New Orleans May Lack Full Protection
George W Bush appears to be backing away from his promise to rebuild the city of New Orleans to be "bigger and better".
The Bush administration said yesterday that the cost of rebuilding New Orleans's levees to federal standards has nearly tripled to $10 billion and that there may not be enough money to fully protect the entire region.
Donald E. Powell, the administration's rebuilding coordinator, said some areas may be left without the protection of levees strong enough to meet requirements of the national flood insurance program. Those areas probably would face enormous obstacles in attracting home buyers and investors willing to build there.
The news represents a shift for the administration; President Bush had pledged in the weeks after Hurricane Katrina to rebuild New Orleans "higher and better." Now, some areas may lose out as they compete for levee protection. Powell's announcement, in a conference call with reporters, prompted denunciations from state and local officials who said the federal government is reneging on promises to rebuild the entire region.
"This monumental miscalculation is an outrage," said Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D). "This means that, just two months before hurricane season, the Corps of Engineers informs us they cannot ensure even the minimum safety of southeastern Louisiana. This is totally unacceptable."
Why am I not remotely surprised to find that this administration has, once again, made a public promise that it is not prepared to keep?
Leaving aside the wiretapping of American civlians and the illegality of the Iraq war, the treatment of the people of New Orleans by this administration is enough to prove that they are unfit to hold the highest office in the land.
The fact that such news does not cause widespread unrest is a further indication of how low public expectations are when it comes to expecting this administration to deliver what it has promised.
Click title for full story.
P.S. And why does the Washington Post lead with the headline, "Levee Repair Costs Triple" rather than the more relevant subtitle "New Orleans May Lack Full Protection"? Spinning for the Bushites?
Tags:
No comments:
Post a Comment