My view on the Katrina rebuild of NO levies.

We must clarify whether the failure was incorrectly constructed levies or was it the whole system of levies being inadequate. To me from what I heard and read it appears that the category 3 hurricane levies in the most part held and that after the level 5 Storm hit the beach its strength diminished to a 3 anyway. Now that we know where all of the weak spots are why not be satisfied with a category 3 rebuild? Sure the people in NO are scared, but we need to face the cost factors also.

that's the one that caused the massive death toll.

levees correctly. The pilings were way too short. The feds are culpable and need to remedy the situation. We are now spending billions a month in Iraq; we can spend a few billion to rebuild the most important port city in the US. New Orleans is the only truly unique city in the country; it has given us our music, our magic and our soul.

that people have written about the worst case scenario for NO for a long time.

The fact is that the city is below sea level in what was once a wetland area!

Nature wants it back.

Levees may not be able to be constructed to be strong enough to withstand a Cat3, 4, or especially 5, when the city is below sea level. The pump system goes out too easily, several inches of rainfall can flood the city.

The levees were destined to fail.

I say, rebuild NO farther inland, or build the city up above sea level.

Nothing will be cheap, so why not do it right

An excellent program on what happened...and sadly, what didn't happen and appears not to be happening.

It appears the canal issue is two-fold. The lower 9th flooding and that that came in off the Shipping Canal was caused by the storm surge coming up the Intercoastal Canal...a 15 or higher foot wall of water that overtopped that levee. A storm gate and restoring the watershed and delta wetlands could curtail any future surge of that size. Had the surge been half, a good chance that canal could have held.

The other issue were the 17th street and London canals. Those didn't take anywhere near the surge and appears to have failed due to aging and other construction problems. Those canals will have to be rebuilt and with higher and deeper walls to ensure their integrity.

Bottom line is that Katrina could have been prevented, but it ran so much against too many interests...this catastrophe, sadly, was one asking to happen...almost like a self-fulfilled prophecy.

The problem here is not what to rebuild or why, but are the people put the economic interests of that area supreme to that of the people living there. The system will be rebuilt...there's too much money involved here to just abandon one of the largest ports in the country...it's now how safe the people who live on the sides of those canals will be, and how valuable it is to all involved.

and oil interests...those same oil interests that ruined the coast in which you speak to begin with...how about the nat'l. government stealing La. oil revenues for the past 50+ years?...


How about this instead. How about La. get its rightful share of its own oil revenues (plus make good and award for retroactive back theft),and give us back our La. National Guard (that is half a world away, where they have no place being), and call it 'even'.