N.O. Pundit

DOES ANYONE KNOW WHO THIS AUTHOR (BILL WEILER ) IS OR HOW TO CONTACT HIM ?

Posted by: Joe Turner at September 11, 2005 10:24 AM

No... I`ve been looking, just like you it seems. I just got that same trash in my e-mail, PLUS and even WORSE, this spew. These people are a danger to civilization. http://tiadaily.com/php-bin/news/showArticle.php?id=1026

Posted by: Sigrid at September 11, 2005 12:37 PM

You can read the entire history of the article you posted at http://www.rightnation.us/forums/index.php?showtopic=87399&hl=

With the exception of when Governor Blanco actually declared an emergency, which was misreported by the Washington Post who was my source, and a few minor details I stand behind that commentary. Yes, I mistyped insurgency act instead of insurrection act, it was the 260 mile buoy instead of the 240 mile buoy, and I forgot to insert “for a natural disaster” in front of the last time the insurrection act was used.

At least I got more right and accurate with better verified sources than Dan Rather.

Posted by: Bill Weiler at September 11, 2005 05:50 PM

Thank you Bill for having the courage to post these facts.

Posted by: Jim Isaacs at September 11, 2005 09:21 PM

Sadly Bill, those bleeding hearts at www.factcheck.org are presenting a different story about federal funding. I think that ever since Cheney screwed up their URL in the VP debate, they've been out to get him and the President!

http://www.factcheck.org/article344.html

The project most closely associated with preventing flooding in New Orleans was the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Hurricane Protection Project, which was “designed to protect residents between Lake Pontchartrain and the Missisippi River levee from surges in Lake Pontchartrain,” according to a fact sheet from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. (The fact sheet is dated May 23, long before Katrina). The multi-decade project involved building new levees, enlarging existing levees, and updating other protections like floodwalls. It was scheduled to be completed in 2015.

Over at least the past several budget cycles, the Corps has received substantially less money than it requested for the Lake Pontchartrain project, even though Congress restored much of the money the President cut from the amount the Corps requested.

In fiscal year 2004, the Corps requested $11 million for the project. The President’s budget allocated $3 million, and Congress furnished $5.5 million. Similarly, in fiscal 2005 the Corps requested $22.5 million, which the President cut to $3.9 million in his budget. Congress increased that to $5.5 million. “This was insufficient to fund new construction contracts,” according to a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ project fact sheet. The Corps reported that “seven new contracts are being delayed due to lack funds” [sic].

No mention of what happened to those inadequate funds once they got to NO, though... maybe they were cut to prevent corruption!

Charles

Posted by: charles at September 11, 2005 10:37 PM

The only problem with the Bill Weiler commentary is that anyone could have written it, there is no evidential support for any of his assertions. I am not saying that they are untrue. I am pointing out the fact that they could just as easily be untrue as true.

It is true that this whole mess is disgusting.

Posted by: Priest at September 12, 2005 12:55 PM

Who IS this guy? He just comes out of nowhere to divulge this incredible information that takes the heat off the worthless Prez? Come on--I'm hitting all kinds of websites and I've never heard of this guy. I guess time will be a factor and we'll see how true this story really is. I bet it's Karl Rove in disguise.

Posted by: danielle at September 12, 2005 05:30 PM

This timeline conflicts with reports from the DoD (http://www.dod.gov/transcripts/2005/tr20050901-3843.html) It is stated in the DoD doc that governors requested help from DoD on Friday and things were being set up as soon as Saturday. This doesn't sound like they refused to act on Friday.

The mistake about the governors' actions re: disaster declarations have already been noted.

The National Weather Service person suggested a mandatory evacuation while katrina was a category 3 hurricane? The claim is that he called on Friday, 36 hours before it was Category 4? It was not Category 4 until Sunday morning and 5 shortly after that. Within two hours of 5 status, the mayor ordered a mandatory evacuation and that was over six hours before the national weather service issued its special hurricane warning. Elsewhere, the phone call you talk about is claimed to take place late Saturday night and Nagin's mandatory evacuation was declared early Sunday morning. I have a feeling this other timeline is a bit closer to what happened.

Didn't the governor say that the president wouldn't take her calls? That seems odd if the president kept calling her as the writer claimed.

Also, didn't Nagin say he had busses but no drivers?

I'm sure that there's plenty of butt covering going on but that thing reads like one big mud flap of errors.

Posted by: Richard at September 12, 2005 06:40 PM

Of course, if these facts are verifiable, I'm assuming a major news network or organization will pick up on them soon. If not, then I think we can assume someone's blowing smoke rings....

You also have to consider, to debunk one of the mentioned items, you have to have someone to DRIVE a bus before it can be used....when the evacuation was mandatory, how many certified bus drivers do you think were left in the city?

I can't count how many times I've received e-mails from people claiming to know something or to have heard from an official source something only to have it turn out to be a hoax. I'd be willing to bet $100 this is another case of this.

Posted by: David Ferguson at September 13, 2005 12:02 AM

No personnel attack here but this is my observation.

Danielle-- If you don't know or never heard of a person does that mean they never existed?

I think in the time of a major impending disaster the fact that a person is not a licensed bus driver would be overlooked. If you can drive a truck I would have put you in the seat.

Posted by: Matt at September 13, 2005 09:45 AM

Before we start pointing at the federal gov't I want to know why the governor didn't send in the Nat'l Guard to secure the city and why Mayor Nagin didn't use hundreds of buses at his disposal to evacuate the folks. After we get the answers then we can look to Home land Security.

Posted by: Nick L at September 13, 2005 03:43 PM

Why didn't the governor send the National Guard? As you know, the Guard were deployed in the city and pulled off other areas that also needed them. Do you mean why wasn't it done sooner? Why didn't the governor have a plan in place that assumed that there would be mass desertions in the police force? Mass desertions by the people who had family that needed rescuing, too? That might have been predictable. It could be that there were not sufficient resources to do everything.

Why didn't the mayor use the busses to evacuate people? The busses were used. Perhaps you meant to ask "Why didn't Nagin have the busses drive people somewhere other than the Superdome?" The city busses were used to move people from areas within the city to a staging area that was assumed to be safe but they didn't send the drivers and busses to an even safer area. The question could be "Were there sufficient resources to move people out of the city?" The answer is there were not. Somewhere fewer than 700 busses and even fewer drivers (who also had to rescue their own families) cannot move that many people too far and make a sufficient number of round trips. The question you want to ask, since you want to ask a question that makes the mayor look bad, is "why didn't the mayor force people onto busses sooner and run a number of round trips out of the city to a safer area?" The answer still may be that there were not sufficient resources.

You might also ask why resources from outside the state were not deployed sooner.

If you are interested in federal policy, you can check this site:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/02/20030228-9.html

As per this Presidential directive, the feds can enter on the direction of POTUS

see also the Stafford Act

http://www.fema.gov/library/stafact.shtm

Posted by: Richard at September 13, 2005 04:38 PM

In fear of your life would you care if the bus driver was certified??? If you lived UNDER the water would you trust a concrete wall with even the threat of stong storm. Bottom line--IF EVERY ADULT had taken responsibility for themselves and their family then the elderly and invalids could have been better taken care of. Even with the Gov. and the Mayor standing around with a "Deer in the headlight" looks, it all boils down to the individual having plenty of time to WALK out if necessary. Yes I know personally of someone who did this after the levee broke. Our nation has too many people that "Wait" for the government to take care of them. GOOD FOR YOU Bill Weiler --tell it like it is. There is an even better article by Robert Tracinski.

Posted by: Lynn J at September 14, 2005 06:57 PM

Why didn't they just walk out? Including the ones who were amputees and in wheelchairs? Or what about all the people who DID try to walk out, and were turned back by armed police forces in Gretna? Pray tell us where these people were supposed to walk, when the only dry route out of the city was closed down by armed guards...the same guards who wouldn't let Wal-Mart trucks with supplies through to the stranded victims.

Posted by: epluribus at September 14, 2005 10:20 PM

Well it took me about 5 minutes to find out what I already knew. Bill Weiler isn't a very good freelance journalist. He got his facts wrong regarding the timing of executive orders by the governor and President. In his posting on a forum (always a great source for reliable information) and now widely circulated on the web, he said:

"In frustration, the President declared the area a national disaster area before the state of Louisiana did so he could legally begin some
advanced preparations."

The President declared an emergency on August 27th but made it retroactive to August 26th. You can check this out at the White House web site at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050827-1.html

The governor of Louisiana declared a state of emergency on August 26th, the day BEFORE the President did. You can find this at Office of the Governor's web site: http://gov.louisiana.gov/Press_Release_detail.asp?id=973

If Bill Weiler DID post here, he should rethink his comment that "At least I got more right and accurate with better verified sources than Dan Rather [sic]

Posted by: Pulpdoctor at September 14, 2005 11:02 PM

Good luck from Lafayette, LA

http://louisiana.wynne.org

Posted by: HammerFeet at September 16, 2005 09:44 PM

WELCOME TO CALIFORNIA

Californians welcome people from the GULF COAST (Especially the Old South Washitaw Empire region - Washitaw Proper) who are among the ancient peoples of the region being uprooted for the third time in US history. These periods include 1. The 'selling' of the old Black Washitaw Empire (Louisiana Terriroties) by France to the U.S. in which millions of Black Indigenous people were displaced, enslaved, driven out of their lands and their Queen exiled. 2. The deliberate flooding of the very same region of New Orleans many decades ago. 4. The migrations out of the region in the 1930's to 1960's to California, the North and East, after the Blacks and poor Whites in the region were pushed out or were forced to move due to reasons dealing with racist policies. 5. The 'opening of the floodgates' (not my observation, but that of an interviewee) suspected by many already, and the hurricane (which actually ravaged the regions east of New Orleans). As we can see, these disasters have contributed to the displacement of about one million people.

MAY AUTRY OF FRESNO, CHURCHES IN LOS ANGELES, OAKLAND, BAY AREA, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, CENTRAL CALIFORNIA WELCOME DISPLACED GULF REGION/NEW ORLEANS VICTIMS

The Mayor of Fresno, a city about two hundred miles north of Los Angeles has taken steps to welcome victims of the New Orleans flooding. Mayor Autry is a Louisianan and the actor who played 'Bubba' in the tv series, 'IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT.'

Various denominations, organizations and others in California ARE ALSO AWARE THAT THE WINTER IS COMING VERY SOON AND THAT MANY DISPLACED PEOPLE SPREAD AROUND THE US, WHO ARE ENCAMPED IN THE OPEN, OR ARE SLEEPING UNDER TREES AND OUTDOORS WILL BE IN GREAT PERIL AS THE COLD WEATHER COMES ABOUT IN MANY PARTS OF THE US.

California's climate is relative mild to warm year round. Parts of Southern California hardly rises above 60 degrees in the coldest month of the year.

Central Califoria from Bakersfield to Sacramento has the perfect climatic conditions after Southern California. In fact, Central California from Bakersfield is one of the primary places that American displaced persons have settled since the 1700's when many 'Red' and 'Black' Native Americans fleeing the South and East moved to California to settle. During the Dustbowl, thousands of Oklahoma people moved to California. Armenians, Old Mexico Mexicans, descendents of African-American slaves, Irish, Russians, Vietnamese, Chinese, BlueBloods, Southerners and many other people who fled war, oppression and climatic conditions LIVE IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA TODAY, A REGION THAT LOOKS LIKE THE DELTA AND SOUTH-EASTERN REGION OF THE UNITED STATES, AS WELL AS PARTS OF AFRICA AND PARTS OF SWITZERLAND (THE WARM SUB-TROPICAL COASTAL AND CENTRAL REGIONS OF CALIFORNIA WHERE IT IS ALWAYS SUMMER, AND THE HIGH LAND REGIONS OF CALIFORNIA WHERE IT SNOWS IN WINTER)

WELCOME TO CALIFORNIA

Posted by: Nubianem at September 17, 2005 02:50 PM

Why do some people get the impression that the BELTWAY PLOYS OF FAUX TV are disappointed and WOULD PREFER MORE TAXPAYER'S DOLLARS BE SPENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST RATHER THAN ON AMERICANS?

SHAME ON THEM!!!

Why do some people get the impression that the 'pseudo-cons' are not upset about people on the dole in the Middle East?

Why do some people get the impression that some false conservatives (compared to true conservatives) are not bothered by people in the Middle East being paid about 400,000 US dollars to move from lands that belonged to other people, yet these false 'conservatives' complain about rebuilding Waschitaw Proper (THE GULF STATES)?

The 'forked tongues' on the FAUX network are starting to sound ANTI-AMERICAN PEOPLE AND PRO-MIDDLE EAST. After all, we are ALL AMERICANS, and America should come first.

Isn't it time the pseudo-cons stop pretending they are 'conservatives,' when in fact THEY APPROVE OF 'BIG GOVERNMENT' when it comes to maintaining and supporting their entities in the Middle East?

WHEN WILL THE PSEUDO-CONS STOP PROMOTING 'THROWING' MONEY AT THE PROBLEMS IN THE MIDDLE EAST?

The saying, 'You can fool some of the people some of the time and you can fool all of the people all of the time, but you (THE FROX 'FORKED TONGUED COMMENTATORS') can't fool all of the people all of the time.

The lying pseudo-cons are giving the world the impression that WE TRUE AMERICANS (here for centuries before their ancestors left Europe in the 1940's as World War II REFUGEES) are cold-hearted, greedy and money-hungry like some of these Judases (propagandists, tricksters, liars, deceivers) who commentate on the pseudo-con cable tv and am talk-radio networks.

Thank heavens the rest of humanity are not falling for the Axis-like propaganda being spewed by these children and grandchildren of both victims and perpetrators (who want to create a Forth-Reich in America) of the very same people whose rabid propaganda led to the elimination of 50 million people during World War II and the continued problem of negation, denial, blaming the victims, lies and greed we have in the US.

These media rats should be ashamed of themselves for they are engaged in one of the biggest media collaborations and coverups since the 1940's.

http://www.cadenhead.org/workbench/news/2748
www.sudanforum.com (what the world thinks)
http://www.tavistalks.com

Posted by: Nubianem at September 17, 2005 05:57 PM

I don’t know who this guy is but he’s clearly uneducated in the appropriations arena. In the 1st place the state of Louisiana didn’t request additional funds for Levee improvements because… The Federal Government owns and maintains those Levees. That’s right they are the responsibility of the ARMY Corps of Engineers (hummm what part of the army does Louisiana own?). They the ACoE, in fact, have requested additional funds for improvements for the last 3 years in a row and were turned down by (anyone, anyone?) guess who, none other than George W (Whackjob) Bush. Now tell me, how does the ACoE DIVERT funds? They don’t. They are solely responsible for the administration and treasury of funds appropriated for the projects for which they are intended. They have nothing to do with diverting or appropriating funds for marinas, casinos, parks, slush funds or any other thing this guy wants to dream up. Get a grip!

Now on to the emergency preparedness program that was due to be distributed to every citizen in LA on guess what weekend? That’s right, the training and briefing was supposed to begin 3 week ago on the very same day the Hurricane was predicted to hit New Orleans. The TV spots were ready to go, hurricane evacuation plans ready to be put into place and the city and state officials ready to get their plans to the people, but (oops) a hurricane got in the way. Let’s not forget either that this emergency preparedness plan was not approved until this year after the Feds dragged their heels in getting them any funding (and it was very insignificant funding at that) at all. It took them an entire year to commiserate the details and get back to the state and city officials. All of the correct organizations were notified but since FEMA has been SWALLOWED by HOMELAND SECURITY they were ineffective at doing their jobs and the city and state government no longer had any control over the emergency communications depending entirely on FEMA/DHS communications operations (what part of the state and city does FEMA work for?) OH that’s right they are Fed’s! You know the Federal Emergency stuff they used to be able to do? Well guess what, the same feds that don’t hand out money also don’t have any plans themselves. Lets also take into account that FEMA (so unprepared by red tape) is now purchasing trailers and mobile homes at an exorbitant amount of money that (guess who) you and I will be paying for. And let’s also not forget that New Orleans stood up very well to the hurricane but the LEVEES failed! The Federal government failed the people of New Orleans; those folks in New Orleans did not die because of the hurricane. They died because the government did not appropriate funds to strengthen those Levees; you know the ones that were pointed out in the investigation that this guy says were bogus. What happened in LA was predicted, what the President did not do to protect the people was criminal. Don’t get me wrong, even if the President would have said yeah fix those suckers it would have taken 20 years to do it! But hey over the last 3 years at least there would have been some progress made by this point, and maybe just maybe this might have been prevented. What sane rational person doesn’t take the initiative to strengthen his own nation?

As for what the President did or did not do, crying, begging, pleading I don’t believe a word of it and you know why I don’t believe it? Well because he said he didn’t act appropriately and it should be evident by the apology that he issued on National TV just Thursday PM (remember Thursday or weren’t you watching?) that he did not do what he was paid to do which is make sure the citizens of LA where safe (if he can invade Iraq without anyone’s permission he can sure as hell invade LA, MS and AL don’t you think). Hell he admitted it, to EVERYONE! I’d like to feel bad for this guy but hey, when President Clinton goes on National TV to discuss that he has received 4 (count em 4) tax cuts this year and I’m paying almost 1/2 of my salary a year IN TAXES I find it kind of hard to feel like he gives a shit about me or any of the rest of the little guys, you know we the people? No one I know got 4 tax cuts this year while the Pres’ ole buddy Cheney (who still gets paid by Halliburton) got his fat tax cuts! Can you think of anyone? Hmmmm….

Posted by: Robyn at September 18, 2005 09:46 AM

Bill Weiler is not a real person. This email is a fake. Karl Rove planted this.

Posted by: Jen Mesor at September 23, 2005 08:55 AM

Sorry, but you have been caught astroturfing! See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astroturfing

This one is posted all over the web. There is another comment-spam using similar phrasings, not quite so papered around. Whoever you want to blame for this, it took some effort to get on all those boards in the first place, virtually overnight. Can anyone say "marching orders?"

Most of them start the same way:

>> This is a post from a fellow over in Merritt Is, FL, a reporter who's been researching what went on before the storm hit. If it is true, it should read by all of those that think the President was not doing his job.

Only occasionally do they mention Bill Weiler. As you so astutely point out, who the heck is he?

A fellow; a reporter. Hey, that's a great cite.

>> I think all of Nagin's pomp and posturing is going to bite him...
>> the President called Governor Blanco...
>> the President again called Blanco and Nagin requesting they please sign the papers...
>> Throw in that over half the federal aid of the past decade to NO for levee
>> construction, maintenance, and repair was diverted...
>> investigation...need to be asking some hard questions...

And at the end the obligatory ending of all "sincere" Katrina posts:

>> This is a sad time for all of us to see that a major city has all but been destroyed and thousands of people have died with hundreds of thousands more suffering, but it's certainly not a time for people to be pointing fingers and trying to find a bigger dog to blame for local corruption and incompetence. Pray to God for the survivors that they can start their lives anew as fast as possible and we learn from all the mistakes to avoid them in the future.

(Undoubtedly, now, i am considered heartless. I just can't see this as sincerety, for reasons to follow, so naturally i resent the abuse of the regret form, in this case. There are people running fake internet Katrina donation sites. Ramped up pretty quick, too. What else is happening with people and computers? Spamming and astroturfing? The business model is cheap. If the connected GOP/Right Wing hasn't learned the core business lessons of spamming and hothouse call centers by now, i will be very surprised. The last phrase of it haunts me a little, too - avoid "who," exactly?)

But, but... isn't this called "the blame game"? We're not playing that, remember? You're not sticking with the party line, here, "fellow". Well, but you *are* following the admin's example, though; pointing lots of fingers, while calling on others to refrain from that activity.

>> Just before midnight Friday evening the President called Governor Blanco and pleaded with her to sign the request papers so the federal government and the military could legally begin mobilization and call up.

>> He was told that they didn't think it necessary for the federal government to be involved yet. After the President's final call to the governor she held meetings with her staff to discuss the political ramifications of bringing federal forces. It was decided that if they allowed federal assistance it would make it look as if they had failed so it was agreed upon that the feds would not be invited in.

I lifted this from wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Defense_Forces

"State Defense Forces or State Guards, in the United States are military units that operate under the sole authority of a state. State Defense Forces are authorized by state and federal law and are under the command of the governor, as commander-in-chief, through the Adjutant General as the state's chief military officer."

"State Defense Forces are distinct from the National Guard in that they are not federal entities and cannot be made so. The federal government officially recognized State Defense Forces under 32 USC Sec 109 and provided that State Defense Forces "may not be called, ordered, or drafted into the armed forces," thus preserving their independence from the National Guard."

And a link to the code:
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode32/usc_sec_32_00000109----000-.html

Now, if these well-known authorizing clauses were the legislation Ms. Blanco and staff referred to, when they declined to place the Louisiana State Guard under the direct (and indefinite) supervision of the Federal government, i'm afraid i would have to applaude her judgement and concern. The intent of the code is pretty clear. The Presidential Legalers, who were so careful to check out letter violations of Posse Comitatus et al, could not have failed familiarity with 32 USC Sec 109, i hope? Surely, then, they might have wondered what clear difference there was, between being "called, ordered, or drafted into the armed forces," and being merely placed indefinitely under Federal orders. Ms. Blanco made the correct decision, in her vesture as Governor of Mississippi, sworn to uphold the interests of the state.

So, it seems as though the administration couldn't carry the signing the documents thing forward on its own merits; but hey, it's still good for propaganda, right? No need for "facts". "Concerns" and unattributed disparaging inuendo are much cheaper and just as good, for ditto-heads (now, don't get on *me,* here - that's what Rush calls them).

>> Saturday before the storm hit the President again called Blanco and Nagin requesting they please sign the papers requesting federal assistance, that they declare the state an emergency area,

Sigh! Here's that old saw about Blanco not declaring a State of Emergency "yet". You see how it works; it's like "fact negotiation" in the infosphere. First the apocryphal "senior Bush Official" lets out that Blanco had not yet signed a declaration of emergency, as of Sunday the 28th. Then some genious with a browser points out that it was in fact issued on Friday the 26th, a day before the Feds got their own declaration out. So then, here, you have the "settlement offer" for the date: "Okay, I must have just *thought* it was on a Sunday...was it a Saturday, then? The same day we did ours?" Gotta love these guys.

>> Rumor has it that the President's legal advisers were looking into the ramifications of using the insurgency act to bypass the Constitutional requirement that a state request federal aid before the federal government can move into state with troops

I won't even talk about the "bypass the Constitution" thing. That's just too despressing. But oh, boy - this one always makes me laugh. Why in the woooorrlld were they checking out the "insurgency act?" There is no such Act. It's the Insurrection Act they were talking about, and why has the writer suddenly gone to lower case here, after he capitalized "Insurgency Act" at the start of the piece, where he wanted to demonstrate the readiness of the Ovalers to consider all avenues of response?

Hmm... Oh, yeah, i forgot: propaganda.

But, why was the Insurrection Act even considered in the first place? It *only* applies when "there is an insurrection in any State against its government" Did they think that they might be able to legally define Katrina as a rebellion? I do hope George isn't back on the beer. Now, remember what happens when you do that, George - you fell off the couch, last time, and if you start back on it now, with all this stress going on, it won't be pretty.

There is one provision of the Insurrection Act that the administration might have *wished* would apply, and that is:

"US Code 10-A-I-15-§334. Proclamation to disperse"

"Whenever the President considers it necessary to use the militia or the armed forces under this chapter, he shall, by proclamation, immediately order the insurgents to disperse and retire peaceably to their abodes within a limited time."

http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode10/usc_sec_10_00000334----000-.html

If they could have labeled Katrina a rebellion, or some other kind of civil unrest, well then they could have just ordered her to disperse. Why did they not attempt to do this? Inquiring minds want to know.

>> After a personal plea from the President, Nagin agreed to order an evacuation, but it would not be a full mandatory evacuation, and the governor still refused to sign the papers requesting and authorizing federal action.

They may be still trying to lump in Blanco here, with that twist about signing the papers. Sign zem! Now! We haff Ways off persua- oh, sorry. Nagin's evacuation notice was issued at 5 pm Saturday, and was followed by the mandatory evacuation order at 10 am Sunday. The mandatory evacuation was declared 20 hours before the storm hit the coast. This was enough notice if say, you were pretty much packed, and you had a car, and traffic was good, and... As we know, that didn't quite go as planned.

>> Throw in that over half the federal aid of the past decade to NO for levee construction, maintenance, and repair was diverted to fund a marina and support the gambling ships.

I don't know about this, but i do know that i don't trust this spammer, or should i just say propagandist? The truth about levee funds is probably available; does anyone know? Federal funding *has* slowed for levee work, in recent years. I guess this is a good place for them to be pointing fingers, after all; they don't want people looking at *them*, do they? That would explain why the admin thought they could blame the slow levee work on environmentalists, who wanted the Corp to stop digging up the wetlands along the river, for levee fill. The suit only objected to the source of the fill used for the work (wet bottomlands), not to the work itself. And their suit had no bearing on any levee that failed or was topped in the storm; it only referred to Mississippi River levees, far upstream of NO.

American Rivers claims, and gives evidence, that the levee work was never stopped or slowed by their suit:

http://www.americanrivers.org/site/News2?JServSessionIdr011=sbw97kmec1.app2b&page=NewsArticle&id=7755&news_iv_ctrl=-1

http://www.americanrivers.org/site/DocServer/Katrina_spin_and_facts1__2_.pdf?docID=2441

>> Or maybe ask why Nagin keeps harping that the President should have commandeered 500 Greyhound busses to help him when according to his own emergency plan and documents he claimed to have over 500 busses at his disposal to use between the local school busses and the city transportation busses -- but he never raised a finger to prepare them or activate them.

What? "Keeps harping?" He only said that once, that i know of, when the flood was rising, and the sweat was burning into his eyes, and it was just him and the flood, alone in a smashed-out -- oh, sorry. But that's propaganda, for you, it's easy to get carried away. Seems i do remember a quick effort, though, finally, to set up evacuation pickup stations, but with everyone still on Big Easy time, it wasn't a rousing success.

So, to put this bluntly into perspective, this spam is a right-wing propaganda attack, and nothing in it should be taken at face value.

Permission granted to repost this response without restriction, but remember: Spam is spam, no matter what the message, so only post inside of the local rules envelope; or post links.

Posted by: Lightning Joe at September 24, 2005 12:53 AM

Now that we have seen that the only thing Bill Weiler got right was the names of the governor and mayor (and we might want to check the spelling), I think we need to consider whether his Dan Rather comment:

> At least I got more right and accurate with better verified sources than Dan Rather.

wasn't also the opposite of truth.

As I've heard it, Rather's facts were right, he just had one (count 'em, one) unverified source that wound up being fraudulent. Near as I can tell, Dan Rather's got Bill Weiler beat on the responsible journalism side.

Posted by: Richard at September 26, 2005 07:30 PM

Rumor has it that Bill Scam backfired.

People are firing back at Karl Rove and his operation now. Propaganda machine is leaking fuel.

Washington Post reporting that Attorney General looking into people who forwarded the lies as potential scam artist- and use the internet scam laws for justice.

Wow.

Posted by: Julie Winn at September 27, 2005 02:43 PM

I think if the media saw Pres. Bush walking on water, the next morning papers would have headlines "BUSH CAN'T SWIM"

Don Shrake

Posted by: Don Shrake at October 5, 2005 02:42 PM

True or false, bill weiler provided a timeline that is easily verified. Who called who and when, What did they do and when, when were the papers signed, how were they delivered, How soon were they acted upon. The presidential press corp knows this information, they knew it early on. what about the levey contract, what is all this bull about????
I don't have time for as this, either my newspaper publishes the answers under the publishers byline or I am going to federal court for an official deturmination that under the first amendment they don't have to. John 10/15 2005

Posted by: john malloy at October 15, 2005 12:58 PM