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Oh boy Nagin has the French looking to help rebuild New Orleans.

Mayor: New Orleans will seek aid from other nations


By Michael Depp

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - 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.

"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.

Katrina flooded 80 percent of the city and killed more than 1,300 people in Louisiana and Mississippi.

The Bush administration has pledged billions of dollars to Katrina victims but five months after the storm, New Orleans remains largely in ruins.

Nagin said his message to President George W. Bush would be that the federal government needs to refocus on the devastated area.

"We need your undivided attention over the next six months," he said. "We need backup. We need for you to make the words that you spoke in Jackson Square a reality."

Nagin was referring to the president's September 15 address to the nation from New Orleans, in which he pledged "we will do what it takes, we will stay as long as it takes" to rebuild.

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."



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Fender

"Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it."
George Bernard Shaw

Guys this is serious our governor is talking about withholding oil from the country unless she gets billions more to rebuild. Our people have very few hospital beds and are waiting upto 24 hours to get care. Some undoubtly are dying or suffering more than any american should expect.

Our Governor has a perfectly usable hospital but will not open it because it is old and her administration want the Feds to buy an new one. Please post everywhere on bloggs our people need help. Please circulate this blogg http://concernedforcharity.blogspot.com the facility can be opened to care for people if there is a will. These photos came from out an out of state rescue worker.

Our people will continue to suffer as long as the Governor believes she can embarass the nation into giving more aid. The Dome has nothing on this hell on earth that is evolving down there. All you see in the paper is how little has been done in New Orleans recovery compared to other Parishes and Mississippi, yet we are not helping ourselve by getting our hospitals and infrastructure running. I lost everything I will not say it will be easy and that the feds dont bear a large amount of the responsibility, but our leaders (better put lack of) want more billions before they have spent what they got.

It brings tears to your eyes when you see the senselessness of it all. Please help bring our plight to other who can help use outside forces to make the Governor do the right thing and open the main trauma center to care for the people of our state.



Edited by - mattlott on Feb 07 2006 6:52 PM