Friday, August 25, 2006

Weathering Corruption

Weathering Corruption: "Weathering Corruption

Friday, August 25, 2006; Page A15

It's a familiar story line: When federal aid flows into a region devastated by a natural disaster, those charged with disseminating it do not always behave honorably in the chaos.

Is bad weather responsible for U.S. corruption?"

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Study of the Recovery, Role, and Capacity of States and Localities Damaged by the 2005 Hurricanes

Study of the Recovery, Role, and Capacity of States and Localities Damaged by the 2005 Hurricanes: "Study of the Communities Damaged
by the 2005 Hurricanes


Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana



NELSON A. ROCKEFELLER
INSTITUTE OF GOVERNMENT


A Joint Project of


PUBLIC AFFAIRS RESEARCH
COUNCIL OF LOUISIANA







*
GulfGov Reports:
One Year Later




The Katrina and Rita hurricanes of 2005 devastated many communities along the Gulf Coast. Homes and businesses, roads and bridges, and other important community facilities were destroyed. Many thousands of Gulf Coast residents were displaced, and cleanup and recovery challenges are enormous."

Hurricane Katrina, Coastal Protection and Reconstruction Efforts

Hurricane Katrina, Coastal Protection and Reconstruction Efforts: "Hurricane Katrina, Coastal Protection and Reconstruction Efforts

Don Basham, Chief of Engineering at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Dr. Ed Link of the U.of Md and Director of the Interagency Peformance Evaluation Taskforce (IPET); and Dr. Robert Traver, Villanova U. and American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Foreign Press Center Briefing
Washington, DC
August 22, 2006

1:05 P.M. EDT

Real Audio of Briefing


MODERATOR: This afternoon we have a briefing from three people who will be talking about Hurricane Katrina and the Army Corps of Engineers and what the Corps has done since Katrina and some of the lessons learned from that event.

With us we have Don Basham, who is Chief of Engineering at the Corps, we have Ed Link of the University of Maryland, and who is also Director of the Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force which looked at Katrina, and Robert Traver of Villanova University and the American of Society of Civil Engineers.

They will be -- we’ll start off with a few comments from each of them about the hurricane, about the system along the Gulf Coast, what we’ve learned and what we’re doing going forward and then open it up for your questions. So thank you for coming, and I think I’m going to turn it over to Don first off."

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

USATODAY.com-In Katrina, compassion met adversity

USATODAY.com: "In Katrina, compassion met adversity
More work awaits stricken region — and the country

By George H. W. Bush & William Jefferson Clinton

Next week will mark one year since Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast and cut a swath of destruction that was truly of biblical proportions. Together, our nation watched in helpless horror as the winds and the waters surged — killing more than 1,000 loved ones and wiping away once-vibrant communities. In essence, Katrina was an American tsunami: The devastation and despair it randomly cast throughout the Gulf Coast was painfully evocative of what we saw when we toured the Indian Ocean perimeter together in 2005."

Help center opens for Katrina evacuees - Yahoo! News

Help center opens for Katrina evacuees - Yahoo! News: "New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin opened the first of a planned series of service centers designed to help Hurricane Katrina evacuees outside Louisiana return to their hometown and rebuild it so it's 'no longer a city of haves and have nots.'"

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Philanthropists gave $577 million in relief

Philanthropists gave $577 million in relief: "Philanthropists gave $577 million in relief
But that's probably the max, study says
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
By Bruce Alpert

WASHINGTON -- First the good news.

U.S. foundations and corporations provided $577.1 million in private contributions through the end of June for relief, recovery and rebuilding efforts related to last year's Gulf Coast hurricanes, according to a new report by the Foundation Center.

The bad news is that more assistance is unlikely. Only 7 percent of the surveyed foundations, according to the report, expect to make additional hurricane-related commitments beyond September."