Seven
months later, New Orleans still needs
help
Patrick Creaven
I
am not sure if President George W. Bush
is going to have the time today, because
being president is a busy job. But maybe
he will get a minute to reflect back
on what was, simply, a really nice day
for him seven months ago.
On Aug. 30, 2005, Bush got to enjoy some of the perks of being president. In
the morning, he gave a speech to a friendly crowd in Coronado, Calif., a small
city near downtown San Diego and its Navy base, on the war in Iraq. At the
event, he met up with Mark Wills, and even got to play the guitar with the
country star. At the end of the day, Bush flew back to his ranch in Crawford,
Texas, to finish off his month-long vacation.
All of this would have been fine (even the President has to have fun sometimes),
but there was the “inconvenient” fact that New Orleans was in the
midst of the largest natural disaster in the country’s recorded history.
I can understand that no one likes to cut the vacation short — that sucks.
But, I do think when you’re president of the United States, and a major
American city looks like a fish bowl, it might be time to come back to Washington.
Bush did eventually come back to work. Not the day of the hurricane, and not
after the first levee broke, and not even the day after the hurricane, but
the day after that. Bush then decided it was time to get involved.
The current death toll from Hurricane Katrina stands at 1,604, with another
1,500 unaccounted for. It is entirely possible the death toll would still be
1,604 even if Bush weren’t on vacation, but it is also possible it might
be lower if Bush had cancelled his date with Wills.
For the record, I blame Louisiana Gov. Cathleen Blanco, New Orleans Mayor Ray
Nagin and former Federal Emergency Management Agency director Michael Brown
more than I do Bush for the botched response to Katrina. That said, Bush is
the president, and when the people of New Orleans and Americans across the
country were looking for a leader during this national crisis, Bush was kickin’ it
in Crawford.
It would have been nice if Bush redeemed himself during these past seven months,
but he hasn’t. He dedicated a whopping three sentences to the New Orleans
rebuilding effort during his 51 minute State of the Union Address in January.
It’s time for Bush to mention New Orleans as often as he mentions Iraq.
It is that important. The same government that wasn’t there for the people
of New Orleans when levees broke is still not there seven months later.
Federal funding has been slow, and the money given isn’t enough. The
levees are still not stable, and another hurricane season is less than three
months away. Thousands of families are homeless, and some are so desperate
that they are currently living in flood-damaged homes.
New Orleans needed a Herculean effort from Bush before, during and after Katrina.
He blew it seven months ago, but if he wants to salvage his legacy he will
make rebuilding New Orleans his top domestic priority in his final 20 months
in office. Although, he may have to cancel a trip or two to Crawford to get
the job done.
Patrick Creaven is a senior journalism major.
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