Louisiana Governor, Senators Go to Holland

Associated Press ^ | Jan 9 | DOUG SIMPSON

[george76]

Gov. Kathleen Blanco left for Holland on Monday to learn how the Dutch created the huge flood-control system that protects a land much farther below sea level than Louisiana.

The trip means the Democratic governor will miss President Bush's visit to New Orleans, scheduled for Thursday...

The governor was among more than 40 government, business and education leaders - including Sens. David Vitter and Mary Landrieu ...

Landrieu said the ambassador told her about that country's flood of 1953, when 1,800 people died.

"He said, `Why don't you all come over and see what we've done since then?'" Landrieu recounted.

Katrina has been blamed for more than 1,300 deaths, the vast majority of them in Louisiana.

Holland recently completed a 50-year program to build dams, seawalls, and surge barriers designed to protect the south of the country against almost any storm.

...others have questioned whether areas of Louisiana 3 to 5 feet below sea level should be rebuilt or returned to marshland.

[george76]

Sending over some engineers to Holland might have some logic.

Sending a bunch of politicians is stupid.

They could not even find the keys to their own buses.

[Sunnyflorida]

If it is possible for this group to learn anything they will learn from the Dutch to NOT depend a a dike. The Dutch have a defense in depth strategy to live with the water not against it and redundant dikes and tons of low-lying farm land that can be intentionally flooded. They would dam off the Rigolets for one thing.

[dufekin]

Kathleen Blanco seems entirely devoid of any ability, ideas, or initiative to solve the current problems plaguing the state of Louisiana. But she has the Truth (liberal-speak for enemy propaganda) on her side; after all, President Bush personally created all of the problems ever in the entire history of her State because he despises poor blacks. Bush crushed the American economy, devastated the spirit of the people of Louisiana, directed Hurricanes Katrina and Rita at her state, failed in his duty to evacuate New Orleans personally, declined to do his duty to build levees, compelled the waters to flood the city, destroyed Louisiana, killed thousands of blacks, created a culture of corruption in Louisiana politics, and continues still to ravage the Pelican State.

All this is True and will become the Truth in the eyes of the American people as the Democrats compel the American people to internalize the Truth that they have decreed upon them. Blanco is impotent so long as Bush (and his comrade, the Incarnation of Satan, Dick Cheney) usurp all their authority. But that will end with the impending impeachment and installation of President-designate Nancy Pelosi.

If these predictions and far worse do not come to pass within the next eighteen months, then Dictator (liberal-speak for "President and commander-in-chief" as opposed to "Whiner and Sex Offender in Chief") Bush will have stolen the election (by deviously deceiving more eligible American voters to vote for him than Democrat deceased who transcend the bonds of death to support the enemy) through his evil (liberal-speak for pro-Christian or good) Lies (liberal-speak for statements conforming to reality). Got that?

[WasDougsLamb]

Pray tell explain how having a bunch of morons visit Holland is going to prevent the next catastrophe?



------I agree.

[ClaireSolt]

The last time I was in Holland my friend took me to see the waterworks-- a very impressive steel barrier that keeps the North sea from flooding a bay. She told me that they have madea lot of money selling the idea worldwide since they built it. As long as the feds control the pursestrings, however, the locals will be at their mercy.

[gramho12]

"Need to get away?",,, Southwest.

[george76]

Low lying farm land, sports fields, parks, recreational areas, golf couses...might work below sea level.

But homes, commercial offices, casinos, hotels...with lots of people below sea level is asking for trouble.

[norton]

"...others have questioned whether areas of Louisiana 3 to 5 feet below sea level should be rebuilt or returned to marshland."

Unless Louisiana is willing to foot the bill...I think we have an answer:
All in favor of marshland raise their hands........

[dufekin]

Not that it matters, but the lawyers actually control the development of flood protection and everything else in our country. They've blocked plenty of fruitful schemes to improve flood protection in Louisiana while nevertheless perpetuating some environmentally damaging, economically untenable schemes like the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet.

[SkyPilot]

Hey, why hang out in dark, smelly New Orleans when you can bill your taxpayers for a free trip to the Netherlands and also swing by the Amsterdam red light district.

[Westlander]

'And we use Ellen Degenerate to plug the dyke'.

[jimfree]

it's about time somebody stop guessing and satisficing and learn from those who have solved the problem.

[Iwo Jima]

Pray tell explain how having a bunch of morons visit Holland is going to prevent the next catastrophe?

If they're not coming back?

[WOSG]

When DeLay goes on a trip its called 'corruption'.

When an idiot Democrat Governor goes on a trip, its called factfinding.

Who's paying for this idiot to go see dams?

[porkchops 4 mahound]

I KNEW these incompetent corrupt hacks would turn this disaster into a junket somehow.

Isn't this kinda like shutting the barn door after the horses are gone?

Sorry, these are democRATS, I forgot.

[Sender]

On the plus side, now Blanco and Nagin know how to revive the NO economy with an infusion of coffee shops, brothels and mosques.

[Sally'sConcerns]

They could have got the DVD from the Discovery channel or History one of um, saved a little tax payer money.

Wasn't it the Discovery Channel's series about Super Structures? If we watched the same show it went into quite a bit of detail about the designing, building and engineering of the movable flood control structure. (I don't remember what they called it, I just remember the show.)

As I remember though, they also had large amounts of land which could be flooded even though they had homes built there. They would flood some to save a larger area. I wonder if that would be viable for New Orleans.

[Sacajaweau]

The Feds should hire one the the best engineers from Holland to work with our engineers. It wouldn't be the first time we went outside our country looking for experts. We'd certainly enjoy their input and benefit from their experience. I suppose we should tell them to leave any workers home 'cause Louisiana has an "overflow" of contractors who are relatives.

[Sarajevo]

Is she sporting "cheek enhancers" in those shorts or is it just a load?

[Sunnyflorida]

You are 100% correct.