Congress Lets New Orleans Down

[Louisiana1976]

Louisiana has spoken loudly, clearly and with a united voice on the need to build the best surge control on New Orleans' three outfall canals. A provision in a congressional appropriations bill would have required in-depth study of the solution that the Army Corps of Engineers itself has called technically superior.

But House and Senate Energy and Water Committee leaders killed the measure in conference committee last week, ignoring the needs of New Orleanians and acting instead at the behest of the Corps of Engineers.

Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, Rep. Ed Pastor, D-Ariz., and Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., were the lawmakers who took the action that Sen. Mary Landrieu called "breathtaking in its arrogance.''

She's right. The decision to kill this study is shocking given Louisiana's solidarity on the issue and the fact that the amendment had been approved unanimously by the Senate.

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http://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2009/10/congress_lets_new_orleans_area.html

[lapfog_1]

1. I have a question...

Are those canals really needed anymore?

I presume that they were used for shipping, moving goods up the Mississippi and then to the canals to be closer to warehouses, etc. Wouldn't it be better to just fill them all in at this point and do without the canals?

They pose a much greater economic risk than economic benefit.

[stray cat]

2. Maybe we should take up donations as its our money that would have paid for it anyway