An ounce of prevention

Here's the headline from Reuters:

New Orleans opens to business despite warnings

Here's the current projected path for tropical storm Rita.

Now, who do you think should tell the citizens of a city "please do not come back yet, it isn't safe for you yet," the mayor of said city or the President of the United States? If you said the mayor, you get a gold star. Unfortunately, it'll have to be the President, because the mayor is welcoming people back with open arms. Pray that Rita follows a path into Mexico or Texas, because the mayor of New Orleans is putting his citizens back at risk.

Update
The President is expressing his reservations about the city reopening. Good. It's about all he can do. The rest is on Nagin's shoulders.

Update 2
Mayor Nagin is doing the right thing, finally. I appreciate the position he was in the-the city needs economic activity for local government to function, but opening the city up now was the wrong decision at the wrong time.