Comments on: Could The Effects of Katrina Have Been Less Catastrophic to Louisiana? http://nmallory.exit-23.net/20050831/could-the-effects-of-katrina-have-been-less-catastrophic-to-louisiana & Other Discombobulated Thoughts Fri, 05 Dec 2008 17:15:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.3 By: bgfay http://nmallory.exit-23.net/20050831/could-the-effects-of-katrina-have-been-less-catastrophic-to-louisiana#comment-359 bgfay Wed, 31 Aug 2005 14:37:00 +0000 http://nmallory.exit-23.net/20050831/could-the-effects-of-katrina-have-been-less-catastrophic-to-louisiana#comment-359 Yeah, I believe that the effects could have been at least in part reduced, but in order to have done that it seems like enormous amounts of money would have had to have been spent. Here's the thing: that sounds great right now, with New Orleans and so many other places devastated. However, if the money for all these improvements was included in an appropriations bill, my guess is that it would have been labeled pork. The tough sell with New Orleans is that it's already below sea level. It's like those houses on the beach in the Carolinas or the high rise hotels on the Florida coast or even all those houses in the desert out west. It's easy for those of us who don't live there to say, simply, people shouldn't live in those places and then go on to say that we shouldn't have to pay for the dangers faced by those who live where we don't think they should live. There's a balance here. We aren't going to pack up all of the areas along the coast and leave them uninhabited nor are we going to protect them completely. It would be great if our leaders (both political and in the media) could help the population move toward the simple notions of helping each other and exercising common sense. I like your blog. It's nicer than mine. Yeah, I believe that the effects could have been at least in part reduced, but in order to have done that it seems like enormous amounts of money would have had to have been spent. Here’s the thing: that sounds great right now, with New Orleans and so many other places devastated. However, if the money for all these improvements was included in an appropriations bill, my guess is that it would have been labeled pork.

The tough sell with New Orleans is that it’s already below sea level. It’s like those houses on the beach in the Carolinas or the high rise hotels on the Florida coast or even all those houses in the desert out west. It’s easy for those of us who don’t live there to say, simply, people shouldn’t live in those places and then go on to say that we shouldn’t have to pay for the dangers faced by those who live where we don’t think they should live.

There’s a balance here. We aren’t going to pack up all of the areas along the coast and leave them uninhabited nor are we going to protect them completely. It would be great if our leaders (both political and in the media) could help the population move toward the simple notions of helping each other and exercising common sense.

I like your blog. It’s nicer than mine.

]]> By: Big Dog http://nmallory.exit-23.net/20050831/could-the-effects-of-katrina-have-been-less-catastrophic-to-louisiana#comment-365 Big Dog Wed, 31 Aug 2005 20:20:08 +0000 http://nmallory.exit-23.net/20050831/could-the-effects-of-katrina-have-been-less-catastrophic-to-louisiana#comment-365 I would like to know how any of that would have helped since the bulk of the damage was already done prior tot he levees failing. If it was 4 feet higher there would have still been such a quantity of water that it would make little difference. Also seems to me that LA should be happy that federal tax money, or money from people who do not live there, is pating for these projects. Seems the state could pay for some of it. Perhaps add a surcharge to all the bills in New Orleans so that travelers would foot the bill for repair. Hell, Mardi Gras would probably pay for the repairs with money left over. I feel badly for the people there but more money and a firmed up levee would not have helped and if it were not for a last minute puff of warm air they would really have problems. I have mixed feelings about Federal money paying for state projects. A surcharge would make the users pay for it, not the majority of people who will probably never visit there. I would like to know how any of that would have helped since the bulk of the damage was already done prior tot he levees failing. If it was 4 feet higher there would have still been such a quantity of water that it would make little difference.

Also seems to me that LA should be happy that federal tax money, or money from people who do not live there, is pating for these projects. Seems the state could pay for some of it. Perhaps add a surcharge to all the bills in New Orleans so that travelers would foot the bill for repair. Hell, Mardi Gras would probably pay for the repairs with money left over.

I feel badly for the people there but more money and a firmed up levee would not have helped and if it were not for a last minute puff of warm air they would really have problems. I have mixed feelings about Federal money paying for state projects. A surcharge would make the users pay for it, not the majority of people who will probably never visit there.

]]> By: n. mallory http://nmallory.exit-23.net/20050831/could-the-effects-of-katrina-have-been-less-catastrophic-to-louisiana#comment-372 n. mallory Wed, 31 Aug 2005 21:31:26 +0000 http://nmallory.exit-23.net/20050831/could-the-effects-of-katrina-have-been-less-catastrophic-to-louisiana#comment-372 If the Fed money isn't supporting the states in it's care, then less money should go to the Fed and more to the State. If the Fed money isn’t supporting the states in it’s care, then less money should go to the Fed and more to the State.

]]> By: Big Dog http://nmallory.exit-23.net/20050831/could-the-effects-of-katrina-have-been-less-catastrophic-to-louisiana#comment-374 Big Dog Thu, 01 Sep 2005 03:16:24 +0000 http://nmallory.exit-23.net/20050831/could-the-effects-of-katrina-have-been-less-catastrophic-to-louisiana#comment-374 I believe that is why you pay federal tax and state tax. There are certain things the fed is supposed to do and the states are supposed to do the rest. I believe that is why you pay federal tax and state tax.

There are certain things the fed is supposed to do and the states are supposed to do the rest.

]]> By: Dave http://nmallory.exit-23.net/20050831/could-the-effects-of-katrina-have-been-less-catastrophic-to-louisiana#comment-376 Dave Thu, 01 Sep 2005 12:08:45 +0000 http://nmallory.exit-23.net/20050831/could-the-effects-of-katrina-have-been-less-catastrophic-to-louisiana#comment-376 Of course it could have been less catastrophic. The US Army Corps Of Engineers had a spokesman on a news show yesterday and he admitted that the decision on the level of protection when building the levees was an economic one. It had little to do with the fact that a Category 5 hurricane would wipe out the entire area. He said it was decided for cost reasons, the levees would only be built to withstand a Category 3 hurricane. Once again the government has failed to use common sense. So common in government agencies. This is what we end up with when decisions are made using dollars and cents instead of common sense. Certainly there is no reason why New Orleans was not totally evacuated days before the hurricane came ashore. They knew for at least a week it was likely it was coming, yet the Mayor waited until the morning of the hurricane to order a mandatory evacuation. They claim there was not transportation yet they also showed car lots with hundreds of vehicles now all under water. So many things that have happened could have been avoided or reduced damage. Yet we failed to plan and planned to fail. FEMA mat last year in New Orleans to discuss this very same thing and yet this year, when it happened, they are so unprepared and total chaos. Guess they should have spent less time in the casinos and more time meeting and working out the logistics of all of this. Of course it could have been less catastrophic. The US Army Corps Of Engineers had a spokesman on a news show yesterday and he admitted that the decision on the level of protection when building the levees was an economic one. It had little to do with the fact that a Category 5 hurricane would wipe out the entire area. He said it was decided for cost reasons, the levees would only be built to withstand a Category 3 hurricane.

Once again the government has failed to use common sense. So common in government agencies. This is what we end up with when decisions are made using dollars and cents instead of common sense.

Certainly there is no reason why New Orleans was not totally evacuated days before the hurricane came ashore. They knew for at least a week it was likely it was coming, yet the Mayor waited until the morning of the hurricane to order a mandatory evacuation. They claim there was not transportation yet they also showed car lots with hundreds of vehicles now all under water.

So many things that have happened could have been avoided or reduced damage. Yet we failed to plan and planned to fail. FEMA mat last year in New Orleans to discuss this very same thing and yet this year, when it happened, they are so unprepared and total chaos.

Guess they should have spent less time in the casinos and more time meeting and working out the logistics of all of this.

]]> By: Big Dog http://nmallory.exit-23.net/20050831/could-the-effects-of-katrina-have-been-less-catastrophic-to-louisiana#comment-380 Big Dog Fri, 02 Sep 2005 01:55:33 +0000 http://nmallory.exit-23.net/20050831/could-the-effects-of-katrina-have-been-less-catastrophic-to-louisiana#comment-380 I think you must mean New Orleans was unprepared. FEMA was activated prior to the hurricane landing because the President declared an emergency. FEMA had hundreds of thousands of items pre-placed and it is moving in. This does not happen in an instant. The stuff has to be staged and moved in to a very hazardous area. How long ago did they build that levee and decide to make it only withstand a Cat 3? I think you must mean New Orleans was unprepared. FEMA was activated prior to the hurricane landing because the President declared an emergency. FEMA had hundreds of thousands of items pre-placed and it is moving in. This does not happen in an instant. The stuff has to be staged and moved in to a very hazardous area.

How long ago did they build that levee and decide to make it only withstand a Cat 3?

]]> By: Leighsong http://nmallory.exit-23.net/20050831/could-the-effects-of-katrina-have-been-less-catastrophic-to-louisiana#comment-383 Leighsong Fri, 02 Sep 2005 03:27:43 +0000 http://nmallory.exit-23.net/20050831/could-the-effects-of-katrina-have-been-less-catastrophic-to-louisiana#comment-383 For the life of me, I canNOT understand why the government did not act...Local, State, and Federal. Crying out loud! I helped evacuate many from Florida during hurricanes...I'm just one individual. Where's the love? LOOTING? (With the exception of food). If you're standing in chest deep water, what in the world can one do with fifty pairs of jeans? The human condition continues to inspire and perplex me. Good thoughts are my saving grace. To my bothers and sisters in the Gulf Coast Katrina area, please know my love is with you and yours. For the life of me, I canNOT understand why the government did not act…Local, State, and Federal.

Crying out loud! I helped evacuate many from Florida during hurricanes…I’m just one individual.

Where’s the love? LOOTING? (With the exception of food). If you’re standing in chest deep water, what in the world can one do with fifty pairs of jeans?

The human condition continues to inspire and perplex me.
Good thoughts are my saving grace.

To my bothers and sisters in the Gulf Coast Katrina area, please know my love is with you and yours.

]]> By: BadTux http://nmallory.exit-23.net/20050831/could-the-effects-of-katrina-have-been-less-catastrophic-to-louisiana#comment-438 BadTux Tue, 13 Sep 2005 20:15:08 +0000 http://nmallory.exit-23.net/20050831/could-the-effects-of-katrina-have-been-less-catastrophic-to-louisiana#comment-438 For the record: The issue with the levees was that they were only designed to withstand a Cat 3 storm surge, and were instead subjected to a Cat 4 storm surge. They were in the best shape they'd ever been in, and were simply overwhelmed. All the rest of the stuff in the article is what-if stuff that would have happened in the future. As for those criticizing the evacuation plan, I'm not sure what to say there. I see a lot of people who've never sat in the continuous traffic jam from New Orleans to Baton Rouge pulling a lot of BS out of their bungholes. There was no way in **** that New Orleans could be fully evacuated in less than 72 hours. That's reality. No mayor in the known universe could have done better, except maybe God Himself, and as far as I know, He didn't file His candidacy in the last election. Regarding why New Orleans is where it is: New Orleans was built where it is because it is a NATIONAL asset -- the biggest port, by volume, in the United States. The whole point of the Louisiana Purchase was to buy New Orleans. Napoleon threw in the rest of Louisiana "for free". Unfortunately, New Orleans is not allowed to collect taxes on the goods that flow through its port, the goods that are its entire reason for being. Governor Dave Treen (a Republican, BTW) tried, and was resoundedly rebuffed by the federal courts. This is one reason why the upkeep of the Port of New Orleans and the levees protecting it and its workforce are a *national* responsibility -- it's not just New Orleans that benefits from the port there, it's the entire nation (or at least the central 1/3rd of the nation that is the Mississippi Valley). And finally, regarding the NOLA government, how can you prepare for 80% of your city being underwater as well as virtually 100% of your usable assets destroyed? No mayor in the universe can prepare for something like that. In short, while there is a lot of blame to go around, I can't really blame the city government of New Orleans for not being able to cope with a catastophe of this magnitude. No mayor could have done better. And don't talk to me about Mayor Rudy. Two (2) buildings fell in his city, and the whole city virtually crashed to a halt for days. That's hardly a recommendation for dealing with a city that is almost totally underwater! For the record: The issue with the levees was that they were only designed to withstand a Cat 3 storm surge, and were instead subjected to a Cat 4 storm surge. They were in the best shape they’d ever been in, and were simply overwhelmed. All the rest of the stuff in the article is what-if stuff that would have happened in the future.

As for those criticizing the evacuation plan, I’m not sure what to say there. I see a lot of people who’ve never sat in the continuous traffic jam from New Orleans to Baton Rouge pulling a lot of BS out of their bungholes. There was no way in **** that New Orleans could be fully evacuated in less than 72 hours. That’s reality. No mayor in the known universe could have done better, except maybe God Himself, and as far as I know, He didn’t file His candidacy in the last election.

Regarding why New Orleans is where it is: New Orleans was built where it is because it is a NATIONAL asset — the biggest port, by volume, in the United States. The whole point of the Louisiana Purchase was to buy New Orleans. Napoleon threw in the rest of Louisiana “for free”. Unfortunately, New Orleans is not allowed to collect taxes on the goods that flow through its port, the goods that are its entire reason for being. Governor Dave Treen (a Republican, BTW) tried, and was resoundedly rebuffed by the federal courts. This is one reason why the upkeep of the Port of New Orleans and the levees protecting it and its workforce are a *national* responsibility — it’s not just New Orleans that benefits from the port there, it’s the entire nation (or at least the central 1/3rd of the nation that is the Mississippi Valley).

And finally, regarding the NOLA government, how can you prepare for 80% of your city being underwater as well as virtually 100% of your usable assets destroyed? No mayor in the universe can prepare for something like that.

In short, while there is a lot of blame to go around, I can’t really blame the city government of New Orleans for not being able to cope with a catastophe of this magnitude. No mayor could have done better. And don’t talk to me about Mayor Rudy. Two (2) buildings fell in his city, and the whole city virtually crashed to a halt for days. That’s hardly a recommendation for dealing with a city that is almost totally underwater!

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