Looking to rebuild
Until a couple of weeks ago, John Davies fancied his plans ambitious–revitalization of downtown Baton Rouge; health care for the uninsured in southeast Louisiana; other social needs in the state capital.
But over the course of just a few days, ambitious gave way to Herculean.
Davies, the CEO of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, and his neighbors may soon have what he estimates to be as many as half a million new, involuntary visitors, many with just the clothes on their backs. And they may be around town awhile.
"New Orleans is here now," Davies declared late last week from his suddenly bustling–and crowded–office in downtown Baton Rouge, 80 miles upriver from the sunken Crescent City.
"The [New Orleans] post office has been relocated here. The law firms are here," he said. And, of course, the unluckier, jobless refugees are there. "Everybody in my office has someone from New Orleans living in their house."
Thousands of others are in area shelters.
In other words, Baton Rouge–normally with a population less than half that of New Orleans–at present is Louisiana's biggest city. Davies says the number of people in East Baton Rouge Parish, with a pre-Katrina census of just over 400,000, may approach a million by the time New Orleans is fully evacuated. Families will require food and shelter; schools must be expanded for children.
"This is 3-dimensional chess we're playing right now," said Davies. A chaotic chess, at times–his wife saw a fight break out Thursday as she was waiting in line for gas. "And it's outrageous at the supermarkets."
Davies's foundation on Tuesday set up two Katrina-related funds, one for the immediate benefit of displaced residents, the other for the long-term rebuilding of New Orleans. Within two days, $4 million had been contributed to the two funds. Nationally, the American Red Cross had raised more than $20 million. But those collections are drops in the bucket. Davies said that Rep. Richard Baker, a Republican who represents Baton Rouge, told him the overall destruction will amount to $90 billion, much of the total uninsured.
While the immediate relief of refugees is vital, the rebuilding of the city is equally important, says Davies, calling New Orleans "the economic engine for Louisiana." But for now, his office neighbors include Greater New Orleans Inc. (the Chamber of Commerce for the city), which itself was forced to relocate.
BRAF's sister organization, the Greater New Orleans Foundation, also has set up headquarters in Davies's shop. Its chief financial officer, Kathleen Hebert, was at work, possessing only the jeans and T-shirt she was wearing. Still missing as of Thursday, however, was GNOF's president and CEO, Gregory Ben Johnson.
"We're fairly sure he got out and got to Alabama, but he hasn't called," Davies said.
Meantime, the Baton Rouge downtown redevelopment and healthcare initiatives will have to wait. The diaspora from New Orleans needs tending.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency lists a number of charities involved in helping victims of the hurricane and its aftermath at www.fema.gov.
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