This is one way in which the city may find a compromise with its perceived problem of the influx of Hispanics. The Central Business District is growing and finding the tourist trade to be coming back, but it is only with the help of the Hispanic population that it will continue to grow.In the Central Business District, public and private buildings are still being rebuilt. The delay in making repairs to the Criminal Justice buildings in New Orleans creates a danger to public safety in that police stations and police headquarters are operating out of FEMA trailers. Because of this space in inadequate; there is a lack of desks for writing reports, the ability to plan strategies is hampered; interrogations and interviews are not private, protection of evidence, and housing of criminals and victims is lacking, the crime lab is only partially functioning. Special Operations, Traffic, Recruiting, Juvenile, Compliance and Auto Theft Divisions all work out of trailers (Liu 10).

Only a few libraries in the entire city are functioning, some out of trailers. Publlic transportation to the central district is at a standstill. Only 19% of buses are operating on 50% of the original routes, compared to 17% and 45% a year ago. Hospitals and long-term rehabilitation and disability facilities remain shuttered, with only 13 acute care hospitals out of 23 open, yet New Orleans is struggling with increased menal illness, acute situations and deaths.

While chartered schools continue to proliferate in New Orleans, it has been predicted that it will be a long time before any improvements in the school system from two years ago may be seen. In central New Orleans LEAP exam scores fell from 61% before Katrina to 49% last year and fewer children were able to pass the exam (Liu 13).

Less than half the basic public services are available after two years, based on pre-Katrina figures. The U.S. Postal Service says it is delivering 66% of pre-Katrina numbers, up from 50% after one year. Business owners feel the effect, as the population struggles to get transportation,...

The lack of doctors and other critical health care workers, looting of new homes and businesses continues because of continued lack of buildings for public servants (Liu 15).
The Zagat post-Katrina New Orleans survey in January of 2007 found that the tourist areas have recovered quite nicely. They list the French Quarter, Downtown and the Garden District as "fully back in business," but remark that, sadly, the major residential areas remain "desolate." Zagat's 2007 Best of New Orleans, guide was released on the premise that if these successfully restored 390 restaurants, 94 bars, clubs and nightspots, 18 major hotels and 29 top tourist attractions are available for the tourists to use, then much of the tourist business dollars will help restore the rest of New Orleans. Zagat gives the city a 25 on the 30-point scale for culinary creativity, but only a 17 for table availability. This means that there is still a lack of good restaurants opening their doors, leaving much room for future improvement (Zagat 1).

Economically, the region seems to be stabilizing, but this may be due to the lack of public service infrastructure. It is stabilizing at a lower number than previous to Katrina, but it may be stabilizing because the shock of the catastrophe has worn off and the population has become used to the slow pace of recovery. People are looking at it as a quality check. Said the Deputy Director of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, Amy Liu, "There is no sense to have faster results if the results are not of value" (Liu 2).

Works Cited

Belsie, Laurent and Axtman, Kris. "Post-Katrina, New Orleans coming back more Hispanic." Christian Science Monitor. 12 Jun 2006. http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0612/p01s03-ussc.html.

Liu, Amy and Plyer, Allison. "The New Orleans Index, Second Anniversary special edition." The Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program. Greater New Orleans…