Floods, Hurricanes, New Orleans, Gulf Coast, Katrina, Gustav
Read more articles on Science and Technology and Politics.September 5, 2008
Posted by neillevine
September 5, 2008
Posted by neillevine
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This is a protest essay about the shell games politicians play with public health, safety and welfare. The premise is that if a proper job of flood protection for New Orleans and, by extension, the Gulf Coast were done by government officials there would be no need for an evacuation of any kind. Think about it. An evacuation is an admission that the current flood control situation is dangerous. A confession that a good job has not been done.
To put matters in other words, New Orleans is the poster child for poor federal planning and even mismanagement that hypothetically could be laid at the feet of some political object of derision that could say include Huey Long and the ghosts of long ingrained corruption rather the current crop of free spenders and patronage dispensers but this might be too nice to people who first priority is influence, access and power.
It is obvious that the sight of waves of water flowing up to the top of the current levee wall system and over is certainly worrisome. It means the current flood protection system is going to be inadequate in a stronger storm. Remember Gustav was only a category two. There are many storms that come much stronger and Gustav missed New Orleans by seventy miles to the west, that is the low water, weak side. The purpose of a flood protection system should be to keep flood water out of the City. When you think about it that is not happening.
Why?
Well, politicians play games and spread misinformation but what it boils down to is use of resources and public relations. The evacuation of New Orleans might sound like the public is being protected yet what it really means is that public officials are admitting that they know the levee system is inadequate.
Think about it. No evacuation equals good flood protection. There are lots of people who are impressed with the ability of politicians to move people in masses. I am not one of them. New Orleans ought to be safe in the first place.
This would mean doing a good job to begin with.
That is not happening. The current plan for the levee system involves shoring up and restoring the system of barriers and walls that failed in the first place. To give you an idea of how lucky New Orleans has been this time, the water height was only twelve feet for Gustav. For Katrina, the wave height was twenty-seven feet. That is fifteen feet of water flowing all over the City. Now you can see why the Ninth Ward and much of the rest of the City flooded.
Now I am not saying that officials should go to extreme lengths. The Bridge To Nowhere is an example of federal waste. For fewer than one hundred residents, it comes to four million dollars a person whereas I am sure there are boats available to take passengers and deliver merchandise as well as helicopters and sea planes that could do the same thing for a much lower price. For example, twenty dollars is a high ferry fare although air ride prices do tend to be much higher.
Still I am sure you get my point that not only are officials going cheap in this case whereas they can and should do better but they can also waste public money when they have a will to do so.
Remember I am a big proponent of water power and hydro management of all sorts, something that federal officials are currently blocking for patronage purposes.
They should also protect other parts of the Gulf coast. Opposition to pumps for Mississippi sounds like a desire to protect constituencies to get out the vote rather than a true interest in public safety. What is the difference between the pumps in New Orleans and the ones proposed for Mississippi.
There are also other things that could be done like raising the major highway level so it could serve as a sea wall like the one that has protected Galveston for so many years.
That is what lawyers and good judges are for. Elected officials are not perfect. They tend to have blind sides.
Based on long experience, I can tell you that is what it will probably take to get a proper job done on flood protection as well as energy independence. Right now water power and hydrogen need to be included because federal officials do not want to allow them to have a constituency of which I am in a leading position. So, to tell the truth, just let me at them. As I have said, I think the public health, welfare and safety are important despite the inadequacies of the current political leadership.
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