More than three months after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, the most devastated area of the city remains the Lower Ninth Ward. Louisiana State Sen. Ann Duplessis represents the district. She lost her home and her office to the floods. She speaks with Ed Gordon.
ED GORDON, host: From NPR News, this is NEWS & NOTES.  I'm Ed Gordon.</s>ED GORDON, host: Three billion dollars.  That's what the government is now promising the      city of New Orleans to help rebuild its broken levee system.  The new      pledge came after a meeting between President Bush, Donald Powell, head      of the federal recovery effort, and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin.  Nagin      says he hopes the promise of stronger levees will entice residents and      businesses to come home and speed up what has been a slow and difficult      recovery.</s>Mayor RAY NAGIN (New Orleans): Now the Big Easy is not very easy right      now. So when you come back to New Orleans, come back ready to work.  Come      back ready to rebuild and to help us to make the Big Easy the great      international city that it once was.</s>ED GORDON, host: In just a moment, we'll speak with US Congressman Elijah      Cummings about the federal role in the recovery effort.  He and other      Congressional Black Caucus members met yesterday with David Paulison,      acting director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.</s>ED GORDON, host: But first, for a perspective of life on the ground in New Orleans after      Katrina, we're joined by Louisiana state Senator Ann Duplessis.  She      represents New Orleans' devastated Lower Ninth Ward.</s>ED GORDON, host: Senator, welcome.</s>Senator ANN DUPLESSIS (Democrat, Louisiana): Thank you.</s>ED GORDON, host: Let me ask you, so much in the headlines today about what's      being spent to shore up the levees.  I'm sure that there are a number of      people who are excited about that.  But one of the questions is the      immediate need of the people of the region and what kinds of dollars and      the state that they are in today.  Give a sense of what you are seeing.</s>Senator ANN DUPLESSIS (Democrat, Louisiana): You're absolutely correct with that.  The resources that      are now being provided to the region and to the city as it relates to      levee protections are absolutely critical.  But immediately my      constituents and the people of New Orleans who were mostly devastated and      impacted have one-on-one financial needs.  You know, we have been forced      to leave our homes, and we are not able to return, but yet the expenses      are still there.  The mortgages are due.  The other bills are due.  So at      this particular time, we have been lobbying with our congressional      leadership to create some legislation that would at least, on temporary      basis, help individuals financially so that that would not be another      devastating impact on their lives, having to lose the homes that they      can't go back to or having to file bankruptcy or things like that.  So we      are working very hard to try and help create some legislation that would      give some temporary financial relief on mortgage payments and debt.</s>ED GORDON, host: When talking with your constituents, talk to me about the      biggest concern that you are hearing from folks who want to return to New      Orleans. You know, there's the debate that there will be some who will      not want to return, but what of those who want to return?  What are you      hearing most from them?</s>Senator ANN DUPLESSIS (Democrat, Louisiana): Mostly we're hearing how will we be protected from      future events such as this?  Now what--the announcement that we heard      yesterday is a very good starting point.  To commit dollars to bringing      the levee system back to a Category 3 is good, but I'm just not sure that      is enough with all of the data and the information that we have gotten      thus far.  And so the commitment to a Category 5 or better or greater is      what is really needed, and not only for our constituents to have some      assurances and some security, but for the industries that we would depend      on in those areas where they believe pose a risk.</s>ED GORDON, host: Let me ask this.  When you see the governor, when you see the      mayor in Washington talking about the situation, are you satisfied that      we are out of the finger-pointing that really got to some degree a big      nasty and we can now move forward, or do you think there is still need      for all concerned, from the federal government down, to still try to lay      blame elsewhere?</s>Senator ANN DUPLESSIS (Democrat, Louisiana): You know, right now, this really--I don't think it's      about blame.  I think what is happening is that our leadership at the      local level, the mayor, and at the state level, the governor, were      inundated with a disaster that no one could have written a play--or there      was no playbook on. We are still in a reactive mode here.  So the      finger-pointing that I guess--between our family, as I want to say, that      the outside world saw, they did what they thought at the time was      appropriate based on the information, the data and the intelligence that      they had to make decisions.</s>ED GORDON, host: All right, Senator.  Thank you so much for updating us and give      us a look on the ground.</s>Senator ANN DUPLESSIS (Democrat, Louisiana): Thank you.</s>ED GORDON, host: Ann Duplessis is a Louisiana state senator.  She represents New      Orleans 2nd District, which includes the Lower Ninth Ward.