As others profit, Katrina survivors suffer

What New Orleans needs is someone at the federal level who is in charge. It needs plans for public investment in rebuilding the infrastructure of the city -- from levees to mass transit to schools, parks, sewers and affordable housing. A Civilian Reconstruction Corps is vital to organize former residents, provide them with training if necessary, and put them to work. They need affordable, temporary housing so they can return to their city. And needless to say, the city should be expanding its work force, not laying off half of it.

Why is this not happening? The incompetence is staggering. Already FEMA has agreed, under pressure, to reopen many of the no-bid contracts it put out. But a lot of this is ideology. This administration doesn't believe in activist government, outside the military. It doesn't believe in public planning.

There is no czar in charge of the reconstruction of the Gulf Coast. No one to coordinate and drive things forward. The administration initially announced that Karl Rove, the president's campaign advisor, was in charge. But Rove is facing a grand jury for the fourth time in the case about the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame. Now the White House says Rove was never in charge. Asked who is, spokesman Scott McClellan says, "the president." But he too may have other things on his plate.

Instead of a plan, the administration is shipping money to private contractors.

tags: relief  fema  nola  incompetence  neocons