As I read the story in the Daily Monopoly about the idea of a Marshall Plan for the recovery from Hurricane Katrina, I kept trying to find some similarity between rebuilding Europe post-WWII and rebuilding New Orleans Post-Katrina. I can’t find any.

First, while I am no history scholar nor even a history buff, I don’t believe the United States started WWII. Second, the war was against other countries that had declared war on us and our allies.

Katrina was an Act of God. However, the flooding of 80% of New Orleans was due to the negligence of man. More specifically, man/men, in the employ of the U.S. Government. Unlike the fighting in WWII in Europe and elsewhere, New Orleans was “destroyed” by the equivalent of “friendly fire.” Our own government in affect “attacked” its own unarmed citizens.

Bottom-line, there is nothing even close to compare what was done to New Orleans by our own government with the possible exception of the Civil War. Therefore, looking to history to justify the level of funding is not helpful. There has never been another disaster in America like this one.

If this matter was in court in LA, we would simply apply the law that says he who does harm to another repairs it. Not only repair it, but put the one so harmed back as he found them. The actual costs are for the jury to decide, not the defendant.

C.B.