Once rebuilding gets underway in earnest in the Gulf Coast, we expect much stronger construction numbers across the board. But that will be a story for the very end of this year and into 2006.

I'm from the gulf coast of Louisiana.

We fully expect sentiment to drop sharply, putting in place the conditions for much softer consumer spending numbers.

My great-grandchildren will not be able to enjoy the Gulf Coast of Louisiana the way I have.

Without a doubt we have been handed as extreme a challenge of rebuilding on the Gulf Coast as imaginable, ... But Mississippi is a great state with great people, and already we're welcoming golf, gaming and other tourists to the rest of the state. This will help the state and the state in turn will be better equipped to help the Gulf Coast and its residents affected by Katrina the more visitors we host. So the best thing we can and will do is to keep keeping on. We want visitors to come see why Mississippi is a special place and judge for themselves why Mississippi is considered a rising star of the golf-and-gaming world.

This report is stronger than it looks and is consistent with the industrial recovery gathering pace,