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wwIIvetsdaughter
Captain
Joined: 02 Sep 2004
Posts: 513
Location: McAllen, Texas
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 Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2005 8:40 pm Post subject: Why a SuperDome not a SuperLevee? |
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| For Bush Haters who want to blame the Adminstration for the Lake Ponchitrain levee break: Why did elected officals in this very poor city in a very poor state spent hundreds of millions to build a SuperDome when they could of just as easily spent that to built a SuperLevee to protect below sea-level NOLA unless that expendature was the will of the people? |
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LewWaters
Admin
Joined: 18 May 2004
Posts: 4042
Location: Washington State
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| Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2005 9:37 pm Post subject: |
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If what I just heard on Foxnews is true, nothing would have stopped the flooding. A local resident repeated that he was told by another resident living along the levee that two empty grain barges broke loose and hit the levees, causing them to fail.
I have no idea of the veracity of this and can not find anything else about it, but this man seemed very convinced.
Edit: It was Actor Steve Harvey, working at a shelter there who said this. Maybe next time, I should turn around and see the TV  Still have no idea of the truthfulness of this. The resident who did tell this said his wife and family were swept away.
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becca1223
PO3
Joined: 23 Aug 2004
Posts: 293
Location: Colonial Heights, VA
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wpage
Lieutenant
Joined: 03 Aug 2004
Posts: 213
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| Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2005 6:48 am Post subject: |
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This is from the Louisiana State Constitution of 1974. Research should be conducted to verify if this section is still written as it was then. I do think it is. Have heard rumors that one of the Levee Commissions owns 2 jets and a marina? Questions should also be raised on where and how the taxes collected are spent.
http://senate.legis.state.la.us/Documents/Constitution/Article6.htm#§38. Levee%20Districts
| Quote: | PART III. LEVEE DISTRICTS
§38. Levee Districts
Section 38.(A) Retention; Reorganization; Consolidation. Levee districts as organized and constituted on January 1, 1974 shall continue to exist, except that
(1) The legislature may provide by law for the consolidation, division, or reorganization of existing levee districts or may create new levee districts. However, the members of the board of commissioners of a district heretofore or hereafter created shall be appointed or elected from among residents of the district, as provided by law.
(2) A levee district whose flood control responsibilities are limited to and which is situated entirely within one parish may be consolidated and merged into such parish under the terms and conditions and in the manner provided in Section 16 of this Article.
(B) Obligation of Contract Affirmed. No action taken under this Section shall impair the obligation of outstanding bonded indebtedness or of any other contract of a levee district.
§39. Levee District Taxes
Section 39.(A) District Tax; Millage Limit. For the purpose of constructing and maintaining levees, levee drainage, flood protection, hurricane flood protection, and for all other purposes incidental thereto, the governing authority of a levee district may levy annually a tax not to exceed five mills, except the Board of Levee Commissioners of the Orleans Levee District which may levy annually a tax not to exceed two and one-half mills, on the dollar of the assessed valuation of all taxable property situated within the alluvial portions of the district subject to overflow.
(B) Millage Increase. If the necessity to raise additional funds arises in any levee district for any purpose set forth in Paragraph (A), or for any other purpose related to its authorized powers and functions as specified by law, the tax may be increased. However, the necessity and the rate of the increase shall be submitted to the electors of the district, and the tax increase shall take effect only if approved by a majority of the electors voting thereon in an election held for that purpose.
§40. Bond Issues
Section 40.(A) Authorization. Subject to approval by the State Bond Commission or its successor, the governing authority of a levee district may fund the proceeds of its taxes or other revenues into bonds or other evidences of indebtedness. Proceeds thus derived shall be used for the purposes mentioned in Part III of this Article or for the funding or payment of any outstanding indebtedness.
(B) Sale. Bonds issued under the authority of Paragraph (A) shall be sold as provided by law concerning the issuance of bonds by levee districts.
§41. Cooperation with Federal Government
Section 41. The governing authority of any levee district may cooperate with the federal government in constructing and maintaining levees in this state, under terms and conditions provided by the federal authorities and accepted by the governing authority.
§42. Compensation for Property Used or Destroyed; Tax
Section 42.(A) Compensation. Notwithstanding any contrary provision of this constitution, lands and improvements thereon hereafter actually used or destroyed for levees or levee drainage purposes shall be paid for as provided by law. However, nothing contained in this Paragraph with respect to compensation for lands and improvements shall apply to batture or to property the control of which is vested in the state or any political subdivision for the purpose of commerce. If the district has no other funds or resources from which the payment can be made, it shall levy on all taxable property within the district a tax sufficient to pay for property used or destroyed to be used solely in the district where collected.
(B) Appropriation. Nothing in this Section shall prevent the appropriation of such property before payment. |
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Lieutenant
Joined: 03 Aug 2004
Posts: 213
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| Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2005 7:08 am Post subject: |
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Wonder if any construction resulting from this La. Act. has anything to do with the levees integrity?
| Quote: | HB79 - 2004 Regular Session (Act 82)
Author: HUTTER Status:
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR
ACT 82
Updated: 8/30/2004 4:39:42 PM
Summary: LEVEES/BDS & DISTRICTS: Authorizes the construction of bicycle paths and walkways along the main line levees of the Mississippi River in certain parishes (EN INCREASE FF EX See Note) |
Several of the affected Parish Levee Commissions
http://www.leadershipla.com/bnc_details.htm
| Quote: | East Jefferson Levee District, Board of Commissioners
203 Plauche Court
Harahan, LA 70123
(504) 733-0087
Governor makes appointments from list submitted by Jefferson Parish Legislative Delegation; must be qualified voter within district.
(created by R.S. 38:291(D)(2); 304)
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Alario, Alan D 400 Hammond Hwy, Ste. 3C
Metairie, LA 70005 (504) 831-8764
Bossetta, Patrick T 5517 Craig Avenue
Kenner, LA 70065 (504) 247-2128
Jaeger, Allen R 3909 Severn Avenue
Metairie, LA 70002 (504) 283-7585
Miller, Charles R 5024 Perdu Drive
Metairie, LA 70003 (504) 885-1430 |
| Quote: | Orleans Levee District, Board of Levee Commissioners of
6001 Stars & Stripes Blvd, Admin Bldg, Ste 202
New Orleans, LA 70126-8006
(504) 243-4064
6 members appointed by the Governor; must be qualified electors of Orleans Parish. Mayor of New Orleans or his designee and 1 other member of N.O. City Council, appointed by Mayor, serves Ex-Officio.
(created by R.S. 38:291(K), 304)
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Borne, Allen 223 Audubon Boulevard
New Orleans, LA 70118 (504) 899-1234
Foley, Daniel S 6500 Carlson
New Orleans, LA 70122 (504)586-9395
Green, Eugene 4939 Saint Roch Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70122 (504) 242-1300
Gusman, Marlin N 1300 Perdido Street Room 9E01
New Orleans, LA 70112 (504) 565-6570
Hazeur-Distance, Ellen 1300 Perdido Street Room 2W60
New Orleans, LA 70112 (504) 565-6305
Huey, James P 7300 Lakeshore Drive
New Olreans, LA 70124 (504) 256-3414
McCrossen, Michael #2 Finch Street
New Orleans, LA 70124 (504) 833-4375
Saizan, Darrel (Jr.) J 2321 Killdeer Street
New Orleans, LA 70122 (504) 522-5224 |
http://www.leadershipla.com/bnc_details.htm
| Quote: | West Jefferson Levee Dist. Bd. of Commissioners
c/o Jerry Spohrer 7001 River Road (Rhonda Ward)
Marrero, LA 70072
(504) 340-0318
Members shall be appointed by Governor from list of nominations submitted by Jefferson Parish Legislators serving within the Levee District. Must be qualified electors and reside within the district.
(created by R.S. 38:291(R), 304)
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Beerbohm, Darrel 2180 South Glencove Lane
Terrytown, LA 70056 (504) 392-9610
Boudreaux, Alvin J 1349 Garden Road
Marrero, LA 70072 (504) 340-4444
Cahill, Harry (III) L 3740 Lake Michel Court
Gretna, LA 70053 (504) 227-9898
Cheramie, Milton J 1311 Mimosa Street
Marrero, LA 70072 (504) 341-8702
Kerner, Timothy P 1156 Jean Lafitte Blvd
Laffite, LA 70067 (504) 689-2208
Plaisance, Tommy (Sr.) 1100 Hickory Drive
Westwego, LA 70094 (504) 328-1233
Robbins, Robert (Jr.) M 4701 14th Street
Marrero, LA 70072 (504) 842-2756
Soutullo, Catherine J 1109 Washington Street
Gretna, LA 70053 (504) 361-4414
Territo, Peter (Sr.) R 620 Fos Avenue
Harvey, LA 70058 (504) 341-3823 |
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GenrXr
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Joined: 05 Aug 2004
Posts: 1720
Location: Houston
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| Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2005 7:22 am Post subject: Re: Why a SuperDome not a SuperLevee? |
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| wwIIvetsdaughter wrote: | | For Bush Haters who want to blame the Adminstration for the Lake Ponchitrain levee break: Why did elected officals in this very poor city in a very poor state spent hundreds of millions to build a SuperDome when they could of just as easily spent that to built a SuperLevee to protect below sea-level NOLA unless that expendature was the will of the people? |
hehe well said
_________________
"An activist is the person who cleans up the water, not the one claiming its dirty."
"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to stand by and do nothing." Edmund Burke (1729-1797), Founder of Conservative Philosophy |
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wpage
Lieutenant
Joined: 03 Aug 2004
Posts: 213
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| Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2005 7:22 am Post subject: |
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I can't get to this site. Maybe because of power failure at Tulane, but there should be other sites that have the below search engine data:
| Quote: | Welcome to Tulane Special Collections
Orleans Levee District Commissioner Ethics Violation 89-0235-1 ... West Jefferson Levee District Board of Commissioners Questionable Activities 91-0015-1 ...specialcollections.tulane.edu/IGR/IGRI_OW.html [Found on Google, Ask Jeeves] |
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Lieutenant
Joined: 03 Aug 2004
Posts: 213
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| Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2005 7:36 am Post subject: |
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An example of Levee Commission politics and corruption?
http://web.archive.org/web/20041118045527/http://www.louisianaweekly.com/cgi-bin/weekly/news/articlegate.pl?20020408d
| Quote: | Small Consolations In Airport Privatization
By Christopher Tidmore
April 8, 2002
Peggy Wilson has been asking pesky questions again!
Governor Foster installed the newest commissioner on the Orleans Levee Board with the admonition to "shake things up," and at the very least she has gotten the attention of her fellow board members by her unwillingness to rubber stamp the privatization of Lakefront Airport.
In committee meetings, she has brought up "irresponsible" questions such as: Why is American Airports Corporation (AAC) [the company who received the privatization contract] only paying the Board $300,000 per year when one of the airport's tenants, Million Air, pays $400,000 for just one hanger? Is it right for the board to approve a 50-year management contract when we ended up with just one bidder for the airport? Is it appropriate that a paid consultant to the Levee District, Larry Sisung, owns 20% of the management company? Does that constitute a conflict of interest? Has anyone from the board or its consultants actually visited one of AAC's airports to see if they know what they are doing? Was Lakefront Airport even losing money in the first place?
In other words, Wilson is asking questions that most of her fellow board members seemingly have taken pains to ignore - and, with the exception of a few comments by Marlin Gusman, generally have made sure the public did not hear them.
Decades ago, the Orleans Levee Board built the small commuter airport on land reclaimed from Lake Pontchartrain. Two years ago, on the justification that the airpark was losing money, the state agency hit upon the idea of contracting the management of the Lakefront terminal to a private operator. The Levee District billed the concept with the trendy term "privatization," but in actuality, the commissioners never intended to sell the airport.
Instead of a cash transaction as New Orleans Mayor-elect Nagin has advocated for Armstrong International, the Levee Board sought to rent the airport for 50 years in exchange for a lease fee.
The idea had a certain degree of merit. A private contractor would have a greater incentive to market and run the airport efficiently. Almost immediately, Board President Jim Huey and Executive Director Max Hearn entertained inquiries. The first came from British Port Services that offered the state agency $5 million and a 50/50 division on all gross revenues that the airport produced.
The deal was attractive, but word came from the Governor's office that the Board should put such a large transaction up for public bid. Since technically, the Levee Board has no requirements that contracts enter a competitive selection process, Huey's decision to do so seemed quite laudable.
Yet, almost from the beginning, problems plagued the privatization process. The board hired Infrastructure Management Group, one of the few firms with airport privatization experience ( Until Congress changed the law in the mid-1990's, there was not much of a market. Local governments were disinclined to relinquish control of airports considering that prior to the legislation, they had to repay every federal dollar ever invested in their airports to the FAA).
Requests for proposals (RFP) were issued.
IMG narrowed the initial field of six bidders to what the firm determined as two remaining qualified applicants, TBI Airports Management and American Airports Corporation. The former, TBI is an airport management firm of international scope. It has operated airparks all over the world for decades with a long and laudable track record. The latter, AAC, was a relative newcomer to the field. Its parent company had run mainly golf courses. In the last half decade, though, the firm has picked up the management of five airports.
Three weeks ago, the Orleans Levee District intended to proceed with the awarding of the management contract to AAC. Before the vote however, Wilson raised more questions. In the presentation, AAC committed to pay the board a guaranteed $300,000 per year. She pointed out that Million Air (as stated above) paid $400,000; could not the board get a better deal - especially since AAC was the only bidder?
The commissioners ignored the first question saying this contract was the best they could obtain after a two-year search. Wilson then wondered if any member had even visited or investigated any of AAC's managed airports. They responded no, but they had spoken to the managers on the telephone and these individuals told them what a good job that their employer, AAC, had done.
Wilson then surprised the board when she asked Sisung about the management firm partnership that he had with AAC. Officially, the airport would operate under the corporate name American Lakefront Airports, LLC, a subsidiary of ACC that was 20% owned by Sisung's United Professionals, Inc. Wilson had contacted the Secretary of State's Office and found out that American Lakefront Airports was not even incorporated. The Levee Board was about to award a contract to an organization that did not exist.
On a roll, Wilson observed that the Levee Board had voted all power for choosing the private contractor to the Special Airport Committee. Therefore, though a full member of the Levee Board, she and several of her colleagues did not have a vote on the matter and were not even allowed to peruse the financial documents that AAC provided.
She asked Chief Council Benoit if this was even legal under the state constitution. The meeting adjourned for a week shortly after her statements, and when it reconvened, a motion was made for the vote of the entire board. While they would not admit it, she was quite right. The state Constitution does not allow boards and commissions to transfer their power away to another body any more than a state legislator could transfer his powers to another individual.
It passed anyway, and AAC got the contract despite the questions.
Apparently, Wilson's reward for exercising her constitutionally given oversight powers is potential removal from OLD. Despite Foster's admonitions to do just that, his aides Terry Ryder and Bernie Boudreaux summoned her to the Governor's office to review her behavior on the board, and one inside source revealed to The Weekly that her confirmation as a commissioner may be opposed by Huey's political patron Senator Francis Heitmeier and his allies.
Wilson would not be the first to be treated in that manner. Former Orleans Levee Board commissioners Billy Nungesser and Scott Sewell had similar experiences at the hands of the state Senate after they leveled criticisms at the District's practices.
Wilson's predecessor on the Board, Sister Kathleen Cain found her oversight so ignored that she resigned. Publicly, Sr. Kathleen had little comment, but The Weekly obtained a damning letter she had written to Governor Foster in which she said, "It is time to make significant changes if the OLD is to continue to gain any confidence with the general public and operate on a sound footing...The last incident with President Huey, involving inside council, outside council, and the administration concerning Mr. Namer is a prime example of why changes need to occur."
She referred, of course, to the hiring of private investigation firm Lauland Security Consultants by Huey to follow New Orleans talk show host Robert Namer (a story that first appeared in The Louisiana Weekly), but she also expressed many of Wilson's concerns about the operation of the Levee Board. (In a telephone interview with The Weekly, Sister Cain confirmed the veracity of the text of the letter saying, "It's self explanatory." She added, "It wasn't meant for public consumption.")
When this reporter asked Gov. Foster recently about his views on the privatization and the Orleans Levee Board, he looked pensively frustrated before saying, "At least they don't have as much money to mess around with."
For Wilson and the public at large, small consolation indeed. |
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Lieutenant
Joined: 03 Aug 2004
Posts: 213
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| Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2005 7:55 am Post subject: |
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This is a very important piece of State Legislation because the exact site location this legislation mentions is where the levee wall protecting the 9th Ward (poor section of New Orleans) was breached. Remember early when it breached that someone pointed this out on TV. This is a massive USACE project that has been ongoing for several years and scheduled to last until near 2012. It has been somewhat compared to the "Boston Big Dig" boondoggle as far a wasted/corrupted money is concerned. I think this is one reason that the Bush Administration had possibly cut funding until it could be reevaluated?
http://www.legis.state.la.us/lss/lss.asp?doc=92435
| Quote: | SUBPART C. INNER HARBOR NAVIGATION CANAL
§41. Contracts for necessary improvements
For the purpose of developing the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal in the City of New Orleans, and more particularly to enable the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans to place the lands adjacent to said canal, owned by private land owners, in a condition suitable to provide industrial sites to be served by laterals connected with the said canal, the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans is authorized to contract with the Board of Levee Commissioners of the Orleans Levee District, the City of New Orleans, the Public Belt Railroad thereof, the Sewerage & Water Board thereof, other corporations, and property owners or groups of property owners, for the construction of all necessary improvements for the purposes provided in this Section. |
The USACE has a special website on this IHNC project below:
http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/prj/ihnc/index.asp
| Quote: | Welcome to our Industrial Canal Lock Replacement Project web site. We have developed this comprehensive site to provide you with up-to-date, factual information about the project scope and related activities. This site is also available in a TEXT-ONLY format to aid vision-impaired users.
The existing Industrial Canal Lock is a vital link in the nation's inland waterway navigation system. It connects the Mississippi River, the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW), the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet (MRGO), the Industrial Canal (also known as the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal), and Lake Pontchartrain. View an area map (24 kb, gif format). The Port of New Orleans completed the existing lock in 1921. Now a historic engineering landmark, it has served its purpose well for many decades.
Growth in waterway traffic over the years has made the Industrial Canal Lock one of the nation's most congested locks with an average wait of 10 hours, but often as much as 24-36 hours. The basic problem is that the current lock is simply too small to accommodate the volume of existing and future traffic. The lock is 75 feet wide by 640 feet long and 31.5 feet deep. The replacement lock will be 110 feet wide by 1200 feet long and 36 feet deep. The new lock will provide continued deep-draft access to the Industrial Canal and an almost three-fold increase in lock chamber capacity.
Replacement of the lock was originally authorized in the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1956, but many years of planning and community involvement were required before Congress authorized construction in 1998. Planning for the new lock has been very controversial with earlier design alternatives involving significant loss of wetlands in St. Bernard Parish or major disruptions to the densely urbanized areas adjoining the existing lock in New Orleans. A product of community input and innovative design, the authorized project [b]provides for construction of the new lock without residential relocations and with minimal disruption to navigation traffic in the canal and vehicular traffic on bridge crossings over the canal.
Although the project has been designed to minimize disruptions, the magnitude and duration (approximately 12 years of project construction) will impact adjoining urban areas including two historic districts. In order to address these impacts, Congress specifically authorized a $37 million Community Impact Mitigation Plan in the Water Resources Development Act of 1996. Mitigation will address job training, improved police protection, upgrading existing playgrounds and many other improvements. The Mitigation Plan is considered an innovative and integral feature of the project and it is being implemented as construction gets underway. In fact, for its mitigation work, the American Planning Association honored the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and its contractor, gcr & associates, inc. with a national planning award, "Outstanding Non-Military Federal Planning Project" of 2001. |
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