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Just as Hurricane Dolly took aim on the Rio Grande Valley, workers began construction on the controversial U.S.-Mexico border wall atop levees that had already been decertified by the government.
The Texas Progress Council obtained copies of the formal levee decertification letters. Pdfs of the letters can be found here and here.
FireDogLake carried our summary of the government's callous inaction this morning. Hurricane Dolly's little jog to the northeast before landfall probably prevented a disaster for the 2 million people who live in the region.
Local Valley elected officials have been trying for months and years to get the federal and state governments to address the flooding dangers. Hidalgo County voters in 2006 approved $100 million in bonds to address the issue. They were finally forced to compromise with Homeland Security. They received $67.5 million to build the concrete wall on top of the levees. That, with their local money, might get the flood control repairs done.
Adding insult to injury, Homeland Security has also threatened to include almost all of the county in the flood zone, meaning that while there was no money to control floodwaters, the government would force residents and businesses to buy expensive flood insurance.
Gov. Rick Perry is quick to call out the Guard, and he poses well on T.V. But he's had a border disaster mitigation plan on his desk for more than a year. It's the work of 75 border communities, Texas A&M International University, the Rio Grande Institute, and H2O Partners. Until its approved, the communities aren't eligible for grants to address the dangers.
Can a disaster averted spur action? Local officials who have been trying for years to get their state and federal governments to help sure hope so. |
