Levees.org’s campaign to preserve the Blue Ribbon Committee is successful

Sandy Rosenthal in August of 2023

Recently, Levees.org mobilized its significantly large community to contact the Louisiana House Transportation committee members to ask them to say NO to HB633.

As you know, there is no evidence that the pre-Katrina levee board members behaved irresponsibly in their flood protection duties. Such accusations were debunked over a decade ago. The Army Corps of Engineers is responsible. Blaming the pre-Katrina levee boards is disrespectful to the people of New Orleans.

However, Levees.org prefers that an expert nominating committee selects the current levee board members rather than the governor. This is appropriate because the New Orleans District is the largest District of the Army Corps of Engineers in the nation.

If the levee maintenance is not done exactly per the Army Corps’ instructions, the levees can be decertified and no one can get flood insurance.

Therefore, we asked our members and the entire New Orleans community to click this link below and contact the LA House Transportation committee urging them to vote NO to HB633.

Founder Sandy Rosenthal traveled to Baton Rouge on Tuesday prepared to testify. But at the last moment, the sponsor of the bill, Rep Jacob Braud pulled his bill to amend it.

https://rallystarter.com/rally/2549/blue-ribbon-committees-should-select-public-servants

The campaign worked. This is a win.

Check back at this site to see if further actions are necessary.

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Blue ribbon committees should select New Orleans’ levee board members

Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan

Please use the link below to contact the Louisiana House Transportation committee members to ask them to say NO to HB633.

LINK TO TAKE ACTION

As you know, there is zero evidence that the pre-Katrina levee board members behaved irresponsibly in their flood protection duties. Such accusations were debunked over a decade ago. The Army Corps of Engineers is responsible.

Blaming the pre-Katrina levee boards is disparaging and insulting to the people of New Orleans.

However, Levees.org prefers that an expert nominating committee selects the current levee board members rather than the governor. This is appropriate because the New Orleans District is the largest District of the Army Corps of Engineers in the nation.

If the levee maintenance is not done exactly per the Army Corps’ instructions, the levees can be decertified and no one can get flood insurance.

Therefore, we are asking you to click this link and contact the LA House Transportation committee urging them to vote NO to HB633. One click will contact all 16 members. And you can modify it if you like.

https://rallystarter.com/rally/2549/blue-ribbon-committees-should-select-public-servants

Please do this by 5p on Monday May 5th.

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Can Levee Board Members Force the Corps’ Hand?

Gregg Huber and Roy Arrigo. August 2006

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry wants to appoint the board members who serve on the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East, rather than let a blue-ribbon committee do it. What does this mean for the people of south Louisiana?

Prior to Hurricane Katrina––and now––the US Army Corps of Engineers is 100% in charge of design, construction and the instructions for maintenance.

After Katrina, legislation was passed to merge the Orleans Levee Board (OLB) with the Jefferson and Lake Borgne boards and also to create a nominating committee to select who serves. There was a public misperception that board members would “oversee” the Corps’ work.

The board members who served since Katrina quickly learned that they couldn’t legally do what they were expected to do. Board members can only make suggestions, and the Army Corps has a history of ignoring them.

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