As we pass the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, there are further indications that Louisiana is slowly but surely returning to its former self. No, it's not the fact that the tourist centers of New Orleans have been rebuilt while our government has been shamefully slow in rebuilding the more poverty-stricken areas statewide.

What I'm talking about is something bigger and more abstract. I'm talking about the legend and reputation of a particular region. And when I'm talking about the reputation of Louisiana, I'm talking about corruption. News just came out that the former film commissioner of the state has been charged with accepting bribes.

When we think of Chicago we think of political corruption, and so there's always something satisfying when we hear new stories about, say, the votes of dead people swaying an election. Likewise New York and the Mob. When we hear that a crime family has made inroads into the police and justice departments, it's hard not to remember and think fondly of The Godfather.

Likewise, Louisiana has a long and rich history of corruption, most famously under the reign of Huey Long in the '20s and '30s. Former Congressman Billy Tauzin famously described his state this way: "Half of Louisiana is under water and the other half is under indictment."

Since Katrina struck, the attention has shifted to our national corruption, and the regional corruptions of the state have been diminished. Meanwhile, the state's tax incentives have been bringing in Hollywood productions, and after the storm there was all sorts of good attention brought to any film that shot there.

Now comes this scandal, where the film commissioner accepted bribes to approve inflated budgets of films so that their kickbacks would be bigger. There's almost a sense of pride in the reporting of this story. Even more than the stories of celebrities helping to rebuild out of the destruction, this story gives a feeling of "business as usual."

All I can say is welcome back!

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Andy Spletzer was in New Orleans before the storm, saw some great music, had a great time, met a ton of great people, and is looking forward to going back.

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