Local authorities in our New Orleans levee project ...callous disregard and their bungling ...

The Happy Carpenter ^ | September 13, 2005 | Allan McIsaac

[xrhopsiomega]

Local authorities in our New Orleans levee project take the prize in the area of callous disregard and their bungling remains notorious to this day.

From NRO:

As a retired structural engineer who has done exhaustive work on bulk liquids retention structures, including dams, dykes and levees; also having audited engineering schematics on the New Orleans levees in the 1994-1996 era, rest assured that federal officials were properly concerned about that situation. The problem was that they were the only ones. We bucked and kicked local officials for years throughout the entire project. The municipality demanded the money, and received millions, but repeatedly, they had more pressing uses for expenditures. The optimal, shear-sloped design for the levee reinforcement was approved in 1995. I tell you truly that in my 40-year career as an engineer, the local authorities in our New Orleans levee project take the prize in the area of callous disregard and their bungling remains notorious to this day. Truly, it was scandalous. Consequently, I find it hard to cast a major portion of blame for this disaster on any other entity than the local representatives of those unfortunate people in New Orleans. The truth is, at least the last three mayors of New Orleans are grossly negligent and in dereliction of duty in regards to repeatedly skimming federal funds allocated for their levee fortification. (emphasis added)

Allan McIsaac

[Hildy]

Ok, everyone agrees that local government was criminal at best. But how on earth can the Federal government keep sending money without making sure that what it's being spent on is being done. ESPECIALLY something so important as this. Think of this times 50,000 and that's how the government spends our money, no oversight, no follow-up nothing. I blame the Federal Government as much as I blame the local government.

[Hildy]

Ok, everyone agrees that local government was criminal at best. But how on earth can the Federal government keep sending money without making sure that what it's being spent on is being done. ESPECIALLY something so important as this. Think of this times 50,000 and that's how the government spends our money, no oversight, no follow-up nothing. I blame the Federal Government as much as I blame the local government.

[Wuli]

The place to lay the blame is congress. First, they have all the authority on federal expenses (absent a seldom used veto and then it must be one they cannot over-ride). Second, they have the responsibility to investigate whether or not the expenses they command are being used as they intend.

Why don't they? Because, from levee projects to anything else their primary concern is whether or not the federal dollar gets into local hands, and not much else. Something has to go grossly wrong somewhere and then they look to some executive agency to lay the blame on - usually it's an agency congress failed to excercise it's oversight on. Usually they fail to excercise that oversight because their local friends who got the federal money would be implicated as well.

If you are looking for criminals involved in the Katrina disaster, just go to congress and go to the party in power in Louisiana (40 years in power at least).

[UCANSEE2]

I blame the Federal Government as much as I blame the local government.

Again, finger pointing is rude and pointless, no matter which side it doing it.

The DEMS did it first, now many here are doing it as a reaction. The MSM is picking up on it, and they don't care where the finger points. As long as it keeps pointing, people will watch them to see who it is pointing at.

The government is not a self regulating, self policing organization.

It is an entity created by US, and by our voices, and by our votes, is it controlled.

BLAME? It's all our fault. Every citizen that knew and did not demand an investigation BEFORE this happened.

BUT.... how were we supposed to know?

Twice this happened to New Orleans, and twice the politicians asked for more money, and got it.

Even the citizens stuck in the Superdome knew. And they didn't try to pin it on Bush.

So, before you worry too much about the Mayor, the Governor down in Lousiana, look yourself and in the mirror and ask, "What did I do to ensure my government was not throwing away my money."

Those of us who sit here and bitch are no better than those New Orleans residents who complained because the water didn't have any ice.

[Yellow Rose of Texas]

So, before you worry too much about the Mayor, the Governor down in Louisiana, look yourself and in the mirror and ask, "What did I do to ensure my government was not throwing away my money."

Maybe this will bring more accountability to Congress from WE the people.