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Originally Posted by JohnW
There have been millions of dollars poured into the New Orleans area over the past twenty years earmarked for levy improvements. Much of that money was spent on building marinas and casinos. Ask the mayor (a black man, incidentally) about that.
What is the point of making the same mistake twice? There is absolutely no sense in rebuilding any part of that city that is below sea level.
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In that case, what is the point of rebuilding a city that is built on the San Andreas Fault? Or in Florida's hurricane alley? Even dear old London is at risk for tidal flooding, but that hardly argues for a cut-and-run strategy! While I do not agree with the logic of abandoning New Orleans, San Francisco, London, or large portions of Florida to natural disasters, there are plenty of places where there is an ongoing, fairly high risk of natural disaster.
As to the allegations that money had been diverted to "marinas and casisnos," I've heard that claim over and over from folks who are determined to defend George W. Repeated web searches have come up with exactly zero credible evidence to support that claim. Ceretainly, the New Orleans Levee Board has oversight of all aspects of the levees (not merely flood control, but the funding is not diverted flood control money and is accounted for seperately.
While there is
plenty of blame for all concerned, especially FEMA's lame response to the disaster, factual evidence shows that during the years immediately prior to Katrina, federal funding of levee maintenance had been seriously cut. Levee systems require constant inspection and maintenance (just ask the Dutch), as they are continually under attack by the forces of nature.
Here is a link to a very interesting article that deals a bit more in the realm of factual evidence:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levee_f...rleans%2C_2005