President George W. Bush addressed the nation last Thursday from hurricane-ravaged New Orleans, Louisiana. In a televised speech, the President promised that the government will help to rebuild the Gulf Coast. The total cost could reach $200 billion.
Bush said that the federal government should have done more soon after the storm. "Americans have every right to expect a more effective response in a time of emergency," he said.
Earlier in the week, Michael Brown, who was the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, resigned. Brown left just a few days after Bush named Thad Allen, vice admiral of the U.S. Coast Guard, as head of recovery and rescue efforts.
In his speech, the President proposed giving tax breaks to encourage businesses to remain in or relocate to Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. He also talked of giving survivors job training and child care until they get back on their feet.
In a small sign of recovery, the mayor of New Orleans said some of the city's neighborhoods would reopen over the next few weeks. "The city will start to breathe again," Mayor Ray Nagin promised.