http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060105/ZNYT02/601050814 (snip)The passage of the bill has become increasingly important to Louisiana because the state lost out to the greater political power of Mississippi last month when Congress passed a $29 billion aid package for the Gulf states region. The package gave Mississippi about five times as much per household in housing aid as Louisiana received - a testimony to the clout of Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi, a former Republican National Committee chairman, and Senator Thad Cochran, chairman of the Appropriations Committee.
Louisiana officials say they were forced to go along with the appropriation, because they may not have received an aid package at all otherwise. But now they are focused even more intently on Mr. Baker's buyout bill; many economists here say there may be no alternative to buyouts for homeowners who cannot make mortgage payments on ruined properties (end snip)
That would be a buyout of 80 Million. It would offer landowners 60% of what there property was worth before Katrina.
Also, those that had to leave, and that could not pay their back rent, so their personal belongings were stolen. They will buy them out, clean it out, and then open it to developers.
So, basically, they accomplished what the storm started. They are getting the blacks and the poor out of there to rebuild it the way they want it.