Government’s inaction before and after Katrina

Re “The new New Orleans,” editorial, Aug. 20

As a Hurricane Katrina survivor who lost my home and business, it is my duty to ensure that The Times stands corrected and is informed on a very important issue. You stated: “It has been almost a year since one of the most destructive natural disasters in U.S. history forever altered one of the nation’s most historic cities.” The Times needs to replace the word “natural” with the word “man-made.” More than 1,000 lives were lost and hundreds of thousands of homes and livelihoods were destroyed by massive flooding because of an inadequate levee system.

The Army Corps of Engineers has claimed responsibility, although sadly no justice has been served. Engineering experts say that canal walls were designed and built using substandard engineering standards. Even when this situation became known to the Corps, it was decided to do nothing about it. The world must know the true cause of this historic devastation.

SUSAN C. LEVIN

New Orleans

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Re “Houston Grumbles as Evacuees Stay Put,” Aug. 21

Is it any wonder that the poor New Orleans citizens have been unable to return home and have decided to stay in Texas? The tragedy is that the collected aid is not getting to these victims. The Times states: “Nearly a year after the storms, not a single dollar has been sent to the more than 100,000 families that applied for the assistance.” It raises doubts about the efficiency of our system of government and the ironic comparison to Hezbollah, which was on the streets of Lebanon, handing out rebuilding money, right after that country’s destruction. No wonder our democratic system of government is losing credibility around the world.

BETTY JO ATNIP

Coto de Caza