Posted by fayeroe on November 29, 2008, at 22:12:29
In reply to Re: My idea of perfect coverage for this Adm. » Dinah, posted by fayeroe on November 29, 2008, at 22:05:18
Dinah, I found this in Time.
Hurricane Katrina..Two Years Harry Shearer
I'll cheat enough to say New Orleans needs two things: a true hurricane-flood-protection system and the restoration of Louisiana's coastal wetlands. The Dutch have done it right a state-of-the art system engineered to a 1-in-10,000-year factor of safety. We've been promised 1-in-100-years, by 2011. As the Army Corps' own reports have proven, dividing responsibility, and dividing the costs, have just resulted in buck-passing, inertia, and a 40-year-long project that failed when faced with a storm that wasn't even The Big One. If we can't do it right, let's call in the Dutch. The wetlands have been our buffer against stronger storms. The good news is rebuilding the wetlands is not rocket science; it's not even levee science. The nation has committed to restoring the Everglades. We should do no less for the source of almost half of the nation's fresh seafood, if for no other reason than to avoid having to eat Chinese crawfish.
Since Katrina, defenders of the Administration's tepid response and people who just don't like New Orleans have lectured us about not demanding handouts, about the necessity for pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. Actually, in the face of recalcitrant insurers and a homeowner compensation program that is just starting to disgorge compensation money from the state-federal maw, and despite the 200,000 still unable to come home because of lack of resources and lack of rental housing, homes and businesses are being rebuilt by everyone who has resources, friends and/or volunteers. The good-news story is that, today, New Orleans is Bootstrap City.
He has come down really hard on certain members of Congress at different times and then he pummels the entire group when he wants to. :-)Have you been in the poorer parts of New Orleans? The housing truly was shacks. I've been there and was truly shocked to see the living conditions. I have only seen worse in Mexico. I have an internet friend there and she is still in the trailer.
poster:fayeroe
thread:862511
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/poli/20081115/msgs/865834.html