New Orleans Levee Board Under Fire

Or, I drove my Chevy to the levee and the levee tried to sell me a used car? I'm not sure. And I didn't even know about this story when I began making phone calls to try and understand what happened in New Orleans at the ground level.

Levee board under federal investigation before Katrina hit

Rampant public corruption was doing big business in New Orleans long before Hurricane Katrina ever hit. What then Congressman, now Senator David Vitter calls "corrupt, good old boy" practices were apparent in the New Orleans Levee Board just one year before the collapse of regional levees, emergency communications and government services brought the Big Easy to the brink of anarchy. In fact, Senator David Vitter requested a federal investigation into improper practices of a number of public utilities, including the New Orleans Levee Board, and a new Task Force was to have been initiated in the Baton Rouge office, beginning in July 2004.

Actually, I didn't know New Orleans even had a Levee Board, did you? In talking to several people, including a high level State Government Official, a Senior, experienced individual involved with regional emergency planning and more than a few other credible sources, one word always stood out so plainly I began to think the New Orleans Levee Board might be a fruit. The word was Plum, as in political.

The levee board is a quasi-political governmental body, translation: according to some, how much did you give and to whom did you give it. But maybe that's just talk - a lot of talk. Because the levee board has done many things: Oh yes, they have.

Orleans Levee District, a quasi-governmental body, is resposponsible(sic) for 129 miles of earthen levees, floodwalls, 190 floodgates, 2 flood control structures, and 100 valves. The governor appoints six of the board's eight members, and they serve at his pleasure. When a storm approaches it is responsible for closing the hundreds of hurricane protection floodgates and valves on levees surrounding the city. All residents outside of these levees evacuate.

The District's General Fund accounts for all operating funds for the daily operations of the Administrative Offices, Field Forces, Law Enforcement and support operations necessary to maintain the Board's level of services for flood protection and public safety.

The District's Special Levee Improvement Projects Fund (SLIP) accounts for the capital funds for major maintenance and/or capital improvements of all physical property and plant owned by the Board that is identified as directly related to flood protection.

Ironically enough, it doesn't require an engineering degree, or any type of experience with a levee to serve on the levee board in New Orleans. It says only that: they serve at his (the Governor's) pleasure.

It's my understanding that the levee board is often primarily composed of business people.

6 members appointed by the Governor; must be qualified electors of Orleans Parish. Mayor of New Orleans or his designee and 1 other member of N.O. City Council, appointed by Mayor, serves Ex-Officio.

But it would appear they did their job.

On Saturday at 7 p.m., the Hurricane Center placed the storm 360 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, with winds of 115 mph. The forecast projected the storm sweeping directly over the city.

The Hurricane Center posted a hurricane warning from Morgan City to the Alabmama-Florida line.

President Bush declared a state of emergency in Louisiana, authorizing federal emergency management officials to release federal aid and coordinate disaster relief efforts.

By mid-afternoon, officials in Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, Lafourche, Terrebonne and Jefferson parishes had called for voluntary or mandatory evacuations.

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin followed at 5 p.m., issuing a voluntary evacuation.

Nagin said late Saturday that he's having his legal staff look into whether he can order a mandatory evacuation of the city, a step he's been hesitant to do because of potential liability on the part of the city for closing hotels and other businesses.

Levee board officials around the area closed or prepared to close floodgates to protect low-lying areas. The Orleans Parish Levee District said it would close floodgates and sever Louisiana 11 and U.S. 90 at today at 6 p.m., cutting that route to or from the city. Most other floodgates already were closed.

It also appears that a great deal of decisions in and around New Orleans, even among levee board members, get made with business, not necessarily a levee, in mind.

The District's General Improvement Fund accounts for the capital funds for major maintenance or capital improvement of all physical property and plant owned by the Board that is not identified as directly related to flood protection. These projects relate to land reclamation, commercial buildings, improvements (other than buildings), and infrastructure.

The Orleans Marina currently operates with 355 open slips, 66 boathouses, a Harbor Master Office, as well as related marine amenities. The South Shore Harbor Marina was officially dedicated September 19, 1987. The Marina operates with 447 open slips, 26 cover slips, marina center, fuel dock, and Harbor Master Office as well as related marina amenities. The Belle of Orleans gaming operation is housed at South Shore Harbor and is the principal tenant in the harbor. The annual operations require a subsidy to satisfy the operating shortfall resulting from a substantial debt service requirement on the outstanding Marina Public Improvement bonds.

The New Orleans Lakefront Airport commercially operates with 3 fixed base operators, 13 office tenants, and 10 hangar occupants. A hydrocarbon aviation fuel farm facility is used for on-site sales of all aviation fuels at Lakefront Airport. The annual operations require a subsidy to satisfy the operating short-fall resulting from the labor intensive costs of daily operations of Administration, Fire Safety and Maintenance, as well as the reimbursement to the General Fund for an advance used for the early call of the $4,000,000 Fuel Farm Revenue Bonds.

Along with establishing an Airport and Marina, the levee board is said to have also played a key role in establishing a floating casino and a fiber-optic cable network around the levee. Unfortunately, fiber optics don't hold back much water. However, I would think they, along with a marina, casino and private airport certainly could be good for business. One source indicated that the levee board spent approximately two-million dollars to erect a fountain and light show at a local lake in recent years.

To be fair, I haven't spoken to anyone from the levee board itself. Along with time restrictions, communications aren't the best in that region right now and my resources are limited, unlike some news sources. So, I wonder, will any major news outlet drive their Chevy to the levee board? Something tells me if they do, they'll find the levee board dry ... and safe, and I would hope so. Unfortunately, that can't be said for many of the citizens of New Orleans who didn't serve at the Governor's pleasure on the levee board.

Many of those people couldn't drive their Chevy's to the levee board, assuming they had one ... their Chevy, like too much of everything else in New Orleans would be underwater ... thanks, in large part, to the levee. And I doubt that many of them made it to the marina or airport to escape, or can call friends or family on what is most likely a totally or partially destroyed fiber optic network.

And somehow something tells me they might not have much use for the pretty fountain these days, either. Call it a guess.

This post is also available at Blogger News Network.

Comments

[bhm mom too]

wow. a levee board. what a failure. would hate to be one of the people on that board and be held accountable.

[WI Mom]

Thanks. Very interesting. It sounds like some could not even afford a Chevy, because others were greedy. I hope we get the whole truth in the future, but we must continue to help those in need.

[Isabell]

Levee Board! Of course there is a levee board! Why wouldn't there be a levee board. It is important to have a group of people who know nothing about levee's on the levee board. What is so confusing about this? Everyone knows if you are going to have levee's you must have a levee board. Seems kind of obvious to me. Just kidding of course. Dan you really went off with this chevy levee thing. It is funny and I starting to wonder if you ran for the levee board and lost. Is that where all this levee board envy is coming from?

[!]

Dan, I thought that link was to the song ! Dang, haven't heard that song in a long time. :O(

I do not know much about this levee board thing. SOUNDS TOO MUCH LIKE THEY WERE PLAYING ON A WEGEE BOARD. LOL

[!]

Dan, I thought that link was to the song ! Dang, haven't heard that song in a long time. :O(

I do not know much about this levee board thing. SOUNDS TOO MUCH LIKE THEY WERE PLAYING ON A WEGEE BOARD. LOL

[Bullgator]

Dan, thanks for bringing this out. It needs to be emphasized that the Army Corps of Engineers is actually only responsible for the Mississippi River levees. All others levees in New Orleans (including those that broke) are under the jurisdiction of the local levee boards.

[usmcmom]

wow. a levee board. what a failure. would hate to be one of the people on that board and be held accountable.

Posted by: bhm mom too | Sep 6, 2005 10:54:39 PM

If the laws in LA are similar to Alabama, not one single person in this mess is going to be held legally liable for any of this. They are all indemnified of wrong-doing about the decisions they made. Folks of Louisiana will have no recourse against them for their mutliple offenses of arrogance, ignorance, grandstanding, and cluelessness. Now if they can prove graft, corruption, or fraud.. that is a different story! I've been wondering since last week, when the NY Times article stated that the 17th Street levee, the one that broke, was actually an updated levee, is anyone going to investigate the construction contracts??... That is the investigation, along with how did the levee board spend it's money, that I want to see!! ... Who where the construction contracts given to, did they follow public bid laws, and what were their affiliations with the powers that be in the State. I bet we are going to see a stink the size of New Orleans on this issue.

[galloway]

THANK you Dan. Keep digging on this one...there is more goo there than on the streets of New Orleans.

[The Real JeffS]

Levee boards are very common, although this is the first one that I've heard of that "sits at the Governor's pleasure".

Of course, I dealt only with small boards, the sort that cover part of a drainage, or maybe a county. They are sometimes called levee or flood districts.

No matter. I only recall 1 or 2 that actually tried to, y'know, *maintain* their levees. One such district spent most of their limited income on their salaries, and paying their lawyer to write letters asking for maintenance assistance (i.e., cash hand outs).

[Sharon Ferguson]

What about the possibility that the EPA and environmentalists helped clog up any levee construction/improvements?

The Front Page Magazine has an article on it today (I have it linked at my blog)

[galloway]

You hit a nail Sharon...environmentalists, to whom many in the Democratic party are beholden, vehemently oppose any and all levee systems.

[chriso]

but it's much easier to blame bush because the gov. and that well spoken mayor will take no responsibility.

[LALady]

Boards in Louisiana are just that....Bored...they are political paybacks to friends and family...no qualifications necessary or required..they meet occasionally and draw their salaries....how do I know this...I have lived in Louisiana for 64 years....

[one thatknows]

Gee, the many people saved by Orleans Levee marina employees during Katrina probably can appreciate the wisdom of their existance.

[one thatknows]

Also, Orleans Levee Board land reclamation is related to flood and land loss. Reclaimed land bolsters barriers and helps to offset the ongoing loss of coastline.

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