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June 19, 2006 -- Vol. 6 Issue 25 Written by Jack R. Simpson (unless otherwise noted), owner of J.R. Simpson & Associates, Inc. and contributing editor to The Waterways Journal.
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 In This Newsletter:
Thought For The Week
Our thoughts this week turn to what appears to be the ongoing fiasco at New Orleans. These thoughts were inspired by the announcement last week that the Federal Emergency Management Agency wasted more than $1 billion in Katrina recovery efforts and a news story out of New Orleans saying that there are no plans ready for rebuilding that city and Mayor Ray Nagin says there won’t be for six months. Officials in his administration are fuzzy about the “when” of it all. 
Editorial Comment From Jack
 My father used to say that if you want to give a nickel to charity, send a dollar. In far too many cases, programs operated by the federal government involve horrific waste. When the same programs are operated by private industry, it can become, in the worst cases, grand theft and in better cases just lousy management and wasted funds. It was recently announced that FEMA has wasted more than $1 billion in hurricane recovery efforts. Congress has just appropriated another $10 billion to go toward recovery. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin says plans for rebuilding the city will not be ready for another six months. Perhaps by that time, the city can add to its woes. The hurricane season is now underway and a tropical storm has already passed over northern Florida. It’s always been my theory that when one honest person is keeping tabs on the exchequer, the budget plan can be followed pretty close. When two people get involved, it becomes more complicated. When a committee gets into the act, it is chaos! Government is a heckuva large committee and is far too large to be efficient. Its numerous agencies cannot simply concentrate on their own goals but must adhere to the restrictions placed on them by federal regulations that cross agency lines and muck up the works. Then they have to be concerned about those politicians who may disagree with their goals. It’s called bias. This business of inefficiency is a fact of life. The patronage system we utilize lets winning administrations replace job holders from previous administrations (sometimes) and thus results in turnover that throws out solid experience only to replace it with inexperience (sometimes). It is a mistake to assume that government can be efficient and to expect it to be so. It isn’t and has not been for a long time. Peace of mind can come from realizing that and not getting ulcers every time we hear of another screw-up. For instance, the thousands of trailers meant for use in the hurricane recovery area are still sitting in Arkansas. They will probably still be their next year. There has been some talk about using them for other recovery efforts. Don’t worry about it. You can’t store trailers merely by parking them on a tarmac. Without proper blocking and other precautions, they deteriorate. This doesn’t even take into consideration pilfering. Then there were the truck loads of ice that were driven around the country from one point to another, never seeming to reach their destination. So my advice, getting more to the general well-being of people, is to accept the fact that government is inefficient. Vote against specific inefficiencies when you can; when you can’t don’t worry about it. There is too much inefficiency to spend time brooding over it. We have moved in life from an era when it was safe to leave houses unlocked during our absence to a time when it is not safe in too many areas. We have moved from a time when children could play in the streets and growing youth could bicycle to get where they wished to go without fear of being targeted by molesters. We have moved from a time when workers believed they owed their bosses eight hours a day and honesty to a time where workers play on computers and go home with pockets full of items from the company stock room—pens and pencils for instance. One of the biggest problems retailers face today is employee theft. So why should we expect people in responsible positions to be any different. We now have to put up with those whose lives are governed by a lack of standards that used to be more commonly accepted. Well, I didn’t intend to get into preaching, but that’s where my conclusions lead. We publish a river-related newsletter. The river projects of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have been under attack for 35 years. Efficiency has gone down the drain because of interference in a system that once worked far more efficiently. I don’t believe that the problems in the Corps are from within. They are caused much of the time by interference by critics who demand more oversight and disagree with the goals of the Corps. We are often prompted to think about inefficiency when we read reports about government services. It helps to remember that genuine efficiency may be rare. Isn’t that sad!
For Those Inclined To Pray
 For those desiring prayer support for themselves or others, we invite you to join our Prayer Circle, which allows you to submit requests, thereby tapping into prayerful support of our 40 Circle members. There is power in prayer. Membership in the Circle and/or the submission of prayer requests is open to anyone and freë. Request lists are sent out via email, generally, on the day they are received. Come join us!
Newsletter News
Last week we provided an email address rather than a formal link to the Mystic Seaport web site. Here is the Mystic Seaport link.
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If you are thinking about writing a book, or already have written one and need a publisher, consider self-publishing with Little River Books Division, J. R. Simpson, Inc. While you are considering it, reserve your copy of “$elf-publish for Profit” (by avoiding the booby traps), presently being readied for the printer. This book results from more than half a century of journalistic experience in newspaper work, photography, publishing and editing. Helping you avoid the booby traps can save you hundreds (conceivably thousands). You can reserve your copy for $15 plus $5 S&H and save an immediate $4.50 off the $19.50 cover price. After the release date, the price will go back up. Send checks to Little River Books, 2175 Huntington Dr., Florissant, MO 63033-1227 or call Jack at 314-921-4419 to use your Visa or MasterCard. Questions about the book? Send them to jacksimpson@littleriverbooks.com. Virtually all chapters have been returned from the editor.
On The Waterfront
University of Missouri Releases Mississippi River Study Last week the University of Missouri released a detailed study on the subject of the Mississippi River and economics. This study is filled with good information that should help guide decisions about updating the river structures and improving maintenance. The study is available for reading, and links are provided below. The Corps says the information is free to share and is published. The study was done by the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI), Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Missouri, Columbia. Questions about the research can be directed to John Kruse, PhD, transportation analyst at the Institute, phone 573-882-1868, fax 573-884-4688, or email krusej@missouri.edu. The report was done by Dr. Kruse and Seth Meyer. Overall, the report is lengthy and contains much with which we need not bother. However, the 17-page executive summary deals with the Mississippi. The report appears on the University of Missouri web site at www.fapri.missouri.edu. Among other subjects, here is what you will find: June 14, 2006 Mississippi River Research Conclusions Executive Summary (17 pages, 312 kb) FAPRI-UMC Report #10-06 John Kruse and Seth Meyer. Briefing paper requested by Senator Bond detailing the conclusions from the Mississippi River research to date. The report deals with cargo flows, delays at locks and delay comparisons from lock to lock. It deals with the core issues involving Corps proposals to modern the Upper Mississippi and Illinois river navigation facilities.
Will MARC 2000 Celebrate?  Staffers at Midwest Area Rivers Coalition 2000, St. Louis, are optimistically hoping to celebrate the passage of a suitable Water Resources Development Act when they hold their annual meeting December 7–8 at the Drury Inn Hotel in downtown St. Louis. Registration for the meeting will commence later this month on www.marc2000.org.
At this point, many river supporters want to share their hopes, but ongoing activity surrounding WRDA legislation at this time, make it impossible to relate specific gains and losses. The matter will become clear in the near future.
Older Stories Need To Be In The Record Due to focus on communications from B&B readers, we reduced the news in this section last week and omitted a few stories that should have appeared. — We don’t want to overlook for the record reports in the Louisville “Courier-Journal” about plans at Jeffboat to add 1,100 jobs over the next three years. The company is hoping to double its barge-building business. Mark Holden, chief executive of the parent company, American Commercial Lines, said the business is now profitable and, “Now we want to expand it. Indiana offered upward of $11.3 million in incentives to make the move possible. ACL emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last year.” — On June 8 the harbor boat Ozark, docked alongside another small work boat, the Mitchell, at the Mitchell Power Station on the Monongahela River at Union, sank and took the Mitchell down partially with it. The Ozark, owned by Marine Contracting, was usually not docked at the site but was in the area to remove old steel remaining in the river from a former docking facility. The cause of the sinking is unknown. No one was aboard at the time. Except for necessary environmental efforts to prevent the spread of some 2,000 gallons of diesel fuel on the boats, no serious problems encountered. — A swing bridge that was built over the Mississippi River in 1895 for the South St. Paul Beltline Railroad to link the stockyards with the main rail lines in St. Paul is to be demolished, perhaps next year. Now managed by the county, repair costs have become too high. Trains used the upper deck of the bridge and cars the lower. Built when Grover Cleveland was president, the bridge span pivoted parallel to the shore to allow boats to pass. By the time it was closed due to safety concerns, 2,000 cars a day crossed it.
J. Ray McDermott Is Building Casino Boats J. Ray McDermott, Houston-based subsidiary of McDermott International Inc., has begun fabrication at its Morgan City, La., yard on two specialty boats for Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. Normally the company has been involved in building for the energy market, such as barges for shallow-draft exploration and Gulf in the 1970s and early 1980s. Then they moved into building oil platforms. The new boats currently under construction are for Harrah’s Horseshoe Casino expansion at Hammond, Ind. They will each measure 276 feet by 102 feet, with a 22-foot draft, and weigh about 1,700 tons. The Hammond project will combine the two new vessels with four others being built elsewhere to create 564-foot long, 320-foot wide casino vessel, which some say will be (for a little while at least) the largest floating casino in the world.
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From Our Readers
Re: Walter Blair’s Books Walter Blair wrote: “Tall Tale America” and “A Raft Pilot’s Log”. With Franklin Meine he wrote: “Mike Fink” and “Half Horse, Half Alligator”. Charlie Lehman
Re: Marlene’s Question About Walter A. Blair In response to Marlene’s question about the book by Walter A. Blair, I wonder if she means “Raft Pilot’s Log”. He also wrote a smaller book about the Morning Star and it’s trip from Davenport to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, I believe it was titled “Log of the Morning Star” or something close to that. John Miller
Re: The Helpful Corps I couldn’t resist responding regarding the letter from “Name Withheld Upon Request” about his bad treatment by Corps of Engineers lockmasters. I find it difficult to understand how his experience could be so different from mine. I have found Corps lockmasters to be unfailingly helpful over my years of recreational boating and locking through at various locations and under varying circumstances. It could be that “Withheld” is one of those boaters who doesn’t bother to find out about local conditions, customs and procedures (which may not be the responsibility of the Corps), expects to be catered to at all times, and has probably never read the Rules of the Road. The locking priorities are clearly spelled out therein, and should not be a surprise to “Withheld”. I’m betting that if/when “Withheld” gets sarcastic or rude comments from the lockmasters, it’s in response to some kind of rude or arrogant remark or action on his part. If “Withheld” has really experienced a pattern of the kind of treatment he relates, he should take a good look at himself and his own behavior. You don’t need to withhold my name. Richard E. “Dick” Dunbar
Re: Anonymous Corps Criticism Sparks Reply I take exception to the recent out-lash against the Corps of Engineers from the anonymous writer in the 6-12 issue of Bitts & Bytes. I have never seen such whining and complaining from an adult who sounds like a spoiled brat who happens to be able to afford a boat and expect everybody to kiss his butt. I would hate to be any service provider of any kind for this arrogant, non-appreciative jerk. I am not a big fan of anything operated by the “guv’ment” and have never been employed by such an organization. However, I don’t think it is right to be able to hide behind a cloak of anonymity and throw rocks at any business, person, group or enterprise, whether it be public or private. If that venom spouting letter writer had any spheres in his scrotum, he would have not been afraid to use his name with his name as he lashed out against the lock operators. During the past 49 years, I have been through more locks than I could ever count, on both towboats and recreation (rec) boats as the letter writer and lock operators often call them. And as the writer stated, I have seen several instances where pleasure boats have been kept at the bottom of the waiting list in accordance with published priorities. I have also seen “rec” boats slipped in between double lockages or ahead of a waiting tow when possible. As a yacht delivery captain, I’ve been the victim of long delays, some of which were caused when an approaching towboat pilot who over-stated his arrival time by as much as thirty minutes along the Tenn-Tom or by a lock operator who decided to remind a “rich yacht owner” that he was in full control of the facility and would call the shots without regard to the impending darkness that could cause the “rec” boat problems in finding safe docking or suitable overnight anchorage. (We see this same “Soup Nazi” mentality displayed in most situations where one person has full control of a situation, whether it be a clerk in the express lane at the grocery or a traffic cop directing rubberneckers past an accident scene. I have observed a few scenarios described by this gutless letter writer but most have been a result of a belligerent attitude displayed by the “rec” boater. Too many have no idea of what is going on around them when they approach a lock because they have not been monitoring VHF Ch. 13. As I write this, Lock 53 on the Ohio River is calling a south bound “rec” boat on Ch. 13 to inform him he is not lined up properly to “run the pass”. His calls have been in vain because the “rec” boat operator is most likely on Ch. 16 or Ch. 14. I’ve heard the same radio replies or comments quoted in “anonymous’s” letter and in each case, they were usually responses to demanding, impatient or ignorant “rec” boaters who should have been more informed by monitoring the correct radio channel or better prepared with the proper equipment and understanding of how a lock and dam works (not just the hydraulic principals) in relation to getting commerce moved along the waterways. I’ve also seen arrogant boaters knocked out of lock turn because of their belligerent me, me attitude and demands of quick service from those they consider their employees, just because they pay taxes. Are they paying 20 cents per gallon tax on their fuel for contribution to the lock and dam maintenance fund? Long delays at several locks are not new. They have been a way of life for pleasure boaters and commercial operators for decades. Experience lets one know to check ahead for normally anticipated delays and plan the trip accordingly. “Rec” boaters are affected only by the inconvenience of long delays. It seldom costs them hundreds of dollars per hour while they wait. With the exception of a few lock operators on the Upper Miss and Upper Illinois Waterway, I have found the lock operators to be as courteous and accommodating to “rec” boaters as conditions allow. However, after dealing with hordes of incompetent and often inebriated or impaired pleasure boaters, it is easy to understand why they lump them all in to one ignorant and unsafe category, and “let ’em wait”. If he wants to show the Corps who’s boss, by voting against legislators who might influence federal appropriations for improvements to aging lock facilities, he certainly has the right to, but in the end, he’ll only exaggerate the delays as they system continues to crumble. Mr. Anonymous needs to take up a new recreational activity that involves less contact with others while allowing his body to grow some gonads so he can quit hiding behind a cloak of secrecy. Capt. Jeff L. Yates Paducah, KY
Re: And There’s More! I just had to reply to the reader complaining about the procedures at the locks. Please get a life and get off our rivers!! Can you say “river rage”? Maybe there are still recreational boaters that don’t know the towboat companies contribute huge sums for those locks and dams and without them we would probably still be traveling the rivers like Lewis & Clark. Instead of throwing a temper tantrum, the writer should take a boating course and learn what the priorities and signals at the locks mean. We are recreational boaters too. We have never in our many years (50+) and many lock troughs been treated with anything but professional and courteous manners. Does the whiner realize — we are recreational boaters — those guys are working. Tow and dam work is hard and dangerous requiring many hours of studying and training. Their top priority is safety (even yours). There most certainly is a pecking order and the pilots and lock personnel have the final word! Learn what the lights and audio signals mean and for your own safety —do not throw an anchor out anywhere near a dam or lock. I have not seen a dam that did not have a place to moor outside of the wall. A radio is nice but not required on small boats. They are not toys! So, please watch out for the “big” guys. They do rule. Remember, don’t get too close or your boat may be sucked under a barge and that would mean they would be held up doing paperwork. Just a couple of rec boaters, Bob & Joan Rice
Re: Ditto I think the whining of the guy who was complaining about the lock operators was unwarranted. I have been through 100s of locks as a rec boat [operator] and have NEVER been treated the way he describes. Of course I never leave home on a trip like that if I have to be in a hurry. Tom Waller (Editor’s note: I guess Corps personnel now know how you all feel.)
Re: Mystic Seaport Mystic Seaport has a fleet of my models to represent what we have out here in brown water country. I built, for them several years ago, a flatboat, a keelboat, a sternwheeler (it was the Bertrand which I had already afloat as an RC boat), a modern towboat, the American Beauty (but which in my fleet carried the name of Verna B. and it’s an RC boat); and two modern barges, one, a box barge with covers and the other a rake barge hopper. For years, the museum only featured blue water, historic vessels. Finally, they decided there was waterborne commerce out here in the boondocks so they contacted me and we built for them representative river craft from the super earliest 1800s up to and including modern times. Mary and I delivered the models to the museum. Also, we got a super tour of the place. It’s great. Glenn Hensley Kirkwood, Mo.
This morning’s (June 17, 2006) headline in the [Dubuque] “Telegraph Herald”: Lock, dam repair delayed. According to Rob Kundert, staff writer, the changes in federal spending rules will delay the major maintenance project at Lock and Dam 11 in Dubuque by at least a year. The original projection was to have the work completed by the summer of 2007, but the rule change pushes completion back to the summer of 2008, according to Lockmaster Bill Hainstock. The first phase of the $26.9 million project has been completed, the stabilizing of the riverbank near the lock and dam. The second phase is winter work, from December through February, and involves dewatering the lock chamber, removing 10 inches of concrete from the chamber walls and replacing it with a prefabricated concrete slab surface. Concrete around the lock chamber will also be replaced along with lock machinery and electrical equipment. Public access to the lock and dam and the public viewing platform has been restricted all season and will continue to be until the project is completed in 2008. Until recently, the Army Corps of Engineers could move funds to keep projects covering several years moving. And that was the case with the Lock and Dam 11 rehab work. A little more than $8 million got the project going but the money for completion, more than $20 million, won’t be allocated until the next budget year. Barbara Lester, area engineer for the Rock Island corps district says that it has removed some of their flexibility to pay contractors. Now the money must be on hand before a contractor can proceed with the work. The same major maintenance job was recently completed at Lock and Dam 12 in Bellevue before Congress made changes in the federal spending rules. (On a personal note I guess we can blame it on Congress instead of the Corps this time. The Corps takes a horrific amount of blame for much that people see happening around the Mississippi river, and we never seem to tire of the convenience of having the Corps as a scapegoat for whatever we are currently opposing or supporting. It’s too bad, though, because it leaves a project underway but stalled. Many people in the Dubuque area really do not feel like their day is complete unless they take a drive out to the lock and dam to “check up” on things. It is also a great draw for visitors to the Dubuque area, or was until the roads were sealed off.) Roger Thiede Historical Educator and deckhand wannabe US CE dredge William M. Black Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium Ice Harbor, Dubuque, IA (Editor’s note: Roger and Rob Kundert have explained clearly a big problem that has in recent years become a major issue with the Corps. The Corps previously was able to reprogram money when a project got held up so that another ongoing project could proceed. Corps critics have worked to stop that and have successfully convinced enough in Congress that they are right. What they overlook is the cost to the contractor when shutting down projects for which they fail to appropriate funds.)
Boat Photo Center
 Note: Pictures that are emailed among the gang on the net will not be posted unless it is specifically stated that they are also for the Photo Center and all of the needed data is provided. Please take my name out of the “general” email address used to share this pictures and all of the comments pertaining to them. Each time the same email gets shipped, it usually includes pictures as well, and my mailbox gets clogged. Also, sometimes pictures are taken from other sites and not intended for posting. That information is not always made clear, although it is a perfectly legitimate way to share pictures. I need a break. Now this week’s 20 pictures: They include the Bill Stile and John H. Elliott in one photo, plus the R. L. Ireland and Jessie R. Johnson, all from Eric M. Johnson; three views of the American Beauty from Joe E. Brown; three of the Mary Scheel from Ron Richardson; the J. S. Lewis and two of the Billson (later the J.S. Lewis) from Brent Maletic; the Midland and two of the Sir William from John Miller; the Adrian Hargrove from Ed Rahe; two of the Erna E. Honeycutt from Charles A. Perrin; and the J. W. Hershey and Mary Evelyn from Craig Nowack. Click here to see the latest pictures.
Recipe Box
Do you have a good recipe you’d like to share? Submit your recipes here!
The Book Beat
 The great thing about “Backing Hard Into River History”, a book written by the late James V. Swift of “The Waterways Journal”, is that it never grows stale and is a hundred years of history about the WJ, Swift’s dealings with it and the “Riverman’s Bible.” Dozens and dozens of great boat pictures illustrate this book that is not only a good read but a must for your history shelf.
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Tow Talkin'
June 19, 2006 By Kathy Flippo  The lockmen up at #13 have been busy! Traffic is picking up. They sure didn’t find time to drink coffee, eat donuts and twiddle their thumbs on Tuesday afternoon and evening June 13th. ACBL’s Mv. Tom Beringer went up, followed by Marquette’s Mv. Raymond Grant Eckstein. Ingram’s Mv. Robin B.
Ingram was waiting patiently on the cell to come down. Clinton, Iowa’s, gambling boat, the Mississippi Belle II, was out on her afternoon tour. Has a bright red paddle wheel that doesn’t do anything when it goes ’round and ’round. In fact, they sit at their dock and it goes ’round and ’round, strictly ornamental. Besides all that, Ingram’s Mv. Tom Talbert was nosed in down below, waiting to go up along with ARTCO’s Mv. Andrea Leigh. Way up in the pool I could see Ingram’s Mv. Queen City and…to keep reading, click here. See you on the Web, Jack Little River Books jacksimpson@littleriverbooks.com Don't forget to visit our web site! |
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