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Army Engineer Corps Allowing Substandard Work in New Orleans

worldnetdaily.com — Stuffing expansion joints with newspaper instead of the required rubber-foam expansion material, leads non-governmental engineers to believe this work is substandard and will result in catastrophic failure in the event of another flooding situation in New Orleans. The Army Corps disputes eye-witness accounts-Need Independent Inspections!!!

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  • bioya1, on 04/27/2008, -1/+9I think that the witnesses must be mistaken. There were no newspapers in the levee joints, what they saw was money.
    • GOD0S0WORD, on 04/27/2008, -4/+3(lol)- c, now thats just 2-phunnie +1
  • GOD0S0WORD, on 04/27/2008, -6/+5Alot of people want to be offended, when i say-

    "Welcome to "BUTT-ST00PID"

    Yes, this IS "sub-standard work"- i fail to see the "point".

    These people CHOOSE to live right next to the ocean, (SEVEN FEET BELOW "SEA LEVEL"). Let's assume for 2 minutes the work was par-excellant. Now the same type of hurricane hits, (and for all the unbelievers in the audience- the hurricane "Katrina" dropped from a class "5", to a class "3", in LESS THAN TWENTY MINUTES, before it slammed the shore - real prayer evidence) anyhoo i digress.

    If you DESIRE to live 7 feet below sea-level, next to an OCEANIC-GULF- what are the "odds" of ANY DYKE BEING "STRONG" ENOUGH.

    Please, alot of people live in "Butt-St00pid", no-one should WANT to live there.
    • keltin, on 04/27/2008, -1/+7It isn't particularly safe or smart to live below sea level, but that does not absolve the shoddy and potential life-threatening lack of quality the Army Corps of Engineers staff and management are defending.
      I've seen it many times in construction, grease the right palms and all sorts of transgressions are ignored or covered up. I have some hope that the Inspector General for the ACOE will actually do something for a change, not just roll over and let it go.
      • GOD0S0WORD, on 04/27/2008, -3/+3i agree, however we are too "nannified"- we can't see what happened, and determine the OBVIOUS, (living there is butt-st00pid)- so we expect our Nanny to protect us, and get up-set when our Nanny doesn't do a 'good-enough' job.
        You are right, that is shoddy work.
        Living there under the best of circumstances, is just butt-st000pid
    • 3Leagues, on 04/27/2008, -1/+5Stupid for living here? Sorry but 'we' are not the ones who are stupid.
      We did not build near the Gulf -- the Gulf is moving near us. I have lived 40 miles south of New Orleans for over 50 years. The land (wetlands) between where i live and the gulf has eroded away over 30 miles in that time. The EPA puts wetland loss at 70% Man made. Over 8000 miles of canals were dredged to get oil for the nation -- this is among the top reasons the wetlands are eroding.

      http://s247.photobucket.com/albums/gg158/Lacypp/?a ...

      http://s247.photobucket.com/albums/gg158/Lacypp/?a ...
      Before you get all high and mighty about where I Live be sure to understand that it is us who supports offshore drilling and pumping stations for imported oil. Also remember we have the nations 'only' deep water port for deep draft tankers.

      If a storm comes there will be many people that live in 'Butt-Stupid" when they drive to the pump. But dont worry -- I'm sure your government will do a 'heck of a job' -- you'll be fine -
      • michael4lsu, on 04/27/2008, -1/+5Yes, if New Orleans is wiped out and we are without this major port, it will be replaced with a major port in Kansas along the NASCO Corridor that is already in the works. Our goods will be dropped off in Mexico and trucked by Mexican truckers into the middle of our country. That's just great for the elitist traitors who want a North American Union.
      • GOD0S0WORD, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Dude, you dis me for what i say, (then claim it's your city, then claim you live 40 miles away).

        IF YOU'VE CHOSEN TO LIVE WITHIN 60 MILES of any COAST, BE READY TO LIVE WITH THE OCEAN. If you are not ready to live with the ocean in your yard, then know you live in "Butt-st00pid", because in this country YOU WILL LIVE WITH THE OCEAN.

        Let's ignore what to me is obvious.
        Let's examine that US military. since 1991, the military has closed down 95% of it's bases. Most of those 90 +%, are on the coast.
        Now, you seem intelligent, even spiritual- ask yourself why are these the bases that got closed? We have many world-wide that cost more to maintain.
        • 3Leagues, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1uh 'dude' -- You dissed first - and you missed the point.
          To you remarks: I claimed Louisiana as mine not NOLA,
          80 % of this countries population lives near the coast, --
          Louisiana is the "only" state that does not build large expensive high rise hotels on the beach to be insured by the feds.
          90% of 95% is not impressive - not much of an argument for me to leave.

          Now I'll ask -- Louisiana has 30% of 'Americas Wetlands' and has 80% of wetland loss -- What is different about Louisiana - Rivers have been dammed off for reservoirs all over this country - why 80% -- its the canals.

          But you missed the point of my first reply -- Offshore drilling and imported oil infrastructure starts on the shore with service docks, fuel docks, pumping stations etc. -- without people here to make it work -- oil dont flow north.
          Google this "port Fourchon economic study" When we go, Port Fourchon goes.
  • viejoverde, on 04/27/2008, -0/+12what did you expect when the government is in charge?
    • grmeyers, on 04/27/2008, -4/+1get a life, its always the governments fault, that's real easy to say, sounds like what a disgruntled employee would say
      • michael4lsu, on 04/27/2008, -1/+7The Corps of Engineers is in charge. They are not a private company.
      • kirralin23, on 04/27/2008, -0/+7In this case it is the governments fault if they don't ensure that it is correctly repaired. Also, they say it wasn't a contractor who did this, so again, this actually is the governments fault.
  • Sandy1000, on 04/27/2008, -3/+9I don't know why anyone even bothers or wants to waste any federal money on it at all. LET IT GO! New Orleans is nothing but a vast wasteland and a blight upon this country anyway and they should have just let nature taken its course. Leave it alone - let the next hurricane do what this one tried to do if mankind hadn't stepped in and tried to stop it.
    • gsxrjason, on 04/27/2008, -2/+5I bet you'd feel differently if it was your town and you were living in a toxic portable trailer now.
      • Sandy1000, on 04/27/2008, -4/+6No I would not because after almost 3 years later, I would not be one of the sorry ass losers still in a piece of crap government issued cardboard portable trailer. It's unbelieveable that these people are so dependent upon the government that they either cannot or refuse to take care of themselves and their families. (And before you start defending their irresponsibility by pointing out maybe 2 or 3 disabled people who can't get jobs or move on, they are clearly NOT the majority.) They are nothing but parasites - do you know what a parasite is? Parasites depend upon other hosts for their own support and they add nothing in return. They are mere consumers, not producers. They use and give nothing in return. The unmitigated gall of New Orleans to DEMAND that the federal government unconsitutionally give them money they are not entitled too and then bitch and complain about the manner in which the taxpayers are supporting them. If they don't like their little toxic trailers then get the hell out of them!

        It kills me that they think they are something special. Like nobody else has been a victim of a hurricane and picked up the pieces and carried on. Nooooooooooooooooo, New Orleans is "special"...let's sit around and 3 years later throw a pity party for them. Look at Mississippi, that state took more of the brunt of that storm than did Louisiana and they moved on - they didn't sit around and cry HELP ME HELP ME I NEED GOVERNMENT DADDY TO SUPPORT ME! Hell, Florida takes more hurricane hits in ONE season than Louisiana has in 10 years and yet they seem to know what to do to take care of themselves and move on! Florida doesn't sit around on their deadbeat asses and demand that they taxpayers take care of them! I'm sick of hearing about Katrina victims - GET OVER IT ALREADY! Everybody else has.
        • michael4lsu, on 04/27/2008, -2/+6One of the main goals of our government is to socially engineer people into becoming so dependent on the government. They make better slaves that way. You're pretty ignorant if you think these sorts of people are somehow very unique to New Orleans, making New Orleans the biggest losers, as you called it. Government indoctrinated slaves are in all states, some more than others, but they are everywhere. New Orleans certain had its fair share of them, but most of the victims of Katrina were not that type of government-dependent crybaby.

          Are you actually saying Mississippi got hit harder than New Orleans? That's pretty funny. You want to compare the flooding of nearly an entire city that size to the Mississippi coast, or to Florida? Wow.
        • GOD0S0WORD, on 04/28/2008, -0/+0they didn't lose more $, but TECHNICALLY she is right, the hurricane hit missispi harder.
          ANOTHER proof of prayer, ('cuz you know DAMN-WELL SOMEONE in N'ARLINS wasn't DRINKING, or CARROUSING, they were PRAYING). i bet they moved since aswell-
        • gsxrjason, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Sandy, you've entirely missed my point. They aren't special, they're like everyone else, deserving a chance to get back on their feet. Just like you would deserve a chance if you lost everything in a natural disaster. You are saying they are special in that they don't deserve common decency that each of us would expect.
    • michael4lsu, on 04/27/2008, -2/+8You obviously have never even been to New Orleans. Vast wasteland? Blight on this country? You truly are extremely ignorant. Natural disasters can hit anywhere in the country, even where you live. Do you think we should never rebuild anything, ever? Do you think there are places to live in this world that have zero risk involved? See my reply to victorypups equally ignorant comment as well.
      • Sandy1000, on 04/27/2008, -4/+5First off, don't pretend you know a damn thing about me other than what I tell you. I am hardly ignorant, I'm sure I have more of an education than you do so keep your assumptions to yourself. You are only defending that swampland because you live there, not because it has anything worthy of salvaging.

        Secondly, Yes, I have been to New Orleans - TWICE in fact, and both times it was an eye sore and the biggest waste of property in the US. Oh I've done all the touristy crap like eat at Cafe Du Monde with my chickory and Beignets.....throw pity money at the artists and psychics that litter Jackson Square, toured St. Louis cemetery where all the Marie Leveau freaks hang out... I even took the trolleys down through the Garden District, I tried to manuver my way around all the passed-out drunks, druggies and winos blocking the sidewalks while also trying to keep from having to endure the free filthy strip joint peep shows the loser managers point out as you walk by. In fact, the best part of my trip was my last meal there eaten at NOLA's - the only redeeming value in New Orleans is Emerille Lagosse's food and I also enjoyed my day at the Audobon zoo. Unfortunately, the animals at the zoo are more socially redeeming than the losers who litter the entire wasteland known as New Orleans. Hell, you can't even get any educated or civilized leadership in that city. You have an incompetent racist mayor who blames everybody except himself and his local first responders for his lack of leadership, but you also have corrupt police officers that not only turn a blind eye to corruption and crime, but have no shame partaking in it themselves! Hell, even your doctors and other "compassionate caregivers" smothered and murdered 50+ patients in their hospitals so they didn't have to be troubled and inconvenienced with them! Your own victims robbed, raped, pillaged and shot each other during this hurricane period instead of doing the humane and decent thing (like all the other 49 states) and trying to assist and take care of each other. With fellow community members like that, I'd take my chances with Katrina and try to ride it out on a canoe in the middle of the Gulf! - I'm sure I'd be much safer!

        It says alot about a city when the only popularly known event about the entire city is that it is ground zero for drunks, revelers, perverts, junkies, voodoo snake-charmers and hoodlums during Mardi Gras! If you take away that debauchery - what is New Orleans left with? Nothing! You're nothing but a bunch of losers! Good riddance to you. Maybe this upcoming hurricane system will finish off where Katrina left off.
        • michael4lsu, on 04/27/2008, -2/+9That's pretty funny how you tell me not to assume anything about you and then you turn around and say how you think you're more educated than I am. First of all, education and wisdom are 2 very different things. I don't care if you have 5 degrees, that'd probably just mean you likely were more indoctrinated by the liberal academia, but if you want to compare notes, I have a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from LSU and an MBA from Tulane University.

          In no way am I defending any unconstitutional spending, or for people to take on higher risk without accepting their just consequences for that risk. I am just venting my aggravation about ignorant people like you making hypocritical and ridiculous blanket statements. You truly are an ignorant, despicable, hateful, clueless bigot. It would be pointless for me to get into all of the good things and people in New Orleans because you are such a negative and miserable woman, you would never see it, but just to skim the surface, New Orleans has so much unique history, heritage, architecture, food, music, festivals, that it is no wonder why New Orleans is one of the top tourist destinations in America, and why there currently is more filming going on in New Orleans than in New York City. I bet you didn't even know that New Orleans is home to NASA's huge manufacturing facility, with a building that is 43 acres of air-conditioned space under one roof, where the External Fuel tanks for the Space Shuttle are built and where the major components of the next moon rockets will be built, where I used to work for almost 9 years (us voodoo snake-charmers and hoodlums make good rocket scientists, huh?). You wouldn't understand any of that positive stuff because you are so stuck on hate and prejudices.
          • gsxrjason, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1"I'm sure I have more of an education than you do so keep your assumptions to yourself."

            Hahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
      • Sandy1000, on 04/28/2008, -4/+3ROFL...wait a minute, let me sit back and appreciate the irony here. You mean to tell me that you have a whole city full of rocket scientists and mechanical engineers and yet yall still can't figure out how to construct a structurally sound levee and to figure out how to evacuate citizens out of the city with more than 3 days warning of a Hurricane 5 headed dead straight at you? And your degree is from Tulane?

        Oh yes.....keep touting the pride you feel for that city. Oh and incidentally, simply being one of the most visited tourist attractions in the US doesn't embue New Orleans with any special status. The Grand Canyon is THE number one visited tourist attraction in the entire country and less people have fallen to their deaths in one year in that canyon than your alma mater purposely killed during a once in a decade hurricane just so your precious Tulane doctors didn't have to deal with sick and elderly. I betcha won't see that in any Chamber of Commerce city guide.
        • michael4lsu, on 04/28/2008, -0/+3See my post below about your irrational bipolar disorder. It's ridiculous how you assume and lump everything into one extreme or the other. Did I say the whole city was full of rocket scientists and mechanical engineers? No. I don't know where you get the idea that I have so much pride for this city when I have merely been trying to point out people's hypocrisy and error in singling out New Orleans on certain issues, which I've already thoroughly explained. But there you go again, taking it to the next extreme, assuming I have great pride for the city, that I'm defending welfare/crack junkies, that I have great pride in Tulane, etc. By the way, you seem disappointed that some doctors euthanized some of their patients after the storm, but weren't you calling for the death and destruction of all of New Orleans and it's loser inhabitants earlier in one of your extremist bipolar rantings? "ROFL... wait a minute, let me sit back and appreciate the irony here."

          Irrational people like you are the reason why people like Vox Day and Ann Coulter believe that we should return to the days when women shouldn't be allowed to vote.
      • Argentian, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2You went a little too far with that Ann Coulter rant. I agree with much of your tone and content, but not that. It isn't just because she's cuter than any ME I've seen, either. I'm in love with her intellect and fiery disposition.
    • kirralin23, on 04/27/2008, -1/+8I haven't studied the topic in depth, but it seems to me that New Orleans is not well situated. It really might be better to rebuild on higher ground.
      • michael4lsu, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2Most of the new construction in New Orleans is being built above the new floodplain elevation.
      • Argentian, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2Read my comment a little further down as to why it was built there and what is affecting it now. Too dry (;)) to repeat here.
  • MarineVeteran1, on 04/27/2008, -0/+8Okay, Mr. Army Corps of Engineers, I'll say it for you:
    This contractor needs a serious sentence in jail for fraud, and sued for breach of contract along with punitive damages equal to all of their corporate and private assets. He/she deserves revocation of their contracting license for life, and probation for 15 years after their 10 year stay at the local Federal prison.
    The inspector of the project deserves 10 years in jail, revocation of all government benefits, and a hefty fine.
    Both are responsible, but I find it hard to believe that either will be held accountable. Especially down in LOSER-ana, where corruption is only equal to that of the Mexican border towns, Russia, and the Middle East.
    • michael4lsu, on 04/27/2008, -6/+3When you were serving our country as a Marine, did you take exception for serving for and defending "LOSER-ana"? Jackass. Anyone who thinks Louisiana is the most corrupt state is an idiot. ALL states have plenty of corruption to go around. You are right about holding those people accountable though. The reason the levee's failed during Katrina is because of shoddy contractor work that wasn't per spec in the first place, and here they are doing it all over again.
      • Sandy1000, on 04/27/2008, -3/+5...and the shoddy work would't have mattered one rat's ass if all the losers in Louisana had evacuated when they were warned too (or better yet, not voluntarily live in a city that is 10 feet below sea level.) You can try to equate your city with every other city in the US if you want too, but that picture of those hundreds of school buses just sitting there underwater while your incompetent mayor pointed his racist finger at Washington to take care of his own constitutents will live indelibly in the minds of all Americans from now on. Oh no New Orleans is in a class of its own when it comes to being the biggest loser!
        • michael4lsu, on 04/27/2008, -2/+3If the poor and ignorant black people had all evacuated like they were supposed to, you mean to tell me the levees wouldn't have broken and flooded all that property, since the shoddy work wouldn't have mattered? Good ole Sandy logic there. I don't disagree that the Democrats who were in charge of our local government were incompetent. You really are showing your ignorance with your blanket statement that New Orleans as the biggest loser.
      • Sandy1000, on 04/28/2008, -3/+3Now wait a minute Michael - in one sentence you're defending and pitying the "poor and IGNORANT" blacks of New Orleans, but then you want to attack me and call me "ignorant" as if its a bad thing? Which is it, am I a victim or villain if I am ignorant? You must've been absence at Tulane the day in social sciences when they spoke of how "hatred" "prejudices" "stereotypes" are not created in vacuums. They exist for reasons and are borne out of factual repeated observations, experiences or even often observed statistics and they are not bigotted if they are founded upon sound foundations. I have not mentioned ANYTHING that a casual perusal through a couple of newspapers or Lexis Nexis searches cannot verify (and I have already mentioned that I personally observed such barbaric behavior by your most upstanding citizens upon my 2 trips there.)

        I don't have to respect or tolerate people who have a sense of entitlement to the free goods and services produced by the hands of others. I don't have to respect or tolerate those who engage in dangerous, immoral and repugnant vices that drag down not only their own city, but all of society in general (New Orleans had a 178% increase in STDs for year 2003 and went from being 41st in the nation up to 22nd.). I don't have to respect and tolerate those who cannot - with any real sense of sincerity - believe they can do business in New Orleans without engaging in corruption, bribery and blackmail. I don't have to respect or tolerate the people of a city who had a murder rate 30% higher than any other city in the entire nation for 2007. I don't have to respect and tolerate a city who's own miserable corrupt politicians believe they can usurp and violate the highest law in the land [the US Constitution] by demanding that every other tax payer in this country fund their incompetence and dependency and irresponsibility. No Michael, my "prejudices" are well defined and I will not apologize for having them.

        And for those who think the violence that ensued after Katrina was an aberation for New Orleans read this little snippet from the Times-Picayune: "Day in and day out, Katrina or no Katrina, New Orleans is America’s most dangerous city. But the numbers don’t tell the whole story. White and black residents, rich and poor, of good neighborhoods and bad, are afraid to go out at night beyond the clear boundaries of well-patrolled areas like the heart of the French Quarter—and night means 6:00 pm, not 2:00 am. Everyone in New Orleans knows someone who has been violently mugged—and everyone knows someone who knows someone who has been violently killed."

        At the end of the day, it wasn't me or any other person who wouldn't miss New Orleans if it suddenly disappeared who caused such utter devastation. It was selected by nature for extinction. Man fought nature on that one and at this point, it's a draw as to who actually won. We'll see this upcoming hurricane season if New Orleans is ready for round two. May the best survive.
        • michael4lsu, on 04/28/2008, -0/+3People like you are so difficult. You're too irrational and hyper-emotional. You assume things from one extreme or the other, a totally bi-polar world. I was never defending what I said in one post were something along the lines of the irresponsible government-dependent ignorant blacks in the city. You assume that because I'm disagreeing with you that I'm defending everything you're speaking out against. That's just a stupid way of thinking. Primarily what I'm defending New Orleans for was explained in detail in my bulletized comment below.
    • MarineVeteran1, on 04/28/2008, -2/+1Wow! I must have hit a sore spot in your weak ego eh? So you want to argue about LOSER-ANA's corruption? I'll take your argument and raise you one.
      All you have to do is Google corruption and Louisiana... and see what comes up. But let's not let the facts get in the way of your pathetically weak "everybody does it" premise and your typographical emotional outburst. The facts are that Louisiana has a long history replete with scoundrels, and I might also add, speaking at your alma mater, LSU! Surely you've heard of Huey Long, or are you just too stupid to pick up a history book? Or worse yet, perhaps you suffer from the same intellectual dishonesty as practiced by Huey Long, and your very own Congressman, William Jefferson, (D), remember his $900,000 in a freezer? How about that fantastic idiot you have for a Mayor of 'Naw-Lins', Ray Nagin? I could go on and on, but what's the point? It's prima facie!

      You may want to withdraw your asinine position before I school your young rump on the history of that state. You act like no one else has ever lived there to know about that place. Get the hint Jackass?

      And before you question my service to my country, did you ever serve? If you didn't, pipe down. If you did, then you know better than to do what you did.

      Nonetheless, read the following for a fine example of the most corrupt state in the Union.
      -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      A Troubling Bayou Tradition
      Louisiana's history of corruption bodes ill for the relief money headed its way
      By Bret Schulte
      Posted 10/2/05

      Retired Congressman Billy Tauzin once issued this description of his home state: "Half of Louisiana is under water and the other half is under indictment." He was kidding, but right now no one is laughing. Louisiana's swollen waters are delivering fresh worries about the state's famously colorful political system.
      Related News

      * When the cops turn into the bad guys
      * A flood of money

      Louisiana stands to gain billions in federal dollars for reconstruction and relief after the twin hits by Katrina and Rita. But with the cash comes attendant worries about bloated contracts, kickbacks, and fraud. And for good reason. Perhaps no state has a greater track record of political hucksters and hijinks.

      That history goes back to the early 1800s, when pirate Jean Lafitte attacked Spanish and French ships from his mini-kingdom deep in the bayou. To curry local favor, he distributed pilfered goods to the poor. Lafitte may have been among the most honorable of Louisiana's lovable rogues.

      The most notorious was the "Kingfish," populist Democratic Gov. Huey Long, who lorded over the state from 1927 until his death in 1935. Long delivered on his campaign promises of free textbooks for children, paved roads, and new schools--almost all of it financed by taxes on the rich and on oil companies. But Long also created a secret police force and consolidated state employees under his control, typically taking a portion of their earnings as "contributions" to his war chest. At an LSU faculty dinner, Long bragged, "I steal money. But a lot of what I stole has spilled over in no-toll bridges, hospitals, and to build this university." After being elected to the U.S. Senate and ensuring the election of a stooge to succeed him in the governor's office, Long prepared for a presidential run against an incumbent, fellow Democrat Franklin Roosevelt, who called Long one of the most dangerous men in America. On Sept. 8, 1935, Carl Weiss, the son-in-law of a political opponent, shot Long to death in the state capitol.

      " Elect the Crook. " But corruption did not die with him. In 1939, the "Louisiana Scandals" erupted when James Monroe Smith, appointed by Long as president of LSU, was charged with embezzling a half-million dollars. In the ensuing investigation, at least 20 state officials were indicted, and two committed suicide as the scandal enveloped Gov. Richard Leche, who received a 10-year federal prison sentence in a kickback scheme.

      The legacy of free-spirited scoundrels was inherited by Gov. Edwin Edwards, a populist charmer who served four terms over the period of 1972 to 1996. The dapper womanizer beat two dozen corruption investigations and once said the only way he could lose a race was by being "found in bed with a dead girl or a live boy." Edwards produced campaign bumper stickers proclaiming, "Elect the Crook." Voters did. In 2000, the good times stopped rolling; Edwards received a 10-year federal prison sentence for extorting money from casino boat owners seeking licenses.

      Under subsequent Govs. Mike Foster and Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, Louisiana has tried to clean up its act. But since 2004, two state judges have been convicted of accepting bribes. Federal officials are also investigating the administration of former New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial, whose associates are accused of skimming hundreds of thousands of dollars from city contracts. And, in August, the feds raided the homes of U.S. Rep. William Jefferson because of suspected illegal activity with African business interests.

      Nevertheless, attitudes may be changing. "Louisiana politicians have thrived on bad-boy images and populist appeal," says Pearson Cross, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Louisiana Lafayette. "But [voters] are realizing while corruption may be colorful, it's not helping Louisiana." And right now, Louisiana can use all the help it can get.

      This story appears in the October 10, 2005 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.

      Affidavit: $90,000 found in congressman's freezer
      FBI wraps up search of Jefferson's office in bribery probe

      Monday, May 22, 2006; Posted: 10:13 a.m. EDT (14:13 GMT)

      story.jefferson.cnn.jpg
      A box of materials is loaded into a car after FBI agents searched Rep. William Jefferson's office.
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      WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Federal agents searched the Capitol Hill office of a Louisiana congressman under investigation on bribery charges Sunday, while newly released court papers said agents found $90,000 in cash last year in his Washington home.

      In a 95-page affidavit used to obtain a warrant for the office search, investigators stated that an August 2005 search of Democratic Rep. William Jefferson's home turned up the cash sum in a freezer.

      The money was divided among various frozen food containers, according to the heavily redacted affidavit. (Watch what Jefferson said about the 'hell' of being investigated -- 4:47)

      Agents told a judge the money was part of a $100,000 payment that had been delivered by an informant in the bribery probe, which already has led to guilty pleas by a Kentucky businessman and a former Jefferson aide.

      The Justice Department has been investigating Jefferson's relationship to telecommunications deals in Africa and elsewhere, and the House Ethics Committee launched an investigation of him last week.

      The eight-term congressman, whose district includes New Orleans and some of its suburbs, has denied any wrongdoing and vowed to remain in office to battle any criminal charges he may face.

      But the affidavit states that investigators have collected evidence linking Jefferson to at least seven other cases in which he "sought things of value in return for his performance of official acts."

      Robert Trout, the congressman's lawyer, decried the release of the affidavit. In a statement issued Sunday night, he said it served "no legitimate investigative purpose."

      "This disclosure by the prosecutors is part of a public relations agenda and an obvious attempt to embarrass Congressman Jefferson," Trout said. "The affidavit itself is just one side of the story, which has not been tested in court."

      He said Jefferson would respond "at the appropriate time" if charged with any wrongdoing.

      FBI agents searched Jefferson's office in the Rayburn House Office Building from Saturday evening to early Sunday afternoon, bureau spokeswoman Debra Weierman said. One government official told CNN the search marked the first time FBI agents have searched a lawmaker's Capitol Hill office.

      Weierman would not comment on what agents removed from Jefferson's office. But in the papers released Sunday, investigators stated they were searching for faxes, notes, telephone records and other forms of communication, as well as ledgers and computer files related to meetings and travel.

      In an earlier statement, Trout called the search of Jefferson's office "outrageous" and said it was not necessary.

      "There were no exigent circumstances necessitating this action. The government knew that the documents were being appropriately preserved while proper procedures were being followed. We are dismayed by this action -- the documents weren't going anywhere and the prosecutors knew it," he said.

      However, a redacted copy of the search warrant and affidavit stated that federal investigators were unable to obtain the records relevant to the investigation inside Jefferson's office and, "left with no other method," proceeded with the search.

      A government official close to the investigation told CNN the search was executed over the weekend when few people are on Capitol Hill because they believed that time would "be appropriate."

      Agents had previously searched Jefferson's home in New Orleans. The cash found in his Washington residence was part of a $100,000 payment delivered by a cooperating witness, according to the affidavit, which said the delivery was videotaped by the FBI.

      The FBI began investigating Jefferson in March 2005 stemming from accusations made by the witness, a Virginia resident who owns an investment firm.

      He told the FBI that he was "a victim of a fraud and bribery scheme" involving Jefferson; Vernon Jackson, CEO of the Louisville, Kentucky-based company iGate; and Brett Pfeffer, the president of the investment firm owned by the unnamed witness and a former Jefferson aide.

      According to the affidavit, Jefferson had asked the witness for a percentage ownership interest in his Nigerian broadband company in exchange for the congressman "using his official acts to support the the Nigerian business venture."
      Guilty pleas

      Jackson pleaded guilty in federal court earlier this month to bribing the congressman with more than $400,000 in payments, company stock and a share of the profits in order to promote iGate's high-tech business ventures in Africa. (Full story)

      Pfeffer, of Herndon, Virginia, pleaded guilty in January to aiding and abetting bribery of a public official.

      Both have agreed to cooperate with authorities as part of their plea agreements.

      The affidavit states Jefferson "attempted to use his position as a United States Congressman" to promote other iGate business ventures in Nigeria, Ghana and possibly other African nations.

      "In exchange for his official acts supporting the proposed business ventures," the affidavit said, Jefferson has received a 30 percent equity stake in the witness' Nigerian company and more than $400,000 in payments from iGate.

      The 30 percent equity, in the form of stocks, was placed in the name of a Nigerian limited liability corporation held by the congressman's children, the affidavit said.

      The cloud over Jefferson comes as Democratic leaders have been attacking what they call a "culture of corruption" surrounding the Republican leadership in Congress.

      With midterm elections in November, Democrats are trying to highlight GOP ties to the influence-peddling investigation surrounding lobbyist Jack Abramoff, the indictment of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay in a Texas court, and last year's guilty plea of California Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, now serving an eight-year stretch for taking bribes from defense contractors.

      In a news conference last week, Jefferson said he was innocent and that he would remain in office while he fights any charges. (Full story)

      "I wish to say emphatically that in all of my actions that are here under scrutiny, that I have never intended to dishonor my office, or you, the public, and I certainly did not sell my office," Jefferson told reporters.

      CNN's Kevin Bohn and Terry Frieden contributed to this report.
      • michael4lsu, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2You found an article about corruption in Louisiana. Congratulations. Check out this interesting little website that tallies incidences of corruption for each state: http://www.apatheticvoter.com/FederalStateCorrupti ...
        Obviously it's not going to document every single instance of corruption in every state, but it is interesting how the only states that stand out like a sore thumb with corruption are Florida, New York, New Jersey, California, Illinois, and maybe even Texas, but Louisiana is not among them. By the way, no, I didn't serve in the military. My father strongly encouraged me not to since he knew that the chances of me actually serving my country were minimal and that I more than likely would have been serving some foreign country instead for the profit of the elite and their traitorous global agenda, which is what has been happening in every war since WWII (not that the elite didn't profit from that one too but at least we were defending our own country). I don't question your desire to serve our country, though, unless you do take exception for "LOSER-ana".
      • Argentian, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2Oh, yeah? Those standing aside, what else have you got on the Big Easy? Oh...by the way, it was $90,000, not 900K. What's a little decimal point?
  • victorypup, on 04/27/2008, -3/+7It is just plain stupid to build a city there, and not expect it to be hit by Hurricanes. More stupid even then that is to have a SIN city there and to think you have enough dike to keep the sea out. LOL, We had a song in Sunday School, "the wise man builds his house upon the Rock, the wise man builds his house upon the Rock............then the rains come tumbling down, ...the house stands, (next line), "the foolish man builds his house upon the sand, the foolish man builds his house upon the sand..........

    On the other hand, the government contracters are just exibiting what this nation has become.
    • victorypup, on 04/27/2008, -3/+4Case in point, Haliburton.
    • MarineVeteran1, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3I have to correct you on one small but important point...
      You said "....what this nation has become." I submit to you, they've (the government and the contractors) have always been shoddy and questionable due to the lack of us as citizens demanding accountability on how our tax dollars are spent.
      Again, contractors have always been corrupt in their dealings with the government due to the lack of actual enforcement of the contracts. Clear evidence in history can be show widespread abuse dating back to the Great War of the Rebellion (AKA The Civil War to the ignorant) and how the Union Army was fleeced at every turn by war contractors selling them inferior overpriced equipment from A to Z.
      It is the nature of the beast.
      Bitching about it and being appalled at this moment over this particular incident is pure folly. To do so is to ignore centuries of corrupt relationships of this type. Eventually the populace has to stand up and demand that their be harsh penalties THAT ARE ENFORCED to end this insanity.

      So I would say to all that are angry about this and want to blame the system, I have to point out that, YOU, the individual, are most at fault. Specifically, the ones who do not write and call about this situation to your Congressman.
      • victorypup, on 04/27/2008, -2/+4Marine Veteran, I agree corruption is always with us, but Apathy to corruption, to the extent it is now has not. There will be no body standing up to demand harsh penalties because far to many have their fingers in the pie. These dikes were probably built to a large extent with illegal labor. The standards for excellence are compromised on so many fronts, and by so many involved that policing them is next to impossible because the FORTITUDE that once had some place in the national Psyche is nearly non existent.

        Case in point, Haliburton.
      • michael4lsu, on 04/27/2008, -5/+4"Again, contractors have always been corrupt in their dealings with the government due to the lack of actual enforcement of the contracts. Clear evidence in history can be show widespread abuse dating back to the Great War of the Rebellion"

        Wait a minute, you mean that sort of corruption doesn't only happen in "LOSER-ana", Mexico, Russia, and the Middle East???
    • michael4lsu, on 04/27/2008, -3/+7victorypup, if you actually performed some sort of risk analysis on everywhere in the whole country you would find that it's just as "plain stupid" to live in 30% to 50% of the rest of the country as in New Orleans. Every region is subject to one form of natural disaster or another. Don't be so ignorant. Especially with labeling New Orleans as a sin city. It's mainly the tourists who come down here and do most of the sinning for one thing, and they stay on Bourbon Street for the most part with their excessive drinking and fornication (which happens all over the country). If you refer to New Orleans as a sin city due to the homosexuals, I don't like them either, but the big gay section of New Orleans DIDN'T FLOOD. So how about giving your infallible self-papalship another try and tell us why you think Katrina hit New Orleans (and much of the rest of the gulf coast)?
      • Sandy1000, on 04/27/2008, -2/+4You're baiting him with a strawman argument Michael - He didn't try to assert that New Orleans was hit because of the homosexuals - he was referring to its all around general debauchery but most importantly he was addressing the unbelievable naievete that says if you live in a city below sea level - and stay during hurricane season EVEN AGAINST COMPETENT WARNING to evacuate, that you somehow have the same hurricane risk equivalency as folks living in Topeka, KS. Either you're the one who is wholly ignorant or you're purposely being intellectually disingenuious by trying to make that argument.
        • michael4lsu, on 04/27/2008, -2/+4"...you live in a city below sea level - and stay during hurricane season EVEN AGAINST COMPETENT WARNING to evacuate, that you somehow have the same hurricane risk equivalency as folks living in Topeka, KS."

          No, he wasn't saying anything about the people staying there after being told to evacuate, and that factor is irrelevent with respect to the risk of the city being directly hit with a hurricane or the risk of any other city in the country being hit with some other type of natural disaster. He was arguing that it was stupid to build the city there to begin with and not expect to be hit by hurricanes. I think they did realize the risk of being hit by hurricanes. That's why they built those levees. Also, refer to keltin's comment below about how the city was much higher when they first built it.
      • victorypup, on 04/27/2008, -2/+3LOL, "self papalship", that's your real problem isn't it Michael4lsu. I didn't realize you lived in Louisiana. Do you really live in New Orleans? I've been there a couple of times. Used to write to a pen pal there. I do so agree, a fair percentage of property around the country is developed outside of intelligent assessment, but for you to take a liberal stance for argument, in order to qualify New Orleans by comparing it to other ill fated "30 to 50 % plain stupid" places to build doesn't give reason to your argument. What do you compare New Orleans to, those hills in Malibu California where every year their are either fires burning up houses, or rain causing landslides because of unstable footing? Kinda like building on a fault line and praying the ground doesn't shake? In the Northwest there are laws against building below the flood plane. It saves the insurance companies from having to insure non insurable properties. It saves the tax payer from having to pick up the tab for non necessary disasters.
        • michael4lsu, on 04/27/2008, -2/+4I live in Metairie, a suburb of New Orleans, and work in downtown New Orleans. My point was that you should not single out New Orleans the way you did. Take a look at this list of disasters in the United States and see all the different places that were struck:
          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_major_natural ...
          Was it just plain stupid for people to build cities also in Texas, California, New York, Washington DC, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Hawaii, Alaska, Tennessee, Illinois, Georgia, South Carolina, Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Ohio, West Virginia, Michigan, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, etc.??? I can assure you that with the price insurance has jumped up in the New Orleans area since this flood that the homeowners who chose to stay here are paying for it. There is risk everywhere, and there is unconstitutional spending everywhere. Just don't single out New Orleans as if it is the only city that is as you believe just plain stupid.
        • Argentian, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2A very good discussion guys. Especially with the passion still there, but the fire not consuming.
      • Sandy1000, on 04/28/2008, -3/+2"There is risk everywhere, and there is unconstitutional spending everywhere."
        =======

        So are you trying to justify wrong doing by pointing to OTHER wrong doing and implying that if its being done there, then it's ok to do it here? Tolerance of wrong doesn't make right.

        My problem with New Orleans in respect to all those other states and their natural disasters is that yes, I object to the unconstitutional theft and disbursal of federal tax dollars to those states, but also the fact that none of the other states still have dependent "victims" sitting around in boxcar trailers provided by taxdollars 3 YEARS LATER still whining and complaining that the government isn't spending enough of ill-gotten taxdollars on them. Those other states picked up the pieces and moved on! We are not still hearing about Hurricanes Cindy, Dennis, Rita or Wilma. All those other states have stopped milking the government cow! New Orleans needs to either stand on its own or just give it up!
        • michael4lsu, on 04/28/2008, -0/+3No I'm not saying ANY unconstitutional spending is acceptable. I'm pointing out some of you people's hypocrisy for singling out New Orleans on this issue, as I've explained several times. I wonder how much you and victorypup agree with the unconstitutional spending going on in Iraq right now? We are bankrupting our nation through our occupation and rebuilding of Iraq. Do you think it's more important to "finish the job" and rebuild Iraq than it is to rebuild one of our own cities in our own country?

          None of those other hurricanes you mentioned did near the amount of devastation Katrina did to New Orleans. Get a clue! It wiped out most of the city, especially the areas where many poor welfare-dependent people lived. There aren't too many government-indoctrinated, welfare-dependent "victims" living in those nice condos and beach houses on the Florida coast, are there? Do you really think this is a fair comparison? Again, get a clue. Why would you expect people who have been dependent on the government all their lives for their free housing to change into independent upstanding responsible individuals just because the city hadn't rebuilt their projects fast enough? Do you really think those few people who were still in those trailers represent all of New Orleans (refer to my other posts about your ridiculous bipolar extremist assumptions)?
  • nutz2u2, on 04/27/2008, -2/+5Hey, what's the big deal here? If newspapers can be used as fish wrappers, they can be used to control what the fish swim in.
  • Indyanna, on 04/27/2008, -1/+8To those of the opinion that "it is stupid to build a city there" - C'mon, folks. it's not like a bunch of people picked a random spot for no reason. New Orleans is a major port city. You know, the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico - ? And altho it's not so important at the moment, it has had significant strategic importance in US history.

    It's not a "stupid" place to build a city, far from it. And I'm going to guess that it's not the only port city in the world that is below sea level either. As far as the hurricanes go, you might as well get mad at all the people who live in Tornado Alley, and all the people who live in earthquake-prone areas, too.
    • keltin, on 04/27/2008, -0/+9indy, it didn't used to be quite so far below sea level, also. Two things happened to make it more of a problem in certain areas, than it used to be.
      1. Levees. The natural process along a large river (Mississippi, Amazon, Nile, etc.) is to carry lots of silt down stream until it slows enough to deposit it on the bottom of the stream. During floods, this means outside of the normal stream banks where it spreads out over as much as several miles. This keeps the overall level of ground continually renewed and built up.
      2. Natural subsidence. In these kinds of areas the soils are such that, over time, there is a certain level of compaction that can account for a variable amount of subsidence, from a couple of inches to a couple of feet. Also, if you have a lot of water pumping from the groundwater, this material used to take space down there, and it isn't anymore, so there is a tendency to subside a bit more. It's not quite that simple because of a number of variables in the factors, but that's it in a nutshell.
      What this means in NO? When they first built it, it was mainly just swampy ground at or slightly above sea level. Over the past couple of hundred years, it has subsided some. It wasn't planned to be under sea level, but it happened over time.
      Also, the Mississippi's mouth of the river moved further downstream, because of the rate of sedimentation taken to the end of th end of the river was greater than it used to be (when it was deposited on the banks of the river).
      • Indyanna, on 04/27/2008, -1/+6Thanks, Keltin. I wasn't aware of the factors you mentioned.
    • keltin, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3sorry, sometimes I get a little long winded.
    • michael4lsu, on 04/27/2008, -1/+4Thanks for posting this. For those who wish we could have just done away with New Orleans altogether, I wonder what they would propose as a substitute for the Port of New Orleans? Perhaps a port in Kansas on the NASCO Corridor between Mexico and Canada?
  • keltin, on 04/27/2008, -0/+4Instead of just casting aspersions or comments, try contacting New Orleans ACOE direct. Look below. Those of you so inclined:
    NEW ORLEANS District Office: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District Attention: CEMVN-OD-S P.O. Box 60267 New Orleans, LA 70160-0267
    Phone: 504-862-2255 FAX: 504-862-2289

    Executive Officer (Top Dog): Col. Alvin b. Lee
    Public Affairs Office: john.w.hall@usace.army.mil
    Program Management: Marcia.A.Demma@usace.army.mil
  • Darel99, on 04/27/2008, -2/+6Everywhere we look our gov is corrupt. The contractor blames congress and congress blams everyone else.

    The contractor should be charged with crimes and sentanced to jail. The inspector working with the U.S> Amry Corp of Engieneers needs his home bull-horned everynight just prior to darkens then extended to the point of time the areas calls it unlawful. I bullhorned my city major last year when he called for a hugh tax increase then presented facts that showed the annaul comp had millions and millions of cash on hand.

    Take action, take action. Instead of diging and bitching about it follow Ketlin's suggestion just above my post but do more demand criminal action and the removal of the contact with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and while your at it go ahead and contact your congressman about this issue but also ask congress to impeach bush for lies to congress about Iraq's WMD's lie, and the fact that he stated clearlyy after lying about it that Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11.
  • rkeyo, on 04/27/2008, -1/+6No surprise here. New Orleans and Louisiana are about as corrupt as you can get without being officially in the Third World. The government, which ran this whole debacle, is controlled by Democraps. The same sort of thing happend back in the 1980s when they stole all the money the feds sent to upgrade the floodwalls, spending it on God knows what. Everyone involved, including the liars from the Corps of Engineers should be hauled up on charges, and when - not if - convicted, be given the maximum sentences the law allows. You see, they are not only endangering the lives of the fools who choose to still live in Chocolate City, but they are stealing form ALL the American people.
    • victorypup, on 04/27/2008, -1/+5Exactly. Until recent years you didn't even want to drive across Louisiana for fear of falling prey to Highway robbers in Police cars who would pull you into kangaroo courts to fleece you out of your wallet. Central Americans who I know, that have come to the States Legally to buy vehicles to take back to their country have horrible stories to tell about corrupt Louisiana Police. Rivals Mexico, according to them.
      • michael4lsu, on 04/27/2008, -0/+4God forbid the cops in Louisiana pull over hispanic foreigners who aren't American citizens and question them. I've lived in Louisiana all my life and have never experienced or heard of such corruption, other than from the New Orleans Police Department many years ago, but that has changed drastically.
        • victorypup, on 04/28/2008, -1/+2Well but of course they wouldn't pull you over, you have Lousiana lisence plates. I guess I didn't claify, The problem was with people having out of state plates, and Hispanics having Legal Papers to be in the country for a short time. People with every right not to be harrassed by police looking to extract a bribe.
  • Fedaykin08, on 04/27/2008, -4/+0All together now, "It's Bush's fault!"
    • victorypup, on 04/27/2008, -2/+2LOL, If you know me, you know I cut Bush No Slack, but this one is not Bush's fault. But I know what your saying.
  • keltin, on 04/27/2008, -0/+3Don't be a Simpleton Fedaykin.
  • caccia, on 04/27/2008, -1/+8Be patient, and work with me here...This could possibly be the most brilliant idea ever devised in the field of aqua-engineering (sarc). Who's ever picked up a water soaked rolled up newspaper? It's quite heavy is it not? Yes, it is...as it's full of water. And oddly enough, even while holding it, it still doesn't drip or release the water. It acts as a powerful absorbant, which in tern also increases it's weight. If the newspapers were compacted enough, one might find that a newspaper wall could actually act as a dam. Now ain't that somethin'....lol
    • ZenaTWQ, on 05/05/2008, -1/+7Now there is thinking outside the box...lol
      • caccia, on 04/27/2008, -2/+7Who'd a thunk it lol. What scares me the most is those in society that would say..."Really?" lol
        • kirralin23, on 04/27/2008, -1/+6"Really?"

          Sorry, I couldn't help myself.
  • notbysight, on 04/27/2008, -1/+3Effectiveness of the news paper depends on wether it is Liberal or Conservative.
  • michael4lsu, on 04/27/2008, -4/+5I live in a suburb of New Orleans, and I want to clarify a few things that a few ignorant and short-sighted people are posting about.

    ● Our government is in the business of spending money to tax us through inflation for a profit of their international banking cronies, and have as part of their agenda to intentionally lower the value of the dollar as they have been doing very successfully lately. If they aren't busy spending it on rebuilding homes in New Orleans, they will be busy spending it somewhere else that it probably a lot less productive, such as unjust and unconstitutional wars.
    ● Our government is in the business of using every crisis they can to their advantage for usurping more power from We The People and consolidating it into their hands. Don't expect thing to fix things or make anything better, that's not their goal.
    ● There is corruption in EVERY state.
    ● There are irresponsible people dependent on the nanny-state welfare system in EVERY state.
    ● There is a risk of a major natural disaster or crisis of some form in EVERY part of this country
    ● The "gay" section of New Orleans DID NOT FLOOD. Bourbon Street, the "sin" part of New Orleans, DID NOT FLOOD. So you self-appointed infallible popes who think you know what God's will was in allowing Hurricane Katrina devastate New Orleans better rethink your proclomations.

    Some of you even realize these facts, but still blame the people of New Orleans, or Louisiana, as if we are so much different from the rest of the country with respect to the issues I mentioned above.

    What bothers me is when people who I thought knew better than this, who oppose ALL unconstitutional spending, would complain about money being spent on rebuilding people's homes in New Orleans, NOT because it's unconstitutional, but because you have rationalized in your mind some reasons why you believe New Orleans doesn't deserve it, as if some OTHER city might deserve it, such as your own if it were faced with some catostrophic event.

    I would much rather see you protesting ALL unconstitutional taxing and spending of our money by the Federal Government, rather than selectively choosing your rantings based on your personal prejudices. If you have a problem with the unconstitutional spending by the Federal Government on things like rebuilding homes and levees in New Orleans, then support Ron Paul. If you were complaining about these things but didn't vote for him, you are an ignorant hypocrite.
  • Stevanoski, on 04/27/2008, -2/+4Louisiana a very corrupt state. It is difficult to do anything to spec as so many payoffs have to happen first. Just read why the first levee's failed.
  • bioya1, on 04/27/2008, -3/+4 I used to live in Louisiana and, at the time, it had a really corrupt governor who wasn't ashamed of it. The people kept voting him in. These are the same type of people who wouldn't leave perilous ground in the face of a hurricane. I sincerely hope that the rest of America isn't that stupid.
    • michael4lsu, on 04/27/2008, -2/+5"I sincerely hope that the rest of America isn't that stupid." You mean stupid enough to elect people like the Bush's, the Clinton's, or Obama or McCain for President and sell out our sovereignty and self-governance in exchange for a global oligarchy and slavery?
      • victorypup, on 04/28/2008, -1/+5Now your talking Michael!
        • Sandy1000, on 04/28/2008, -2/+2Michael's always made perfect sense in his political beliefs, but its his blindess and rose-colored love for perhaps the most corrupted city in America that I have a disagreement with him. I'm going to Digg him up for his astute political leanings.
        • GOD0S0WORD, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1Sandy, (M) is no fan of New Orleans- (he told me)
      • bioya1, on 04/28/2008, -1/+1I agree that we, as a nation, elect some really bad people. But that doesn't excuse the stupid sheep of La. You are in the position of defending the indefensible with a lot of shrillness that is rarely seen, based upon your past posts.
        • GOD0S0WORD, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1i agree, i can see voting for Nagin once from ignorance, but he denied aid before the hurricane-arrived, +1
      • Argentian, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2One of the things I've found reading this thread, is that michael, pup, sand et.al. tend to put it right in your face. The nuances are there, but it's so much more enlightening to plunk it down in front of you with all the warts showing.
    • victorypup, on 04/28/2008, -1/+3bioya1, Do you remember when they did that News piece on the Interstate Police traps for out of State Vehicles? There was even something about those cops targeting women driving alone. I think it was 60 minutes, or 20 20, can't remember. They all protected each other.
  • bohemianowl, on 04/28/2008, -0/+3I have a Real Solution: Make all tourists each bring a bag of dirt to Orleans, effectively raising it above sea level in a few years.
  • thankful, on 04/28/2008, -0/+4This is the same government agency that "accidentally" let 22 BILLION gallons of water out of Lake Lanier, which supplies Atlanta (currently in a historical drought), due to a faulty gauge that cost something like $200 or less (though they had been alerted to the fact that the water level was dropping further than normal, and they did nothing)... Why do we trust the Corps with such important stuff?????
    • michael4lsu, on 04/28/2008, -0/+3"Why do we trust the Corps with such important stuff?????"
      Same could be said about 95% of our government. Corps of Engineers generally are looked down on as not the brightest engineers in the industry. They generally pay a lot lower than most engineering firms, but desperate and incompetent engineers will take whatever job they can get...
    • Argentian, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2The Army COE pays a helluva lot less than the civilian engineering firms. What has happened, is that the Corps has become populated with people of highly questionable technical ability, but all the idealism our current crop of left-wing professors can provide.
      It is their bowing at the altar of environemntalism and political correctness that makes the Corps so ineffective, even criminal, in their actions - and this is all over the country, not just in NO (been many places and had to deal with them...not phun).
  • GOD0S0WORD, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2PEOPLE - PEOPLE ! !
    WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAA ! !
    we can disagree, we can-
    But please stop with the personal attacks, (as someone who is attacked on a regular basis- please). It is ugly, and obfuscates your points.
    WHICH ARE SOLID ON BOTH "SIDES" OF THE ISSUE, (which isn't even the posted article anymore).
    In this time-frame we had all better consider where we live-
    Water is short, (wanna survive?) MOVE
    Too-close for safety by the surf? MOVE
    Tornadoes increasing, wanna not worry about tornadoes? MOVE

    LOOK: whether the corps is at fault or not - EVERYONE HERE NEEDS TO PREPARE. EVERYONE NEEDS TO START ACCEPTING CREDIT/BLAME FOR THIER-OWN ACTIONS, GOOD or BAD.

    When i was 7, or 8- i figured i had till at least 2012, (my Apostle believes another 30 years till the Tribulation)- but i- am repeating our LORD, -" knows his time is short." So do i, so should you. Quit fighting, stand-up, be counted, be aware, be PREPARED, (our time is short aswell my family).
  • keltin, on 04/28/2008, -0/+2The corps is affected by an arrogance that only government-agencies seem to have. They know they have the power to 1. make your life miserable, and 2. slow things down so much that getting a project finished can be terrible.
    This is the same almost everywhere in the world, certainly in 'Down Under' country.
  • mcrunch2, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1"Would they let a contractor put Play-Doh in the place of mortar when they put bricks on their house? No, I don't think so."
    - haha, thats a good one!
    But seriously, the US has been POURING money into new orleans since way before katrina. the ex-govenor was bragging about how much $ she fleeced from congress. They built a mighty fine fountain with part of the money...instead of stronger levees.
    Move the port. By the way, how did such a small city get an NFL team?
  •  

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