This is how I view it as well.
Before the disaster hit, she and ESPECIALLY THE MAYOR OF NO seemed to tuck tail and hide rather than doing what was necessary to prepare and evacuate.
After the disaster hit, she wants full control over the operations, and blame Bush for her and the mayor's lack of forsight and action.
LA, I hope you are paying attention.
On a side note, I heard yesterday that those levees that were suposedly substandard and the Feds cut the budget to improve were NOT what failed in NO. The portions that failed were not on the list of proposed improvements. Any truth to this?
The NYT wins. In case of disaster in your area do absolutely nothing to save lives, protect property or relieve suffering. Your new assignment is to blame Bush, blame Bush and blame Bush. Got that? Good, together we will build a better America.
Yes, a CoE spokesman said that the section that breached was"as good as it was going to get" - of course, given all the corruption that is coming into the light of day, we may learn that the contractors also cheated, and the inspectors also cheated, etc...
"On a side note, I heard yesterday that those levees that were suposedly substandard"
Technically the levees never failed. The levees held and the storm walls failed (the built up concrete portions on the top). If the levees had failed, you could forget plugging them anytime soon.
On a side note, I heard yesterday that those levees that were suposedly substandard and the Feds cut the budget to improve were NOT what failed in NO. The portions that failed were not on the list of proposed improvements. Any truth to this?
I've read in a couple of different places that the 17th Street canal levee was struck by either one or two barges that had come unmoored and that was the reason it failed. Have also read that that section had recently been upgraded.
As an aside, I read that the Dutch used different power sources for different pump stations...diesel and electric, in the ZuiderZee Works Project. If one power source is interrupted, all is not lost. Doesn't appear that such was the case in NO but I don't know that for sure.