White House rejects Baker Plan

Anyone who reads the news saw this coming: The administration's hurricane recovery czar, Donald Powell, has been described as "noncommittal" toward the re-introduction of the Baker Plan to Congress. Sure enough, yesterday, the White House announced its opposition to the bill, citing the sufficiency of block grants instead. Congressman Richard Baker, the bill's author, claims that the $6.2 billion provided by Congress is far from sufficient to effect recovery in the areas of Louisiana hit by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The Baker Plan would create a government agency to buy flood-damaged houses and pay off the mortgages.