What’s the line from that movie?

“Just when you’re out of it, they pull you back in?”

OK. This really is my last post for a while, but this news is too big not to share.

A year ago, I sat with Sandy Rosenthal founder of Levees.org at her kitchen table going over ways she could use the Internet to get the word out about the levee failures. At that point, the media was still singing the “Katrina did it” song.

I recommended Sandy start producing video on the story and use the Internet to distribute it and maybe even try for some PSA (free public service commercials) action.

She did it, it worked and the rest is starting to look like its going to be of historic importance.

John Goodman stepped up to be spokesman on one video and that video was downloaded tens of thousands of times with an assist from Yahoo.

Suddenly (was it just coincidence?) people started paying closer attention to the levee story. Even the Idiot Emperor George Bush, when he came to New Orleans for his latest slimy, self-serving photo-op admitted “it was the levees.”

Now Sandy & Co. have provoked the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) into threatening her and a bunch of schoolchildren over a damningly accurate video they posted to YouTube about the ASCE’s too cozy relationship with the Corps.

(Sadly, it looks like elements within the ASCE were paid off by the Army Corps of Engineers to whitewash the Corps’ preposterous self-investigation. When you can’t trust engineers, the country is in deep s***.)

The Times-Picayune picked up the story and now the ASCE has gone on record acknowledging that maybe they need to take another look at their New Orleans levees report and how it came to be written.

The game is on…

Here’s what the president of the ASCE wrote to the Times Picayune today.

Sunday, December 02, 2007

Your Nov. 28 editorial “A troubling complaint” calls on the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) to give “swift and thorough attention” to allegations made by one of our members, Professor Ray Seed.

As president of ASCE, I share The Times-Picayune’s concern with these charges — as I would with any charge of unethical behavior on the part of ASCE or one of its members — which is why our organization has been actively investigating Professor Seed’s claims in accordance with our strict and long-standing canons of ethics.

ASCE is committed to the protection of public health, safety and welfare in our role as stewards of public infrastructure, including adequate hurricane protection for Louisiana. Our internal process is confidential, and we will not comment on the ethical allegations until its conclusion. I assure that we take this matter very seriously and that appropriate actions are being taken.

David G. Mongan, P.E.
President
American Society of Civil Engineers
Reston, Va.