Hurricane Recovery Chief Steps Down
The News Review:
- Hurricane Recovery Chief Steps Down
- Consumer spending turns in weakest 2-month showing since Hurricane…
- French Tornado sailors lead at midway stage
Hurricane Recovery Chief Steps Down
San Francisco Chronicle – Feb 29, 2008
President Bush said Powell’s chief of staff Paul Conway would take over as recovery chief “in the interim. ” He didn’t say whether he would appoint a permanent replacement or whether he planned to extend the term of the post past November when it was to have expired. Bush appointed Powell as Gulf Coast recovery chief in November 2005 three months after Katrina hit and after his administration was roundly criticized for its response to the hurricane and the levee breaches that left most of New Orleans under water for a time. The office was set to run three years. Long after the waters had gone frustration with Washington remained as communities tried to navigate a bureaucracy laden with red tape that state and local officials complained had slowed rebuilding efforts. Powell was charged with helping ease that process which he said was frustrating at times. He said one of his biggest struggles was dealing with so-called project worksheets which are documents that spell out the scope of work for recovery projects that are often revised stalling projects.
Consumer spending turns in weakest 2-month showing since Hurricane…
San Jose Mercury News – Feb 29, 2008
However all of that gain came from a surge in inflation during the month. Taking away the effect of prices spending showed no gain in January or December. Other than two negative months in August and September of 2005 which reflected the disruptions from Hurricane Katrina inflation-adjusted consumer spending has not been so weak since November and December of 2001 when the country was struggling to emerge from the last recession. Incomes in January posted a 0. 3 percent increase following a 0. 5 percent gain in December. However the January performance was boosted by a number of one-time factors such as big annual bonuses paid to business executives.
French Tornado sailors lead at midway stage
stuff.co.nz – Feb 29, 2008
Guichard and Guyander were 13th in the first race of the day allowing Canadians Oskar Johansson and Kevin Stittle to steal the overall lead briefly but they gained it back with a fourth placing in race six. They were able to discard the 13th placing as their worst result so far. Defending world champions Darren Bundock and Glen Ashby were the big movers of the day shifting up to second just six points adrift of the leaders. New Zealanders Aaron McIntosh and Mark Kennedy were 10th and 13th yesterday.