Pombo Tries To Cover Up Flood Danger In CA-11

Richard Pombo is a world-class lying hypocrite.

The following quote is taken from Pombo’s website and dated October 20, 2005:

Congressman Richard W. Pombo (CA-11) issued the following statement following today’s hearing: "Sacramento and the Delta are some of the most flood-prone areas in the Nation. It's important that we learn from our experts and from breaks that have resulted from decayed levees across the country as we look to protect our region from flooding. There's a time for talk and there's a time for action. The time to act is now."

Strong words from Richard Pombo. He reiterated his call for action on May 2, 2006:

Our Delta communities deserve real results, not just endless talk. If the Bay-Delta levees fail, human lives will be threatened and a significant percentage of California 's freshwater will be ruined," Pombo continued. "The time for action is now.”

Okay. Do you see a theme here? No time for talk. We need action. Now.

Funny, that.

You see, just a couple weeks ago, Richard Pombo led 17 other California representatives in asking the Federal Emergency Management Agency to delay its scheduled October release of a new, updated set of flood maps which, according to the Stockton Record, ”could send shock waves through their constituencies just weeks before the November election.”

Here’s how the Tracy Press summed up the story:

Many people living along California's 1,600-mile levee system are living in a flood plain, but government maps often don't designate the area as such.

But new federal flood insurance maps coming out in October could put many more businesses and homes in the designated flood plain, forcing cities to spend millions on repairing local levees and homeowners to spend roughly $1,200 a year on mandatory flood insurance.

A group of California lawmakers led by Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, is hoping to stall the release of the new maps -- some think at least until the November election.

"This information is critical and must be calculated correctly," Pombo said. He, along with 17 other California congressional representatives, signed a letter to FEMA Director David Paulison asking him to postpone the release of the new maps.

"The current timelines are unrealistic to achieve that goal," Pombo said. "Coordination and outreach plans must be put into place."

I see. In other words, no need for hasty action here; let’s talk about it for a really long time -- at least through November, maybe forever. All that business about “Our Delta communities deserve real results, not just endless talk” -- urm, didn’t really so much mean it.

Because, you see, if the residents of CA-11 suddenly found out that they were going to have to pay $1,200 per year for flood insurance, they might wonder what the hell their Congressional representative has been doing in Washington for the last 14 years. I mean, besides raking in huge contributions from developers who are now fretting that they won’t be able to sell their houses once buyers realize they’re located in federally-designated flood plains.

In an editorial captioned ”Delaying Release of FEMA Maps Would Help Politicians, Not Communities at Risk”, the Sacramento Bee didn’t pull any punches last Sunday:

Much has changed since these [old] maps were drawn. In some watersheds, the spread of pavement has increased runoff downstream to other communities. Scientists have learned more about the frequency of West Coast storms. Engineers have discovered problems with levees, which provide protection for tens of thousands of homes in the Valley.

The problem is that new maps frighten local officials, such as those in Lathrop who are planning new homes in suspect areas. They alarm the mortgage industry and certain development interests, who have purchased and optioned cheap land in flood plains that could be affected by FEMA remapping.

Given the money at stake, it's highly suspicious that U.S. Reps. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, and Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced, and other lawmakers are urging FEMA to delay the release of preliminary maps.

Gee, do you think this could have anything to do with the $63,500 in campaign contributions that Richard Pombo has collected from the real estate/construction industries? Isn’t it time for voters to elect a Congressman whose priority is protecting the actual citizens of CA-11 instead of himself and his big-buck developer pals?

Tags: CA-11, Richard Pombo, Jerry McNerney, Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, levees, levee failure, corruption