"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:eLNUe.321892$x96.27592@attbi_s72...
[...]
New Orleans politicians were at the very least incompetent, at the very
most criminally responsible for the death of their city. If the Federal
Government didn't do something, it is only because local politicians
didn't lobby hard enough or effectively.

That statement is as incorrect as George's. For example, money had in fact
been budgeted for repair of the levees, but later was diverted to fund the
Iraq war. Likewise, a significant component of FEMA's ineffectiveness is
tied directly to the whole Department of Homeland Security boondoggle.

Using your logic, we pilots are completely, solely responsible for the
pseudo-ADIZ around the DC area, and the defacto closure of the "DC3" general
aviation airports, because we "didn't lobby hard enough or effectively".
You may actually believe that, but I doubt you'd find many in agreement with
that belief. I certainly am not.

Let's reverse the question, George. Who, in your opinion, inside the
Federal Government, was "The Man" responsible for "fixing" New Orleans?
Who failed?

Why does it have to be one single person? The failure was a conspiracy of
apathy and short-term gains, along with some severly misguided priorities,
across all levels of government.

Pete