As hurricane season begins June 1, New Orleans has unprecedented protection (at the lowest standard)
~Editilla tongues a 50 amp fuse~Really. Let's get right to ripping some asshole here: "The previous batch of individual levee projects was dubbed "a system in name only" by then-corps Chief Engineer Lt. Gen. Carl Strock [that was never upgraded to account for soft and sinking soils, outdated construction materials,] or the likely chance that dramatically larger hurricanes could hit the area than those for which the system was designed."
[ ] is simply not true and is well documented. The Corps was In Fact aware of the soils --- even though their awareness was inadequate and even tainted by their work ethos of Build To Fail. I am really quite stunned and disheartened by Mark Schleifstein's lack of balance here. How could he, the journalist, let that misstatement slide? This piece reads like something you would find on the Corps own website --written of course by OPP.
Again, Strock: ["What does it take to make progress with regard to reducing risk?" he asks. "The answer is a disaster."] Do I really need to point out the total engineering cop out there? Oh? Is this Corps commander actually Agreeing with wit yer Ho Ho Homble Editilla? Does the Corps indeed Build To Fail so they can get more projects Repairing their failures? Again another Untruth: ["This has been sobering for us, because it's the first time the corps has had to stand up and say we had a catastrophic failure with one of our projects, " Strock said on June 1, 2006, in addressing the first draft of a report on why the previous system failed.] That is not true. Start with the Florida Everglades in totos. Start with Nashville, TN last year. Try the Corps and the LA River. Try Maria Garzino and the faulty, inoperable pumps the Corps installed AFTER they flooded the city as Katrina was hitting MS 8/29/05. By saying "had to stand up and say", Strock means New Orleans was the first place that the Corps lost in Court. The Corps didn't stand up to the plate and say anything about their responsibility for 53 failures in their structures. No. Quite the contrary, the Corps immediately set about to tell a lie about over-topping. They continue to refer to their Flood of 8/29/05 as Katrina's Flood, Katrina Damage. The Corps stood up and wrung their red hands is what the Corps did. They were caught by Bob Bea, by Ray Seed, by Levees.org and so now they are trying to Spin the PR that they got religion. They did not come clean. As ill, I believe their present behavior shows that they have Learned Nothing from their failures but how to hire better PR (and to somehow hypnotize and brain-wash journalists). Why can't Mark Schleifstein point this out? Again: [Temporary gates and pumps at the ends of the 17th Street, Orleans Avenue and London Avenue drainage canals will remain in place for as long as three years.] And again, while a true statement it is NOT the whole story and that, in the case of New Orleans, is extremely dangerous. Everyone please go to the blog Fix The Pumps.
Schleif's colleague John McQuaid correctly pointed out on Twitter this morning that this "unprecedented protection" is in fact the Lowest Standard.
From the timing could not be worse files ~Slabbed~Aaand Hat Tweet @SLABBEDblog~It is clear that Becky Mowbray has lots of catching up to do...... http://wp.me/pcLYh-7GK
Flood threat wanes but caution remains across the Atchafalaya Basin ~Nikki Buskey
Farewell Endeavour
~JudyB, NOLAFemmes
Fleur De Lis as The Symbol of New Orleans
~Bingo Man's Place~Hat Tweet @ CanalStreetCar
Fundraisers for Boucherie owner Nathanial Zimet planned
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