New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin is looking for international aid to help rebuild New Orleans, since the US government has fallen far short of its promises in the rebuilding of the city.
This story in Netscape CNN news says that
Shortcomings in aid from the U.S. government are making New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin look to other nations for help in rebuilding his hurricane-damaged city. Nagin, who has hosted a steady stream of foreign dignitaries since Hurricane Katrina hit in late August, says he may seek international assistance because U.S. aid has not been sufficient to get the city back on its feet.
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This is disgraceful, that Bush is cutting social programs in the new budget, upping the defense budget and giving new tax breaks to the rich while New Orleans, which he promised to rebuild, is having to look outside the US for aid to bring its citizens back to their home.
"I know we had a little disappointment earlier with some signals we're getting from Washington but the international community may be able to fill the gap," Nagin said when a delegation of French government and business officials passed through on Friday to explore potential business partnerships.
Jordan's King Abdullah also visited New Orleans on Friday and Nagin said he would encourage foreign interests to help redevelop some of the areas hardest hit by the storm.
"France can take Treme. The king of Jordan can take the Lower Ninth Ward," he said, referring to two of the city's neighborhoods.
Nagin has expressed extreme disappointment in the fact that Bush promised to rebuild the city and has totally failed to live up to his promise. It's the French who are coming to the aid of New Orleans, as well as the Kingdom of Jordan.
French Transport Minister Dominique Perben, leading the French delegation to a city that was founded by France in 1718, said, "This catastrophe has deeply upset the French people and the French government."
France, Perben said through a translator, "wants to be a long-term partner for Louisiana and New Orleans."
Too bad it didn't upset Bush enough to want to really DO something about besides blow smoke up our collective butts and give Halliburton some more fat contracts.
Too bad the government of the country New Orleans is in doesn't seem to be interested in being a partner in rebuilding her. This is just another sign that the Bush administration doesn't care a bit about the actual people of this country. I understand that the oil refineries in the area are getting all the help they need to get back into full operation. Too bad no one named the Lower Ninth Ward residents "black gold". Then they would have gotten some help to get back their city.