http://www.californiadroughtupdate.org/pdf/20170914-California-Drought-(and-Flood)-Update.pdf
Once again in the case of Texas, and the tremendous economic and human destruction of Hurricane Harvey, we find that truly comprehensive infrastructure projects to prevent such destruction were planned in the 1960s. This was JFK’s era of Apollo and the great western “TVA” called the North American Water and Power Alliance. These potentials were stopped, stripped of funds and commitment, by the eruption of British geopolitics in American policy — the Vietnam War. What are now called — under Britain’s Blair and Bush and Obama — “regime-change” wars, have ever since been the enemy of taking care of the general welfare in America. For the lack of new and bold infrastructure platforms which would have cost tens of billions, we have seen whole cities devastated by floods and hundreds of billions lost to the American economy.
Stop “Russiagate” — Let Trump, Xi, and Putin Build!
A Note To Readers
A link to the full article from which the quote above is taken can be found here: https://larouchepac.com/20170911/stop-russiagate-let-trump-xi-and-putin-build
Before I go further, perhaps a word on why these reports over recent weeks have gotten “so political.” While I continue to focus the bulk of each week’s report on developments around California’s water management system, its climate and its water infrastructure, it is impossible to be serious about that without recognizing that this state’s future cannot be separated from that of the nation. And as the following paragraphs demonstrate, we finally have a President, who with all his flaws and quirks, does want to rip the guts out of the system that has shrunk Americans from doing great things in this world.
And now, with Florida smashed by Hurricane Irma, President Trump is demonstrating a quality of leadership missing in our nation for decades.
“On the 16th anniversary of the 9/11 attack on the United States, the US has been struck with devastation from two different hurricanes, with a third on the way. Unlike the response to 9/11 from Geoge Bush’s, who immediately set up police-state institutions within the US and began the process of “permanent warfare” — mostly against nations which had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11 — Trump is responding to the current disasters with true leadership. On Sunday, after receiving a comprehensive briefing on the devastation across Florida from Hurricane Irma, Trump directed all federal agencies to give full backing to FEMA, and to “continue supporting state and local efforts to save lives, promote shelter efforts, and expedite requested assistance to affected areas.” The various military branches are mobilized to provide rescue and emergency food, water, and other necessities to the millions of displaced persons. He personally called the governors of the states in Irma’s path to assure them of full support from the federal government.
“Of course, a few billion dollars will not even begin to repair the damage of the recent hurricanes, let alone begin the process of restoring the nation’s crumbling infrastructure, to prevent the next round of natural disasters from again catching the nation unprepared to defend itself. To achieve that requires the launching of Hamiltonian national credit mechanisms, to generate the several trillions of dollars required to make the United States a productive nation again, as outlined in LaRouche’s Four Laws. Trump is also leaning towards ending the so-called “debt limit” policy — which would be a step towards making possible a capital budget for building infrastructure through national credit, which by its nature generates its own repayment by lifting the productive platform of the nation as a whole.
“Trump’s mobilization is creating the conditions for this far larger undertaking to be realized. The American population is disgusted with the Bush and Obama governments pumping trillions of dollars into bailing out the gambling debts of the Wall Street and City of London institutions, while waging perpetual warfare abroad and imposing austerity at home.”
Right now, there are 10,000 Department of Defense (DoD) personnel involved in relief efforts in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands on the ground and from five naval vessels off shore and a cargo vessel loading up with supplies for St. Thomas. There are 20,700 DoD personnel operating in the southeast US, including Florida. Some of them are operating from six more naval vessels operating off the Florida coast. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers power teams, debris removal teams, temporary roofing teams and port survey personnel are in place in Florida and Georgia. USACE and USCG are working to reopen ports – focusing on Port Everglades and Tampa.
Of the 20,700 DoD personnel, 17,600 of them are from the Army and the Corps of Engineers. They have 38 aircraft, more than 740 trucks, and more than 80 generators already committed to relief efforts. The Army has more than 100 aircraft, almost 600 generators, 150 boats, and more than 3,200 trucks on standby to support response efforts if called upon, according to a separate Army release. The Corps has 3 Divisions and 6 Districts activated to support federal response operations. Another 4,500 National Guard members, including 2,500 from Wisconsin, were reported to be in transit to Florida.
FEMA had announced Mon. that federal agencies had sent 22,000 employees to Florida and other states to help with cleanup in aftermath of the storm.
Don’t tell me the U.S. government can’t do anything right.
This Week’s Report
The U.S. Drought Monitor and the Reservoir Graph have returned, though they show nothing new from the last time they were here.
Then we have some articles on the climate to come, weather and drought. I include in this section a link to some spectacular photos of this week’s lightning storm in northern California.
The Oroville Dam update follows.
CalFix, or the tunnels under the Delta project continues to be a focus for the state, though if you asked most residents about it I am sure they know next to nothing. Several articles are excerpted this week that actually do provide some background and report on where it may or may not go.
That section if followed by two articles that allow the agricultural sector to state their views on how California water is managed, or not managed.
Under the title, “The West Is Burning Up” you will find this week’s wildfire report.
The feature this week begins with the call by Republicans to spend hundreds of billions on building infrastructure, and they have apparently dropped the unworkable idea of the so-called “Public-Private Partnerships.” That is followed by other items along the same lines.
