Alexandria Still Searching for Answers on Levees
~The Town Talk~Local officials still don't know exactly what is wrong with the levees along the Red River and within the city of Alexandria. Chris Brouillette, the executive director of the Red River, Atchafalaya & Bayou Boeuf Levee District, said Tuesday that he still is searching for answers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Flood maps raising concerns
~Wes Helbling
~Bastrop, La- FEMA’s new Flood Insurance Rate Maps for Morehouse Parish are raising serious concerns about accuracy and the financial impact of these maps for local property owners.

Vitter seeks to block new flood maps, bends over to Corps Levee Certification Assessments
~Lloyd J. Nelson III
~“This is a really critical challenge,” David Vitter (R-Pamp) said. “We're really under the gun right now.” Vitter said the bill “would give local communities some breathing room” to bring their levees up to FEMA's standard (translate: come up with the money for the Corps) while avoiding massive increases in insurance costs while levee work is being done.
~Editilla Punks the Diaper Man~Vitty the Squeeze says he represents Louisiana by standing before us with a Gun in one ear (FEMA) and a Gun up his butt (Corps of Engineers), while he screams "Nobody Move Or I'll Shoot The Pervert!" Send this Repugnant Diaper-wearing Ho'Doggin Lobby'junkie Home!

NFIP extended to March 28
~Bruce Alpert
~The bill, adopted 78-19, also continues for 30 days the National Flood Insurance Program and the federal highway assistance program, which, along with the extended unemployment benefits, expired Sunday. Without federally subsidized flood insurance, home sales are at risk in flood-prone communities because banks won't provide mortgages.
Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, said the problem is that Congress has made temporary extensions of the flood insurance program, putting it in danger whenever there is a political dispute about major spending legislation. That's why, Scalise said, he has joined Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Miss., in proposing a five-year extension.
Meanwhile, Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., secured support from the Obama administration for a two-year extension of GO Zone tax benefits designed to spur development in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Landrieu urged her Senate colleagues to include the extension in the unemployment bill. Debate on the measure began Tuesday night.

Midwest Frets Over Halted Flood Insurance Program.
Thank You, Jim Bunning

FEMA extends MA flood deadline ~Pamela Metaxas
~It is hoped this will resolve the issues related to the possibility that homeowners with mortgages would be mandated to purchase flood insurance, Chicopee Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette said. At issue is that FEMA decided to update its Hampden County flood maps at the same time that the Army Corps of Engineers told the city that $6 million of federally mandated work must be completed on the dike system to correct deficiencies.
~Editilla gotta Ax a Rectorical Question~Who'dat?
~Who gives FEMA their Engineering Standard Data?
This is like watching Finny and Ham show up at your door to collect "Protection Dues".
Finny (FEMA): "Hey Youz! You gots no protection heah!"
Ham (Corps): "Hey Yeah, Finny! They got no protection heah!"
Finny: "But we gots Protection heah, ain'ts we, Hammer?"
Ham: "Yeah, Finny, you got dat'right! We got'dey Protection!
And they know what will happen if they Don't Pay for It, right?"
American Tax Payer: "Riiiiiiight...we play Go Fish?"

Drainage line repairs get under way in New Orleans
~Bruce Eggler
~"As we prepare for another rainy season, it is vital that our drainage system functions at its highest capacity, and this project will complete our efforts with FEMA to restore the drainage system to its pre-Katrina levels," Public Works Director Robert Mendoza said.
~Editilla dice mi PutiClub Su PutiClub~
Is Robert Mendoza married to H'OPPer Stacy Mendoza who works for Optimal Process Partners, the Corps' slinky Tax-Funded $5,000,000 Public Relations Firm?
If so, would that represent Compounded Interests, or at the least,
Apparent Conflict of Parentage? Gadzookas, Thingfish!
Jus'axin....Comments are moderated.
Can't we just at least Try to do things differently this time? Mitch?
Perhaps not...

Mayor-elect Mitch Landrieu appoints 30 to New Orleans economic development panel
~Frank Donze
~The committee co-leaders are Leslie Jacobs, the education reformer and insurance executive who dropped out of the race after Landrieu entered at the last minute, and Greg St. Etienne, chief executive of Citizens United for Economic Equity, a nonprofit group specializing in small business loans.
Jacobs, who endorsed Landrieu, said despite the challenges facing the new mayor, she is confident better times are ahead.
"I think that New Orleans is at the precipice of just tremendous economic development opportunities and job creation,'' she said. "I've never been more optimistic about the city, and I think with his leadership and the opportunities that we have, New Orleans is going to experience a great renaissance.''
Well we certainly don't want to have a less than great renaissance!

First appointees named for N.O. medical center board
~Marsha Schuler

Shall we dance? Magistrate Shushan invites Allstate and Pilot adjusting to the party – Order grants in-part Motion to Amend Complaint REVISED AND CORRECTED ~slabbed

Drawing lines before counting voters ~John Maginnis
~Census workers begin fanning out this week across the New Orleans area for an early start to the decennial count that begins next month for the rest of the state and nation. Official figures won't be released until early 2011, and the Legislature will meet to draw new district lines about a year from now. Yet legislative committees already have circled the state to hold reapportionment briefings and one public official and an organization have even presented plans for redrawing congressional and state Senate districts.

St. Bernard site holds potential for holistic redevelopment, visitors say~Katy Reckdahl

State shifting part of teacher pay expense to local districts
~R.T. Scott

Where Do We Stand?
~Cliff's Crib

Chile navy admits tsunami failure ~Al Jazeera

From the Jawbone of the Beast
~“Economic and Environmental Principles and Guidelines for Water and Related Land Resources Implementation Studies”
~Mr. Fred Caver, former Deputy Director of Civil Works for the Army Corps of Engineers prior to his retirement in 2005, explained the significance of the proposed Principles and Guidelines revisions and why water related organizations should be informed. Mr. Caver now runs a small water resources consulting firm, Caver and Associates, Inc., and serves as the Chairman of the National Waterways Conference.
~Editilla hangs a Perp on the Wall:
Mr Fred turns up in Congressional Committee, in the weeks after the Corps Levees Failed, with other Career Corps Perps, to Spin other Causes of the Corps of Engineers Failures, in this case Environmental Activists.
This was the last of the Absolutely Corrupted Cheney/Rumsfeld Era Senate Committee for Environment and Public Works, which "oversees" the Corps of Engineers stateside. It is truly hard to describe how badly these men misrepresented the facts. It is even scarier to see now how this man, Fred Caver, (aptly named) has turned his Tax-Payer Funded Career into a Corporate Water Consultancy, and purveys his Publicly Funded Experience to enrich Big Water Industry Public Relations. It is in the words and actions of men like this and ASCECORPS Titan Gerald Galloway that we will find the next movements of Big Water.

*
Floodgate expansion to be studied~David Mitchell

~SE Louisiana Flood Protection Authority - East
~SE Louisiana Flood Protection Authority—West

National Association of Environmental Law Societies Annual Conference March 4-7

Sanitizing Disaster Myth
~And more (does it get any better?) from AjaxWorld

Architects are often the last people needed after disaster ~David Sanderson

Intelligent Structural Design
~Bentley

Sustainable Development Guide for the Federal Government Co-Authored by HOK
~A new comprehensive guide for sustainable development in the federal government, authored by thought leaders from HOK, the General Services Administration and the University of Maryland, has earned a top award from the Federal Planning Division of the American Planning Association.

2 companies compete for record- setting Alaskan pipeline
~Shaun Polczer~TransCanada and the Denali pipeline consortium are competing to build a $30 billion pipeline in Alaska. The pipeline from Prudhoe Bay could deliver about 3.5 billion cubic feet per day to southern markets and would be the world's largest private construction project.

EPA pollution cleanup efforts plummeted in 2009
~Steven Power

Ethical Hacking Basics, Part 1

Rachel Alexandra prepares for 2010 debut at New Orleans

Fun-Guy Mushrooms
~Serious Eats

Filmmaker Spike Lee filming documentary on South Mississippi’s Katrina experience

Harry Shearer Album Greed and Fear Released

Irish Eyes: Unique style of music rises from NOLA streets

Terrytown celebrates 50th anniversary with Amanda Shaw, Rockin Dopsie Jr. and more
~Molly Reid

454. Randy Newman
– Feels Like Home~499 Songs That You've Never Heard