Kathleen Blanco Local Quotations

I don't think we've seen a catastrophic event like this where local governments have lost their entire tax base, ... Each day that goes by puts more governments in jeopardy.

Rita has Louisiana in her sights. Head north. You cannot go east, you cannot go west. If you know the local roads that go north, take those.

Our local governments are recovering, but many are on the verge of financial collapse. I'm asking the federal government to help pay the regular-time salaries of these essential public employees during this emergency period,

beyond the capabilities of the state and affected local governments.

FEMA has been appropriated some $60 billion, and as far as we know there's still about $40 billion that's not specifically dedicated to certain expenditures, ... FEMA could be allowed to use some of that money to float these local governments in the short term.

The effort to restore our state requires a daring, yet realistic plan. A plan based on input from people in all walks of life. A plan created from the ground up. A plan driven by local needs. A plan inspired by innovation, ... We cannot simply re-create what the storms destroyed. We must make the new Louisiana smarter, safer and stronger.