Visiting Gulf Coast, Bush notes 'lessons learned'

updated 4:37 p.m. ET Jan. 12, 2006

BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. - President Bush traveled to a still-ravaged Gulf Coast Thursday after three months away, promising that a building boom is on its way and encouraging other Americans to visit, too.

While lauding the progress in the region, and promising continued support, the president also touched on government shortcomings in emergency assistance.

He conceded that the government's initial efforts to deliver trailers for temporary housing to the victims displaced by the storm was sluggish.

"I know it was slow to begin with," Bush told community leaders in Bay St. Louis-Waveland. "Production needed to be ramped up." But he added that the process of delivering FEMA trailers to the homeless was almost completed.

Some comments apparently a reference to the seeming paralysis of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, at the start of the crisis, Bush added:

"There are going to be some lessons learned about agencies that may be overwhelmed by the size of a storm," Bush said. He said the government would "constantly look for ways to do things better."

Run-up to State of the Union
Bush's visit to New Orleans and Mississippi was part of a series of events to showcase his priorities leading up to the State of the Union address, and in this region, to smooth over criticism on the White House handling of the disaster. He said he was committed to rebuilding communities devastated from Hurricane Katrina.

"People in far away places like Washington, D.C., still hear you and care about you," Bush told survivors gathered at St. Stanislaus College, just a couple of blocks from where Katrina blew ashore.

Bush's route to the college took him down a coastal road past thousands of snapped trees, debris still hanging from limbs and lots emptied of their buildings. There were almost no intact structures — in most cases only concrete foundations were left — and little evidence of rebuilding.

“There’s no homes to repair,” Bush said. “It’s just been flattened. That’s what the people of America have got to understand.”

Unlike in New Orleans, where most of the population has not returned, the road was lined with dozens of onlookers. Many held signs pleading for help and pledging their determination to rebuild their communities.

Bush recalled his vow from New Orleans' Jackson Square to return the region to its glory.

"I said we're not just going to cope, we're going to overcome," he said. "I meant what I said."

'Dramatic' changes in New Orleans
Earlier on a brief stop in New Orleans, Bush said the improvement since his last visit in mid-October is dramatic.

“I will tell you, the contrast between when I was last here and today is pretty dramatic,” Bush said. “From when I first came here to today, New Orleans is reminding me of the city I used to visit.”

"It's a heck of a place to bring your family," he said. " It's a great place to find some of the greatest food in the world and some wonderful fun.

"And for folks around the country who are looking for a great place to have a convention, or a great place to visit, I'd suggest coming here to the great New Orleans," said Bush, seated before a colorful mural depicting jazz musicians, a river boat, masked Mardi Gras revelers and crawfish.

The president spoke to reporters before meeting privately with small business owners and local government officials in the New Orleans visitors bureau, located in the Lower Garden District neighborhood that was not flooded. The area suffered little impact from the storm, and his motorcade passed stately homes with very little damage.

Bush praised the city's success in bringing much of its infrastructure back -- if not most of its citizens and businesses.

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