Last week, while the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) was threatening us with legal action for our cute video spoof portraying the ASCE’s questionable behavior, it turns out ASCE had in their back pocket the very same complaint from one of their own!
The ASCE (a giant) served Levees.Org (a fledgling non-profit) a Cease and Desist for our student-made video suggesting that the Corps had too much influence over the official investigation as well as over the ASCE peer review. Meanwhile, ASCE has admitted to launching an internal ethics probe based on allegations from Dr. Ray Seed, co-author of the respected UCal of Berkeley Levee Investigation.
“We consider Professor Seed’s letter to be confidential, and we will continue to honor that principle even if others do not,” said a statement issued late Monday by ASCE President David Mongan. Mr. Mongan is likely taking another stab at Levees.Org who, true to our mission of eduction. turned a copy of Dr. Seed’s letter over to the press.
My response to Mr. Mongan: “Dr. Seed’s letter speaks to issues that directly affect the citizens’ lives and livelihoods in New Orleans, south Louisiana and the entire nation. The public is NOT well served when comments critical of government policy and issues of public safely are kept under wraps.”
Click here for the Times Picayune article.
Sandy Rosenthal
Executive Director, Levees.Org
www.levees.org
My question is, did levees.org say anything in the spoof that was incorrect? Did the Army Corps, in fact, undertake to investigate itself (a conflict of interest), and did they pay the ASCE lots of money to be their “expert” review panel? If not, then where would they have a leg to stand on in a legal battle? I understand that they would do their best to bleed levees.org dry in court just to prove that they can, but they’d lose, wouldn’t they? And they’d look even worse for the attempt…
Dear MMaldonado:
Levees.Org stands behind every single word of our PSA. But if Levees.Org chose to ignore the Cease and Desist and if ASCE chose to press forward, we don’t have the money nor the peoplepower to wage a legal battle with a giant trade organization. Interestingly, the Cease and Desist (and our acquiescence) has drawn even more attention to the PSA.