To the editor:

A letter on Sept. 9 follows the conservative playbook and blames New Orleans’ levee failures on Bill Clinton. I’m not saying that his policies had nothing to do with this, but I call your attention to the date. It’s 2005. George W. Bush has been president for almost five years. That excuse might have worked during the first six months of his term, but it’s old and tired, and frankly it’s pathetic to trot it out now.

A Reuters news story dated Sept. 1 cites specific Bush administration budget cuts – $71 billion just this summer – that removed funding from the Army Corps of Engineers for this project. Business Week (Sept. 1 issue) states that Clinton’s FEMA worked to curb development in wetlands, which reduced storm surge by absorbing extra water around New Orleans. These policies were reversed when FEMA went under Homeland Security after 9-11 – during the Bush administration.

The president calls the current debate a blame game. Mr. President, it’s not a game. It’s time for Americans to learn the difference between blaming people for politics sake and honestly examining how our policies affect the vulnerable – and then doing what it takes to effect change. It’s sad that it took Katrina’s death and destruction to bring this discussion to the top of the agenda. But I pray to God that it stays there, because this surely isn’t the last time we’ll need to respond to a catastrophe among our own people – and I surely hope we do better next time.

Andrea Zuercher,

Lawrence