A job that won't be finished for a while is the rebuilding and renewal of our Coast after Katrina. Our state bore the brunt of the worst natural disaster in American history. I remember flying over in a helicopter the morning after the storm; it looked a
if the hand of God had wiped away the Coast; in some places for blocks, in some places for miles. Yet there were many reasons for hope & optimism:
Great work by local officials & first volunteers;
Wonderful efforts by hundreds of thousands of
volunteers, who are still coming;
Unprecedented amounts of federal funds: more than $25 billion so far.
But the most important reason I'm not only optimistic but absolutely confident about Mississippi's future is the spirit and character of our
people. We got knocked down hard, but Mississippians got right back up, and went to work, helping themselves and helping their neighbors. In the process, Mississippi's response to Katrina has done more than anything else to improve the image of our state
Source: Speech at the Neshoba County Fair
Jul 26, 2007
