Blanco 'very concerned' about levee consolidation fight

nola.com ^ | 666 | Doug Simpson

[Ellesu]

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Opponents of a plan to consolidate the levee boards of southeast Louisiana on Tuesday relaunched their efforts to postpone the plan, four months after the Legislature approved it in the name of ridding the New Orleans area of cronyism and patronage.

The levee boards, often blamed for poor upkeep of the levees surrounding New Orleans, were the subject of scrutiny in two special legislative sessions since Hurricane Katrina, with business and community groups calling for their dissolution. The issue became the subject of bitter fights during a special legislative session in February, as Gov. Kathleen Blanco pushed a plan through the Legislature that would eliminate the boards and replace them with two "super levee boards" made up of experts and scientists instead of political appointees.

Lawmakers from New Orleans and its suburbs fought Blanco's plan — and they resumed the fight on Tuesday, in both the House and Senate. Two of the Legislature's most powerful members amended legislation to delay the effects of Blanco's plan and to concentrate control over levee projects in their own districts.

An amendment by Sen. Francis Heitmeier, D-New Orleans, and another by Rep. John Alario, D-Westwego, were added to a measure moving through the House and another moving through the Senate, meaning Heitmeier and Alario have two chances to get the changes through the Legislature.

Heitmeier is chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and Alario is chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, the panels that control the money in the state budget. Normally, both are Blanco allies.

Sen. Walter Boasso, who championed the consolidation efforts in previous legislative sessions, said people who control federal money on Capitol Hill would not look kindly on the change.

[mcshot]

Reads to me like effort being made to maximize and consolidate corruption.
Why put all that money in the ground when the gubmnt only gonna blow it up anyway. (sarc/)

[PistolPaknMama]

That's what I was thinking too. Hate to say it but New Orleans needed to just go away after Katrina. Turn it into some protected wasteland or something. The corruption in New Orleans has been well documented for 20 years at least. They even reelected the most mentally afflicted politician in the country as their mayor. Bulldoze it and haul their beads somewhere else.

[dennisw]

A Gubbermint job is a great job in corrupt godless pits like New Orleans

[P-40]

Why worry? Levees and floodwalls are like the links in a chain...if ones fails, the others take over. :)

[rogue yam]

So Meemaw's "very concerned", eh? I guess it's time to pray and keep watching the weather.

[binreadin]

There is no question that parts of the greater New Orleans area should probably be re-designated as other than residential, but New Orleans is a great, unique, timeless city. We've spent a lot of time there lately, and I have found it to be a fantastic blend of history, music, and truly unique places to eat and drink. Now that almost every other US city has become little but a collection of Targets, Walmarts, Burger Kings and Red Lobsters it's wonderful to be in a city with such originality, character and uniqueness. The people there are a fantastic blend of long-term locals and new settlers drawn by the music and flavor. Spend some real time there before you knock it. It's getting a bad rap. And Nagin's opponent was from a long line of very corrupt politicians, so Nagin's victory may have been the lesser of two evils.