Court: Army Corps of Engineers liable for Katrina flooding

[Appaholic]

(CNN) -- The Army Corps of Engineers' failure to properly maintain a shipping channel linking New Orleans, Louisiana, to the Gulf of Mexico led to catastrophic flooding during Hurricane Katrina, a federal court ruled Wednesday.

"It is the court's opinion that the negligence of the Corps, in this instance by failing to maintain the MRGO properly, was not policy, but insouciance, myopia and short-sightedness," U.S. District Court Judge Stanwood Duval Jr. wrote in his lengthy ruling, referring to the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet canal.

"For over 40 years, the Corps was aware that the Reach II levee protecting Chalmette and the Lower Ninth Ward was going to be compromised by the continued deterioration of the MRGO ... The Corps had an opportunity to take a myriad of actions to alleviate this deterioration or rehabilitate this deterioration and failed to do so. Clearly, the expression 'talk is cheap' applies here."
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/US/11/18/lo ... index.html

[ASUG8]

Ray Nagin was right - if Bush hadn't steered that hurricane in there we wouldn't have this problem.

This will get expensive, but I guess we can just add it to the grandkid's tab for the stimulus and bailouts.

[packerbacker]

And having that everyone, well most everyone, wants something for nothing I can only assume that the lawsuits will be flying.

They shouldn't be living below sea level anyways.

[Appaholic]

Ray Nagin was right - if Bush hadn't steered that hurricane in there we wouldn't have this problem.

This will get expensive, but I guess we can just add it to the grandkid's tab for the stimulus and bailouts.

No shit....while the COE probably were negligent in some areas, I have a tough time holding them responsible for the destruction....no more responsible than anyone who chose to develop property & live below sea level in this area....and, oh yeah, there was the hurricane itself....that may have factored into it....

[Appaholic]

And having that everyone, well most everyone, wants something for nothing I can only assume that the lawsuits will be flying.

They shouldn't be living below sea level anyways.

ding!ding!ding!...we have a winner!...& the government should not subsidize their wish to rebuild an area prone to natural disasters of this sort...

[Col Hogan]

And having that everyone, well most everyone, wants something for nothing I can only assume that the lawsuits will be flying.

They shouldn't be living below sea level anyways.

ding!ding!ding!...we have a winner!...& the government should not subsidize their wish to rebuild an area prone to natural disasters of this sort...

Two winners in one thread...

This could be a record...

[bandl]

Ray Nagin was right - if Bush hadn't steered that hurricane in there we wouldn't have this problem.

This will get expensive, but I guess we can just add it to the grandkid's tab for the stimulus and bailouts.

No shit....while the COE probably were negligent in some areas, I have a tough time holding them responsible for the destruction....no more responsible than anyone who chose to develop property & live below sea level in this area....and, oh yeah, there was the hurricane itself....that may have factored into it....

So you're saying....sue the fokking hurricane....and thus sue nature....and thus sue god.

[OSBF]

Could of all been prevented by simply funding the COE at a level adequate for them to do the work they are charged with doing.

[AZGrizFan]

Could of all been prevented by simply funding the COE at a level adequate for them to do the work they are charged with doing.

I thought they WERE funded, but the money was siphoned off into the local politicians' coffers....

[dbackjon]

Could of all been prevented by simply funding the COE at a level adequate for them to do the work they are charged with doing.

Yup.

One thing go keep in mind- people lived there before the shipping channel was built

[OSBF]

Could of all been prevented by simply funding the COE at a level adequate for them to do the work they are charged with doing.

I thought they WERE funded, but the money was siphoned off into the local politicians' coffers....

Every federal agency not tied to defense is cash strapped. I have to call and get the OK to order copier paper and a ball point pen. Over the last 10 years we've seen our agency mission, the number of things and programs we're charged with supporting increase exponentially, but staffing has been cut in our state from around 400 down to a little over 250. Most government agencies are just as broke as your credit union is.

[AZGrizFan]

I thought they WERE funded, but the money was siphoned off into the local politicians' coffers....

Every federal agency not tied to defense is cash strapped. I have to call and get the OK to order copier paper and a ball point pen. Over the last 10 years we've seen our agency mission, the number of things and programs we're charged with supporting increase exponentially, but staffing has been cut in our state from around 400 down to a little over 250. Most government agencies are just as broke as your credit union is.

We can't be cash strapped. Obama has a printing press in the basement.

[OSBF]

Every federal agency not tied to defense is cash strapped. I have to call and get the OK to order copier paper and a ball point pen. Over the last 10 years we've seen our agency mission, the number of things and programs we're charged with supporting increase exponentially, but staffing has been cut in our state from around 400 down to a little over 250. Most government agencies are just as broke as your credit union is.

We can't be cash strapped. Obama has a printing press in the basement.

It is getting better, I'll give you that.

We just finished up our first APW(Annual Plan of Work) under the new Administration.

First time in 8 years that goal/objective #1 hasn't been, "Strategic management of Human Capital", AKA, see how many of the little bastards we can cut.

This year, Goal/objective #1 is actually to provide high quality, timely, and relevant technical resources to our external and internal client base.

Also, our politicaly appointed department head was replaced with a long term career employee that has come up through the ranks. Very positive changes happening.

[Appaholic]

Could of all been prevented by simply funding the COE at a level adequate for them to do the work they are charged with doing.

....while at the same time the Corps could work to become more effecient and elminate the gross amount of waste & bureacracy inherent in a government agency of it's size...

[CID1990]

And having that everyone, well most everyone, wants something for nothing I can only assume that the lawsuits will be flying.

They shouldn't be living below sea level anyways.

DING DING DING!!

Hey, people have been living there for hundreds of years, fine. Plenty of people live in risky places in this country... in the shadows of volcanoes, on faultlines, in tornado and hurricane alley, etc etc etc.

I don't fault them for that.

All that being said, holding the ACE liable for a dike breaking in New Orleans is like building a supertanker full of big holes and then blaming the first mate for the oil spill.

It's ridiculous.

[native]

And having that everyone, well most everyone, wants something for nothing I can only assume that the lawsuits will be flying.

They shouldn't be living below sea level anyways.

DING DING DING!!

Hey, people have been living there for hundreds of years, fine. Plenty of people live in risky places in this country... in the shadows of volcanoes, on faultlines, in tornado and hurricane alley, etc etc etc.

I don't fault them for that.

All that being said, holding the ACE liable for a dike breaking in New Orleans is like building a supertanker full of big holes and then blaming the first mate for the oil spill.

It's ridiculous.

Well said, Cid!

[HI54UNI]

New Orleans is a shithole and should be given back to the sea.

[AZGrizFan]

New Orleans is a shithole and should be given back to the sea.

Agreed.

[CID1990]

New Orleans is a shithole and should be given back to the sea.

That's racist.