Posted on 09/01/2005 9:23:19 PM PDT by Congressman Billybob
No, this isn’t about Maureen Dowd or Paul Krugman. That’s too easy. It’s about a story on flooding in New Orleans today (1 September). Here’s the lead:
“The 17th Street levee that gave way and led to the flooding of New Orleans was part of an intricate, aging system of barriers and pumps that was so chronically underfinanced that senior regional officials of the Army Corps of Engineers complained about it publicly for years.”
The second and third paragraphs say:
“Often leading the chorus was Alfred C. Naomi, a senior project manager for the corps... [who] grew particularly frustrated this year as the Gulf Coast braced for what forecasters said would be an intense hurricane season and a nearly simultaneous $71 million cut was announced in the New Orleans district budget to guard against such storms.”
Here’s the source: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/01/national/nationalspecial/01levee.html?hp&ex=1125547200&en=8ee34432ae4fa984&ei=5094&partner=homepage
Not until the ninth paragraph does the story imply (but fail to state) that budget cut – even if the intended work could have been done instantaneously, had nothing to do with the flooding. It quotes an expert “at the University of New Orleans, [who] said that was particularly surprising because the break was ‘along a section that was just upgraded.’ ”
The implication, gleefully trumpeted by rabid Democrats, is that George Bush caused the destruction of New Orleans. Not until paragraph 16 does the article note the system was only designed to protect against a Category 3 storm. It neglects to mention that decision was made by local officials, all Democrats.
For the truth, see a Chicago Tribune article the same day. Its lede says: “The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday that a lack of funding for hurricane-protection projects around New Orleans did not contribute to the disastrous flooding that followed Hurricane Katrina.”
The Tribune notes the decision to build the levees for a Category 3 storm was “made decades ago.” Next, it says, “ ‘I don't see that the level of funding was really a contributing factor in this case,’ said Lt. Gen. Carl Strock, chief of engineers for the corps. ‘Had this project been fully complete, it is my opinion that based on the intensity of this storm that the flooding of ... [New Orleans] would have still taken place.’ ”
Here’s the source: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1475305/posts
A competent reporter would have discovered that fact. And honest reporter would have put that fact in or near the lede. The Times failed on both points.
As for possible rioting and theft by Times employees, that was a joke. I assume they steal office supplies year round.
John_Armor@aya.yale.edu
John / Billybob
Did they rehire Jayson Blair?
ROTFLMBO
actually, it should be about Krugman in part....he jumped on the bandwagon with both feet in his mouth. Here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1475312/posts
Where is Hillary when you need her? </sarcasm>
"All elected democRATS." And Hillary wants to be WHAT!
LOL!
When Sacramento California, a city of 200,000 that sits at the nexus of two large rivers and is 20' below the water level gets flooded, the situation will be even worse.
The water will be rain and snow runoff because the rivers swell there in the early spring. Sub 50 degrees, it will drown and cause death by hypothermia in minutes.
Tens of thousands will drown.
The flood, caused by aging levees could have been stopped by the construction of the Auburn Dam, a project that started in the 60's, but was stopped by river rafting companies and their allies in the environmental movement and the Democrat party.
When that happens, everyone will say "We saw it coming", they will cite Army Corps of Engineer studies that showed that the only real protection for Sacramento was the Auburn Dam, which was funded and in construction when it was shut down.
Because the rivers won't stop flowing for months, the flooding will be catastrophic, continuous, and unlike New Orleans where the weather is warm right now, it will be freezing cold and hundreds of thousands will be evacuated to nowhere.
Just watch.
Its lede says: "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday that a lack of funding for hurricane-protection projects around New Orleans did not contribute to the disastrous flooding that followed Hurricane Katrina."
A competent reporter would have discovered that fact. And honest reporter would have put that fact in or near the lede.
lede ???
And ???
I professionally edit and/or proofread for a small fee :)
Thanks for your efforts John.
I am reposting your link.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1475305/posts
the decision to build the levees for a Category 3 storm was “made decades ago.”
I'm blaming FDR and Huey Long who failed to use all those CCC workers to reinforce the levees adequately
The implication, gleefully trumpeted by rabid Democrats, is that George Bush caused the destruction of New Orleans. Not until paragraph 16 does the article note the system was only designed to protect against a Category 3 storm. It neglects to mention that decision was made by local officials, all Democrats.
This needs to be screamed from the rooftops.
But don't hold your breath till you see this on CNN.
LOL !...Trust me. I understood what you meant. I wasn't sure you had seen Krugman's latest effort, as it is about the flood.. (due out tomorrow - 9/2/05)
"Not until the ninth paragraph does the story imply (but fail to state) that budget cut – even if the intended work could have been done instantaneously, had nothing to do with the flooding. It quotes an expert “at the University of New Orleans, [who] said that was particularly surprising because the break was ‘along a section that was just upgraded.’ ”
That's good information thanx. The rats still think they can win the propaganda war with the MSM. It's stuff like this that proves to Americans that the MSM is liberal and full of liars.
**The implication, gleefully trumpeted by rabid Democrats, is that George Bush caused the destruction of New Orleans**
I heard Mary Landrieu mouthing this a couple days ago. Sickening.
lede-The first paragraph of a newspaper story. It should contain the most important information.
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