New Orleans is strategically situated at the base of the largest natural inland waterway in America. It is of such importance that Thomas Jefferson negotiated its acquisition for the United States of America. Jefferson said, noting New Orleans' importance: "There is one spot on the globe, the possessor of which is our natural and habitual enemy. It is New Orleans."

"We are about to lose New Orleans. Whether it is a conscious plan to let the city rot until no one is willing to move back or honest paralysis over difficult questions, the moment is upon us when a major American city will die, leaving nothing but a few shells for tourists to visit like a museum." - NYT Editorial / 11-Dec-2005