Katrina Victims: Justice is Coming

There's nothing more refreshing than a family vacation away from emails, internet and cell phones.

Now it's back to work as we move toward the Robinson v. United States trial scheduled for January 20, 2009.  Ironically, that is the day that we inaugurate our new President and bid a tearless farewell to George W. Bush.  One of the lasting legacies of the Bush Administration will be its obdurate refusal to acknowledge the legal and moral obligations of the federal government to compensate Hurricane Katrina victims for the catastrophic flooding caused by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  So much for "compassionate conservativism!"

This hiding behind immunity statutes by the current administration and the stonewalling of victims in court stand in stark contrast to the swift and humanitarian response of President Gerald Ford when the federal Teton Dam broke and the Government set up an efficient administrative compensation system that avoided long, drawn out litigation with the victims.

There will be a long list of reasons why George W. Bush will go down in history as one of our worst Presidents. In that litany of gross malfeasance and political corruption will be his utter failure to demonstrate any leadership in reigning in and reforming the lawless Army Corps of Engineers.

The election of either John McCain or Barack Obama will bring a welcome breath of fresh air—not to mention genuine concern—when it comes to a sincere commitment to rebuild Greater New Orleans.

Senator McCain—a longtime, intelligent critic of pork-barrel water projects and the Army Corps's lethal combination of arrogance and incompetence—has blasted President Bush for his feeble response to the Biblical flooding that inundated more than 80% of Greater New Orleans. "I want to assure the people of the Ninth Ward, the people of New Orleans, the people of this country: Never again, never again will a disaster of this nature be handled in the terrible and disgraceful way this was handled. Never again!" McCain vowed during a visit to New Orleans last April.

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"Two weeks after Katrina made landfall, President Bush stood in the ruins of New Orleans and vowed to 'do what it takes' to help the region recover. He also acknowledged the terrifying images of abject poverty that struck Americans on their TV screens and said, 'We have a duty to confront this poverty with bold action.' Five months later, the President's timid actions have not matched his bold rhetoric. He has not lived up to his promises."

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Whatever the outcome of the 2008 election, Hurricane Katrina victims will have a far more sympathetic ear—and hopefully a real champion—in the White House.