While watching coverage of President Obama’s brief visit to New Orleans yesterday (the first of his presidency), I was disappointed to find little real substance in his remarks.  In fact, having paid close attention to Obama’s mentions of Katrina during his tours as a candidate, the opening to his Town Hall meeting sounded more to me like a campaign speech than a serious contribution to the recovery effort.  Quickly, the rhetoric wandered from a brief overview of the disaster to a few vague mentions of the Administration’s commitment to recovery, before devolving into broad discussion of the national agenda and a closing rallying cry.

Sure, the positivity and presence of the President is undoubtedly appreciated.  But New Orleans at this moment isn’t in need of a “listening tour.” As Obama said, he’s already spent time as a candidate listening and learning in the city.  This visit was, if anything, a squandered opportunity to announce a real concrete initiative, such as a Gulf Coast “czar,” a plan to reopen hospitals, more comprehensive disaster preparedness efforts, or even simply a more detailed description of future plans.Yes, there has been inspiring progress already.

Yes, the recovery money has helped shield New Orleans from some of the pain of unemployment and economic distress felt so acutely in the rest of the country.  However, this is far from enough.  Without a higher position on the Obama Administration’s admittedly bursting agenda, true systemic change and revitalization in the Gulf Coast may prove tragically unattainable.