Mayor: New Orleans 'piled it on' for $77 billion lawsuit

CNN.com ^ | March 3, 2007 | cnn

[plain talk]

Only $1 billion of the $77 billion the city is seeking from the Army Corps of Engineers is for infrastructure damages it says it suffered because of levee breaches during Hurricane Katrina. The rest is for such things as the city's tarnished image and tourist industry losses.

The city "looked at everything and just kind of piled it on," Mayor Ray Nagin said. "We got some advice from some attorneys to be aggressive with the number, and we'll see what happens," he said. New Orleans has joined big business and thousands of homeowners in filing claims seeking compensation from the corps for damages sustained when the levees broke during the 2005 storm, flooding 80 percent of the city.

The claims allege poor design and negligence by the corps led to the failure of flood walls and levees.

[plain talk]

Sure, Blanco might buy a local judge...but eventually it will come to a fair court, and then...oh and then....indictments to follow?

Where would this "fair court" take place? In New Orleans? Does anyone believe the feds would get a fair shake in a post-Katrina New Orleans court? (or maybe even in a pre-Katrina New Orleans court).

[Fierce Allegiance]

Astrodome.

?

[jeffers]

I'm not a lawyer, but I assume the CoE will appeal till they get a fair hearing. It's not like they're hurting for attorneys.