Levees Not Responsibility of Federal Government!

However, the Federal Government has sent more money to the CORPS OR ENGINEERS IN LOUISANA than any other State.

This has been pointed out here since before the hurricane struck, but it doesn't fit the agenda of the MSM.

But, it's still Bush's fault.

That may be true, but the voters of New Orleans are too dumb to be trusted with the responsibility of protecting their own city.

The federal government needs to save them from themselves, and prevent another $200 billion, 10,000 dead mistake.

now we know, if only the bush bashers would read facts like these before plunging off the brige with their ridiculous claims

W, who never met a check he wouldn't sign, gave twice as much money (almost $2Billion) to Louisiana as Clinton did. You'd never guess it from the howling banshees in the Democrat House and Senate though.

Tidbit.

The local land owners lost their levee responsibility due to EMINENT DOMAIN.

See Parish Presidents.

I would rather spend billions on roads in Alaska - if you gotta waste money waste the gasoline trust taxes.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2001823296_tonged26.html

Levees Not Responsibility of Federal Government!

I agree wholeheartedly.

However, the Federal Government has sent more money to the CORPS OR ENGINEERS IN LOUISANA than any other State.

So what it amounts to is that La. let the United States down. They had the oil in the palm of their hand and didn't take care of its passageway to the rest of the country. If they can't be responsible for this, why would we think that they would be responsible the next time? Burn me once, shame on you. Burn me twice, shame on me.

Although the federal government exerts only extremely limited control over the levees, President Bush bears total and complete responsibility for their failure because he:

(1) failed utterly to engineer a solution that would have saved New Orleans in the event of a category 5 hurricane without angering any enviro-wacko;

(2) lived in Texas rather than Louisiana and therefore got himself elected Governor of that state rather than the Bayou, and therefore could not appoint members to the various levee boards and commissions;

(3) lost his mid-1970s congressional campaign when he could have won and used his influence to shower so much federal money on the corrupt Louisiana officials that they could not think of anything better to do than reinforce the levees;

(4) did not intercede with Almighty God to steer the hurricane clear of New Orleans, nor devise any engineering method to do so despite having three days to do so;

(5) did not campaign sufficiently hard to convince enough living and valid Louisiana voters to elect Bobby Jindhal as Governor to exceed the tally that Blanco attained among the deceased, fraudulent, and imaginary;

(6) failed to gain and deploy his personal fortune toward saving New Orleans; and

(7) nevertheless managed to get himself selected [not elected] President of the United States of America not once but twice by convincing enough living American voters to go to the polls instead of allowing the constituency of the deceased, imaginary, ineligible, and fraudulent to prevail.

Okay...what did I miss?

And Bush gave more than Clinton.

My original posting was done to try and corroborate Obra Bourgoyne's statement in a letter to ChronWatch.com that the N.O. levees were not the responsibility of the Federal government. Here is a post from the N.O. Levee District which explains that it was the "outfall" canals that failed and that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is a joint partner with the Levee District in capital projects. But, ultimately, the levees do appear to the responsibility of the Levee District and not the Federal Corps of Engineers. Here's the post and link from the Levee District website:
http://www.orleanslevee.com/History3.htm

Hurricane Levee System - New Orleans Levee District

The Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity Hurricane Protection Project was authorized by Congress in 1965. In late 1966, construction of floodwalls along the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal began on east and west sides. This project advanced so well that when Hurricane Camille hit in 1969, New Orleans was protected from similar tides as were produced by Hurricane Betsy.

In order to accelerate construction time, the Orleans Levee Board financed and constructed portions of the floodwalls, and in 1973, the project along the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal was virtually completed.

Construction on other portions of the project were continuing: the Citrus Back Levee, Michoud Slip Levee, New Orleans East Back Levee, New Orleans East South Point to Gulf Intercoastal Water Ways were constructed and substantially completed by 1977. First lifts were constructed on the Orleans portion of the Chalmette loop levee in 1970, and the major flood protection structure at Bayou Bienvenue was built in 1974 providing interim protection to New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward.

In 1977, the Fifth District Court ruled the Environmental Impact Statement inadequate and enjoined construction of the entire project. Subsequently, the injunction was modified to permit construction of the levee/floodwall elements of the hurricane protection plan. During the interim, sections of floodwall were constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the Orleans Marina, Lakefront Airport, and Lincoln Beach.

Since adoption of the Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity Hurricane Protection Project High Level Plan of 1985, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Orleans Levee Board have completed the bulk of the protection along the Lakefront between the Jefferson Parish line and South Point.

In a sense, levee-building in New Orleans is a story of rising human expectations. In 1718, a three-foot levee serving to protect the tiny city from both river and tidal overflow was considered adequate. In 1915, a 10-foot high levee seemed sufficient until a hurricane hit. In 1927, the near-overtopping of the river levees demonstrated the inadequacy of the then-existing embankments. In 1947, a major hurricane demonstrated the dire need for tidal protection levees. In 1965, Hurricane Betsy sent thousands of people scrambling for their attics and rooftops.

In 1969, the Orleans Levee Board constructed an earthen levee elevated to 12 feet along Lakeshore Drive from West End Boulevard to the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal. In 1981, these levees were raised to an elevation of 16 feet. By 1987, these levees were raised to an elevation of approximately 18 feet, in accordance with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' High Level Plan.

These lakefront levees could protect the city from the fury of the storm. But the crucial points of defense for New Orleans would be the three "outfall" canals at 17th Street, Orleans Avenue, and London Avenue. "Outfall" refers to the role of these canals which is to direct water from the city's pumping stations into Lake Pontchartrain. However, incoming water driven by a hurricane would raise the water levels in the canals, effectively blocking the flow of water from the canals into the lake. The pumping stations would have to cease operations or risk trapped waters topping the levees and pouring into the city.

That danger will be eliminated with a joint effort of the Orleans Levee Board, New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to construct new pumping stations, improve drainage, and raise levees.

In 1993, construction began to raise these levees to the Standard High Level Plan (approximately 21 feet) along both sides of the Orleans and London Avenue canals. When finished, this system will significantly reduce the danger of tidal flooding, even in a worst-case scenario where a hurricane attacks New Orleans from a Lake Pontchartrain approach.

Vested with the powers to enlarge and improve flood protection structures, the Orleans Levee Board today has under its jurisdiction an intensive flood protection system including 107 hurricane floodgates, including the Bayou Bienvenue flood control structure, 73 Mississippi River floodgates, 38 hurricane values, 62 Mississippi River valves, and approximately 129 miles of levees (as of 8/23/94). Twenty-eight miles of these levees provide protection along the east and west banks of the Mississippi River and the remaining 101 miles protect those areas of the city subject to tidal action--and these, for the most part, provide the city's hurricane protection at the present time.

Since 1992, the Orleans Levee Board is spending over $140 million on hurricane and flood protection works. In 1993, the Orleans Levee Board completed construction on the Bayou St. John Sector Gate and related levee/floodwall work at a cost of $4.3 million and began construction on 13 other Lake Pontchartrain hurricane and flood protection projects, estimated to cost over $35 million. Between 1994 - 1998, the Orleans Levee Board will spend an estimated $97.3 million on Lake Pontchartrain & Vicinity High Level Plan and related Orleans Levee District Hurricane and Flood Protection Projects. One additional Mississippi River & Tributaries Project is scheduled at an estimated cost of $1 million. Two West Bank Hurricane Protection Plan projects are scheduled for construction and will cost an estimated $7.5 million.

The implementation of these hurricane and flood protection projects embodies the Orleans Levee Board's commitment to assure the protection of the people and property of the City of New Orleans. Entrusted to protect Louisiana's highest concentration of major commercial infrastructure and one of America's most significant historical assets, the Vieux Carre, the Orleans Levee Board is determined to fight hurricanes from taking New Orleans by storm.