The Long-Term Reconstruction Effort Requires Vision

摘要

The unbelievably slow-to-get-started emergency relief and repair effort in the Katrina-devas-tated Gulf Coast finally is picking up momentum. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the construction industry are working furiously to dewater New Orleans and repair roads, bridges, levees and other critical infrastructure. The scale and pace of the undertaking finally seems to correspond to the hurricane's intensity and the severity of its destruction. The effort is fueled by federal appropriations that now total $62 billion, with more on the way. Some officials think the tab will top $200 billion.