[shane453]

Okay, this just seems wrong to me. Katrina strikes and people blame the federal government for everything that went wrong, so now the federal government is trying to solve problems that NO had even before Katrina? I'm sorry but I don't necessarily want my tax dollars diversifying the economy of New Orleans. That's not a problem Katrina caused. Sure, help people out with rebuilding, but local economy is something local government should be dealing with. (Once again the roles of federal and local government seem to be getting mixed up...)

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Feds Ask 100 Firms to Offer N.O. Jobs

Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- The federal government hopes to talk 100 of the country's top firms into bringing 100 jobs each to New Orleans to help the city recover from Hurricane Katrina, the head of the federal recovery operation said.

The object is to help rebuild the city's middle class, Donald Powell, the Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding, told The Associated Press.

Diversifying the city's economy is a key part of New Orleans' recovery, along with dealing with issues ranging from insurance and housing to health care, education and crime, Powell said in a telephone interview Friday from Washington.

So far, the federal government has dedicated more than $100 billion to rebuilding the Gulf Coast since the devastating 2005 hurricanes. Powell, whose office is part of the Department of Homeland Security, could not say how much more money the area might expect.

Federal officials are working on a plan, and will work with city leaders, to draw the attention of corporate leaders to New Orleans and help attract new jobs that could range from information technology to human resources or manufacturing, he said.

Details of the plan are still being developed. Powell's office noted that a federal act, approved just over a year ago, provides for tax and other economic incentives.

Powell said he hoped new jobs could be moved to the city this year.

Since Katrina, less than half of New Orleans' pre-storm population of about 454,000 people has returned.

A spokeswoman for Mayor Ray Nagin did not immediately respond to a call seeking comment Saturday.

[unusualfire]

I guess asking can't hurt.:)

[Tex1899]

Feds Ask 100 Firms to Offer N.O. Jobs

Further proof that the federal government excels in wasting our tax dollars.

[KevinFromTexas]

If New Orleans wants new jobs, then it should create incentives such as tax breaks to bring companies there just like Austin and San Antonio have done, (and every city that has ever vied for more better, higher paying jobs). I agree and sympathize with the people of New Orleans that the federal government did them wrong after Katrina hit and they do need help. But at some point the city government and county there needs take the reins and help themselves. Doing that will increase people's, and companies' confidence in the city government.

On the other hand I don't see why all the hub bub about the feds influencing companies. They haven't done it yet, hell, it's often the other way around anyway.

[TDoss]

Very Interesting.

The list of 100 Companies was very noticeably absent???????

I wonder why that is?:shrug:

I am sure that it will be a "Who's Who" of New World Order Trash.

Can we say Halliburton, Dyncorp, Bechtel, etc..., etc..., etc....

New Orleans was a Wretched Hive of Scum & Villainy BEFORE Katrina.
Now that the Homeland Security/Prison Industrial Complex Economy is taking over... I can hardly wait to go get totally wasted down there owwwww!!!:yuck:

[Reverberation]

I can't stand Nagin and the other local government officials of New Orleans. The reason that so many people died and were trapped there to begin with was the local government's failure to take necessary action to prepare. Then they blame FEMA for not being able to pick up their mess fast enough. Then Nagin gets reelected. The problem is not that New Orleans is a bad place. The local government is corrupt and as a result deters businesses from relocating there.

Don't get me wrong, New Orleans is a great place to be single and to have a good time. But when it comes down to convincing wealthy businessmen to move their employees, families, and businesses to a new place, New Orleans is not appealing. There is too much crime, the public schools are terrible, the police are notoriously corrupt, and the politics are shady. I still love New Orleans, but only on hazy, blurry weekends.

[shane453]

In a way, I guess you could say the bad federal response to Katrina (if you choose to believe that it was bad, and not just the result of poor local planning for the immediate aftermath) was a blessing to New Orleans, because it has given them tremendous leverage with federal funding now. Because in the eyes of the general public, New Orleans was wronged by the federal government, so the federal government now owes New Orleans. Even though a lot of money that has been given to NO has already been wasted.

[LouisianaRush]

I can't stand Nagin and the other local government officials of New Orleans. The reason that so many people died and were trapped there to begin with was the local government's failure to take necessary action to prepare. Then they blame FEMA for not being able to pick up their mess fast enough. Then Nagin gets reelected. The problem is not that New Orleans is a bad place. The local government is corrupt and as a result deters businesses from relocating there.

Don't get me wrong, New Orleans is a great place to be single and to have a good time. But when it comes down to convincing wealthy businessmen to move their employees, families, and businesses to a new place, New Orleans is not appealing. There is too much crime, the public schools are terrible, the police are notoriously corrupt, and the politics are shady. I still love New Orleans, but only on hazy, blurry weekends.

Are you joking? The evacuation of the New Orleans metro was the largest evacuation in American history. Over 90% of the population was able to flee. Two days before the storm hit, Saturday, the Governor asked the Federal government for all the help it could get. Seven day later, five days after the strom hit, the feds finally show up after thousand were dead.

[alon504]

It doesn't really matter to me, either way. It's their right to ask, but, it doesn't mean any of them will budge. We'll see what happens, but, for now, we're doing alright...just recoverying day to day. I met someone today, who just moved back this past Saturday. You meet people like this every day...it's pretty strange still meeting people like this after a year and a half.