Louisiana Officials Could Lose the Katrina Blame Game
 

By Jeff Johnson
CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer
September 07, 2005

(CNSNews.com) - The Bush administration is being widely criticized for the emergency response to Hurricane Katrina and the allegedly inadequate protection for "the big one" that residents had long feared would hit New Orleans. But research into more than ten years of reporting on hurricane and flood damage mitigation efforts in and around New Orleans indicates that local and state officials did not use federal money that was available for levee improvements or coastal reinforcement and often did not secure local matching funds that would have generated even more federal funding.

In December of 1995, the Orleans Levee Board, the local government entity that oversees the levees and floodgates designed to protect New Orleans and the surrounding areas from rising waters, bragged in a supplement to the Times-Picayune newspaper about federal money received to protect the region from hurricanes.

"In the past four years, the Orleans Levee Board has built up its arsenal. The additional defenses are so critical that Levee Commissioners marched into Congress and brought back almost $60 million to help pay for protection," the pamphlet declared. "The most ambitious flood-fighting plan in generations was drafted. An unprecedented $140 million building campaign launched 41 projects."

The levee board promised Times-Picayune readers that the "few manageable gaps" in the walls protecting the city from Mother Nature's waters "will be sealed within four years (1999) completing our circle of protection."

But less than a year later, that same levee board was denied the authority to refinance its debts. Legislative Auditor Dan Kyle "repeatedly faulted the Levee Board for the way it awards contracts, spends money and ignores public bid laws," according to the Times-Picayune. The newspaper quoted Kyle as saying that the board was near bankruptcy and should not be allowed to refinance any bonds, or issue new ones, until it submitted an acceptable plan to achieve solvency.

Blocked from financing the local portion of the flood fighting efforts, the levee board was unable to spend the federal matching funds that had been designated for the project.

By 1998, Louisiana's state government had a $2 billion construction budget, but less than one tenth of one percent of that -- $1.98 million -- was dedicated to levee improvements in the New Orleans area. State appropriators were able to find $22 million that year to renovate a new home for the Louisiana Supreme Court and $35 million for one phase of an expansion to the New Orleans convention center.

The following year, the state legislature did appropriate $49.5 million for levee improvements, but the proposed spending had to be allocated by the State Bond Commission before the projects could receive financing. The commission placed the levee improvements in the "Priority 5" category, among the projects least likely to receive full or immediate funding.

The Orleans Levee Board was also forced to defer $3.7 million in capital improvement projects in its 2001 budget after residents of the area rejected a proposed tax increase to fund its expanding operations. Long term deferments to nearly 60 projects, based on the revenue shortfall, totaled $47 million worth of work, including projects to shore up the floodwalls.

No new state money had been allocated to the area's hurricane protection projects as of October of 2002, leaving the available 65 percent federal matching funds for such construction untouched.

"The problem is money is real tight in Baton Rouge right now," state Sen. Francis Heitmeier (D-Algiers) told the Times-Picayune. "We have to do with what we can get."

Louisiana Commissioner of Administration Mark Drennen told local officials that, if they reduced their requests for state funding in other, less critical areas, they would have a better chance of getting the requested funds for levee improvements. The newspaper reported that in 2000 and 2001, "the Bond Commission has approved or pledged millions of dollars for projects in Jefferson Parish, including construction of the Tournament Players Club golf course near Westwego, the relocation of Hickory Avenue in Jefferson (Parish) and historic district development in Westwego."

There is no record of such discretionary funding requests being reduced or withdrawn, but in October of 2003, nearby St. Charles Parish did receive a federal grant for $475,000 to build bike paths on top of its levees.

Earlier this year, the levee board did complete a $2.5 million restoration project. After months of delays, officials rolled away fencing to reveal the restored 1962 Mardi Gras fountain in a four-acre park featuring a new 600-foot plaza between famous Lakeshore Drive and the sea wall.

Financing for the renovation came from a property tax passed by New Orleans voters in 1983. The tax, which generates more than $6 million each year for the levee board, is dedicated to capital projects. Levee board officials defended more than $600,000 in cost overruns for the Mardi Gras fountain project, according to the Times-Picayune, "citing their responsibility to maintain the vast green space they have jurisdiction over along the lakefront."

What the hell?

Funny I heard the Whitehouse would not allocate finances to the levee since much money was needed for the "war on TERROR" and that the state of Luisianna got the jerk around in the process.

Its more then just bush's fault this time.

your going to believe the christian news service your kidding right.

Blame will fall everywhere naturally.
The above just shows typical city/state misshandling of funds and working on less important touristy projects, it happens everywhere.
What shall be hard for the public to understand is that there will be multiple why questions all with different levels of blame. People will soon get confused when the sides are pointing figures at how it happened, while the other side is talking about how it was handled.

That is NOT what happened with the funds.

You are incorrect and spreading falsehoods.

Did New Orleans Catastrophe Have to Happen? 'Times-Picayune' Had Repeatedly Raised Federal Spending Issues

exactly

the blind leading the blind

Hey do not say I am incorrect and spreading falsehoods. I just said it just shows typical city/state misshandling of funds and working on less important touristy projects. I do not know for a fact that is what happened to the funds, if they got them and all that shit.
Hell I know our city has had some federal funds for projects from several years back, and the check is still in the mail.

Spin. Yes, in 1995, they bragged - because Congress promised a bunch of money after people died.

And dont forget, in 2003 is when the funding stopped.

Ive been following this topic for years

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/ea..._id=1001051313

You clearly stated that this was the state misuse of funds for tourist projects. You have no clue about what you are talking about. The funds for levees are raised by a state tax on outboard motors, the funds have been in use for decades and have stopped coming in because of iraq - yet the tax is still there.

You can deny it all you want, but you are spreading falsehoods. If anyone is "misusing funds" - its the Government for taxing outboard motors and not using the funds for intended purposes.

Ok your right, the state has never misused funds for tourist projects first, NO is special that way and above all of the other states that have done it.
As for not having a clue what I am talking about, again sure your right man. Not a clue around me at all. Even though I have never taken a side on this issue at all and am very familiar with Federal funds not helping or arriving when they claim they have or should.
If you see what I said as wrote as spreading falsehoods so be it, guess I am then and you are always right.

Since the 1930s, when levee building began in earnest, Louisiana has lost a million acres of its coastal wetlands, and faces the loss of another 640,000 additional acres -- an area the size of Rhode Island -- by 2050 !

The environmentalists fought really hard against the levies and just 2 years ago the New York Times blasted more funding for the levies.

The area the levy gave way was an updated section that was just completed so more money wouldn't have done anything to stop the flood.