Ivor Heerden
Ivor Heerden
basically lobbyists plan
I was basically shocked. What do lobbyists know about a plan for the reconstruction and restoration of Louisiana?
lost people plate security step trusted
People trusted the security of the levee system. More than 100,000 people lost everything. The government's at fault, and they should step up to the plate to give people some semblance of dignity.
due families flooding lost orleans owes society
Most of the flooding of New Orleans was due to man's follies. Society owes those who lost their lives, and the approximately 100,000 families who lost all, an apology.
asian damage equivalent experience numbers people recognize terms
We need to recognize we may be about to experience our equivalent of the Asian tsunami, in terms of the damage and the numbers of people that can be killed.
leaving orleans undertake vulnerable
If we don't undertake the levee reconstruction and coastal restoration, we're just leaving New Orleans more vulnerable than it was before.
concern focus protecting
My concern was that the focus was not on protecting Louisiana.
bothers died people
What bothers me the most is all the people who've died unnecessarily.
bill lobbyists louisiana scientists together
This was a bill put together by lobbyists without any involvement from scientists from Louisiana who know the situation.
days water
It's going to be days before they get all that water out.
people sort willing
It's going to take people being willing to take a chance, to be bold, to sort out Louisiana's levee problems.
miles
We're doing repairs on the breaches, but there are many, many, many miles of levee that we don't have any idea of.
agree anyone category constantly exercise fail failed foot missed orleans returning single storm system urged
We agree that every single foot of the I-walls is suspect. When asked, we have constantly urged anyone returning to New Orleans to exercise caution, because the system now in place could fail in a Category 2 storm. It has already failed during a fast-moving Category 3 storm that missed New Orleans by 30 miles.
happen saying
This is what we've been saying is going to happen for years.
bottom line unless
The bottom line I got out of this is that unless you were a lobbyist, they did not want you to participate.