Collection:LPB

Genre: News, Public Affairs, Panel

Place Covered: New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 2008-08-20

Duration: 00:55:48

Subjects: Hurricane Katrina, 2005 | Hurricanes | Disaster response and recovery | Hurricane recovery | Road Home (Program: La.) | Housing | Economy | ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | Tourism | Health Care | Hospitals | Hurricane preparedness | Emergency management | United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency

Contributors:

• Courtney, Beth Host
• Freeman, Craig Host
• Godoy, Al Producer
• Gautreaux, Kevin Associate Producer
• Melton, Christina Associate Producer
• Blakely, Edward Panelist
• Leger, Walter Panelist
• Rowley, Karen Panelist
• Milling, King Panelist
• Edwards, Ashley Panelist
• Womack, Mike Panelist
• Hill, Marianne T. Panelist
• Loar, Brad Panelist
• Reuther, Claudette Interviewee
• Gardner, Glenn Interviewee
• Turner, Marvin Interviewee
• Rainwater, Paul Interviewee
• Craft-Kerney, Alice Interviewee
• Benvenutti, Chuck Interviewee
• Creel, Vincent Interviewee
• Hill, Marianne T. Interviewee
• Williams, Tish Interviewee
• Richardson, Jim Interviewee
• Montalbano, Anthony, Jr. Interviewee
• Landry, Scott Interviewee
• Santos, Pat Interviewee
• Womack, Mike Interviewee
• Lawson, Reggie Speaker
• Hoskins, Harry Speaker
• Huber, Martin Speaker
• Dude, Susan Speaker
• Johnson, Allen Speaker
• Vappie, Don Speaker
• Thomas, Irma Speaker
• Cocchiara, Joseph Speaker
• Kennedy, Deb Speaker
• Niolet, Vicki Speaker
• Avila, Roberta Speaker
• Crais, David Speaker
• Burkhalter, Ken Speaker
• Crowell, James W. Speaker
• Benvenutti, Chuck Speaker

This special episode of the series “Louisiana Public Square” from August 20, 2008, a co-production of Louisiana Public Broadcasting and Mississippi Public Broadcasting, features a panel discussion on the status of the Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts in Louisiana and Mississippi three years after the storm. Background reports on housing, the economy, and the governmental response following the storm precede the discussions in New Orleans and Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. The panelists in Louisiana are: Dr. Edward Blakely, the Recovery Administrator for the City of New Orleans; Walter Leger, Jr., the Chairman of the Louisiana Recovery Authority's Housing Task Force; Dr. Karen Rowley, a special projects manager for the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana (PAR); and King Milling, the Vice Chairman of Whitney Bank. The panelists answer questions on the following topics: the amount of money available to rebuild homes through the Road Home program; elevating homes; the lack of housing with affordable rents; encouraging conventions to return to New Orleans; the future of the hospitals in New Orleans East; the economic development initiatives in New Orleans; the slow rebuilding of government services and infrastructure; the preparations for the next storm; and the role of volunteers and non-profit organizations in the rebuilding effort. The panelists in Mississippi are: Ashley Edwards, a policy analyst for the Governor’s Office of Recovery and Renewal; Mike Womack, the Director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency; Marianne T. Hill, a senior economist for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning; and Brad Loar, the director of the FEMA Region 4 Mitigation Division. The panelists answer questions on the following topics: why the state didn’t provide funding to rebuild homes that sustained wind damage; whether the state will pay to install elevators in the elevated homes of the disabled; the lack of financial support for small businesses; flood insurance; the use of federal funding; the locally driven recovery; and the lessons learned that will help in planning for the next storm. The Louisiana town hall meeting was filmed at the Grace Lutheran Church in New Orleans. Hosts: Beth Courtney and Craig Freeman