Size matters: New Orleans has submitted a challenge to the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent population data. Mayor Ray Nagin says the challenge uses new data analysis compiled in collaboration with the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center. The Census estimated that the city’s population on July 1, 2008 was 311,853. New Orleans and GNOCDC estimated that the city’s population was between 336,644 and 351,563, which represents an increase of nearly 25,000 or 40,000. The higher estimate was arrived at by using data sources such as electrical connections and U.S. Postal Service active homes.
Seeking relief: The state is sending a dispute with FEMA over what its owed for damage sustained to Charity Hospital in New Orleans to a newly created arbitration panel. Commissioner of Administration Angele Davis says the hospital was more than 50% damaged by Hurricane Katrina, making the state eligible for the full replacement cost of $492 million. FEMA has offered about $150 million, arguing, among other things, that not enough was done to guard the building against additional damage after Katrina. Congress approved plans for a three-judge arbitration system to speed up the process of paying for big-ticket projects.
