Louisiana Officials in Flood-Money Scam

newsmax.com ^ | Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2005 10:18 p.m. EDT

[InvisibleChurch]

Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2005 10:18 p.m. EDT Louisiana Officials in Flood-Money Scam

Nine months before the Hurricane Katrina disaster, three Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness officials were indicted for obstructing an audit into flood prevention expenditures.

In a November 2004 press release, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana announced:

"A federal grand jury has returned two separate indictments charging three members of the State Military Department with offenses related to the obstruction of an audit of the use of federal funds for flood mitigation activities throughout Louisiana. "The two emergency management officials were senior employees of the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. Both were charged with conspiracy to obstruct a federal audit."

Gov. Kathleen Blanco told Louisiana's News-Star at the time that she was disturbed by the indictments. She said the National Guard is cooperating with the investigation "as I expect them to do."

Reports of rampant corruption among Louisiana's state and local agencies have been cited in recent days to explain why officials were so ill-prepared to deal with the Katrina disaster.

[Eva]

But this had nothing to do with the levee failure. The levee that broke was reinforced in 1998 by the Army corps of engineers and was not scheduled for any further repairs.

[hummingbird]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1477962/posts Gulf Coast Poisoned?

I don't know the validity of any of the claims, but its very interesting, especially when you hear about rescue workers getting chemical burns on their skin whenever it comes into contact with the flood water. Maybe I need to call Art Bell and get the tinfoil out but building on a toxic dump wouldn't surprise me. I'm not sure, but this may be the same thread about the SuperDome having bad "juju" because of the location where it was built and that is why the Saints are so crummy and why they ought to move to San Antonio while the getting is good!

[ChefKeith]

Wonder how many "little heads are gonna roll" to cover the higher ups here (probly including the mayor and governor)

[hummingbird]

The levee that broke was reinforced in 1998 by the Army corps of engineers and was not scheduled for any further repairs.

I thought about that levee "breeching" in spite of its recent repairs and that led me to wonder if 1)people who didn't evacuate the area were overconfident of the levee and 2)if there was substandard construction with the accompanying requisite graft & corruption. Skim a little, fudge a little and count on being long out of office and way out of town before a level 4 or 5 hurricane hits.

Truly hate to be so cynical about my fellow man but every minute exposes more and more corruption. So many lives lost, so much property and land damage, and people traumatized for years...maybe life. If it takes cynicism to keep from crawling into fetal position over this heartbreaking event, I guess cynicism it is.

[Eva]

My husband has been saying that NOLA is like a third world country for years. Yet, he's volunteered to go help with the clean up.

The fact is that preparing the levee to withstand a cat three was a gamble. NOLA lost. Who profited, who knows?

[hummingbird]

Your husband is an earthly saint for going to help, Eva. God bless and protect him in his endeavors.

I agree with his assessment of NOLA, having lived there years ago but especially for what I've read on the Internet, (especially Free Republic!).

Time for some sun to shine.....

[Eva]

Actually, there are a lot people from around here that would like to go, but can't figure out how to volunteer. FEMA is paying $24/hr. but only want trained responders. That's not what my husband is doing, however.

[bethtopaz]

Rush talked about this investigation today -- it's going to be VERY interesting. I think President Bush is very angry at the incompetence. And what's so amazing to me about him is that he is still gracious to the incompetent politicians, doesn't point fingers and get defenses, but gets the job done.

And then like all good CEOs he says, "What went wrong? What can we do right and better next time? And let's cut the BS and do it!"

That's what Sam Walton always did and look at his success. He was always saying: "What can we do better?"

And you have Walmart - one of the most successful and hated and envied (by the Left) businesses in America.

[hummingbird]

Good comes out of every tragedy even if it is not apparent to us. From this terrible loss of life and unimaginable destruction, I see and hear of so many people who want to help, who want to serve. If I learn nothing else, I have learned this.

[hummingbird]

Rush talked about this investigation today -- it's going to be VERY interesting. I think President Bush is very angry...

I agree. I think the president is so angry he is willing to push for an investigation. Not an investigation to rub anyone's nose in it, not to further his agenda, not to drive a stake in the heart of the liberal left, etc.

He is angry because so many people died and so many people are suffering and because of the incredible destruction to God's land. I think he is boiling hot mad about this.

[bethtopaz]

You are right!! Hit the nail on the head!! I think most people just really don't understand George W. Bush.

He's a man of God, of faith, of compassion -- a family man who loves his wife, his family, his parents, etc.
He's a protector!

This is why I think he's so angry!

[syriacus]

that led me to wonder...if there was substandard construction with the accompanying requisite graft & corruption

You can almost count on it.

[Calpernia]

Here you go!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1477962/posts
Gulf Coast poisoned?

[Calpernia]

113

[cynicom]

Drag a Federal dollar around any state and local government and it will attract thieves.

[hummingbird]

Thanks, Calpernia! I tried to post that link but it doesn't underline like your's does (is that a "hotlink" when it underscores and goes right to the post?). How do you do that?! Sometimes, I'll print the "tips" out, don't use them, toss them, and then suddenly need the "tip!"

Now is one of those times...LOL....time to start a notebook of "tip" printouts! Have a great day!

[Calpernia]

Hotlink code is:

< _a href="your URL"_ >Type text you want link to be named

Remove the underscore and no space between the bracket and next character.

[Ellesu]

Is this the first recent news sighting of this info?


For BR and La it's not. The latest articles were in April of this year, but indictments and investigations have been going on before that. I posted 2 articles on a Katrina Live thread, but I can't remember which one. I'll check my posts and re-post them.

[Ellesu]

http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1477440/posts?page=1067#1067

[SunnySide]

There is going to be HELL to pay. Let the libs keep screaming for a while.
...

This is precisely why the DNC and assorted flunkys have been wallowing and kavetching nonstop in order to shift the focus off the truth. Hillary this morning was speed talking, she's so desperate. The DNC is like a flight crew dumping heavy cargo(the corruption) out of spiraling downward plane to lighten their load(of B.S.)