A commenter to one of the New Orleans posts this week asked what's the latest on the release of the FEMA flood maps, which will determine when and where people will be able to rebuild in the city. Here's a story from the Times Picayune, which reports (1) that suddenly the levee reconstruction costs have doubled, with no sign that the additional money has or will be appropriated, and (2) that FEMA is waiting on the Army Corps to certify the levees and floodwalls before releasing those maps.
UPDATE: Today's Washington Post indicates that Powell's estimate is now almost TRIPLE the previous estimate for flood insurance-certified levee protection.
Additionally: I asked, in reply to a comment, for the name of any national Democrat who has made the case for the amelioration of this man-made disaster, either once or repeatedly. I got no reply, so I thought I'd repeat the challenge up here in the mainspace. It's notable that many commenters, and Mike Davis in The Nation, like to posit that what's going on is an attempt by Republicans and their business friends to change the politics and demographics of the city. That would seem like reason enough for national Dems to stand with New Orleans. Wouldn't it?
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