From Hartford comes another freakin’ “know it all” editorial.
Y’all just know that I made my thoughts known at the paper’s site.
July 5, 2007
June 30, 2007
June 8, 2007
The ACOE Is Killing Us
Fix the Pumps is today featuring the new internal ACOE report on the “work” the Corps have been doing to get flood protections around the city up to snuff.
Matt entitled his post: “Bombshell”. My only response to this report is “Oh Poop on a stick”.
All of this “repairing” of our mis-designed and improperly built levee systems and the new pumps should be seen as a betrayal to the folks of New Orleans and the American taxpayers. It is CRIMINAL ACT!!!
Reparations for all of New Orleans and our area NOW!!!
May 6, 2007
National Geographic on Levees
Just found this link for a good primer on what we here in SE Louisiana are facing when it comes to erosion and levees.
May 1, 2007
18 Missing Inches in New Orleans
Here’s a piece from Greg Palast concerning the release of the Trade Paperback version of “Armed Madhouse: From Baghdad to New Orleans.
As always I have snippets, and this one is a reminder of the truths of the Federal Flood and our demand for REPARATIONS:
“The White House had good reason, or at least political and financial reasons, to keep mum. A hurricane is an act of God, but catastrophic levee failure is an act of the Administration. Once the federal levees go, evacuation, rescue and those frightening words – responsibility and compensation – become Washington’s. Van Heerden knew that “not an act of God, but catastrophic failure of the levee system” would mean that, at least, “these people must be compensated.”
Not every flood victim in America gets the Katrina treatment. In 1992, storms wiped out 190 houses on the beach at West Hampton Dunes, home to film stars and celebrity speculators. The federal government paid to completely rebuild the houses, which, hauled in four million cubic feet of sand to restore the tony beaches, and guaranteed the home’s safety into the coming decades – after which the “victim’s” homes rose in value to an average $2 million each.”
Reparations to the victims of the Federal Flood!
March 28, 2007
GAO Looks Into MWI Pump Poop
From WDSU comes this piece by Cain Burdeau-Â LINK
May the shit storm begin!
March 19, 2007
More on Nagin’s Conspiracy Theory …
Well, Mayor “Chocolate City” Ray started spouting crap this last Thursday at a conference, and it seems to be running in the Blogs and MSM.
Facing South has a great Progressive take on the real story here in NOLA .
Good paragraph from the piece:
“Treating property ownership as the sine qua non for policy consideration didn’t raise any eyebrows locally or nationally, except among the ranks of those who were left out. Neither the black Mayor nor the majority-black City Council has shown initiative in taking into account, much less defending, the interests of poor New Orleanians. The city’s evacuation plans notoriously failed to anticipate adequately poor people’s circumstances and needs. Landlords began evicting tenants without a hint of due process as soon as water receded and rumors spread of possibilities for extracting exorbitant rents from construction workers. The state officially prohibited evictions before October 25, but that prohibition was academic for the tens of thousands of people dispersed in shelters around the region and nation. And even that minimal right was flagrantly ignored with impunity. New Orleans City Council president Oliver Thomas complained in February that government programs and agencies had “pampered” poor people and proclaimed that they should not be encouraged to return. As he put it, “We don’t need soap opera watchers right now.” At least one other black councilmember expressed support of his view, as did the New Orleans Housing Authority receiver.”
If “No See’um Ray” wants to face the “enemies” of New Orleans, he should first take a look in his freakin’ mirror.
The same goes for Oreo Oliver Thomas. Yes you assholes, I have your freakin’ Racist numbers. Come down on me for my statements little boys. I’ll even make it smaller for you little boys since I am a “Momma”. Shitheads… Momma rules you morons.
Unstable Foundations
I found this wonderful piece posted at Common Dreams.It is a well done presentation by Rebecca Solnit on the state of recovery in New Orleans.
Here’s some snippets:
“Despite its decline, New Orleans remains a port city and a major tourist destination. But it also matters because it’s beautiful, with its houses — from shacks to mansions — adorned with feminine, lacy-black ironwork or white, gingerbread wood trim, with its colossal, spreading oaks and the most poetic street names imaginable; because the city and the surrounding delta are the great font from which so much of our popular music flows; because people there still have a deep sense of connection and memory largely wiped away in so many other places; because it is a capital city for black culture, including traditions that flowed straight from Africa; because, in some strange way, it holds the memory of what life was like before capitalism and may yet be able to teach the rest of us something about what life could be like after capitalism.”Â
“We all owe New Orleans and those who suffered most in Katrina a huge debt. Their visible suffering and the visibly stupid, soulless, and selfish response of the federal government brought an end to the unquestionable dominance of the Bush administration in the nearly four years between New York’s great disaster and this catastrophe. In China, great earthquakes were once thought to be signs that the mandate of heaven has been withdrawn from the ruling dynasty. Similarly, the deluges of Katrina washed away the mandate of the administration and made it possible, even necessary, for those who had been blind or fearful before to criticize and oppose afterwards.”Â
We need more thinking people such as Rebecca.
March 10, 2007
Levees.Org Has Videos
Levees.org has come up with some good short videos that outline what is needed to protect the Metro area from Tropical storms and flooding. They also cover MRGO and levee failures in the city.
Give ‘em a look-see!