The good news: one day before the office was to expire, President Obama extended the life of the Gulf Coast Recovery "Czar" (don't tell Glenn Beck) for another six months.
The bad news: according to her interview with Sunday's Times-Picayune, the occupant of that office, Janet Woodka, who supposedly should be coordinating the efforts of federal agencies to facilititate and accelerate Gulf Coast recovery, and should be advocating for that cause with the powers that be, doesn't know who those powers be:
She is one of many people advising the president about what he should do and see while in New Orleans, but she does not know who ultimately calls the shots on that.
"I don't even actually know who that person is, " Woodka said. "Maybe it's the president himself."
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Harry, Harry, Harry. The woman has only been on the job since March, and she's been really really busy. There was a hurricane in New Orleans, or hadn't you heard? And you expect her, with a plate that full, to know who's in charge?!!! In only seven months time?!!! You are so negative!
Seriously, this kind of incompetence would be funny if so many lives weren't at stake.
She reports to Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, and has a direct line to the White House. I imagine her sitting at her desk trying to guess who the mysterious person in charge might be. Maybe they told her, but she's bad with remembering names, and was too imbarrassed to ask. I think we all know how awkward that can be.
I see, from her appointment announcement from last March, that part of her duties as coordinator between the feds and local and state autorities are "restoring and protecting the environment," as well as coordinating the building of "better and stronger levees."
I wonder if anyone has told her that "better and stronger" has turned into "not technically superior?" I suppose it doesn't really matter, because, after all, who would she report it to? Ugh!
Were not the levees built, planned and constructed by the government?
Did not the government know that a category 5 hurricane would put the levee's at risk?
Did not the local/state/federal government make the call to "risk" a category 5 storm, because the odds were relatively low that such a storm would strike New Orleans in any given year?
Just pointing out that, sure, we need to build the levee's right this time, but let's not forget that it is our old friend the government that let us down on the levees.
I'm sure in the future, all levees built anywhere there is a risk of catastrophinc flooding by our friends, the government, will be built properly and prevent a Katrina like occurrence.
The Katrina disaster was merely one of the few, very rare, government failures.
Or take the argument inland: THe Corps of Engineers can build dams 800 feet high and people--perhaps even some of the indignant posters here--settle in the river valleys below and live happily for decades. So how is it that the same Corps of Engineers couldn't put up a 15 foot floodwall that could withstand water lapping three feet below the top for a few hours?
Go yet further inland. Has anyone done a cost accounting to the American taxpayer for all the hydration projects out West? How much is it costing the United States to green up the golf courses in Palm Springs or flush potties in Phoenix? I'll bet it's far pricier than the fifteen billion most experts agree would keep New Orleans as dry as...well, the Netherlands, for starters.
I'm a New Orleanian, but because I'm also an American you won't find me complaining (much) about my tax dollars going to support people living in the desert.
Oh, wait a minute. I forgot that the people in control of its economy don't want any change!
Technically, shouldn't she be called a Czarina? Now there's a piece of choice advice!
Who would believe that another government appointee might not be up to the task?
Wow. Who could have seen this coming?
Responsibility for storm surge protection got taken away from New Orleans (and nearby St. Bernard Parish) in 1965, and now those citizens are at the mercy of Congress, and ultimately the POTUS.
The Hurricane hit Mississippi and the Corps of Engineers hit New Orleans.
We survived the hurricane...
Go Figure...Go Fish!
As Harry described in one post "Going Insider", after a labyrinth of playing cards and who'dats, he finally met with the President's Word on this --and who did THAT turn out to be? You guessed it, our Exquisite Corps!
Everyone is saying we should be Nice to the President when he comes to town.
But, I really think our attitude towards his bourgeois naivete regarding the Flood of New Orleans does not matter, because he and his "people" don't seem to be listening to We The People.
While there is no cause for Rudeness, I am just about tired of Obama's Game and think he now owes us more than a few explanations about the Corps of Engineers continued Bad Engineering Scams --not more full court press partays.
We have problems in New Orleans:in-operable pumps, un-repaired bad flood walls, millions of dollars getting shifted around from project to project.
He has had the OSC Report on this (again posted by Harry) on his desk since JUNE.
We need Answers and we need Action from the Commander In Chief.
Maybe someone should tell Beckie how little power some of these people really have.
On the other hand, our world seems to be one in which not only most of us don't know who is in charge ANYWHERE of ANYTHING; judging by the health care/Wall St./Afghan debacles, NOBODY ANYWHERE wants to take RESPONSIBILITY for ANYTHING.