Report from the leevee

[Skidmore]

My cousin is with the Corp of Engineers and has been down in NO for several days now, where the supplies they needed to do their jobs have been very slow in coming to them. This man's a Vietnam vet and has seen it all. He also hates * with passion. This is the e-mail I got this morning from his wife about their working conditions and his frustration with at pace of the work.


"The telephone lines there are so jammed. Try the FEMA offices in Ala. I call XXXX in the middle of the night as that is the only time I can reach him. He worked 18 hours yesterday filling sandbags for the levee. He is frustrated that things are moving so slow. They cut the funding for the Corp of Engineers this year back so far that they were on short crews anyway. They sent 4 people home the day after the levee broke and told then they didnt need them. He is catnapping on the floor of the barge. They do have sleeping bags. The mosquitos are terrible. Finally got hot food to them. These men are working day and night under bad conditions. Fished 3 bodies out of the river and were told to roll them in plastic and put them on the bank for pick up later. XXXX said at least in Viet Nam we brought our people out with dignity. "

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. Because of Bush's lack of concern

and five years of the worst governing we've ever seen, this is the result.

Bush has turned us into a third world country and he's laughing all the way to the bank. The blood of every person who has died in this tragedy is on his hands.

Good luck to your cousin, it is people like him that are what America is supposed to be about.

[Emit]

2. Oh man, this is f'd up. Tx for the report. Best to your cousin. n/t

[DELUSIONAL]

3. Thanks for the report

All of these need to be collected. Each are a piece of the puzzle.

[DoYouEverWonder]

4. One question

why aren't they using barges to bring in sand to pump into the breach? It seems it would be faster and quicker then using helicopters to dump sandbags?

[Emit]

5. According to FEMA

"Nearly 500 U.S. Corps of Engineers civilians and soldiers are working on the New Orleans levee breach and coordinating the transport of ice and water. "
Release Date: September 2, 2005
http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=18566

Does that jive with what your cousin is experiencing?

[Skidmore]

6. I'll ask.

May not get an answer till tomorrow though.

[Skidmore]

7. A bit more info...

"There is so much debry between where they are and the levee. All the bridge under passes are full of cars and parts of buildings. They cant navigate the water. About all that will go up in there are fishing boats. they were up north filling the bags by machine. If you look at a map of New Orleans The Mississippi River flows to the south of the town. The levee breach is to the north on the canal and the lake. XXX is on a barge headed out into the gulf of Mexico to punch a hole in the levee on the gulf side to drain the water out into the gulf of Mexico and the marshlands. When that levee system was built there was marshlands there to drain everything into naturally. Local officials allowed building in the area against the advice of the COE and now that has no place to go. They talk about the codos that got flattened down by the gulf. They were in places where buildings should never be put. People get greedy to make money and everyone wants to be near the water so they build there. There is an old saying in Florida "live by the water and you will end up in the water" When you put concrete and steel over areas that should be left for drainage the water has to run someplace else and when it cant it makes a lake where it is. This is a much larger area that even New York was during 9/11. It covers really 4 states. "

[xxqqqzme]

8. damn - that is just mind boggling

your cousin is working on a monumental task

Thanx 4 the report - this is precious information

[sattahipdeep]

10. Orleans Locks

[Eloriel]

9. I hope you'll post further updates

and I'm adding this here:

***ATTN DU RESEARCHERS -- LIHOP/MIHOP evidence stacking up
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4588088&mesg_id=4588088

[Emit]

11. kick in case you hear more, I'm v. interested in this issue! TX

[Skidmore]

12. Phone call from cousin's wife.

They are making real progress on the levee and have acquired some local guys to operate some of the earthmoving equipment. They will commence shortly with punching a hole in the levee that would allow water to drain into the Gulf.

[xxqqqzme]

13. yea - kick

keep those reports coming

[lildreamer316]

14. Thank you! interesting info. n/t