A new and troubling thought has surfaced concerning what will happen to those 
portions of New Orleans that flooded and are subject to mold, wood rot, and 
related health hazards. Mayor Ray Nagim has ordered evacuation of the city and 
various military, police, and other rescue workers are out removing people 
against their will and even in places not hit by water. Under Constitutional law, 
what rights will those evicted citizens have to their houses and underlying 
lots in this process? In particular, would the State of Louisiana and City of 
New Orleans rebuild the Victorian, Craftsman, and other potentially historic 
buildings the same way they existed before Hurricane Katrina and the flood 
waters? Or, could the government bulldoze the entire area and contract out with 
Haliburton or some developer to build modern and cheesy condominium projects on 
the properties and force the former owners of single family dwellings into 
multiple housing? Is there nothing in the National Historic Preservation Act that 
protects those buildings in these circumstances?

Ron May
Legacy 106, Inc.