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.

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.

Half of Louisiana is under water and the other half is under indictment.

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.

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

I think the industry finally gets it. They've lost the connection with the American public, and they've got to rebuild the trust with the American public.

Invite the best and brightest to compete for a grand prize to come up with designs, including new zoning, building codes and so forth, for New Orleans that could make it safe from water, and let the state and city pick the plan that works best for Louisiana.