[StBernard] Former mayors promote political unity on flood-control

[Westley Annis]

Article published Jan 6, 2006
Former mayors promote political unity on flood-control

By BRETT MARTEL
Associated Press Writer

Three former New Orleans mayors, worried the city's recovery from Hurricane
Katrina might be derailed by long-standing political divides, joined
together Friday in an effort to promote unity on the one matter they said
trumps all others: flood protection.


"If we don't solve this one issue, we will not have anything else to
disagree or agree about," former Mayor Sidney Barthelemy said.

Barthelemy, who came up with the idea for the meeting at a special meeting
of the City Council, sat between Maurice "Moon" Landrieu and Marc Morial.
The three were flanked by the presidents from Jefferson, St. Bernard, St.
Tammany, Plaquemines and St. Charles Parishes, as well as current Mayor Ray
Nagin.

Also attending was U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, and many in the room called
the gathering of so many regional leaders from various levels of government
an "historic occasion."

"It demonstrates a sense of unity we had hoped for but frankly were not
terribly optimistic about," Landrieu said. "If Morial and Barthelemy and
Landrieu could join together, put aside whatever differences exited over a
30- to 40-year political history and speak with one voice on behalf of some
issues, we might inspire a feeling of unity in the community that does not
exist as deeply as we would like."

The three former mayors all touched on various points they want New
Orleans-area leaders to pound home in their lobbying efforts before
Congress, which so far has agreed to spend about $2.9 billion on rebuilding
the metro area's 350 miles of hurricane protection levees.

"The $2.9 billion from the government of the United States is a step. It's
not a cause for a pep rally or a celebration. It's not a cause for
confetti," Morial said. "It's a step. What this region needs is a leap, a
giant leap forward in protecting this area."

He said Congress needs to be urged to help the area not just improve levees,
but restore coastal wetlands and barrier islands and upgrade pumping
systems.

"This city has existed for more than 300 years and has never had adequate
levee protection," Landrieu said. "We were just blessed with good fortune,
but the world has changed. The climate has changed. We're obviously having
more hurricanes. ... It ought to be obvious to everyone we need a
comprehensive flood protection system and we can only have it if we convince
the federal government of the urgency of it."

Barthelemy encouraged officials to continually ask Congress why America,
which can project power so impressively overseas, would neglect a major
metro area within its borders.

"We ... a region of over a million people, need help," Barthelemy said. "We
have to have this protection if we are going to have our people come back to
New Orleans and reinvest in our community. We should be protected as we in
American are willing to help and protect other nations all over the world."

St. Bernard Parish president Henry "Junior" Rodriguez spoke angrily about
attempts by some in Congress to blame the widespread damage and suffering
from Katrina on New Orleans leaders, saying Congress ought to blame itself
for poorly funding the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which oversees the
levee system, and for rejecting funding requests for coastal restoration
projects. His parish was largely wiped out by a Gulf of Mexico storm surge
that overwhelmed levees. The few residents who have returned live primarily
in tent cities or trailers.

"We have nothing. They can't blame that on the City of New Orleans. The
Corps is responsible for our levees," Rodriguez said.

Morial suggested reaching out to citizens nationwide to help with petition
drives and rallies on Capitol Hill.

"The city's culture, its food, its music and essence go beyond the borders
of Louisiana. They stretch all across nation and the world," Morial said.
"Regardless of what you hear from the mouths of politicians nationally, I
think there is broad sentiment that the people of the nation are behind this
city and the region. That support's just got to be marshaled. That support's
just got to be mobilized."