Group Calls for Bipartisan Investigation of New Orleans Levee Failures

[shance]

Group Calls for Bipartisan Investigation of Levee Failures


WASHINGTON - January 5 - The New Orleans based group Levees.Org has launched a petition drive calling on the new 2007 Congress for a 9-11 style investigation into the failure of the levees in metro New Orleans in 2005 that resulted in the deaths of over one thousand Louisianans.

The commission is being referred to as the 8-29 commission referencing the day Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, said Levees.Org Director Sandy Rosenthal, and the petition logged over 500 signatures in the first few hours.

The concept has both Republican and Democratic support in Louisiana, according to Rosenthal. Senator Mary Landrieu D-LA has adopted the idea and is moving forward with it. “On November 30, which happened to be the closing day of the 2006 Hurricane Season, my colleagues and I conferred with Senator May Landrieu. She felt the 8-29 commission was a feasible initiative in the 110th Congress,” said Ms. Rosenthal, Founder and Executive Director of Levees.Org. Rep Bobby Jindal R-LA has also expressed vocal support.

The non-profit grassroots group, whose mission is to hold the Corps of Engineers accountable for their work, says the federal investigation established in late 2005 by Lt. Gen. Carl Strock, US Army Corps of Engineers was inadequate. Levees.Org contends since the Corps of Engineers is the sole agency responsible for the design, construction and performance of Greater New Orleans' flood protection, such an investigation presents a conflict of interest since the Corps was in charge of investigating itself.

Additionally, since the Corps investigation's findings were released on June 1, 2006, three independent levee investigation teams (the National Science Foundation/U.C. Berkeley, the National Academy of Engineering and Team Louisiana) have criticized the Corps' report as incomplete and technically inaccurate. Yet, despite unanimous criticism, the Corps' potentially flawed findings are being used to repair and fortify the south Louisiana flood protection system which protects the lives and property of 1.5 million people, said Rosenthal.

more at:

http://www.commondreams.org/news2007/0105-01.htm

[yourout]

1. Trickle down economics is, was, and always will be a........

LIE!! It's too bad the average Redneck Fundie can not see that the ruling class see them as Serfs for the Lords.

[shance]

2. Yes, I think this is more like an intentional shake down of a city.

That's probably the nicest way to put it.

[me b zola]

3. k&r!

Investigate and hold them accountable. But don't lose sight of the neglegent homocides that occured from the bush* admin willfully denying rescue, water, food, & medicine for the survivors.

[Cleita]

4. Something that was said on the radio today, that it took the

government six days to get help to Katrina victims and only three days to drop hay to stranded cattle in the blizzard. Now I don't know if this is apples and oranges, but it does make you think.

[midnight]

5. Really interesting info. you bring to this post.

Maybe we do need to figure out why it took six days to rescue the people of NOLA.

[intheflow]

6. Thanks for posting.

I'm working over in Mississippi, where Katrina damage would have made much more national headlines if the federal levees hadn't broken over in Louisiana. On behalf of the wounded Coast, I'm sending this out to everyone on my email list.

:kick:

[Hubert Flottz]

7. NOW, is the "time to point fingers!"

Finally!