EDITORIAL: Deliver for our future
Times-Picayune (excerpt)

Metro New Orleans is a much different place five years after Hurricane Katrina -- and President Obama will witness the changes as he arrives today to commemorate the anniversary of arguably the worst disaster in U.S. history. Most neighborhoods flooded by the levee failures have regained a majority of residents. Transformational reforms march on, especially in New Orleans public schools. And major rebuilding efforts in public infrastructure are under way. Countless challenges remain, but our region is well into its recovery from the 2005 hurricanes and flooding. A substantial portion of that progress is being financed with $3.4 billion in federal aid delivered to Louisiana during the Obama administration's 17 months in office -- and we are grateful for the aid. Some administration officials also have remained exceptionally committed to reforming public services, especially in housing and health care. But the five-year mark is also an occasion to consider the pending agenda for our region's long-term future. In that regard, the president has yet to make substantial progress on two crucial commitments: providing substantial revenues for coastal restoration now and upgrading metro New Orleans' hurricane protection to shield us from the fiercest storms. President Obama, who has vowed to deliver on coastal restoration and hurricane protection, must make them true national priorities.