Oh, one more thing

Why are we still trying to repair the levees in New Orleans?

I mean, didn't the flooding level out with the lake yesterday? So there's no more water coming in. And we've all heard the plans for draining the city - knock down some other levees, let some water drain, try to get it down to the level where they can repair the pumps, get them going, and pump the rest out. That's a time-consuming process. So the water already there is going to be there for a long time, whether those levees are repaired tomorrow or two weeks from now. Nothing these engineers can do to those levees right now is going to make a difference in the evacuation efforts.

And let's get this straight, people - the buildings that are flooded in the city are toast. Period. I know what floodwaters can do to structures in even a short amount of time. I know that even if the levees were plugged right this minute, pretty much every flooded building in New Orleans is going to be riddled with mold and weakness once the floodwaters are gone. And it's not exactly the world's cleanest water to begin with, so you're not just talking about regular flood damage here. There are also a ton of disease and chemical considerations. A lot of people are going to be very surprised by how few of those buildings are going to be salvageable. Nothing those engineers can do to those levees right now is going to change that, either.

So I say again, why are they taking the time right now to attempt levee repair? Wouldn't all the people involved in that effort (and their vehicles and copters) be of more use over the next few days, oh, I don't know, SAVING FUCKING LIVES?!?