West bank levee route still in question

St. Charles Parish is still having problems getting its West Bank hurricane protection levee built. Part of it on the western end is already rising but a continuing dispute between the parish and U. S. Army Corps of Engineers over its route on the eastern end is still going on.

The problem started four parish presidents ago when Kevin Friloux sought to have the levee built in wetlands well south of subdivisions on land that would be donated by land companies in the area. This, of course, alerted the Corps to the possibility that  the wetlands would be reclaimed into subdivisions, which would be anathama to the Corps.

Of course, the Corps has final say on what land can be relieved of its designation as wetlands. But they probably figured the powers that be would exert much pressure to allow the change.

The Corps is still standing tight even though the parish has asked for a compromise that would allow  less than 100 acres of wetlands to exist south of the levee. This would be needed, they say, to allow for the ponding of rain water that falls in the adjacent subdivisions. And it would also reduce the cost of the levee, which will be built mainly at parish expense.

Now the Corps is asking the parish to prove that their proposed levee route would be more expensive and entrap the rainwater. They want the parish to build rainwater retention areas within that route.

The parish could already have most of its levee, and at much less cost, had the Corps acquiesced to the fact that they do have the power to stop future development in any wetlands north of the levee. And the possibility of flooding from rainwater would be practically nill with the large ponding area available.

After all, it is the parish paying the bill, not the Corps which is only holding the reigns.

New Yorker gets downright ugly

Strange things happen in an election year but not usually quite like this week’s cover of the respected The New Yorker.

Prominently displayed is a cartoon of presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama dressed like a Muslim and his wife like a terrorist with an assault rifle over her shoulder doing a fist tap in front of a fireplace where an American flag is burning. Adding a little more spice for the campaign is a picture of Osama bin Ladin above the mantle.

The magazine tried to explain it was only a caricature of what the presidential candidate’s right-wing critics are trying to create. Well, they certainly helped them do it.
Obama’s main opponent Sen. John McCain found it totally inappropriate and sympathized with Obama if he found it offensive.

Sometimes publications go overboard in trying to get attention. This one certainly did that and the picture will probably become a collector’s item. Especially if Obama wins.