One of my law partners wrote the following letter to the White House. I think it's terrific:
George Bush
President, United States of America
Dear President Bush:
I recognize that this e-mail is one of thousands which your staff fields every day, but the subject is an important one, and I hope this one finds its way to you.
I am a lifelong resident of New Orleans, currently living in Metairie, a suburb of the city. I am an attorney, born in 1939, and I have lived -- and stayed in the city -- through all the previous hurricanes which besieged our city: Betsy, Camille and others. I evacuated for Katrina, because its footprint and predicted force were so great.
You have seen first hand, several times, the devastation which this storm caused, although your brief visits could not have walked you through the hundreds of neighborhoods where both partial and total ruin occurred. I and the citizens of New Orleans appreciate your uplifting words and promises that the City will be restored and rebuilt. It is to these words that I now speak.
I am not writing to criticize the delays in Federal assistance, the unpreparedness of FEMA, the sluggishness - probably from shock at the enormity of the devastation - of Federal funds and supplies in reaching our area. While all of these are well documented, they are now in the past, and we can't correct those problems by griping about them. What I am very concerned about is the future.
It is crystal clear that the Corps of Engineers made terrible errors in engineering, design, and supervision of the construction of the levee system and canal banks. Designing for and permitting installation of sheet piling which reach only 10 feet below sea level in soft, peat-like soil, to support a levee system was gross negligence. Even the design plans called for 17 feet, and the experts who have examined the design say this was woefully inadequate.
But now we are hearing from some Congressmen and naysayers that the cost to rectify these errors and to reinforce and/or rebuild the levee system, and to drive sheet piles to an adequate depth; to construct flood gates in some areas; to put better flood protection at the southeast borders of the City; and to spend the necessary money to rebuild the infrastructure of New Orleans; is simply too great in these tight money times.
I respectfully suggest to you that these feeble protests should summarily be swept aside and exposed to ridicule. The City of New Orleans, besides being my home town, is both historically and comercially important to this country. We provide a unique historical and architectural flavor not found in any other city in the land. We provide a rich and varied culture and the best food in the world. We provide the juxtaposition of one of the largest ports in the world and the hub of oil and gas production for the country; with the rich cultural atmosphere of creole cooking, jazz and Mardi Gras. The southeast Louisiana coast and the marsh provide the breeding ground for the richest fishing grounds in the country. The marshes have to be protected for this reason, and because they provide a buffer to the City of New Orleans from hurricane surges.
For those who claim that the cost to protect and rebuild is too great, I say:
* The cost would not have been nearly as high, and in fact may not have been necessary, had the Corps of Engineers not totally abdicated its job;
* The cost is not nearly as high as what we are spending to fight the wars in Afganistan and Iraq; and while I fully agree with your principle in bringing these wars to the terrorists, and spreading the seed of democracy, we should look to our homeland first;
* Many are decrying your tax cuts, not understanding that tax cuts put money in the hands of the people and businesses; and exclaiming that we can't rebuild New Orleans because the tax cuts have drained the economy. This is nonsense. There are literally thousands of pork barrel projects (and your administration has, unfortunately, permitted many of these to flourish) passing through Congress daily which are blithley agreed to , while the citizens of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast are struggling to survive. We are still giving billions of dollars in foreign aid to countries all over the globe, I'm sure more than the cost necessary to rebuild this region. I have no problem with aiding others, but let's start at home. And let's re-examine whether foreign aid should go to countries which openly hate and call for the destruction of America, as opposed to spending the money rebuilding a vital city within our own shores.
* The administration could probably expedite the rebuilding effort by requiring FEMA and the SBA to focus their efforts. By way of example: the paltry number of SBA loans "approved" to the thousands of residents desiring to rebuild their businesses; the thousands of FEMA trailers sitting in storage yards north of New Orleans while our residents struggle to find places to live (I personally saw miles of trailer storage yards along I-59 while driving the RV we had to buy to live in my driveway while my house is repaired, since I couldn't get a response on a FEMA trailer); and calling for action from the Corps of Engineers (not more years of studies) in starting to repair and rebuild the levee and floodwall system, this time under the oversight of a panel of engineers such as those who exposed the problems with the current system.
I greatly admire your resolve, your humanity to your fellow citizens and your principles. I urge you to stand by your words of support for New Orleans and the Gulf Coast by applying the power of your office to assure that the rebuilding of this unique part of our country will happen |
