Comments on: 12 to 16 Weeks http://poliblogger.com/?p=8029 A rough draft of my thoughts... Sat, 18 Nov 2025 06:19:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: jd watson http://poliblogger.com/?p=8029#comment-191589 Thu, 01 Sep 2025 08:40:22 +0000 http://poliblogger.com/?p=8029#comment-191589 Byran S.: <i>I’m glad JD has been down there and done a damage assessment for us.</i> Touche! Of course no one will be able to do any damage assessment until the flooding is stopped, the levees repaired, and the city drained, which will take several weeks -- yet Mayor Nagin is making these projections. I'm just a simple civil engineer with 30+ years of construction experience and only a couple of flood reclaimation projects making a SWAG on how long it will take to repair or reconstruct the basic utilities for a city of 485,000 people. But what do I know? And I will admit to being unduely influenced by the fact that it took a month to replace a single transformer at a substation here in Pheonix, though our roads, rail system, and airports were functioning perfectly. And of course I have also blissfully ignored any health, evironmental (just draining the city will violate EPA discharge regulations), or economic factors (i.e., competition for labor and materials from Mississippi and Alabama). Your're right -- the infrastructure is just a minor problem. It should only take three or four months. Byran S.: I’m glad JD has been down there and done a damage assessment for us. Touche! Of course no one will be able to do any damage assessment until the flooding is stopped, the levees repaired, and the city drained, which will take several weeks — yet Mayor Nagin is making these projections. I’m just a simple civil engineer with 30+ years of construction experience and only a couple of flood reclaimation projects making a SWAG on how long it will take to repair or reconstruct the basic utilities for a city of 485,000 people. But what do I know? And I will admit to being unduely influenced by the fact that it took a month to replace a single transformer at a substation here in Pheonix, though our roads, rail system, and airports were functioning perfectly.

And of course I have also blissfully ignored any health, evironmental (just draining the city will violate EPA discharge regulations), or economic factors (i.e., competition for labor and materials from Mississippi and Alabama).

Your’re right — the infrastructure is just a minor problem. It should only take three or four months.

]]> by: Bryan S. http://poliblogger.com/?p=8029#comment-191530 Thu, 01 Sep 2025 01:59:49 +0000 http://poliblogger.com/?p=8029#comment-191530 <em>3-4 months is just wishful thinking. To repair the infrastructure (i.e., power, water, sewage treatment, roads, etc.) to the point it will support returnees will be six months to a year at least.</em> I'm glad JD has been down there and done a damage assessment for us. The infrastructure doesn't really bother me. I think they can get that functional before three to four months. What's more problematic is that this is <em>flood damage.</em> by the time these people return, they won't have anything to return to. The mold will be awful. Structural damage incredible. That kind of thing is going to take a lot longer. The infrastructure stuff less. I think Nagin is just spouting numbers, anyway. Nobody really knows how long it will take. As a side note, I hope it doesn't take that long - cynically - because I don't think I can take 12-16 more weeks of Sheppard Smith and Greta Van Susteren's overweening presence in the FOX coverage mix. 3-4 months is just wishful thinking. To repair the infrastructure (i.e., power, water, sewage treatment, roads, etc.) to the point it will support returnees will be six months to a year at least.

I’m glad JD has been down there and done a damage assessment for us.

The infrastructure doesn’t really bother me. I think they can get that functional before three to four months. What’s more problematic is that this is flood damage. by the time these people return, they won’t have anything to return to. The mold will be awful. Structural damage incredible.

That kind of thing is going to take a lot longer. The infrastructure stuff less. I think Nagin is just spouting numbers, anyway. Nobody really knows how long it will take.

As a side note, I hope it doesn’t take that long - cynically - because I don’t think I can take 12-16 more weeks of Sheppard Smith and Greta Van Susteren’s overweening presence in the FOX coverage mix.

]]> by: jd watson http://poliblogger.com/?p=8029#comment-191360 Wed, 31 Aug 2025 21:37:09 +0000 http://poliblogger.com/?p=8029#comment-191360 3-4 months is just wishful thinking. To repair the infrastructure (i.e., power, water, sewage treatment, roads, etc.) to the point it will support returnees will be six months to a year at least. 3-4 months is just wishful thinking. To repair the infrastructure (i.e., power, water, sewage treatment, roads, etc.) to the point it will support returnees will be six months to a year at least.

]]> by: Dave Schuler http://poliblogger.com/?p=8029#comment-191359 Wed, 31 Aug 2025 20:22:07 +0000 http://poliblogger.com/?p=8029#comment-191359 Yes. People aren't paying attention. A long weekend is temporary shelter. Maybe a week. Four months is semi-permanent shelter. That's not talking about football stadiums anymore. Or at least it shouldn't be. And in four months what will they be coming back to? We'd better start stepping very carefully. This could force a change to our entire system. Yes. People aren’t paying attention. A long weekend is temporary shelter. Maybe a week. Four months is semi-permanent shelter.

That’s not talking about football stadiums anymore. Or at least it shouldn’t be.

And in four months what will they be coming back to? We’d better start stepping very carefully. This could force a change to our entire system.

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