John Edwards on New Orleans Report
Mr. Edwards:
By your press release on the USACE current report on NOLA you expose your lack of understanding the situation and history of hurricanes and NOLA or your arrogance to blame everyone but officials in Louisiana. From Congress failing to fund projects to choices made by Louisiana officials to obstacles presented by environmental groups and others, the failure of New Orleans has little to do with anyone outside the state of Louisiana.
Why is it, sir, that of all the locations in this country vulnerable to ‘natural disasters’ that endless discussion of New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina monopolize the debate? And why is their even a debate? Is it simply good fodder for political nonsense and cheap shots? Or is it that no one will accept the fact that choosing to live in areas where disaster is likely to occur and/or occur often is asking for trouble?
People continue to live in areas where they are likely to lose everything because it is common knowledge they expect someone else to bail them out every time the high risk events take place. Live below sea level and act shocked when everything is destroyed. And do it over and over again. How stupid is that?
Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com
Edwards Statement On Army Corps Of Engineers’ Report On New Orleans
Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Following the Army Corps of Engineers’ report on the vulnerability of large parts of New Orleans in the event of another significant hurricane, Senator John Edwards released the following statement.“The people of New Orleans continue to be ill-served by the federal government — first, when tens of thousands were left to fend for themselves after Katrina hit, and now again by President Bush and the Army Corps of Engineers. It’s unacceptable that the Corps has not protected large parts of the city from the next major storm.
“We must to do everything necessary to ensure that New Orleans never suffers trauma on the scale of Katrina ever again. And, with all due respect to the Army Corps, we need an independent evaluation of the risk to the people of New Orleans and their property.”