Which candidates understand this central lesson of Katrina recovery?
Which candidates understand the lesson of Katrina recovery — that by their very nature, disasters overwhelm the capacity of government, but when government works as a partner with neighborhoods, the sum is greater than the parts?
The role of government should be to help stand up the capacity of neighborhood associations and civic efforts, and respond to their needs.
Top-down recovery doesn’t work, nor should it be attempted — certainly not by a mayor who checked out a long time ago. We shouldn’t be deceived into thinking that a new person in the mayor’s chair will automatically solve all of our problems.
We need a model for managing reform.
So, which candidates “get it?”
[Cross-posted on Facebook]
Thanks for asking this Question!
If any youz have followed the Ladder, my thing is Future Flood Safety, and that involves the Federal Flood of ‘05.
I have yet to hear one candidate with any details about how they are going to come up with an extra $10,000,000/year fro the next 10 years just to pay for the maintenance on the Option 1????
Feilkow (sp) at a recent Council meeting with the Exquisite Corps over this question, ruminated the increased millages involved. Aside from the Fact that the Corps is trying an illegitimate move by sticking the City with these maintenance costs, how can the Mayor stand up for the City before the Corps of Engineers?
That is the legacy of the Federal Flood of ‘05, in that if we don’t Get That Right, our Levees Engineering, then all this other stuff with “Katrina” Recovery will become just cold fetid, toxic, stagnant soup –again.
Thank you
Oh! And we Love this blog, and hung you onto our List of Stitch’hikas, along with this article lede on today’s post.
Thanks again.