Katrina and the American Political Class

The Washington Post has some good articles on the media and its handling of the anniversary of Hurrican Katrina. Howard Kurtz of the Post says:

What we have, and what the anniversary pieces are forcing the country to confront, is a major American city that has lost half its population, and the refugees aren't coming back any time soon, if at all. So many schools and businesses remain closed, so many areas lack power, so much rebuilding money is stuck in the overnment/insurance pipeline, that most of those who want to return are unable to do so. What's particularly infuriating is that the feds have appropriated more than $100 billion in aid, and yet as every story notes, much of it remains unspent due to bureaucratic hurdles.

It goes on to quote Jonathan Alter of Newsweek:

"Well, it turned out that the critics were largely right. Not only has the president done much less than he promised on the financing and logistics of Gulf Coast recovery, he has dropped the ball entirely on using the storm and its aftermath as an opportunity to fight poverty. Worker recovery accounts and urban homesteading never got off the ground, and the new enterprise zone is mostly an opportunity for Southern companies owned by GOP campaign contributors to make some money in New Orleans. The mood in Washington continues to be one of not-so-benign neglect of the problems of the poor."

There is, of course, enough blame to go around. The bottom line is that while an American city of unique culture and charm was destroyed by a blow that was seen coming for at least a full week, our leadership did nothing.* A year later they have still done little.

And we pay these people?


*Let us note one exception: the US Cost Guard which rescued countless people during the emergency. Incompetance does not need to be the hallmark of American government.