Reply #31: Bush issues directive, but not disaster declaration for levees - CA

[Coastie for Truth]

President Bush does not plan to declare the pre-emptive federal disaster Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger sought for California's fragile levees, but he issued an unusual directive letting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers help with urgently needed repairs.

"This is an emergency situation," James Connaughton, chief environmental adviser to the president, said Friday. He spoke hours before Bush was to meet with Schwarzenegger in San Jose to discuss the issue.

Bush's move allows the Corps of Engineers - a branch of the U.S. military - to accept $23 million in California money for repair work on 29 critically weak levees. That work is scheduled to start in June and end by November.

It is a down payment of sorts on federal money that Connaughton said will flow to California at some unspecified point in the future, contingent on congressional action. Ultimately, the administration expects the federal government to pay three times as much as the state for the projects, he said.

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Democrats, however, criticized what they called an inadequate response.

"What part of 'emergency' doesn't President Bush understand?" said Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles. "The headline on this story should be: 'Bush to California: Drop Dead.' California needs federal money to prevent a Katrina-like emergency, and we need it now."

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Bottom line in Plain English - California - Screw You.

And this is after he came and screwed up our traffic.