I have lived in Louisiana for the first 21 years of my life. I now live in Dallas. I am embarrased for the state of Louisiana for multiple reasons. Blanco being one of them. At this point, we need a strong leader. I was floored when she started crying in front of a national audience. She should be a voice of hope and confidence for Louisianians. She seems like a week leader that is on the verge of a mental breakdown. I don't mean to start a riot here, but would this happen if we had a male leading the way?

I have only one real problem with her.... Why has she not declared martial law in all of the affected parishes? It has been declared in Jefferson, but to my knowledge, it has not been declared elswhere. Mississippi and Alabama have both already done this. NOPD is not capable of coping with the situation, so the military needs to get involved there.

i hate to agree with you, but jindal has handled himself better in terms of leadership. But this whole event has ripped me apart, and I can't help but cry sometimes.

Dutchtown, I can certainly understand that. My home state is falling apart. I have shed many tears already.

I feel exactly the same way! She needed to wipe her tears before the camera's started rolling and take charge... She didn't do that. Nagin and the gonvernmental structure in New Orleans are helpless and overwhelmed. They need her help, not her tears.

Barbour, Riley, and Perry seem like Churchill, Roosevelt, and Jefferson compared to Blanco. Just when Louisiana needs a Thatcher we get this empty suit. She won't get a second term, so it will be up to the next Guv to finish the job.

On the other hand, I'm not so sure she's doing a worse job than Foster, Edwards, Roemer, or Treen would have done.

I suspect Foster would be growing out his beard and shooting looters himself if he was the Guvnah, saying it was an early huntin' season.

I remember GWB getting choked up at a post 9/11 speech. He didn't sit there and ball, but several times he just caved mid-speech. I can't imagine what kind of an astronomical burden either situation brings upon the shoulders and minds of a leader. I don't think that emotional displays are going to weaken the relief efforts.

Bring back Huey or Edwin, they would pull out the money in their floor boards and have the levies fixed by now.... all those southern democrats that elected Blanco are now wondering why they had such a brain fart.

I know this is after the fact but Louisiana and New Orleans may have talked about this scenario but they did nothing to develop a plan in case it happenned.

Why didnt they have National Gaurd troops waiting in New Orleans already prepared for a worst case scenario. They had enough time to get troops called up and ready.

Why didnt they have Levee contingency plans. **** this calls for leadership. Give me some transport containers they use on ships and helicopter them in place to stop the water at the levee rupture.

Here is an idea for rebuilding New Orleans Do away with Lake Ponchitrain and you eliminate the possibility of the worst case from the north. Set up a reroute to the mississippi river so it can bypass New Orleans by lock and dams if needed.

Do like someone else suggested and put levee's all through the city so in case one area floods you can segregate that area and not have the whole city under water.

Make a flood plane area south of the city where there is no homes.

Build all the homes a minimum of 12 Feet off the ground within a certain distance from the coast.


These are just some ideas for the future.

I dont want to make this political but LA. is suffering from no leadership. Blanco is overwhelmed and does not have what is needed to lead La. out of this disaster. This is not because she was crying because i myself have done that from listening to some of the stories and seeing the devastation. But it looks like she is in an emotional state and in the interviews she cant even think clearly or maintain her train of thought.

I hope she can pull it together and do better. The State needs her too.