Two For You And One For You

The Louisiana Recovery Authority has finally come out with a plan for buying out homeowners who were flooded due to Hurrican Katrina but one aspect of the plan will be about as popular as Michael Brown at City Hall.

The key difference between the state and city plans lies in their treatment of people who have moved out of state and do not plan to return. The state proposal would give this group 60 percent of the prestorm value of their homes, compared with 100 percent under the city plan.

This part of the state's proposal smacks of paternalism. What good are Louisiana residents if they aren't around to vote for the current officeholders.

Second, it's no damn business of the state where an individual wants to live. Governor "Drew a" Blanco needs to stop trying to reclaim her position of Queen Bee and looking out for the well being of her constituents.

Another proposal of "Drew a" Blanco that should go the way of New Orleans government consolidation is her wish that homes that were located in a flood-plain be short-changed.

Blanco's proposal would consider whether a house was inside or outside the flood plain, cutting by 30 percent the aid available to those inside the plain who did not have flood insurance. For those in that group who want to be bought out but stay in the state, the maximum assistance would be $105,000.

Whether or not the home was situated in a flood-plain should not matter in this instance. Most people flooded as a result of government negligence and not Mother Nature. If the flood-protection walls had not failed, few homes in New Orleans and Jefferson Parish would have flooded and the government should not get off scott free at the expense of ordinary citizens who belived that the government would protect them from a home like Hurricane Katrina.