President Bush's Mess

[Geo]

Here's a great quote (one of my favorites) from former Governor Earl Long that sums up New Orleans method of business:

"Don't write anything you can phone. Don't phone anything you can talk. Don't talk anything you can whisper. Don't whisper anything you can smile. Don't smile anything you can nod. Don't nod anything you can wink.'

To think that you are going to have "transparency" in doling out billions of dollars in New Orleans is the height of naivety. Corruption in the City is systemic. Try The Last Hayride and Bad Bet on the Bayou if you want better to understand the problems ........ or don't, if you just like New Orleans as an anvil to drop on Bush's head.

Cute quote. I don't fully disagree. But I do see the glass as being half full (or maybe a quarter)...

Let's assume that in any enterprise that there is always going to be X% of funds that get funneled off into the hands of the corrupt. If NO has a higher percentage than what is considered an "acceptable" threshold then the system for providing needed funds to NO needs to be examined, fixed and monitored...

There are good people, there is solid technology and reusable systems/processes that can be implemented in NO so that it gets funds it needs and we don't get fleeced...

If NO is so corrupt this should be addressed. We shouldn't just quit with-
NO is corrupt so it shouldn't be helped...

I know this is a fairly high level ambiguous response. But not much moreso than your posts, IMHO...

 

[traderx]

I will admit to not knowing to what extent NO was helped by the fed govt. As of a couple years ago, we had thrown over a hundred billion dollars at Katrina recovery. How much of that money has been accounted for? How much good has been done? Does anyone really have a good accounting?

 

[Matt J]

my response to sending billions to new orleans was off the cuff. kind of like; since we're spending so much money on private financial institutions(without any accountability) and private auto manufacturers, why not send some down to a US municipality that could use some cash infusion? simple enough? and as to who should oversee the disbursements, isn't that the charge of FEMA? they're sure able to do a bang up job.

btw, i've never been drunk on bourbon street, or any other street in new orleans for that matter.

About the unaccounted billions in Iraq, not including the price tag on the war.

You continue to be vague. Tell me exactly what problem you have with the citizens of New Orleans, I'm just not understanding your position.

Check out this thread Transparent governing? - SoWal Beaches Forum perhaps that will clear up why full time doesn't want to send money to NO.

 

[Chickpea]

I have many colleagues from our profession who mobilized in force right after Katrina to lend their expertise and spent weeks and then subsequent additional weeks working on plans and codes and guidelines (while FEMA was wading through their bureaucratic mess) for both Louisianna and Mississippi neighborhoods - to date, very few of them have seen a dime for their work and although many did this voluntarily and pro-bono, the work kept piling up and the federal government, despite making many promises to help fell very short - to date, almost none of the very valuable work that was done has been able to be implemented because of frozen funds (and other issues). It is shameful and a disgrace.

 

[Miss Critter]

Here's a great quote (one of my favorites) from former Governor Earl Long that sums up New Orleans method of business:

"Don't write anything you can phone. Don't phone anything you can talk. Don't talk anything you can whisper. Don't whisper anything you can smile. Don't smile anything you can nod. Don't nod anything you can wink.'
quote]

;-)

 

[full time]

I have many colleagues from our profession who mobilized in force right after Katrina to lend their expertise and spent weeks and then subsequent additional weeks working on plans and codes and guidelines (while FEMA was wading through their bureaucratic mess) for both Louisianna and Mississippi neighborhoods - to date, very few of them have seen a dime for their work and although many did this voluntarily and pro-bono, the work kept piling up and the federal government, despite making many promises to help fell very short - to date, almost none of the very valuable work that was done has been able to be implemented because of frozen funds (and other issues). It is shameful and a disgrace.

So many of your peeps went to New Orleans and worked pro bono and have not seen a dime for their efforts. Sounds to me like they fit right into the New Orleans culture. Hey look, I'm doing this for free - when do I get paid?

 

[TooFarTampa]

So many of your peeps went to New Orleans and worked pro bono and have not seen a dime for their efforts. Sounds to me like they fit right into the New Orleans culture. Hey look, I'm doing this for free - when do I get paid?

Try reading a bit more carefully next time.

to date, almost none of the very valuable work that was done has been able to be implemented because of frozen funds (and other issues). It is shameful and a disgrace.

Many worked pro bono, but not all.

Many of those who didn't did not get paid.

Most of the brainpower that went into trying to help the situation seems to have been wasted. Sounds like a Fail to me.

 

[full time]

About the unaccounted billions in Iraq, not including the price tag on the war.



Check out this thread http://www.sowal.com/bb/showthread.php?t=30889 perhaps that will clear up why full time doesn't want to send money to NO.

You're so pc - let it go. It had nothing to do with race anymore than the term homo sapien is derogatory toward gays.

 

[full time]

Try reading a bit more carefully next time.



Many worked pro bono, but not all.

Many of those who didn't did not get paid.

Most of the brainpower that went into trying to help the situation seems to have been wasted. Sounds like a Fail to me.

Try to understand why do-gooders in New Orleans fail.

 

[TooFarTampa]

Try to understand why do-gooders in New Orleans fail.

So people who put their efforts into planning the rebuilding of a city that the government allegedly wanted to save deserve to be mocked, in addition to everything else?

Oh, forget it.

Be the change you want to see in the world. Or biatch about it. Your choice.