Leaders Assess Hurricane Katrina Recovery Progress

The week marking the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina finds local, state and federal representatives assessing recovery progress and focusing on the massive work yet to be done.

President Bush spoke in Biloxi, Miss. Monday afternoon and said he was impressed by the rebuilding progress. He thanked local leaders, volunteers, and congratulated residents for their “determination and grit.”

“It may be hard for those of you who have endured the last year to really have that sense of change, but for a fellow who was here and now a year later comes back, things are changing,” Bush said. “I congratulate you for your courage and your perseverance.”

He reiterated the federal commitment of $110 billion to help rebuild the area, and also said that more than $3 billion in housing grants is on its way to homeowners. Bush acknowledged the pain of waiting.

“I know there's some frustration, but I want to appreciate the state working hard to make sure that when that money is spent, it's spent well, and it goes to people that deserve it,” Bush said. “It's a huge undertaking that's going to require cooperation with government agencies, insurance companies, volunteers, and community leaders.”

Also Monday, thousands of people attended the Gulf Coast Reconstruction and Hurricane Preparedness Summit near New Orleans to learn more about recovery programs, contracts and business opportunities. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco were among the notable speakers at the conference. Equity International organized the event, which drew several hundred exhibitors.

The summit included some unplanned theatrics though, according to a CNN report.  CNN says a man posing as a HUD official made a series of false announcements about the agency's plans.  According to the report, a man who identified himself as Andy Bichlbaum was masquerading as Rene Oswin, an official at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.  The imposter made a false claim that HUD was stopping plans to demolish 5,000 housing units and that Exxon and Shell were going to donate $8.6 billion to finance rebuilding wetlands, the report said.  For more information about the hoax, go to http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/08/28/hud.hoax/index.html.