Residents allowed to immediatly return to New Orleans

[liberal N proud]

Source: LA Times

Under pressure from evacuated constituents anxious to return, New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin said today he was immediately opening the city to all residents with proper identification.

--Nearly 200,000 residents fled New Orleans ahead of Hurricane Gustav over the weekend.

--Nagin said he spoke to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and won his commitment to press for a speeded declaration of New Orleans as a disaster area.


Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-gustav3-2008sep03,0,3455205.story

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Of course bu$h flies in for a photo-op

[spinbaby]

1. It's about time

Even if there's no power, it's still home. And from what I saw on the news last night, some of those shelters people were evacuated to were appalling.

[saigon68]

2. They were like cattle pens

[liberal N proud]

3. I saw one segment where the people were dumped at an old Sams Club

No running water or toilets

[Suich]

7. My son was at an old Walmart in Bastrop LA.

18 port-a-pottys for 2,000 people, no showers, no place to wash your hands, and no radios or tvs to see how things were back home. A friend picked him up after he spent one night there.

[merh]

4. thank goodness

it is the fear of the unknown before and after the storm and the lack of control of one's life that wears on your psyche and causes some of the greatest distress. Let them go home and feel like they have some control over their lives again.

[cobalt1999]

5. Smart move but too late.

People will remember this next time the government asks them to evacuate. Next time, not nearly as many will go.

[lefty2000]

6. Fed Up With Nagin

They gave the man a hard time after Katrina, and I was glad to see him win re-election, but now I am compelled to question his judgment. He should not have to be pressured to let people return to their homes after the storm. Though not a New Orleans resident, I have been through several bad hurricanes in the Galveston Area and I can imagine how unhappy I would be if I were forced to languish in a crowded, stinking shelter until some idiot from the Mayor's office or some idiot in Austin decided it was okay. There are some degrees of foolishness a free people should not have to tolerate.

One of the things about officialdom that appalls me is how willing they are to disrupt the lives of many thousands just to make their jobs easier.

[cobalt1999]

8. I couldn't believe he was re-elected.

The last evacuation was a total screw up and that was totally on him, now he's screwed this one up too.

How many times can one guy keeping making things bad for his citizens and keep getting elected?