With respect to Saint......

[Rob-Raz]

An earlier thread by Saint was locked and I feel partially resonsible. I ask that anyone who cares to comment on his original post on the Katrina disaster, political views aside, do so in this thread:

My apologies Saint. 

[D.A.L.U.I.]

No apologies necessary, I exercised my right as the original poster to lock it.  I never intended for it to become at all a polarizing issue--just one guy and his family's experience that showed that it was a different storm for everyone in the City at that time.  I used some examples that others felt strongly about and they expressed their views.  Mine were generated not only as a resident but as a guy who worked in gov't. at the time.  That view wasn't popular for whatever reason.  I've locked it, and it will stay locked.

[schro]

As someone who has spent very little time in the gulf, I can only imagine what people went thru down there.
I was in NOLA for a brief visit and couldn't help but notice that they are a very proud people.

Best wishes for a continued recovery.

[tomgallagher]

Now that you have a Landrieu back in the saddle I'm sure that things will start looking up.

[D.A.L.U.I.]

Now that you have a Landrieu back in the saddle I'm sure that things will start looking up.

With all due respect Tom, that is exactly the type of "personalization" that drove me to lock the other thread.  In all these discussions, personality is not the issue, it's effective governance.  

The Chinese saying/proverb is probably the best expression of my view:  It doesn't matter if a cat is black or white, as long as it can catch mice, it's a good cat.

This proverb was either composed or made famous by Deng XiaoPing in 1961 when he exclaimed, "I don't care if it's a white cat or a black cat. It's a good cat so long as it catches mice" when his critics pointed out that his ideas were Capitalistic (free market). The response was meant to say, "It does not matter if it's Communist or Capitalist, as long as it works".
None of our leaders, whether they be blue, red, whatever can look with pride and a sense of accomplishment on their reaction to Katrina, not one.  Some learned from the experience more than others, but they all failed.  None caught the mouse in time.

[tomgallagher]

Oh OK, sorry about that. I thpught he would be good for NOLA.

[tomgallagher]

Now that you have a Landrieu back in the saddle I'm sure that things will start looking up.

With all due respect Tom, that is exactly the type of "personalization" that drove me to lock the other thread.  In all these discussions, personality is not the issue, it's effective governance. 

The Chinese saying/proverb is probably the best expression of my view:  It doesn't matter if a cat is black or white, as long as it can catch mice, it's a good cat.

This proverb was either composed or made famous by Deng XiaoPing in 1961 when he exclaimed, "I don't care if it's a white cat or a black cat. It's a good cat so long as it catches mice" when his critics pointed out that his ideas were Capitalistic (free market). The response was meant to say, "It does not matter if it's Communist or Capitalist, as long as it works".
None of our leaders, whether they be blue, red, whatever can look with pride and a sense of accomplishment on their reaction to Katrina, not one.  Some learned from the experience more than others, but they all failed.  None caught the mouse in time.

Agreed.

[D.A.L.U.I.]

As someone who has spent very little time in the gulf, I can only imagine what people went thru down there.
I was in NOLA for a brief visit and couldn't help but notice that they are a very proud people.

Best wishes for a continued recovery.

Yeah, you right!, as they say here.  The following are some before and after pictures in Lakeview, an area that was immediately adjacent to the 17th Street Canal breach.  This part of town hasn't received the same attention as others, but these pictures illustrate how much has been done, and if you look carefully you can see some remaining damage in some pictures.  There are still numerous homes that haven't been rebuilt and empty lots where the owners had the structures demolished and didn't rebuild.  Try, if you can, to think what your feelings would have been coming back to see your home, your parents' and friends' in this situation.  These people really bore the brunt of the damage, and it wasn't a hurricane, I remind you again, it was poor engineering and construction by the US Corps of Engineers.  They are immune from legal responsibility for this.  My family was spared this kind of damage. 

http://photos.nola.com/tpphotos/2010/08/lakeview_in_the_katrina_flood_8.html