Here are some facts on the Louisiana/Katrian situation, not opinion:
It wasn't a lack of federal money available for levee improvements that led to this problem:
The levee board promised Times-Picayune readers that the "few manageable gaps" in the walls protecting the city from Mother Nature's waters "will be sealed within four years (1999) completing our circle of protection."
But less than a year later, that same levee board was denied the authority to refinance its debts. Legislative Auditor Dan Kyle "repeatedly faulted the Levee Board for the way it awards contracts, spends money and ignores public bid laws," according to the Times-Picayune. The newspaper quoted Kyle as saying that the board was near bankruptcy and should not be allowed to refinance any bonds, or issue new ones, until it submitted an acceptable plan to achieve solvency.
Blocked from financing the local portion of the flood fighting efforts, the levee board was unable to spend the federal matching funds that had been designated for the project.
By 1998, Louisiana's state government had a $2 billion construction budget, but less than one tenth of one percent of that — $1.98 million — was dedicated to levee improvements in the New Orleans area. State appropriators were able to find $22 million that year to renovate a new home for the Louisiana Supreme Court and $35 million for one phase of an expansion to the New Orleans convention center.
Even the WaPo thinks that there's been plenty of money...just that state officials have mis-directed and/or used it as political pork.
We know that New Orleans had a disaster plan that they DIDN'T implement.
We know that there were hundreds of unused city and school buses that could have been used to transport people out of the city, (now sitting in 4 feet of water).
Article comments
1 - octogent
obviously YOU and many others KNOW these facts, mostof which have been available to the public for some time. But unfortunately, your timely and accurate article will in no way quiet the shrill cries of the lunatric left, nor their mouth-piece, the so-called mainstream media.
2 - RJ
Yeah, to the unhinged Left, facts are enemies...
3 - billy
blame local officials all you want. even if anything in this piece were true, which it is not, Bush still was IMPOTENT.
He is not the leader America perceived several years ago, but on VACATION and not stepping in, helpless, less powerful than a local mayor who was able to summon help.
Bush is an albatross we are hanging around all 500 or so republicans running for re-election next year.
4 - RJ
"even if anything in this piece were true, which it is not"
Care to rebut any of these facts?
5 - zrsr
read
New Orleans Disaster Plan (link above)
and FEMA Nation Response Plan
Know how the system works and to whom
the deligation of authority lies in this matter.
Pay close attention to evacuation required deadlines in hours.
Clearly a faliure of State of LA to abide by
and execuate their own disaster plan properly
Those are facts