Posted by alexandra_k on November 3, 2005, at 19:23:12
In reply to Re: ??, posted by Dinah on November 3, 2005, at 18:43:30
> Alexandra, it's true that they warned that certain hurricanes would do this. But that wasn't this hurricane, not for the majority of the city. This hurricane was within the force levels the walls were designed to hold. At the very least for the 17th Street Canal and the London Avenue canals that have most raised my ire. The Industrial Canal and MR GO are different.
Okay. But I still want to say... I heard that the engineers told congress (or whoever) that a fairly standard hurricane in New Orleans would have fairly much the effects that it had UNLESS they did something about that pronto and that congress was going to do something about that pronto but then a state of war was declaired and thus nothing was done.
Is that false?
> And yes, this is just one news source (though all the local news is about the same), but with all due politeness, I've got to say that I trust the local news to know what's going on in the local area more than I trust the international news who probably don't know the difference between Gentilly and Bywater.
Sure. I understand that. News sources are selective in what they present. There is the simple fact that they have to be because there is just too much going on for them to present everything. I'm sure you have much more of an idea of the local situation and I'm sure that the local news is also going to present a fairer representation.
> And the locals are far far more familiar with the background of the agencies involved than any national, never mind international, news source can be. Why, I saw a picture of the "devastation" showed on the national news that was actually a camp built in the middle of the Bonnet Carre Spillway that is *supposed* to be surrounded by water.
Yeah. Not quite 'made in a hollywood basement' but close...
> And as far as National Guard numbers, since there were enough when they were sent, I assume there were enough the days earlier when they *should* have been sent. They didn't bring them back from Iraq in that time frame.Though I suppose we could haggle over whether there were 'enough' in the sense of IF there were more THEN how much faster would appropriate aid have been dispensed?
> And yes, Auntie Mel is correct that New Orleans proper is largely black. But the greater metropolitan area is not. And the greater metropolitan area needs the flood protection, not New Orleans. The entire area is all being thrown to the wolves, not just New Orleans proper.
Okay.
> And as a New Orleanian, as much as I'd like to blame the feds for everything, I just can't.I'm not saying to 'blame them for everything'. I'm just saying that I think they should be doing more than they are. The government should be about helping and protecting its citizens. I'm not sure they are doing everything they should be doing there. And yet... Your tax money funds them.
> Local officials have earned their reputations honestly, so to speak. Not all of the current ones, certainly. But enough of the ones over the years to have contributed mightily to this problem.
Sure.
> I just don't know how much the rest of the country understands the unique challenges of New Orleans. And I don't really feel up to explaining them. Not under the circumstances of this board, anyway. If anyone's genuinely interested in what's really going on, babblemail me and I'll tell you. But not this way. Not under these circumstances.
> I'm not even going to check this board for replies.??
> I'm bowing out with whatever tattered grace I have left.
??
I'd be interested...
But I don't really want to get into a babblemail discussion over it.
(I've gotten a warning thus far and I probably should be kept in check ;-)
It is interesting to me to hear other peoples pov.
poster:alexandra_k
thread:574039
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/poli/20050924/msgs/575145.html