Can you post the url for the levee boards???
Googling levee board new orleans turns up some really weird things, as well.
I think that was the wrong one...just a minute.
Well, here's the budget area found here:
http://www.bgr.org/budgets/orleans.htm
Orleans Levee District
FY 2001
Operating Budget
Expenditure Summary
Fund Descriptions
Operating Code Descriptions
Agency Description
The West Jefferson Levee District is responsible for drainage, flood control and water resources development in the portion of Jefferson Parish on the west side of the Mississippi River. The levee district is also responsible for constructing and maintaining levees and drainage systems within its district. The levee district may buy, sell or exchange property, enter into contracts and perform any acts necessary to carry out its assigned duties.[SNIP]
Currently the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is conducting a large scale hurricane protection project on the west bank of the Mississippi river in Jefferson, Orleans, and Plaquemines parishes. The entire project is estimated to cost approximately $300 million. The State Department of Transportation and Development is the lead nonfederal sponsor for the project.
Included in the project is $260 million for work in the area governed by the levee district. The levee district contracted in May, 1995, with a joint venture engineering firm to perform all engineering services required by the levee district’s participation in the Corps of Engineers project. Mr. Jones was first appointed as a commissioner to the levee district in 1992.
Levee district commissioners are appointed by the governor and serve at his pleasure.
A commissioner of the West Jefferson Levee District proposed using his position on the board to steer levee board contracts to a private company he was attempting to create. Ronald Jones, the commissioner, acknowledged in an e-mail that he “was working to try and get the organization some work using my position at the levee board.” Mr. Jones later asserted that he was “blowing smoke” and his statements were all false.