Dutch Treat
No expense is too great to save New Orleans from another flood, so Louisiana officials are going to the experts:
Officials from Louisiana, visiting the Netherlands in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, hailed Dutch know-how on Thursday and said they still had much to learn to prevent future flood disasters.A lot of work indeed, Senator. First you need to entice former residents to return to the Big Easy. Then you need to train them all to run to the levees at the first sign of disaster to watch for leaks. Find leak, insert finger, call Ray Nagin and wait for help to arrive.
"We feel we've benefited from centuries of expertise," said Sen. Mary Landrieu, a Democrat who, with a group of engineers, academics and businessmen from the U.S. state, toured Dutch flood control and water management systems this week.
"Clearly, we have a lot of work ahead," she added.
Posted by Songbird at 1:45 PM
2 Comments:
I guess some people will find this funny, but I did not. I'm living and blogging in New Oleans, and while it's easy to be smug, there are a lot of good people here who need help. We can rebuild our homes and businesses on our own. But we need significant hurricane protection first!
Peace,
Tim
Tim, I do humbly apologize for offending. At second read, this does appear smug, and that was not the intention. I just find myself continually shaking my head at some of the decisions of the political leaders of New Orleans and Louisiana.
With some longtime family friends having left New Orleans just ahead of the flood, and several friends and family members in both Mississippi and East Texas whose houses and property were destroyed by Katrina and Rita, respectively, I do not find the pain and destruction you have been through funny at all. I have spent several weekends and part of my own vacation time in the New Orleans area and in East Texas delivering food, water and other supplies, and working in the Beaumont and Jasper areas to help with cleanup and rebuilding. My family has also been very involved with our church's efforts to sponsor several Louisiana families that have relocated to Houston because of the devastation.
What aggravates me, as someone who has seen the destruction and talked to so many who were personally affected, is how Mayor Nagin, Governor Blanco and other political leaders seem to have spent so much time and effort in shifting blame, rather than finding solutions. And when we finally do hear of some research being done, it does strike me as humorous that they have turned to the Dutch, simply because of the old children's tale of the little Dutch boy.
Again, please forgive the insult -- none was intended.
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