As President Obama prepares for his four-hour visit to New Orleans tomorrow, he could do worse than to call Nancy Sutley, the director of his Council on Environmental Quality, and ask her for the Lake Ponchartrain Foundation's report. The report, released yesterday, lists the specific projects necessary for a basic restoration of coastal wetlands that buffer New Orleans from the severity of approaching hurricanes.
The only project of any size the report praises for having been completed is, ironically, the closure of the MRGO canal that critics long predicted would funnel dangerous storm surge into the heart of New Orleans. It's widely blamed for doing exactly that during the Katrina event. The Corps of Engineers, while denying that assertion, bowed to the will of Congress and closed the canal.
Other projects rated as urgent languish for lack of federal funding.
...the cost of a river diversion into the Maurepas Swamp could total nearly $150 million.
"What we're trying to get out of Obama is a commitment, a real commitment to that kind of funding," said Anne Rheams, the executive director of the foundation. "That's the only way it's ever going to happen."
Gee, $150 million...I guess that is asking a lot. So is asking for "a real commitment"....But the town hall will be nice, and the school kids will be charming.
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Harry Shearer: New Orleans: What's Been Done, What's on the To-Do List
In New Orleans, there have been notable steps forward in arts, education and entrepreneurship since Katrina. The bad news is that the "temporary" pumps installed for future floods do not, and cannot work.
I'm not convinced this is a party-specific problem. I think it has more to do with the way we're choked by bureaucracy.
Example. If you want to know part of the reason we have problems like the poor response to Katrina, look at FEMA's "National Response Plan" that was in effect at the time. It's not about disasters, it's about "incidents of national significance." No more catastrophes; they're "catastrophic events." And FEMA apparently doesn't respond to disasters, they conduct "incident management activities."
Using FEMA's own language, the title should have been "National Incidents of National Significance Incident Management Activities Plan." That kind of muddled language encourages muddled thinking and muddled action.
I know that's just one piece of the puzzle, but I think it's an important one. The muddled language favored by bureaucrats makes it harder than necessary to get real results.
New Orleans Cat 5 Levee and Coastal Restoration NOW Rally
which is intended to be an opportunity for New Orleanians to voice their recovery concerns before the national media, just a couple of hours before the President comes to town for his TOWN HALL meeting with the lucky few. Many plan to wear life jackets and rubber boots and carry cardboard boats and carry signs stating the message they wish to be heard by outsiders, national news and the federal government. There will be no formal speakers, just lots of press and friendly, creative, New Orleans loving people. Even our Challmations and Metry neigbors are welcome if they can brave a trip to the Quarter.
A rally flier with more detailed information can be downloaded at:
http://www.crescentcityrecovery.com/
It should be a fun event. Remember to keep it moving, keep it peaceful and most of all, have fun with your neighbors!
Love your appearances on NPR and on Keith Olbermann. Keep fighting for New Orleans!
I am a small business owner trying to identify an agency (or agencies) that are assisting victims of Hurricane Katrina that have been displaced and are trying to repair the damage to their homes and/or are simply trying to return home. If you have a web link or contact # that you could pass along that would be great!
I hope that President Obama's visit there tomorrow will help draw national attention back to New Orleans. I was there last February and have never been more angry and sad at the same time. The inaction on the part of Bush/Cheney immediately following Katrina and up until the time they left office is criminal!
I trust that Obama will rally the country around New Orleans and remind them of what has been lost!
As a military veteran and volunteer from day one of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustov and Ike, I know that our government has turn disaster relief into a political football. I has nothing to do with saving lives or property anymore.The goal of FEMA and it's republican subcontractors is to maximize on the opportunities and profits that come about during and after such disasters. Opportunities like testing their models for a police state and at the same time being so incompetent as to waste billions of dollars on absolutely nothing of value and a contract with built in costs plus 10% profits and no accountability. Wow, What a Racket!
It was not only the inaction of Bush/Cheney after Katrina that was awful, it was utterly reprehnsible. While Bush and his administration were *well aware* New Orleans was flooding, the rest of us were kept in the dark. Help could have been sent right away. It wasn't because we did not know to send it.
Let me just say that I work for the State and in an agency loosely affiliated with the Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP, now GOHSEP). From what I have been told, OEP was not notified until after the fact that New Orleans was flooding, or - at that point - had flooded. The White House knew long before they notified anyone down here in Louisiana who could have done something about it. Yes, people were left to die - trapped and drowning. I have heard this from numerous people in high positions that worked at OEP that night, so I don't doubt that it is true. If Bush could do *that*, then it isn't a far jump to understand the lack of concern and help afterward.
My impression was that it was more the other way around, everyone *except* the Bush administration knew that there was a first class disaster going on there, but apparently neither W. nor anybody working for him had a radio or a television set or access to newspapers.
It is undeniable that much money is spent and sometimes wasted on other projects mentioned in these comments. But that doesn't justify spending money on this project. Funds would be much better spent on improving the quality of life of the people who were dislocated by the flooding and others in similar positions. It is time to apply sense rather than sentiment to this question.
Oh wait... ;P
As a matter of fact, I have begun saving your comments that teach me something I did not know and intend to do further research on them all and put all of the information and facts together in one blog post for people to refer to. I wouldn't be able to do that without you, though, because you are one of the few people still fighting for our beloved city, her people, and for the federal government to own up to - or at least make right - the mistakes they made that cost so many lives in so many ways. I can't thank you enough for continuing what I *know* is, at times, a thankless fight. You have my support.
The needs of New Orleans are many and the previous
administration did a lot of talking without doing anything
about the situation left from the aftermath of hurricane
Katrina, but President Obama will do what he can to
release the funding that the Bush administration promised
but never released! and yes the Federal Government must address the problem
of the disappearing wetlands that protect New Orleans....
He has only been in office 9 months but he has don't
more in 9 months than Bush did in 8 years....lets be patient
yet vigilant!
If you are a supporter of either major party you should be a shamed of your party. There has been more money spent in Iraq to rebuild then in New Orleans. The truth is the areas outside the city proper, to the south were hit even harder and they are still a waste land while the proper American government refuses to rebuild.
middleamerican2010, a small group that is interested in putting five to ten people into congress over the next two elections would demand action and real accountability in rebuilding this hard hit area.
Thousands of people, millions of workers are out of work, working half time and no benifits. What is wrong with a real program, controlled by small business owners, financed by the feds to put people back to work in America at prevailing Federal wages in this area.
Every dollar accounted for. All material bought at real prices not federal wage uncontrolled values. Forty hours of work a week. First the management end, no eastern controllers here just hard already knowledgeable business interests with 85 percent small less then 200 men businesses. Then a police force, military style to protect the supplies and workers with shoot on site orders. Yes, middle america would put Americans back to work rebuilding America! What can you say for your party? (well we saved the banks!)
middleamerican2010
Casey
"There has been more money spent in Iraq to rebuild then[sic] in New Orleans."
I think you should have said, "There has been more money wasted in Irag to rebuild than in New Orleans."
The money spent in Iraq for rebuilding has disappeared.
Just to take your effort at clarification one step further, the money for rebuilding in Iraq can probably be found in Bush and Cheney's Swiss bank account.
You complain about everything that Bush/Chaney did for IRAQ,now, but where were you and the TEABAGGERS,while they were in office,STARTING WARS and doing nothing to help New Orleans?
To top it off,you've shown distain for this administration before it was even ELECTED,by
your vote and support for REPUBLICANS AGAIN,both in the Presidential race and
your Governors races.SO KEEP YOUR COMPLAINTS TO YOURSELF,OR TELL YOUR
STATE SENATORS AND REPS. IN WASHINGTON,TO SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT IF
YOU WANT YOUR NEEDS ADDRESSED OR SHUT THE HE$$ UP.
And the music lovers out there, check out The Human Levee Music Project at http://www.humanlevee.com
Everet McKinley Dircksen minority leader of the Senate said this in the mid 1960s. A measly 44 years ago.
BTW when Dircksen died while in office, the FBI inventoried the contents. Several shoe boxes filled with $100 bills totaling nearly $3 million were reputedly found in his closet. What a thrifty man he must have been? Too bad he never ran the treasury. He was a Republican but not the kind we have today.
Approximately the same amount the health insurance industry has spent in the last few months lobbying to kill health care reform on Capitol Hill.
$150 million used to sound like alot, but now, thanks to the greedy examples shown by the entities who control this nation, we realize it's just spare change to them.
And let's talk "socialism."
"Brother, can you spare a trillion so my rich Wall Street and Banking friends can remain disgustingly rich, even though it was their own fault they lost their a$$es and crashed the economy?"
And the inevitable response? "Of course! You can't be allowed to fail! Congress! Check, please!"
"NOW!"
And the flipside....
"Brother, can you spare a few million so my city and family might not drown from further Federal incompetence?"
And the inevitable response? "Get a job!"
Perhaps Obama will encourage the school kids to take swimming lessons.
What you are forgetting, is that WE, you and me, are the government. Don't feel bad, though. Most of the nation has forgotten it as well.
If the people ever finally remember this simple fact, and assume their rightful control, the corporations and insurance companies will finally bow to us, instead of us bowing to them.
Of course the ones actually in control want you to hate the government, don't they? Think about it.