Venice, Italy, survives 365 days out of every year in water; New Orleans can survive a few days of water if it has to.

The question is what I wanted to do with the new life God has given me. This is the mission I want to take on.

I think we lost a great deal of sympathy and support with the way in which the crisis was handled, most importantly I think when we appeared to be grasping for too much at one time instead of identifying our priorities in a much more responsible fashion.

Some 70 percent of Americans donated to Katrina victims.

The immediate, highest priority need, in my humble opinion, is that we build quickly the interim structures that can channel water away from population and businesses in the New Orleans area.

Venice, Italy, survives 365 days out of every year in water; New Orleans can survive a few days of water if it has to.

New Orleans has to learn to live with water rather than in fear of water, and we need a master plan that shows us how to do this. It's so critical that we send a signal to everyone in the country that we're serious about rebuilding New Orleans.