Just Phone It In

While the Army and National Guard begin the grisly cleanup in New Orleans, the city's fire and police officers are headed for week-long vacations, many of them in Las Vegas. New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin, who has spent the last week demanding more federal assistance, originally asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency to pay for vacations for his employees. When the agency said it could not use federal tax money dedicated for flood relief for such trips, the mayor said that the city would pick up the tab. No word yet on whether the hundreds of New Orleans police officers that abandoned their jobs are eligible. City officials said they expected the military, with much greater resources, to expand rescue work, begin cleaning up the city and take the first steps toward reconstruction. Colonel Terry Ebbert, the senior city official that is supposed to be running the recovery and rescue operation, intends to take a break as well, but probably for less than five days. But don't worry, he told The New York Times that he would continue to direct the recovery by telephone.