"ONE Man's PRIDE and Thoughts"

I've been trying to keep up with most of the debates over New Orleans since Katrina left her mark on the south. I was in Baton Rouge and New Orleans from the Sunday that she came through until well after she had left her brutal mark on the south. I was contracting to Entergy, the major electric power supplier to that region, to help aid in the process of restoring electricity to the area.
It seems to me that some of the biggest debates over the whole issue stem down to this, whose to blame for the extreame melt down of communications between local, state and federal agencies. Well I'm not a top political analist nor am I an elected official of any office but I am a man who has served his country in the military, paid his taxes and who has sweeted for the last several weeks in an effoet to assist in "rebuilding" New Orleans. But not just me, thousands of good, decent red blooded americans are sweating the as I speak to continue to assist in the relief efforts, to do all they can to help. And not only for me but for them I now offer my opinion on the above stated issues.
1- As far as who to blame for the extreame melt down of communications between local, state and federal agencies, well that issue can be debated for decades. However here is a little insight into the problem. "PRIDE"
That's right I said PRIDE. It was PRIDE that led Mayor Nagin not listen to the president, other public offials and pretty much every weather man in the country when they said he needed to issue an immediate evacuation order for the City of New Orleans. His PRIDE didn't want someone else telling him what to do because thats, "his city" and he knows what's best for it. The same goes for Gov. Blanco who let her PRIDE stop her from requesting the federal aid in advance from President Bush, the military and other federal agencies. She wanted to prove that the State of Louisiana could do it own there own. You see it was PRIDE that led them to believe that if they could just pull this off somehow, there way, that they would somehow be looked upon as some type of "hero". Well instead of hero I think most everyone can see what they ended up looking like. It is truly a shame when people will allow PRIDE to enable them to believe that there actions will lead to improving there popularity or there political stature so that they may somehow use it to prance around later saying," Look at me, I did that." Well I'm absolutley under the opinion that there PRIDE has enabled them to start looking for new careers.
Now, this is the greatest country and by far the most powerful one in the world. And it seems to me that somewhere along the lines we have somehow managed to forget what we, the citizens of The United States of America, founded this country on. It was founded on a belief that people, no matter there color, religion or heritage could come together as ONE.We have all managed to let our PRIDE get in our way at one time or another. But, when your PRIDE has effected so many people the way that this did, it becomes a crying shame. It is time that we all come together as ONE and stop letting our PRIDE destroy us and others.
Sincerley,
A Simple Thought from a Simple Man

I have had the pleasure of enjoying New Orleans many, many times. I would attend industrial conventions during the day and listen to the jazz combos, trios and sextets throughout the night. There was never a shortage of good meals nor friendly women. My feelings for the city and its lush, scenic environs have always been positive. I, like many Americans, let alone New Orleanians, was devastated by the disaster that hit this city, and the subsequent mind boggling incompentence that cost many more lives in its aftermath. The elephant in the living room of course is what should we do now? Early cost estimates, for building up its shoreline, making the city impregnable to nature's attacks, are estimated at $12-billion. How long will the engineers need to rebuild it? How soon will the tourists, and the corporations and the businesses return? Then there are the vulnerable shorelines of Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York. How much to reinforce their shorelines, protect against the looming threat of the San Andreus Fault? These questions are all of one piece. The late lamented playwright Arthur Miller once wrote: "Attention must be paid to this man!" Attention should be paid to America's coastlines, its infrastructure, its environment before it is too late. This should be top priority stuff. For at least the past six years, the United States has been functioning without an efficient well funded and comprehensive domestic program. Our attention has been diverted to the Middle and Far East. Perhaps now, our recent natural disasters will cause our leaders to focus their governmental attentions inward, inspire intelligent planning and put qualified people in key positions. Finally, there should be a penalty in place to be levied against any municipal official who arbitrarily takes money appropriated for one specific purpose, and spends it in another project.

Letter to all La Bond Commission Members,

Dear Bond Commission Member,

In Louisiana, a state drowning in water and political corruption, money continues to flow like water to build Reservoirs.

While citizens statewide are fighting building 14 new Reservoirs, Hurricane Katrina breached a levee, and a man made reservoir flooded and destroyed New Orleans.

The October 20, 2005 Bond Commission meeting lists $ 3.2 Million for Reservoirs while money has been rescinded for many worthwhile projects.

Will Reservoirs continue to be one of our top priorities, and a foolish waste of our tax money? With the budget problems Louisiana faces this money is badly needed elsewhere.

Should the old and poor suffer, and taxpayers spend $40 million to $50 million a lake to make developers wealthy? Will Louisiana change it's foolish ways, and Politics as usual?

With Louisiana's budget problems it is foolish to fund projects requiring continued funding year after year that we can't afford.

The proposed Washington parish Reservoir will desecrate cemeteries, and take the homes of the old and poor. It is not too late to stop the waste of money on this foolish project before construction begins.

Please, stop the waste of taxpayers' money for unneeded foolish pork barrel reservoirs.

Sincerely,

James Moore

Community Preservation Alliance http://www.angelfire.com/gundam/reservoir/

Listen to a 10 minute recording of Bond Comm. meeting 10/20/05.
http://oakgrovecommunity.tripod.com/nevers-bond.htm

Speaking from a civil engineers point of view to rebuild the dikes is to simply create the same set of circumstances that cause the city to flood in the first place. If you build the dikes 20 high then there will be a flood of 21 feet. To eliminate this problem for good the low areas should be filled and a new city built above the flood water stage. You will never have to worry about a dike failing again. This will mean that portions of the historic district will have to be buried but what good is it to repair these neighborhoods only to have them at the mercy of mother nature again.

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