleans and the Gulf Coast

Like many in Louisiana, I listened to President Bush’s State of the Union Address last night with the hope of hearing a new promise or, at least, some encouraging words for the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. What we actually heard was nothing more than a tick on the tail end of an old familiar dog. If it wasn’t for our current situation, I probably would not have wasted my time listening to this partisan fluff, as reading the transcript at my leisure would have undoubtedly sufficed. More often than not, grand-stand promises are rarely kept and low-level successes are exaggerated into grand feats. For this Presidential administration, embellishment is something we have come to expect.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen of Louisiana and Mississippi, our anticipation culminated in these few words, placed at the end of the usual Bush diatribe—

“A hopeful society comes to the aid of fellow citizens in times of suffering and emergency and stays at it until they are back on their feet. So far the federal government has committed $85 billion to the people of the Gulf Coast and New Orleans. We are removing debris, repairing highways and building stronger levees. We are providing business loans and housing assistance. Yet as we meet these immediate needs, we must also address deeper challenges that existed before the storm arrived. In New Orleans and in other places, many of our fellow citizens have felt excluded from the promise of our country. The answer is not only temporary relief, but schools that teach every child and job skills that bring upward mobility and more opportunities to own a home and start a business. As we recover from a disaster, let us also work for the day when all Americans are protected by justice, equal in hope and rich in opportunity.”

Great, we have a commitment of $85 billion, but no guarantee of how that money will be put to use. In Bush’s words, we can find a veiled pledge that our country might stand behind us until we are back on our feet. Put into context, this sounds like highly subjective criteria for eventual abandonment. Keep in mind that, in only a little over five months, we have already been relegated to abbreviated blurb status.

So, what does the future hold for New Orleans and the Gulf Coast? In the short term, a guarantee of another hurricane season and a high probability that a devastating storm will once again smash some part of this region. Indecision at state and local governmental levels promises a slow recovery that only powerful, but currently unforeseen, guidance and leadership might accelerate. Many are already discouraged and, as progress flounders, more are losing hope and spirit. Without some sign of forward momentum, the nation will certainly, and progressively, lose more interest. By this time next year, the plight of those affected by 2005’s hurricanes could be relegated to thoughts of distant history.