New Orleans Shirking on Levees Again
Signs are emerging that history is repeating itself in the Big Easy, still healing from Katrina: People have forgotten a lesson from four decades ago and believe once again that the federal government is constructing a levee system they can prosper behind.
In a yearlong review of levee work here, The Associated Press has tracked a pattern of public misperception, political jockeying and legal fighting, along with economic and engineering miscalculations since Katrina, that threaten to make New Orleans the scene of another devastating flood.Dozens of interviews with engineers, historians, policymakers and flood zone residents confirmed many have not learned from public policy mistakes made after Hurricane Betsy in 1965, which set the stage for Katrina; many mistakes are being repeated.
[...]
This does not mean they’d stand up to storms for a century. Under the 100-year standard, in fact, experts say that every house being rebuilt in New Orleans has a 26 percent chance of being flooded again over a 30-year mortgage; and every child born in New Orleans would have nearly a 60 percent chance of seeing a major flood in his or her life.
Your title is incorrect.
It is the US Army Corps of Engineers which builds or shirks our levee flood protection.That is a fact.
Another fact is that Russell Honere’ saved our butts.
We love our National Guard, over half of whom is still serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Change that title for the boots and straps who remain and are trying to rebuild New Orleans.
New Orleans never did and currently now does not have anything to do with designing, building or maintaining those engineering failures. That is a fact of Law.
What this article is about is the continued shirking of duty by the U S Army Corps of Engineers.Bruce
New Orleans LadderPosted by New Orleans Ladder on August 24, 2008 at 0513 hrs
I agree with Bruce. This headline is misleading. People in New Orleans, tax paying Americans last time I looked, are in peril due to inadequate levee protection and lack of work in coastal errosion. It is the government that is “shirking”, not the citizens of New Orleans. The citizens are my heroes.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 24, 2008 at 1806 hrs
What’s the role of their state’s all-star governor?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 25, 2008 at 0628 hrs
The citizens are my heroes.
So, the people who choose to build their houses in dangerous locations are your heroes? The people who expect the federal government to protect them from nature are your heroes? The people who expect the rest of the citizens of this country to pay for their protection so they can live in an extremely high risk area are your heroes? You, sir, are an idiot.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 25, 2008 at 0812 hrs
tax paying Americans last time I looked
You make me laugh - check out the numbers at taxfoundation.org
In 2005, Lousiana paid $20,563M to Federal Government, Federal Government expended $39,628M. That put Lousiana 49th (out of 50 states) in providing Federal Revenue, and #12 at the Federal teat. Per Capita, that is $4565 Federal Revenue vs. $8798 per capita federal spending. For every dollar paid in taxes, the return was $1.78.
Now, go to Wisconsin (one of the home office locations of Boots & Sabers). Wisconsin contributed $32,535M in Federal Revenue, Federal Government expended $31,554M. Wisconsin ranked #20 in providing Federal Revenue, and was #47 at the teat. Per capita, that is $5925 Federal Revenue vs. $5747 per capita federal spending. For every dollar paid in taxes, the return was $.83. For the math challenged, that is a net loss.
So, who are the real “tax paying Americans” here?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 25, 2008 at 0846 hrs
mht,
I pay $1000 a week to the federal government. I would call that a tax payor. And to the prevous poster saying these American citizens are not heroes, what can I say. My definition of hero must be different from yours. I see nobility and bravery in the face of impossible odds. Yes they are my heroes. I am sorry you cannot support your fellow Americans in a time of need.
Perhaps you would like to meet some of the people you don’t think are heroes. They are patients of mine and I am proud to know them.
http://www.veteransforamerica.org/2008/01/15/copter-heroes-of-katrina-set-to-go-to-iraq/Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 25, 2008 at 1753 hrs
I think the real question is why should we be spending any tax dollars to help people rebuild homes at the bottom of a swimming pool? That would be about as stupid as building federally-subsidized mobile home parks in Tornado Alley.
I’d be happier to have my federal tax dollars spent helping them to build a new community that isn’t going to flood uncontrollably every few generations. Perhaps the Department of the Interior can turn New Orleans into a big reclamation project or something.
Posted by Recess Supervisor on August 25, 2008 at 1809 hrs
If my government is not willing to protect me and my family and my community, just let the IRS know that we are no longer Americans. Then we can keep the gas and oil we send tax free to the USA (30% of the domestic gross consumption) and close the mouth of the Mississippi River to those that don’t pay passage charges. With those assets we can easily build out own Cat 5 levees. You know Recess Sup, I am a conservative Republican and before Katrina NO ONE could have convinced me Americans would turn their backs on their own. Sadly I know they do so quite easily. I mourn the loss of what I thought was my good country.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 25, 2008 at 1905 hrs
I am happy to support the people of New Orleans. But if you are dumb enough to build a house at the bottom of a swimming pool, you get what you deserve. Sorry. It is not the obligation of my tax dollars to protect and defend abject stupidity.
You want to secede? Good luck with that. Jindal’s like the first non-crooked politician you’ve ever elected. I can’t wait to watch Louisiana fulfill its destiny as a Banana Republic. I’ll grab the popcorn and watch. Maybe if I’m lucky, I can see Edwin Edwards run against David Duke again!
Posted by Recess Supervisor on August 25, 2008 at 2248 hrs
You know Recess Sup, I am a conservative Republican and before Katrina NO ONE could have convinced me Americans would turn their backs on their own.
I don’t think you know what conservative means. Expecting the government and by association every tax payer in the country to aid in your rebuilding in an extremely dangerous and high risk area is not conservative in the least. If I had a say in where my tax dollars go in this, I would request 100% be given to families / individuals to move to a new location. I feel the same about the Florida coastlines, and the same about the California faultlines, and the same about everyone who has a house on a river. If you want to live in these above average risk areas, then you shouldn’t expect me and everyone else to bail you out over and over and over again.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on August 25, 2008 at 2308 hrs
Total Entries: 19998
Total Comments: 134037
Most Recent Entry: 05/24/2012 05:43 pm
Most Recent Comment on: 05/25/2012 12:32 am
Total Members: 9751
Total Logged in members: 0
Total guests: 122
Total anonymous users: 0
Most Recent Visitor on: 05/25/2012 05:17 am
The most visitors ever was 538 on 12/01/2007 02:11 pm
Protected and licensed under a Creative Commons License (some rights reserved).