Comments on: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Funding Shortfall Jeopardizes New Orleans Flood Control

By: Kimmy

Kimmy — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 01:58:01 +0000

God bless this city and i hope that everything will get back to normal very soon! If only the levees did not have cracks in the first place….

By: Sasha

Sasha — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 01:54:54 +0000

This shit is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S

By: A Conservative

A Conservative — Fri, 23 Sep 2005 19:15:12 +0000

You can surely tell that the Gov of Lousiana and the Mayor or New Orleans are both Lib’s Dem’s — God forbid the media blame fellow Libs for anything — much easier to Bash the President isn’t it people…

By: kelly

kelly — Tue, 20 Sep 2005 21:34:04 +0000

I would like to know how in the world are these people suppose to pay their bills if they have no jobs and how in the world are they going to move back there knowing that there are many hurricanes that come threw there. Also I think that what ever they were doing wrong in new orleans and all around that area they need to tell God to forgive them and everyone around because the hurricane rita is coming right down that same path into the areas where most of the hurricane victims are relocating for the time being. I do give my part in helping out but I don’t know why someone would risk going back to something like that that is likely to reoccur.

By: Leah Ann

Leah Ann — Wed, 14 Sep 2005 14:12:00 +0000

Chris C, I’m sure that you are putting forth your best effort as well. Thanks to budget cuts and the total disregard for the levies that protect our most important port, all Americans will be affected by this tragedy. We all will pay and pay and pay for the administration’s lack of foresight. I don’t understand why you are yelling on this website, instead of yelling at the White House.
Why don’t you “TURN YOU EFFORTS” into demanding accountability from the administration you so admire? Can you not see that your country has gone down the toilet since the four voting machine companies gave your boy the office? Are you not scared of what the next couple of years could bring? I have never been more petrified of what could happen or how in God’s name we can ever recover from the damage, much of which was preventable. Please stop yelling at those of us who cannot and will not accept that this administration says and thinks it is doing everything in its power to do what’s in America’s best interest. That is a glaring and offensive lie. The group in charge is taking care of themselves and no one else. How much do you want to bet that Halliburton will get a “no-bid” to help in the recovery? Your precious Dick still has an abundance of its stock in trust, just waiting the day he’s done with the White House. It should be a crime.

By: CHRIS C

CHRIS C — Tue, 13 Sep 2005 20:09:36 +0000

BLAME GAME
IF AND WHEN YOU RETIRE FROM THE BLAME GAME, PLEASE TURN YOU EFFORTS TOWARDS HELPING THE GULF COAST AREA OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!

By: Leah Ann

Leah Ann — Mon, 12 Sep 2005 19:09:30 +0000

To GFox – #57: Did you happen to know that the LA Gov. DID IN FACT request federal help on the Saturday before the storm hit? You can read the letter at http://www.gov.state.la.us/govletters.asp That is why the White House retracted its comments regarding the “well they gotta ask first” BuSh*t. Who’s he kidding? Louisiana was on the ball, Bush was on vacation. Buy the looks of your spelling, you haven’t reviewed many law books, so stop with the “waaah everyone’s ‘blammin’ on Bush. Bet yer red ass we blammin on Boosh. Isn’t it “terriable”? Bet you wish you woulda used strategery when you wrote your cute little note about all the “…blam to go around”.

By: Gfox

Gfox — Thu, 08 Sep 2005 12:50:03 +0000

The law books clearly say, the Governor of the state has to act first! 2 days before it hit I couldn’t
believe that more pre-planning was not being done.
2,000 school busses were flooded when they could have been moved to higher ground, before Katrinia hit.

The planning down there was terriable on getting people out 2 days before. I’m a regisered Independent and, I’m sick of everything being blamming on Bush.
NO State Governor will be finished after this.

NO and the whole gulf coast should have had a rock solid plan after HURRICANE CAMILLE – August 17, 1969.
There is plenty of blam to go around starting back to 1970!!!

By: Austinite

Austinite — Wed, 07 Sep 2005 21:00:10 +0000

#54 – Mr. Finnegan, you are an idiot!!!

You tell me where people barely living paycheck to paycheck could’ve gone to escape what happened to them. How dare you accuse those who stayed of being looters, drunks, and drug addicts.

My suspicion is that you live a very comfortable, sheltered life, and have neither now nor ever had to struggle for necessities. These mostly poor people did what they thought was best by taking shelter where they could, assuming that we had a government that cared as much for them as it does for the oppressed people of Iraq.

I feel very fortunate to live in a city like Austin, that has opened it’s doors to those devastated by this tragedy. I hope that if you are ever in such a situation, you’ll encounter people like those here (and in other communities that have taken in those displaced)and not be confronted with someone as cold, heartless, and judgemental as you seem to be.

By: A Dutchie

A Dutchie — Tue, 06 Sep 2005 00:02:15 +0000

Bush and his government are a disgrace.
I looks like a thrid world country how they handle things.
It’s also sad that political things are blocking help from Cuba where Fidal offered 400 doctors and tons of medicare help, sad, sad.
That they also don’t accept the Dutch offer to let the Dutch Levee experts in is the biggest joke I have seen.

Way to go Bush, Fema, Mema…..bunch of jokers.

PS.

What if a bad country declares war with the US, then it will take 6 days before they even have a small army ready :)

By: Phil Finnegan

Phil Finnegan — Sun, 04 Sep 2005 08:26:01 +0000

People who live in the mountains agree to put up with copius amounts of winter snow. People who live in the desert agree to put up with stiffling heat and little water. People who live on FLOOD PLAINS in HURRICANE country must put up with the consequences of flooding.
This disaster has been predicted for decades. I saw a TV special on the Discovery Channel years ago, predicting just this scenario. The scenario predicted the levees would fail, and the city – built below sea level would fill up with storm surged sea water. Hey, who built New Orleans on the perfect flood plain anyway? Oh that’s right, it was the FRENCH! Why don’t you blame France, since you must blame someone? The only way to avoid this disaster was to fill-in the New Orleans basin with sand!
Global warming caused this Hurricane? The levees were inadaquate? Bush’s fault? NO WAY! Historically speaking, bad storms happen all the time. They’ve been happening for centuries, mind you – even for milennia!
To use the consequences of a category 5 hurricane in order to further your liberal agendas is ignoring the obvious: By living in New Orleans, IT’S RESIDENTS CHOSE TO IGNORE CONVENTIONAL WISDOM, to laugh in the face of Mother Nature, to take the risk: “Oh, it won’t happen here.” They were told to evacuate in plenty of time. And by not heeding the MANDATORY EVACUATION ORDER, residents have to face the consequences of that choice. And don’t tell me that they couldn’t have caught a cab, bus, train, street car, or even WALKED out of harm’s way. They must have been too busy looting, drinking ‘Hurricanes,’ and scoring another ‘hit’ of crack to evacuate.
Oh, and by the way, for you liberals who don’t know anything about the law. A governor must ASK for federal help BEFORE a president can send in the troops! Federal troops arrived within 48 hours of that request.

By: Steed

Steed — Sat, 03 Sep 2005 01:49:49 +0000

Sewie, you’re lying. In todays NYT and Chi Trib:
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday that a lack of funding for hurricane-protection
projects around New Orleans did not contribute to the disastrous flooding that followed Hurricane
Katrina. In a telephone interview with reporters, corps officials said that although portions of the
flood-protection levees remain incomplete, the levees near Lake Pontchartrain that gave
way–inundating much of the city–were completed and in good condition before the hurricane.

However, they noted that the levees were designed for a Category 3 hurricane and couldn’t handle the
ferocious winds and raging waters from Hurricane Katrina, which was a Category 4 storm when it hit
the coastline. The decision to build levees for a Category 3 hurricane was made decades ago based on
a cost-benefit analysis.

By: Susan

Susan — Sat, 03 Sep 2005 01:15:55 +0000

Sorry sucker, you’ve been had again. But you enjoy it don’t you.

Bushie cut funds, thousands died!

By: to the right of you

to the right of you — Fri, 02 Sep 2005 22:50:40 +0000

susan -

to exempt the local / state politicians from any responsibility in this is only going to hurt our country. you, me, nor anyone else will be able to learn from the mistakes – from the bottom to the top. tell me, when the storm was coming, what were they doing? no plan? no evacuation, until the president called and recommended it!! a mandatory evacuation of a city, yet they fail to provide any type of transportation, much less evacuate the hospitals? are you seriously saying that the federal govt has the only responsibility here? Are you telling me that the federal govt had time (48 hours) to get into New Orleans and safely evacuate who needed it? NO – that is what the local / state officials should have done.

let me sum this up for you who is responsible:

the hurricane: mother nature
underfunded levee/floodgate work: fed /local / state
no evacuation plan: fed / local / state
no help for almost 5 days for some: fed / state / violence.

By: Rico Suave

Rico Suave — Fri, 02 Sep 2005 22:00:34 +0000

Hippie must finally realize he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. The experts are the USCOE. From the Chi-Trib:
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday that a lack of funding for hurricane-protection projects around New Orleans did not contribute to the disastrous flooding that followed Hurricane Katrina.
In a telephone interview with reporters, corps officials said that although portions of the flood-protection levees remain incomplete, the levees near Lake Pontchartrain that gave way–inundating much of the city–were completed and in good condition before the hurricane.

However, they noted that the levees were designed for a Category 3 hurricane and couldn’t handle the ferocious winds and raging waters from Hurricane Katrina, which was a Category 4 storm when it hit the coastline. The decision to build levees for a Category 3 hurricane was made decades ago based on a cost-benefit analysis.

By: cynical ex-hippie

cynical ex-hippie — Fri, 02 Sep 2005 14:48:05 +0000

The latest argument from the sudden levee experts at redstate.org is the levee that broke was recently worked on. Therefore, they had plenty of money and there’s nothing more anyone could possibly do to protect the city from hurricanes.

Hell, Amsterdam doesn’t have cat 5 hurricanes, and they probably outspent NO by a damn sight on flood control.

Enjoy your tax cuts and SUVs, Republican traitors.

By: cynical ex-hippie

cynical ex-hippie — Fri, 02 Sep 2005 14:42:55 +0000

Iâ€™m getting sort of tired of seeing Bill Clinton standing next to George Bush II and George Bush I.

When disaster strikes, Dubya understands he needs the leadership of a real president. If we’re lucky he will turn over more of his reponsibilities to them.

Rico, you’re an idiot if you think I’m pretending to know about flooding. That’s why I defer to the experts at the Corps and LSU. Unlike you and all the dumb hicks at redstate.org, who all know everything about levees all of the sudden.

I never said there’s anything wrong with name calling. I merely said you can always do it. Asshat.

By: Ann

Ann — Fri, 02 Sep 2005 13:13:59 +0000

Just heard on CNN this morning that the House of Representatives is going to release $10 billion in emergency aid – THIS WHOLE DESPERATE SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE BUSH WHITE HOUSE AND CONGRESS WOULD HAVE FUNDED THE $70 MILLION NEEDED TO SHORE UP THE LEVIES! Another fine example of fiscal responsibility by the “Conservative” Republicans. Refuse to spend $70 million to prevent disaster, and now spend $10 BILLION to clean up their mess – and there’s no price tag you can even put on the untold suffering of the people – and all the unnecessary deaths – most of which could have been avoided if Bush & his cronies weren’t so busy rewarding their cronies with tax cuts & war contracts.
Tragic and disgraceful

By: bbk

bbk — Fri, 02 Sep 2005 12:58:45 +0000

What’s the local city and state going to do about a national disaster in their back yard when their own National Guard forces are in IRAQ? Is that a failure of the local government, too?

By: mudkitty

mudkitty — Fri, 02 Sep 2005 09:26:09 +0000

RE: Clinton…living ex-presidents is a very exclusive club.