Jeudi

The Corps of Engineers is not a "scapegoat"~Bob Bea
~In their Point of View “Ruling scapegoats corps for disaster” (The Times-Picayune, November 25, 2009), Rob Young and Andrew Coburn discuss the recent ruling by the Federal District Court in Robinson v. United States that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is guilty of gross negligence “in its failure to protect Chalmette and the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans from floodwaters during Hurricane Katrina.”

Contrary to the summary given by the authors, of this Point of View, the court found the corps guilty of “monumental negligence” in its more than 40 years of operation and maintenance of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO).
The key issues were how the MRGO had been allowed to induct saline water from the Gulf of Mexico destroying and degrading protective wetlands and levee fronting vegetation, widen its channel (more than three times its authorized width ) to the point where it became a significant wave regeneration basin, and failed to prevent the channel banks from encroaching on the adjacent flood protection structures and thereby significantly decreasing their protective elevations.
The court reproached the Corps for its “insouciance” and “myopia” in persistently failing to recognize these adverse effects and take appropriate and timely corrective action.

The massive failure of the flood protection structures in St. Bernard Parish and the Lower 9th Ward was the result of the combination of these defalcations in the operation and maintenance of the MRGO. Without these negative effects, the evidence produced during the trial showed these earthen levees would have performed acceptably and no catastrophic flooding would have occurred.

The authors also were concerned with the liability issues that could be associated with this ruling. The 156 page decision does not “scapegoat” the Corps. A scapegoat is “a person or thing bearing the blame for others.” The litigation brought by the plaintiffs was directed at the Corps for the MRGO damages.
The federal government’s engineers were found liable for these cataclysmic damages inflicted on an estimated 100,000 residents and businesses. To date, no other entity has been found responsible for contributing to the man-made catastrophe that killed over 1,300 people, displaced 500,000 residents, and caused billions of dollars of property damage. Whether others will also be found responsible remains to be seen. But one fact is inescapable: the Corps is a culprit, not a scapegoat.
~Editilla Gotta Mo'tella~ Emphasis all mine, Gentle'rillas.
From the minute this Bunk Yankee Guest Editorial Red Pelican hit the page, Letters to the Editor of complete rebuttal began flowing in to the nola.com/opp advertorial offices.
These verdant retorts came from many an aghast reader, but chiefly from Leaders in the Fight to get to the bottom of this Federal Flood, this stillborn yet still life Issue of What Went Down in New Orleans August 29th, 2005, to wit: Mark Davis from Tulane, Joseph Bruno-MRGO lead Plaintiff's Attorney, Sandy Rosenthal and H.J. Bosworth of Levees.org.
Given that yer'oh'so humble Editilla plays a bit too Rough on the Exquisite Corps for Decent Correspondence, we bent to rattling around the backhandpath of comments sections of these articles, sparring with the inevitable astro-turf defensive blogging from Corps OPP PR Operatives (COPPPROPrs), and even Spanking Rob Young (slabbed showing up around here before when the Corps needed a Punk Suck'Mouth) whom we have tagged as "The Anti-Ivor Van Heerden". And, speaking of whom.... Congratulations to Dr. Ivor Van Heerden on receiving the Joe A. Callaway Award for Civic Courage!
Fancy that, eh? The people who always come out to Smoke Screens for the Corps end up being these Smarmy Academic Hack Climbers, while the Heroes who have come out and Stood for New Orleans always seem to be these Straight-Up, Accomplished and Formidable Individuals. Go Figure. Go Mfkn Fish!
But other than the Chief Engineer from Levees.org, there was no Technical Retort in the comments to this screed.
By Sunday, the 4th day after this PR Roll-Out, I couldn't stand it anymore and wrote to Dr. Bea axing: "You gonna let these Punks Taint Yo'Skin???" The Inestimable Dr Bea responded to Editilla immediately with this Letter to the T-P, which he had sent directly to the outlet and which, my source toll'me, was forwarded Immediately to the Editors --whereupon it apparently remains now 4 days late, hidden from the da'que, no status dat'mattas.
Sorry, but that dog just won't hunt, so Editilla gained Gracious Permission (again immediately) from our Herolero Dr. Bob Bea to publish this Fine Response. Please share ya'know.
Please follow the title lede to the rest of his article.
If it weren't for this man and others like him, New Orleans would Literally be up Bull Shit Creek without a paddle.
Perhaps someone at nola.com still reads, has seen Editilla's sharp chagrin at their holding off on Bea's Knees and plan to perchance roll this piece the way they outta.
Still, your New Orleans Ladder ain't a half bad scoop, eh?
~Incredible Update~
Dr. Robert Bea has been following this work. Thanks Bob!

Dear Rep Ed Legg: New Orleans has mainly a culture of hospitality, not corruption ~Levees.org
~Ed Legg (D-Kennebunk) an elected official from the State of Maine was in New Orleans two weeks ago and decided that all of us are corrupt including federal Judge Stanwood Duval.
~Editilla Punk'0'rollas~ Yes everyone seems to have them: these gimp isolated Joe Lieberman Panty Boyz.
Even though this Prickness District is about 5 Miles from the Family Bush Hades in Kennebunkport (which we have always found to be a pretty weird name for a place) we are continually Stunned to run across Democrats in Republican Clothing.
Of course he cannot Man Up and confront her directly, sooo, in an effort to attack Mary Landrieu over the Health Care Legislation, this Freak'O'Lay has nothing in his pants but "Louisiana Corruption" and a ass'forked Yankee misnomer misapprehension of our cuisine. I mean, come on... does this pine-nut licker really expect anyone to take him seriously about anything, outside of the few dozen people who live in Maine?