Bayoustjohndavid had a post on this two weeks ago.

That $85 million figure bush keeps throwing around is bogus.

NOLA.com: Times-Picayune Updates

When pressed about what his administration is doing to help the victims of last year’s hurricanes, President Bush has recently taken to pointing to an eye-catching number on the bottom line.

Typical is his statement during a Jan. 26 White House press conference: “The Congress has appropriated $85 billion to help rebuild the Gulf Coast. ... I want to remind people in that part of the world, $85 billion is a lot.”

Some Louisiana lawmakers do not dispute the heft of that number, but they do question whether it accurately reflects reality on the ground, where long-term housing and infrastructure repair has become a priority.

For starters, no one can say with any precision how much of that total has actually been spent so far. The finest point the administration can put on the figure is “more than half.”