Posted on 09/07/2005 10:00:50 PM PDT by Uncle Joe Cannon
Largess in Louisiana Money Flowed to Questionable Projects State Leads in Army Corps Spending, but Millions Had Nothing to Do With Floods
By Michael Grunwald Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, September 8, 2005; Page A01
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In Katrina's wake, Louisiana politicians and other critics have complained about paltry funding for the Army Corps in general and Louisiana projects in particular. But over the five years of President Bush's administration, Louisiana has received far more money for Corps civil works projects than any other state, about $1.9 billion; California was a distant second with less than $1.4 billion, even though its population is more than seven times as large.
Much of that Louisiana money was spent to try to keep low-lying New Orleans dry. But hundreds of millions of dollars have gone to unrelated water projects demanded by the state's congressional delegation and approved by the Corps, often after economic analyses that turned out to be inaccurate. Despite a series of independent investigations criticizing Army Corps construction projects as wasteful pork-barrel spending, Louisiana's representatives have kept bringing home the bacon.
For example, after a $194 million deepening project for the Port of Iberia flunked a Corps cost-benefit analysis, Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) tucked language into an emergency Iraq spending bill ordering the agency to redo its calculations. The Corps also spends tens of millions of dollars a year dredging little-used waterways such as the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, the Atchafalaya River and the Red River -- now known as the J. Bennett Johnston Waterway, in honor of the project's congressional godfather -- for barge traffic that is less than forecast.
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(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
I've tried to explain that to several people and they stare back blankly, as to say. "So what?"
Human relations run on pork and rud. Everyone could use a little self-reflection.
thanks---I had a hunch yyou would appreciate some attempt to "nutshell" it. But all of us who have arrived at that no BS way of looking at things (usually after a long frustrating period of involvement in politics) will always get the "so what" response. Cataclysmic events such at this(and 9-11) always get an "official" response,, but it's always so much less than we should hope for, and SO much less than is necessary.
Thank you.
"Don't bank on it."
"I hope you are not holding your breath 'til then."
The hearings are going to happen. There is no way they will not look into this.
And the findings will just happen to come out right before the upcoming elections in 2006.
The Dems know what these hearings will reveal and are already starting to whine and moan. Nancy Pelosi already has critisized the makeup of the BIPARTISAN panel. The loony left wing of the Democrat party is going to look really bad once the panels findings are released, so they are starting to discredit any potential findings from any inquiry into this whole mess. It`s their only defence. They have put their faces on TV with all their screaming and yelling and cannot take that back.
There is no way the Republicans are going to let this one slip by.
Levee board under federal investigation before Katrina hit
By David Hawkins & Judi McLeod
Tuesday, September 6, 2005
Rampant public corruption was doing big business in New Orleans long before Hurricane Katrina ever hit. What then Congressman, now Senator David Vitter calls "corrupt, good old boy" practices were apparent in the New Orleans Levee Board just one year before the collapse of regional levees, emergency communications and government services brought the Big Easy to the brink of anarchy. In fact, Senator David Vitter requested a federal investigation into improper practices of a number of public utilities, including the New Orleans Levee Board, and a new Task Force was to have been initiated in the Baton Rouge office, beginning in July 2004.
http://www.canadafreepress.com/2005/cover090605.htm
The Louisiana politicians had the wrong priorities.
But hey... At least Landrieu got her "lynching apology" thru the Senate.
The Internet gives some history of local control of these facilities. I understand that years ago, new and more powerful pumps were bought for these stations. But they were not installed, because the contract didn’t include that. So those pumps sat in a warehouse owned by a friend of Mayor Moon Landrieu (father of the current Senator Landrieu), incurring storage costs for four years, before another contract with another friend of the Mayor could be signed to install them.
I need a new keyboard!!!
Please mail copies of this article to as many Conservative Talk Show host, pundits, conservative activists, freepers, ping lists etc. This is a direct refutation of the lie being spun that "Conservatism" being the cause of the New Orleans disaster
How about pushing this story because it is the truth and as an American Citizen and Taxpayer you want TO fix the problems so they DON'T happen again. Or is Political Ideology more import then the safety of fellow citizens? Do you want all those who died to have died for NOTHING?
NO WAY? OK which Freeper hacked the Washington Post computers?
Then let Freepers be as activist as the"Jersey Girls"and bring so much pressure to bear that the "Business as usual" crowd cannot stifle it. It is after all Govt BY the people. Well let us get busy.
Funny how the "This is all Bush's fault" screams turns into "Oh Well everyone is guilty so no one can be held accountable" wimpers from the Political Left.
YES!
Nope but the Political Grandstanding on New Orleans by the Hysteric Left gives us the perfect excuse to peel the scab of this cesspool and shine the light of truth on what is slitering out.
Did you know NO has a parrish named "ST Tammany"?
Ah yes, I seem to recall it was the dems who wanted an investigation. Well, now things are being investigated. Notice how the dems have suddenly refused to cooperate? LOL
"Beams and motes" fits you perfectly.
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