INCOMPETENCE

BEYOND COMPREHENSION

I am a willing participant in the blame game because it is a necessary part of this national discussion we need to have on the accountability of the government.

Read this article for a thorough assessment of why the blame will go far and deep.

I ask you to consider the following:

1. An estimate by the Corps of Engineers on a system-wide overhaul of the New Orleans levee system would have cost $2.5 billion dollars. However it would have taken 20 to 25 years to complete this. National Geographic reports that a feasibility study started in 2000 was still underway on upgrading the levees to withstand a Category 4. The work never started because the study is not complete.

2. Risk Management Solutions issued a preliminary economic loss assessment, and estimated a $100 billion cost, which includes insured and uninsured losses.

3. The Senate Minority Leader, Harvey Reid, estimated that total government outlays in the short term would total $150 billion.

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A $2.5 BILLION PRICE TAG OVER 20 YEARS MAY BE $250 BILLION INSTEAD. And that's assuming "The Big One" does not hit California anytime in the next 10 years, or another major hurricane does not come calling in a metropolitan area along the coast.