Big Ole Mess - Email to a friend

It looks like a big mess.

I was really pissed to see a CNN reporter trying to
get the MS governor (Haley Barbour) to say that the
Federal gov't has fallen down on the response.  While
I'm no fan of the former head of the RNC - I was proud
to say that Barbour didn't take the bait.  In fact he
chewed out the CNN reporter for trying to set him up.

Nothing is ever going to run smoothly in a disaster of
this magnitude.  The federal gov't is not a monolith.
We just play one on t.v.

I'm still in Atlanta churning out funding memos that
allow the Corps of Engineers to spend money.  Not
involved in Louisiana stuff - just MS and AL.  We've
set up close to $60M funds for just Corps to spend in
those states.  $100M Funding has been approved for use
in the purchase water and ice across the whole
disaster.

Anyways, the existing Corps plans to dewater New
Orleans in such a disaster have always said that it
would take months if the situation was this bad.  No
one would say that on the news two days ago.  But it's
finally coming out now.  People just need to accept
that shit happens and it's going to take time to
resolve these complex issues/problems.

The Corps will be cleaning this mess up for two years.
My prediction.  We're going to have to go in and
raze those neighborhoods that are flooded.  It'll be
interesting to see how they rebuild New Orleans.  Why
move thousands of people back into a dangerous area?
Because we're americans, dammit and we're not going to
get beaten by mother nature.

I should be in Atlanta through next Tues or Weds.
Then I'm hoping to get an interesting job to do down
in LA.    Today I've had nervous flippy floppies in my
stomach about going down there.  Maybe I'll get over
that now and then I'll be less nervous next week.

As one of my colleagues put it, we're not going to be
home much over the next two years, are we?  But (come
hell or high water - what a pun!) I'm still coming to
Lawrence for a KU game this winter!!!!