A friend of mine asked me today if I could back up my assertion that Bush, through his policies, had contributed significantly to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
In response to that request I printed 5 articles and did a little cover letter with links, which is below:
****
Documentation for “Bush is to blame for the devastation of Katrina” This is just a tiny fraction of the material that is out there in the archives of the mainstream news organizations. There is also an abundance of analysis available on blogs, detailing how the pieces fit together and showing how the various factors contributed to the magnitude of the disaster.
Here is a brief description of the enclosed pieces:
1. Molly Ivens: Why New Orleans is in Deep Water
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0901-26.htmThis piece is the best overall because it drives home the central point that government polices really do matter and really do impact our day to day lives. I have never seen a more compelling and concrete case for the link between ordinary life and government policy. Ivens references an article in the New Orleans CityBusiness dated June 6, 2005, about 8 weeks before Katrina hit NOLA.
2. New Orleans CityBusiness Article dated June 6, 2005
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4200/is_20050606/ai_n14657367This article is eerily prescient: “The cuts mean major hurricane and flood protection projects will not be awarded to local engineering firms. Also, a study to determine ways to protect the region from a Category 5 hurricane has been shelved for now.” The article also mentions that some of the areas hit by the budget cuts are flood control measures, drainage improvements, and plans to reinforce levees.
3. FactCheck.org: Is Bush to Blame for New Orleans Flooding?
http://www.factcheck.org/article344.htmlThe Annenberg Political Fact Check is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. FactCheck.org is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, "consumer advocate" for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. They monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players.
IMHO, they sometimes serve the interests of the Bush Admin by taking statements at face value – in this case the statement by the Corps of Engineers that exonerates Bush. It is well known that Bush pressures agencies to “massage” data to fit his agendas. Still, they uncover quite a bit of dirt on Bush.
4. Blog Analysis and Commentary: When the Levee Breaks
http://www.pnionline.com/dnblog/attytood/archives/002331.htmlA concise analysis of the factors and how things fit together. The original post is followed by hundreds of comments from both sides.
5. Talking Points Memo (blog) - Katrina Timeline
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/katrina-timeline.phpA timeline to see what happened in what sequence. There is much valuable discussion on Katrina and all aspects of public policy at Talking Points Memo, one of the top 5 political blogs.
****
Now this is just something I whipped up for a friend but I do think that this is the type of information that needs to be widely disseminated to raise public awareness of the disaster that is *.