Haley Barbour

October 7, 2005 - The issue of Gulf reconstruction is staying red-hot -- as it should be, given what's at stake for the people in the region and for the national political and economic landscape. Some recent developments: 1. The good news is FEMA's announcement yesterday that, after blistering criticism of crony contracting that saw 80% of jobs go in no-bid contracts and 90% go to companies outside the region, it will re-open bids for $1.5 billion worth of Katrina work deals. It's a good start, but not enough.