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Thursday, Sept. 15, 2005

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BATON ROUGE, La. -- Echoing the words of President Bush a day earlier, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco took responsibility Wednesday for failures and missteps in the immediate response to Hurricane Katrina and pledged a united effort to rebuild areas ravaged by the storm.

"We all know that there were failures at every level of government: state, federal and local. At the state level, we must take a careful look at what went wrong and make sure it never happens again. The buck stops here, and as your governor, I take full responsibility," Blanco told lawmakers in a special meeting of the Louisiana Legislature.

On Tuesday, Bush for the first time took responsibility for federal government mistakes in dealing with the hurricane and suggested the calamity raised questions about the government's ability to handle both natural disasters and terror attacks.

In Thursday's editions of The New York Times, the former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency criticized Blanco's response to the hurricane, describing widespread confusion in Louisiana.

Michael Brown said he made repeated phone calls to the secretary of homeland security and the White House warning of the problems.

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"I truly believed the White House was not at fault here," said Brown, who resigned under fire over the government's sluggish response to the disaster.

Bob Mann, a spokesman for the governor, said Brown's assertions were "totally inaccurate," telling the newspaper that everything Brown needed "in terms of resources or information from the state, he had those available to him."

Blanco called Bush "a friend and partner" in the recovery effort. She described plans for a rebuilding effort that would span all levels of government but would be funded with all federal money.

The governor said she would appoint an outside financial adviser to oversee the cash flow. "I assure the Congress and every American taxpayer that every nickel will be properly spent," Blanco said.

The relief effort should include financial help to rebuild homes, tax relief and loans for businesses, and an extension of unemployment benefits, she said.

And she appealed to the more than 1 million Louisiana residents who have left the state to escape the devastation. "I am telling each and every one of you: We want you back home," Blanco said.

Southeast Louisiana is beginning to recover, Blanco said, citing the reopening of the New Orleans airport, banks and hospitals, and the first docking of a ship since the hurricane at the city's port.

"New Orleans and the surrounding parishes may be ravaged, but our spirit remains intact," Blanco said. "To anyone who even suggests that this great city should not be rebuilt, hear this and hear it well: We will rebuild."

Legislative leaders have said they expect to call a special session in the upcoming months to address rebuilding and recovery needs. They also will have to grapple with crippling budget problems caused by Katrina, the movement of thousands of taxpayers out of the state and the shutdown of businesses, schools and government agencies.

© 2005 The Associated Press

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