This has not happened, in part, because so much of the leadership’s energy seems to have been absorbed into “spinning” former FEMA chief Michael Brown’s ineptness during the first few days of the disaster. Much, which can be blamed on the fact that Chertoff did not give him full necessary authority to rein over the disaster until it was too late. As New Orleans citizens were left abandoned amid floating corpses, with limited supplies of food and water, and as the city threatens to collapse into anarchy, Brown denied that a crisis had even occurred. Now Chertoff is hell-bent on pretending they didn’t drop the ball. What further complicates this situation is the obvious lack of leadership and confusion that is being caused by Governor Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin. It is obvious by the critical layoff of over 3000 city employees by the Mayor in the name of cost cutting, that the Mayor is creating a crisis beyond his own imagination.

Hundreds of New Orleans citizens are still living in shelters. Most of them still cannot get straight answers about what help the government, state and federal officials will provide for them. This is disgraceful and downright depressing. Even individuals within FEMA often give conflicting messages about the benefits that victims are entitled to receive and what options that they have. This can only be described as a lack of leadership and vision.

Our senior leaders have offered some inspiring words, even some good ideas; but we need more. A city has nearly been wiped off the map. Hordes of gangs continue to stalk through the streets, preying on the weak. Whole lives have dissolved in an instant. This situation demands a coherent, national, state and local response. More to the point, it demands a clear vision, so that motivated and caring people throughout the Federal Government and throughout our various aid agencies, can begin working more effectively to help their neighbors and to rebuild the country.