So I take it from your short but pointless responses that you believe the press should praise the Government for actually doing what they say they’re going to do.

I'll take a stab at a serious reponse ...

What you don't remember (or are deliberately choosing to forget) is, actually, several things. The first - the US Army Corps of Engineers was lambasted last year (in the media and here at JU) for their "failure" to upgrade and maintain the levee's in New Orleans and surrounding parishes. With me so far? Good.

Additional criticism and/or skepticism came about when the CoE said that they were going to repair the levees to the same level they were before (Not hard, a couple sandbags, a little cement ... and the corrupt people of Nawlin's would've gotten what they've paid for ... ) Anywho, the BIG news is - despite setbacks and problems and negativism aimed at them, the CoE has completed the repairs on the levees - to the standard they were at before OR BETTER. See, they improved on the sections of the levees that they were repairing.

Now, for all the grief the CoE got when the levees originally failed (and the grief they've gotten since), you would think the media would've done the "Wow, gee, that's something we didn't expect to see happen." Did they? Nope. Other than minimal mention in small papers, and nothing that I caught on TV news programs, nothing's been said about it. Since it's not a failure to crow over ... nothing gets said.

So, yes, the CoE did what they said they were going to do - overcome major obstacles (not the least of which is rebuilding a bad idea in a terrible location in a city that's below sea level anyways) and criticism to perform a minor miracle.

If this is a sign of anything - it's a sign of the ingenuity that US Army Corps of Engineers has become famous for. It's a sign of the American "Can Do!" attitude at work. Honestly, due to the technical and political hurdles that had to be overcome, I didn't expect them to be finished with the repairs until sometime in early August. I'm proud of the engineers (military and civilian) that make up the CoE for the job they did.

Now, let's see the citizins of New Orleans step up and show themselves worthy of that kind of effort and devotion.

StubbyGene, you remind me of the boss who is quick to notice every mistake an employee makes but resents the crap out of having to actually pay attention to an employee who does their job well.

I doubt there is a stronger comment from a boss that doesn't give a crap about the employees than, "They were only doing their job."


I bet you also hate it when your boss does the same to you. GROW UP!!!

#14 by stubbyfinger Mon, June 12, 2006 00:36 AM So I take it from your short but pointless responses that you believe the press should praise the Government for actually doing what they say they’re going to do.

As drmiler pointed out.

Chaos Manager gave a very good response here, using more time than I cared to give to an obviously obtuse (intentional or otherwise) comment.

As for my own response; If you don't see how completion of such a major project, on time, is news and should be reported as such you're never going to "get it" so I didn't and don't care to waste my time explaining it further.

I guess I’m just obtuse. I think if the CoE wants recognition for a job well done they should hold their own press conference. It’s not MSM obligation to praise or even acknowledge them doing the job our tax dollars paid for. Not giving them any more grief over their original screw up should do it.

I’m a contractor I’m paid to get the job done right and on time. When I compete the job on time I expect a timely check, nothing more. When I screw up I get grief and that’s how it should be.

So no Mason I don’t get the need for MSM to message ego’s.

I guess I’m just obtuse.

It would seem so as you yet again completely missed the point.

StubbyGene, you remind me of the boss who is quick to notice every mistake an employee makes but resents the crap out of having to actually pay attention to an employee who does their job well.I doubt there is a stronger comment from a boss that doesn't give a crap about the employees than, "They were only doing their job."I bet you also hate it when your boss does the same to you. GROW UP!!!

That’s a stupid analogy. You’re talking about a personal employee employer relationship. Where as an employer I have a business interest in keeping my employees happy. I may have considerable time and money invested in there training and I want them to feel they have a future so they go the extra mile to see that my company succeeds and they grow with it.

The press and our relationship to government employees is more analogist to the relationship of a contractor sub-contractor. I hire a sub to do a job that they should already be very well trained at and have the resources to get the job done on time. If they can’t get the job done I hire someone else. Since the CoE are the only sub I have all I can do is yell at them.

It would seem so as you yet again completely missed the point.

The point that you think the MSM should acknowledge a job well done by the CoE and other successes of the administreation. Yea I get it I just don’t agree with it.

From a Louisiana resident, any project completed on time here is certainly newsworthy. For a project to complete on time several things are required.

1. All politicians must sit on their hands so to suppress the desire to stick them out in a demanding way.
2. Out of state workers must be called in because most of the able bodies here take a good note from the politicians. If you stand there with your hand out long enough and do nothing else, eventually someone will put some cash in it.
3. Local governments must stand back and not get their Brother-in-Law the latest contract for waste removal or any other corruptible task. Removing grass clippings for a living does not qualify you to remove construction debris.

This is a big deal. I think it deserves a little press time in the media. Especially since they were the ones that kept saying it can't be done. The only way for the MSM to save face is to pretend nothing really happened. (Big Surprise! )

I know the CoE did a big thing but frankly the levees in NO are nothing more than a polished turd. I hope the citizens of NO learned a good lesson. Evacuate, evacuate with enough supplies to sustain you and your brood for a couple of days at least. And, the local government doesn’t really care if you make it out unless you have a cash bribe.

The point that you think the MSM should acknowledge a job well done by the CoE and other successes of the administreation. Yea I get it I just don’t agree with it.

No, you don't get it at all.

This was a very significant project, one that potentially affects the lives of thousands of people, which is what makes it's completion worthy of being reported.

The fact that the MSM chose not to report it is a significant indication of how they intentionally pick and choose news stories to reflect their political leanings instead of informing citizens of important information.

The MSM should report all of the information that is significant to the nation, not just what fits their political agenda. Failing to do so seriously damages their credibility and is the primary reason many people don't take them seriously these days.

It would seem so as you yet again completely missed the point. The point that you think the MSM should acknowledge a job well done by the CoE and other successes of the administreation. Yea I get it I just don’t agree with it.

YOU STILL MISSED IT!!! There was NO point! It was SARCASM!

#15 by drmiler Mon, June 12, 2006 01:50 AM So I take it from your short but pointless responses that you believe the press should praise the Government for actually doing what they say they’re going to do. So I take it you don't seem to know sarcasm when you read it? This article is basically a slam at the left/. #18 by MasonM Mon, June 12, 2006 09:09 AM So I take it from your short but pointless responses that you believe the press should praise the Government for actually doing what they say they’re going to do. As drmiler pointed out.

No, you don't get it at all. This was a very significant project, one that potentially affects the lives of thousands of people, which is what makes it's completion worthy of being reported. The fact that the MSM chose not to report it is a significant indication of how they intentionally pick and choose news stories to reflect their political leanings instead of informing citizens of important information.The MSM should report all of the information that is significant to the nation, not just what fits their political agenda. Failing to do so seriously damages their credibility and is the primary reason many people don't take them seriously these days.

You tell me I don’t get it then you repeat back to me basically what I said adding but it was significant project. Significant if you live in New Orleans. You think it deserves more coverage I think it doesn’t. I gave you my reasons you gave me yours.

You think this is part of a MSM agenda. I think the overriding agenda is ratings when deciding what’s “news worthy”. Reporting good news doesn’t spark interest like scandal and failure it never has. Been that way for a long time what’s not to understand?

A quick google search shows a fair amount of coverage. Interesting Fox News didn’t think it was worthy of coverage but the lefties at Reuters did.

I don't think the press should "praise" anybody.

But I do think the press should, pretty much by definition, report the progress of reconstruction efforts after a major disaster.

Significant if you live in New Orleans.

So you didn't approve of all of the Katrina coverage? After all, that was only really significant if you lived in NO. The MSM reports the news it wants to not everything that is actually happening.

I do think it to be newsworthy because it meets several of the criteria.

1. Is the news informative and educational; is the audience getting information it normally would not know? Yes
2. What is the local or national effect of the news on the audience? The MSM blasted the CoE. Shouldn't they let the people know they did the job they said they would?
3. Is the story timely? We already have our first tropical storm. It doesn't get more timely.
4. How will the story impact those who see and hear it? It impacts people around me and I don't live in NO
5. Will the story arouse controversy because of varied sides, opinions, or solutions? The MSM and many others said it couldn't be done.
6. Are the people, places, or events well known or prominent? Uh Yeah.
7. Is there conflict on either a physical, moral, or emotional level in the story? Not so much this one
8. Is this a story that promotes human interest or empathy? A little
9. Does the story provide an update to any previous story? Ding! Ding! Ding!
10. Is this an event that is out of the ordinary, or is it unusual in any way? They did a near impossible task (in Louisiana that is)

This meets the criteria to be newsworthy. The only reason it isn't all over your TV screen is because the MSM didn't put it there.