Go figure indeed. This is the same speech that spawned the "get a bus ticket" joke.
And, it seems the United Nations might disagree with this sunny prognostication.
The United Nations' Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination late last year had questions regarding housing assistance programs for predominantly African American displaced residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, as well as other governmental responses. Said Monique Harden, a New Orleans resident and co-director of Advocates for Environmental Human Rights, a public interest law firm:
"The demolition of public housing, the growing number of homeless people, the utter failure of the Road Home Program, the complete disregard of renters, police harassment of African Americans, and racial disparities in flood protection are evidence of ethnic cleansing by our government that abuses the human rights of mostly African American residents of New Orleans, Louisiana and the Gulf Coast region."
By treaty, the United States government must periodically report on its compliance with the human rights issues.
Senator Mary Landrieu introduced a bill in April that calls for an 8/29 investigation team, but as of this writing the bill has not been voted on in the Senate.
Just a "Little Wet Spot"
"Federal commitment for levee improvements is approaching $10 billion. We're not totally there, but every hurricane season that we get through brings us closer to the type of protection system that we all envision and deserve."
In May the New Orleans News Ladder quoted the Associated Press regarding water leaks on the infamous 17th Street Canal Levee, which failed catastrophically during the floods post-Katrina.
"In this area, water seeps under the levee. Outside engineering experts who have studied the project told the Associated Press that the type of seepage spotted at the 17th Street Canal in the Lakeview neighborhood afflicts other New Orleans levees, too, and could cause some of them to collapse during a storm."
"I personally do not at all believe that this little wet spot is anything that is going to cause a breach or a failure of any kind," said Donald Jolissaint, an Engineer with the Corps.
That "little wet spot" ain't supposed to be there, dear readers. $10 billion should provide some mitigation. Or, we have the old fall-back scenario of the finger in the dike.
New television ads produced by www.levees.org push for a new investigation into levee failures during Hurricane Katrina.
"The river contains much of our past, present, and future".
The storm surges from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita disinterred approximately 1,300 remains. Many have not been found along with missing residents and are presumed washed away. FEMA is still working with state and local officials to recover and identify disinterred remains.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
