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House fails to observe Katrina Anniversary

Saturday, August 5th, 2006

The US House of Representatives broke for summer recess without acting on a resolution offered by Louisiana and Mississippi House members to mark the anniversary of Katrina. The House did find the time to honor bicyclists, a college fraternity and a retired baseball pitcher. The House even did better than the Senate which offered up no resolution at all.

On June 1, the US Army Corps of Engineers admitted responsibility for the catastrophic flooding of New Orleans, but Congress has so far only taken baby steps in recognizing those errors which killed over 1200 people and destroyed over 100,000 homes and 95,000 businesses.

The federal government via the Corps of Engineers is overwhelmingly responsible for the New Orleans flood but Congress continues to be collectively silent on the issue.

On August 29, 2006, Levees.Org will observe the Anniversary of the Worst Engineering Disaster in US History. And we will pledge to continue to send Congress and the nation the true facts about the Flooding until Congress recognizes the errors of the Corps and accepts their responsibility to the citizens of Louisiana.

Sandy Rosenthal

On Corps Reform

Sunday, July 23rd, 2006

Levees.Org wishes to thank our Louisiana US Senators for their role in supporting Reform of the Army Corps of Engineers.

The Corps Reform comes in the new Water Resources Bill which creates an independent Peer Review Panel of scientists and experts with the authority to make recommendations on water projects considered by the Corps. A decision to ignore the panel’s advice could be used against the Corps in legal proceedings.

This legislation if it survives intact in the conference committee is a giant step in the right direction of making sure Corps projects get done right and that people’s livelihoods and property are protected in south Louisiana.

Credit goes to Senator David Vitter for his role in inserting special language in the Water Bill that will expedite projects identified by Louisiana and also projects identified by the Corps as part of a congressionally mandated analysis of Category 5 hurricane protection.

We also thank Senator Mary Landrieu who voted yes to both the Peer Review and the Prioritization amendments offered by the Feingold-McCain amendment. The Senator’s votes showed the citizens of New Orleans and South Louisiana that she will not tolerate wasteful spending, unwise land development and human suffering.

The members of Levees.Org found much encouragement when Senators Feingold, McCain and the proponents of the reform legislation repeatedly cited the experience of New Orleans where corps-designed levees and waterways failed to protect the citizens of New Orleans from a Cat 3 hurricane.

For Members of Congress outside Louisiana to loudly recognize the mistakes of the Corps in New Orleans marks the end of Congressional silence on the federal involvement in causing the New Orleans Flood.

Sandy Rosenthal

Corps Reform; How they voted

Saturday, July 22nd, 2006

A great day for Levees.Org
July 22, 2006

The majority of our U.S. Senate recognized the mistakes of the Corps of Engineers in the New Orleans Flooding and accepted their responsibility by voting for true Corps Reform. This marks a significant accomplishment in the mission of Levees.Org.

Due in part to the Levees.Org Call-In, the US Senate voted for true Corps Reform this week by putting controls on how water projects are completed by the Corps of Engineers.

The Feingold-McCain amendment to the Water Resources Development Act passed 54-46 and creates an independent panel of scientific and economic experts with the authority to make recommendations on water projects considered by the Corps. A decision to ignore the panel’s advice could be used against the Corps in legal proceedings.

A second Feingold-McCain amendment, intended to create an interagency panel to recommend priorities among competing projects, failed by a vote of 19 to 80.

Nonetheless, the new requirements for independent review as a first step in true reform. Levees.Org has reason to celebrate not just because of the voting but because Senators Feingold, McCain and other proponents of the legislation repeatedly cited the experience of New Orleans, where corps-designed levees and waterways failed to protect the city from a Cat 3 hurricane.

Links to see how our US Senators voted on Corps Reform: