The 911 Commission documented the intelligence failures prior to the
911 attacks. NASA suffered from a similar malaise leading to Challenger
and Columbia. The Corps of Engineers seems to be suffering from many of
the same problems. What is it about our government bureaucracies that produces this type of outcome?
The Corps initially hung its hat on the idea that the flooding occurred
because the storm exceeded design limits and they were not authorized
by Congress to do any more. The emerging story is that the storm surge
and wind fields were within design levels but inadequate engineering
and maintenance was responsible for the failures.
As we rebuild to
achieve protection for next year and beyond it's important to know the
truth. The
Corps claims to be unafraid of the truth. Does that mean they are
actively seeking it? Even more critical is what they will do should they
find the truth.