Mission 2010: New Orleans Team 6

Debarshi Chaudhuri

Annotated Bibliography

Alpert, Bruce.  (2006, October 7).  Bush rejects minimum experience to lead FEMA.  The Times-Picayune.

This piece shows what actions President Bush is taking in regards to the direction of New Orleans' Reconstruction.  The president has refused to obey laws that Congress has set mandating a minimum level of experience for those who will direct FEMA.  Congress has mandated that heads of FEMA should have at least five years of experience in management and a knowledge of emergency management, but President  Bush has used a signing statement  to bypass this law.  He has also refused to obey a law that gives the director of FEMA permission to report to Congress without first consulting with the White House.

Anderson, Ed.  (2006, October 19).  Insurance legislation planned for April.  The Times-Picayune.

This article shows the efforts that the government of Louisiana is making to bring more insurance companies to the state.  Currently, much of the burden of insuring Louisiana homes is on the state run insurance program.  The program, called the Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp, currently is in debt about $1 billion due to the bonds that were sold off for Hurricane Katrina claims.  This has caused a 15 to 18 percent surcharge to be imposed on Louisiana homeowners.  The government is considering dipping into its surplus and using tobacco settlement money to pay off the debt and lure more insurance companies to the state.

Anonymous.  (2006, June 13).  Congress Passes Hurricane Recovery Funding.  U.S. Fed News.

This article gives specific information about legislation that was passed concerning Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts.  It highlights the two major parts of the reconstruction efforts: FEMA and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.  It also is helpful in giving the perspectives of some Congressmen who were involved in passing the legislation.

Anonymous (2006).  Hurricane Katrina: What Government is Doing.  From the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  Retrieved September 22,  2006 from http://www.dhs.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/katrina.htm

This site gives a variety of information on how the system of moving money to rebuild New Orleans is working.  It gives an idea of which government offices have jurisdiction over which branches of the reconstruction program.  It also separates what money goes toward Louisiana and what goes to Mississippi.  The site further explores which specific companies have started to work on the reconstruction.

Anonymous. (2006).  Louisiana Parish Recovery Planning Tool.  From Louisiana Parish website. Retrieved September 22, 2006 from http://www.louisianaspeaks-parishplans.org/
 
This site is a more locally based site, which gives an idea of the local efforts to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina.  It also provides possible models for reconstruction on a much larger scale than what is given.  The models include projects, funding, and implementation measures.  This site also had very good information about the geography of Louisiana, which helps to ground the management information.

Bea, K..  (2006).  Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Hurricane Katrina Relief.  From CRS report for Congress.

This source essentially shows where much of the money for Hurricane Katrina Relief is coming from and where it is going.  It also illustrates the problems that are sometimes seen with trying to allocate funds from a specific area and the need to reallocate funds.  Furthermore, the source goes in depth about the money given to a few specific organizations, including FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers.

Gamboa, S.  (2006, June 15).  Spending bill includes hurricane, border money.  The Associated Press. 

This article shows the federal government's inability to manage a budget and to stick to its original monetary plan.  It also showcases the political process that is such a large part of the government and its efforts to help the Gulf Coast area.  Furthermore, this article gives an idea of the magnitude of the damage done by Katrina and the enormous cost of rebuilding.

GAO Reports.  (2006, July 31).  Observations on the preparation, response, and recovery missions related to Hurricane Katrina.
This source generally discusses the work of the Coast Guard right after the hurricane had hit in aiding the victims of said hurricane.  It provides ideas for improvement in the response to a disaster of the magnitude of Hurricane Katrina.  It also highlights what the Coast Guard did successfully during its rescue missions, and thus provides a starting point for any improvements that could be made.

GAO Reports.  (2006, May 15).  Better Plans and Exercises Needed to Guide the Military's Response to Catastrophic Natural Disasters.

This report mostly covers the shortcomings of different branches of the Department of Defense in its response to Hurricane Katrina.  It especially highlights the National Guard and some problems that came up in its rescue mission.  It also provides some information about the domains of different branches of the military, and how they would work together in a situation such as that of Hurricane Katrina.

GAO Reports. (2006, September 6).  Governmentwide Framework Needed to Collect and Consolidate Information to Report on Billions in Federal Funding for the 2005 Gulf Coast Hurricanes.

This report highlighted the difficulties in tracking the amount of money that has gone into rebuilding the Gulf Coast after the hurricanes.  It gives an idea of the mismanagement and waste that has occurred in FEMA since the hurricanes struck.  Likewise, it shows the ease with which money can go to a recipient for whom it was not originally intended.  It also gives ideas about improving the tracking of these post-hurricane reconstruction funds.

Gimble, Thomas F.  (2006, April 10).  Post-Katrina Contracting Costs.  CQ Congressional Testimony.

This testimony highlights the problems that occurred in the early stages of the rebuilding of New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf Coast.  It explores the problems associated with FEMA's mismanagement of its money in purchasing relief supplies.  It also looks at the mismanagement of money after the storm had passed, in providing shelter for displaced residents and providing other basic necessities.

Harrald, John R.  (2006, June 8).  National Emergency Management Structure.  CQ Congressional Testimony.

This testimony explores the responsibilities of the federal government in helping the country's residents during the time of an emergency.  It also explores the different levels of management that can be seen throughout the federal government and the interplay between these levels.  Finally, it highlights the importance of getting the management structure right before any other problems can be solved.

Hudson, A.  (2006, April 24).  An ill wind blows the Senate good; Katrina relief earmarked for Bronx arts, Rhode Island School of Design.  The Washington Times.

This source shows some of the problems that have come up in the current effor to allocate money for the rebuilding effort.  Two different portions of the federal government are working on two different sets of data, which has led to even more confusion, and to a mismanagement of the money set aside for Hurricane Katrina relief.  This article also gives some information showing the structure of the government in the sectors involved with the appropriations.

Jadacki, Matt.  (2006, May 10).  Preventing Waste, Fraud and Abuse Post-Katrina. CQ Congressional Testimony.

This piece of testimony goes very in depth on the subject of corruption and possible problems that can occur in the implementation of a rebuilding plan.  It highlights different places where corruption can readily be found, and it also speaks of the Hurricane Katrina Fraud Task Force, which deals with much of the problem of corruption.  The testimony also shows how waste in the rebuilding process can be prevented.

Jenkins, Jr., William O.  (2006, May 9).  FEMA Restructuring.  CQ Congressional Testimony.

This testimony is essentially a proposal for changing FEMA so it becomes more efficient and more able to adapt to disasters that hit the United States.  It provides methods for defining FEMA's role in a disaster and for allocating its resources properly.  The testimony also  gives an idea of how FEMA can change its leadership to make it more able to respond to disasters.

Schleifstein, Mark.  (2006, October 20).  Corps adjusts timetable to save money.  The Times-Picayune.

This article gives an idea of some of the inadequacies that the government has in dealing with the problem of the breached levees.  Currently, the government seems to be more concerned with saving money than with building levees that will serve New Orleans far into the future.  The article also shows the bureaucratic issues associated with rebuilding the levees, as only eight percent of the design contracts for the levees have been handed out.

Taylor, A.  (2006, May 25).  Congress won't pass troop, hurricane relief funds before Memorial Day.  The Associated Press.

This article hints at the inertia that often plagues the federal government, especially in the case of rebuilding the Gulf Coast.  It shows that the government often has problems separating two very different issues from each other, and thus tries to tackle too large a problem.  This article also gives a good illustration of the political stalemate that has been reached over the issue.

Taylor, A.  (2006, June 16).  Senate sends President Bush $94.5 billion for Iraq war, hurricane.  The Associated Press.

This more general article gives a good overview of some of Congress's appropriations for the hurricane recovery effort.  It also shows where the government's priorities lie, as most of the money is not used for the hurricane, but instead for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  It also shows the conflicts between the executive and legislative branches of the government in deciding exactly how much money should be spent on the relief effort.

United States.  Congress.  House.  Committee on Appropriations.  (2006, July 18). Request for FY2007 Budget Amendments, Communication from the President.

This shows what the president has asked for in terms of money that needs to be added to the federal budget.  Among other things, it includes proposed money for the continuation of reconstruction in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.  This document also provides information about how budgetary considerations in the federal government are handled.

United States.  Congress.  House.  Committee on Appropriations.  (2005, October 31). Request for FY2006 Emergency Proposals, Communication from the President.

This is a document showing specifically what the president believes needs to be done in terms of getting together money to help rebuild the Gulf Coast.  The timing of this piece also provides information about how the government reacted to the criticism that was being thrown at it about its inadequate response to the hurricane.  Furthermore, the document shows just how much money the original rebuilding plan was predicted to take.

United States.  Congress.  House.  Committee on Appropriations.  (2005, September 2). Requests for FY2005 Budget Amendments, Communication from the President.

This document, which comes four days after Hurricane Katrina hit shows the response of the government to the hurricane.  It also shows some of the original estimates about the extent of the damage done to Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi.  Furthermore, it shows which two organizations were expected to be most heavily involved in the rescue effort: FEMA and the Department of Defense.

United States.  Congress.  House.  Committee on Education and Workforce.  (2005, September 12). Declaration of National Emergency in Response to Hurricane Katrina, Message from the President.

This document shows how big a shock the hurricane was to the U.S.  It also shows the government's response in terms of affecting the workforce and the school system.  Furthermore, it gives a bit of clarification on the term "national emergency," which is a rather vague term which was thrown around quite a bit in the few days following Hurricane Katrina.

United States.  Department of Justice. (2006, September 13).  Fraud Task Force Releases Report on First Year of Activities.  Federal Information and News Dispatch, Inc.

This article gives an idea of the types of fraud that have occurred in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and what the government is doing about it.  The task force is investigating many different types of fraud including identity theft, private-sector fraud, and government corruption.  The task force is analyzing the information about fraud and giving recommendations for the best ways to prevent fraud in the future, recommendations which are applicable to the reconstruction of New Orleans and to management after other disasters.

Walsh, B. (2006, August 22). More Than Half of Congress' Katrina Money Unspent.  Newhouse News Service. 

This article gives information about how much money has been allocated by Congress in general for Hurricane Katrina.  It analyzes some of the groups that have gotten the allocated money, including the Army Corps of Engineers.  The article also looks at some of the places where money has been sent, but is not being used properly.  Furthermore, the article gives some idea of the sheer magnitude of the rebuilding effort by referencing the number of projects undertaken.


Last updated: 10/20/06 at 2:49 PM