Our View

Jindal gets active on coastal restoration

Gov.-Elect Bobby Jindal did not say much about saving the Louisiana coast during the election campaign just past. But there was probably a political reason.

His support fluorished in south Louisiana in the 2003 gubernatorial campaign but he lost in north Louisiana where he had little previous contact. This time around, he apparently decided to go after the northern sector much more which meant he didn’t put out as many words to court voters in the south. And spending a lot of them on what he would do in the south could have put him in the same position he was in during the 2003 campaign.

Now that the election is over, we are impressed with his plans to proceed with efforts to save our coast. He will take a trip to Washington with present Gov. Kathleen Blanco to seek passage of the federal water resources bill that will deliver a healthy amount of money to start our restoration efforts. The Democratic governor and Republican governor-elect should be able to accomplish a lot in convincing the administration and Congress that the country has a lot to lose if coastal Louisiana washes out to sea.

He also wants the state to share in rebuilding the coast which is the right thing to do. It will encourage other states to support our efforts to get federal aid. And, after all, we are the first line of defense in saving this rich coastal area from eroding away.

We certainly need bi-partisan support in this effort.