Utah delegation still hasn't visited Orleans

NEW ORLEANS — Stepping onto a giant U.S. map drawn on the grass of a football field, a group of prominent New Orleans women marked the opening of hurricane season Thursday by noting that Congress members from Utah and five other states have yet to visit this devastated city.

In January, the organization of 140 women dubbing themselves the Women of the Storm chartered a jet to Washington, where they hand-delivered invitations to each member of Congress.

To date, 47 senators and 93 U.S. representatives have visited to see the damage caused last summer by Hurricane Katrina. Many, including Sen. John McCain and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, came at the behest of the women.

Twenty-one states have not sent a senator and at least 18 have not sent a representative, according to the women's tally.

In addition to Utah, the states that have sent no members of their congressional delegation were Indiana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

"Our work is far from over. Six states have sent no one. We strongly believe these members of Congress need to see the devastation firsthand," said Anne Milling, the group's founder and an eminent community activist.

To dramatize their point, the women gathered on a U.S. map drawn on the grass of Tad Gormley Stadium in New Orleans' City Park. Members of the group stood on each state and opened blue umbrellas to symbolize the states that had sent either a senator or a representative. A gap quickly formed near the map's Great Lakes region and in the Western corner of the United States.

Gov. Kathleen Blanco joined the women and said the absentee politicians should reconsider: "It's not too late to come," she said.

"Our mission is not completed. We will not give up. We are relentless. I got news for them — they've just met their match," said Peggy Laborde, one of the Women of the Storm.