From Scout:

OK I’m thoroughly confused. I really don’t know how the good people of NOLA can have any patience left.

People down there have been waiting on the FEMA flood maps to determine how high they will need to raise their houses and how much flood insurance will cost them. Why raise you home 3 feet if it will later be determined it must be 5 feet. So re-construction has been on hold.

NOW FEMA says this….

They say people who build now will not have to pay higher flood insurance rates even if the new maps and building standards eventually require higher rates. Only people building after the new maps and standards are finished will face higher rates, they say. That process could take another year.

SNIP

Construction begun before the maps are approved will be insured under current rates, FEMA’s Kinerney said. Only projects built after the maps are adopted will feel the rate change, he said.

“You don’t need to wait on us, and you don’t need to wait on these maps,” Kinerney said. “Rates are not going up for anyone in compliance. As long as you’re in compliance now when you build your house, you’ll always be in compliance.”

OK would you believe this? Is FEMA willing to put that in writing? Come on! The Times Picayune points out the problems. They report they were told by the former administrator of the flood insurance progam under Bush I that the “the maps will all but certainly raise premium rates along the Gulf Coast.” On top of that Congress is going to be looking at revamping the National Flood Insurance Program. Should the people of NOLA trust Congress will do right by them? They certainly haven’t done that to date. Finally if people rebuild but subsequently can not afford the insurance their property will lose its value. Who wants to take the risk when they could get screwed so many different ways? Would you?

Basically FEMA isn’t getting the job done. They are holding up the re-construction and they know it. So instead of Doing Their Damn Job they tell people….hey just go ahead without us. Trust us it will be ok

If FEMA doesn’t have the personnel to do the task then Bush and Congress need to get off their comfortable asses and give them what they need. But why should they? Where’s the pressure to do so? They’ve gotten away with doing everything on the cheap so far?

Washington’s incomptence and neglect has been of epoch proportion. It is staggering. From cheap levees that did not hold to the pathetic first response that left people stranded on roofs with no food and water to no bid contracts that enrich corporate cronies to mutliple layers of subcontractors preventing billions from reaching the people…Washington has proved it is not to be trusted. So get any promise in writing and notarized. Even then it probably won’t be worth the paper it would be written on.