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July 17, 2006 -- Vol. 6 Issue 28 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
I thought I lived in the good ol’ USA, but when I read a story published about the Federal Emergency Management Agency and how it is handling the mobile home situation in Morgan City, La., I am not so sure. 
Editorial Comment From Jack
 “The Baton Rouge Advocate” published on July 15, 2006, a story by Sandy Davis that makes my blood boil. It focuses on Katrina victims living in mobile homes financed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and how FEMA and local guards are not allowing reporters to interview them.
Reporters were actually kicked out of the mobile homes and told they could not even leave business cards to enable Katrina victims to contact them later. The basis for the story is that hundreds of mobile homes are sitting empty, and those few people living in some of the federally financed mobile home parks are poorly served. FEMA spent about $7.5 million to build the 198-trailer Davant trailer park, which sits almost empty three months after being built. Morgan City Mayor Timothy Matte told the “Advocate” that “There are about 50 more new FEMA trailers in various mobile home parks around town, and no one lives in those, either.” Some 15 families live in the Lake End facility, while 183 of the trailers sit vacant. FEMA refuses to discuss the issue, “The Advocate” said. FEMA spokeswoman Rachel Rodi said that any media people invited to a mobile home must be escorted by a FEMA representative. They are actually denying media access. The FEMA action was called unconstitutional by Gregg Leslie, legal defense director for The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. “They cannot deny media access,” Leslie told “The Advocate.” He said “it’s definitely not legal.” The story about FEMA’s failures to provide good service are becoming legendary. But their treatment of the press is really something right out of a dictatorship. One resident was describing conditions to a reporter when a security guard came and ordered the reporter and photographer to leave. He told them they were not allowed there. When the reporter tried to give the woman his business card, the guard told them that she was not allowed to have that. The guard yelled at them and told them, “You’re not allowed to be here. Get out right now!” When the reporter persisted, the guard ordered him back into the trailer and called the police. I don’t know how that hits B&B readers, but to me it is a travesty. Someone in FEMA should be held accountable. Someone’s head should roll. If it is FEMA policy and Bush approves of it, he can look for one terrible GOP election come November. I agree that there are times when the press oversteps its bounds, i.e., the publishing of secret programs dealing with war. Our government is not dictatorship, and to keep out the press to conceal how poorly FEMA is performing is terrible. I, for one, am notifying my senator, and a few other people who have some power to dig into this. I hope you all do to. Perhaps you can look it up on the net. Here is a link: http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/3360021.html Perhaps it will still be active. But I can tell you for sure that this is not the end of it. Rachel Rodi and FEMA are going to catch hell from every direction. One advantage I have by being an editorial writer for both “The Waterways Journal” and B&B is that I can respond in B&B to those who I think have missed the point in a WJ editorial. It is the policy of the WJ not to respond to writers who criticize its contents. That’s the way it should be. People have a right to speak their piece without being dumped on. On July 3 the WJ published an editorial about levees, and the debate was whether or not to build them. George C. Grugett, executive vice president of the Mississippi Valley Flood Control Association, climbed all over the WJ and me for asking what he considered to be an asinine question, i.e., should we build levees? One major goal of editorials is to inspire debate. I can say quite honestly that I think if that editorial had not appeared, Mr. Grugett would not have been inspired to respond. It doesn’t bother me to get trounced. What bothers me is that I believe Grugett believes I am on the other side of the issue. I have been writing editorials in the WJ for 30 years and I have always, always, always waved the banner for flood control. What I did in the editorial was merely suggest that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which recently announced publicly itself that it wasn’t worth the chips to raise levees on the Upper Mississippi to handle 500-year floods, was counting the cost. But I did suggest something he probably did not like – well we know he didn’t like it – I suggested that considering the disasters from hurricanes, et al, perhaps people should be more prudent about where they decide to live. I brought up that point, because many of the people who are victimized by disasters know well in advance that some day they will become victims. So who pays the bill? The taxpayer? Sometimes. Right now, the entire nation is paying for hurricane victims along the Gulf. That’s fine. But when it comes to the question of whether to let them rebuild again in that fishbowl, lots of people are counting the cost. It was also my point that we have lived along water for some 300 years and that we can’t go back and force everyone out. I did not suggest now, nor did I in the editorial, that we should stop protecting people from floods. What I emphasized was that we should consider carefully now where we locate our facilities and our homes. The country is more crowded. I know that. But more and more we are hearing from engineers who say that the construction of dikes, levees and floodwalls in one area impact the hydraulics of the floodwater and redirect problems elsewhere. Much of the flood control savings discussed over the years was made possible by the building of the main stem reservoirs on the Missouri River. In 1927 and 1937 and 1993, we experience tremendous floods. But the first two preceded the building of the reservoirs. Obviously they made possible savings in the billions by preventing floods. Efforts are being made to close the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, because many feel it played a major role in flooding the Ninth Ward in New Orleans. People are counting the cost. Mr. Grugett is paid to fight the battle he fights. I am not against him nor his goal. I just think that the time has come to count the cost of building in flood plains if it isn’t necessary.
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
This week you will find less “On The Waterfront” news and more comments from individual readers who have much to say on crucial issues. Also, there may not be a B&B for two weeks, because I am taking a much needed break. Book projects are keeping me very busy. — Jack
On The Waterfront
Senate To Vote On New Locks This Week Word has come from the Waterways Council, National Waterways Conference and the Midwest Area River Coalition (MARC 2000) that Senate action is due this week on water projects. Debate will ensue Tuesday on the Water Resources Development Act. (Proponents should, if they are able, let their senators know their stand on the issues.) (As most readers know, the above groups, and others, are overlapping in nature in that their membership rosters include many of the same leaders. Each organization, however, works diligently to support water projects in addition to cooperating with the others.) MARC 2000 announced yesterday (Sunday) that “Thirteen long years of waiting finally ends this week, as the U.S. Senate addresses infrastructure improvements and ecosystem restoration for the Upper Mississippi River System. The provisions are included in the Water Resources Development Act, slated for a vote on Tuesday.” Members of the coalition applauded the move and said, “The legislation demonstrates congressional endorsement for an achievable river plan proposed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers through more than a decade of study,” the announcement said. The dual-purpose plan is the result of regional consensus among stakeholders, collaborating to address challenges for the multi-purpose river. “This will create thousands of highly skilled construction jobs each year at seven key lock and dam locations (#20-25 on the Mississippi River, and Peoria and LaGrange on the Illinois Waterway),” said Terry Nelson, executive secretary-treasurer of the Carpenters District Council of St. Louis & Vicinity. Over 48 million man-hours will be created by lock construction. The 15-year phase of the 50-year river approach authorizes $1.8 billion for new 1,200-foot locks. Half of the amount will be funded through the Inland Waterways Trust Fund, a national fuel tax depository. Non-structural and smaller-scale measures total $246 million, also paid in part through the trust fund. $1.65 billion will go toward ecosystem restoration. “We applaud authorization of the single-largest ecosystem restoration measure for the Upper Mississippi,” said Tim Richardson, director of government affairs for American Land Conservancy. “In its first 15-year increment, WRDA authorizes restoration of over 105,000 acres of habitat, impacting 35,000 acres of floodplain.” The federal spending will be supplemented by state dollars. For months, members of MARC 2000, NWC and other river organizations have campaigned on Capitol Hill to express their concerns to senators and emphasize the need for the project. In February 81 senators signed a letter urging Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-0TN) to assign WRDA floor time. In recent weeks, NWC has urged its members to contact their senators to help promote passage of the bill. The multi-project bill totals $11.7 billion dollars. The U.S. House passed its own WRDA legislation in July 2005 by an overwhelming vote of 406-14. A WRDA, generally scheduled for passage every two years, has not been authorized in more than six years.
River Rats To Meet In Brownville The annual meeting of the Missouri River-River Rats Reunion will be held Saturday, August 12. This is a get-together of men and women who worked and fished on the Missouri River along with their decedents and others who are interested in the history of the Missouri River. Activities start at 9 a.m. on the Spirit of Brownville, with a continental breakfast and lots of river talk. The business meeting starts at 10 a.m., followed by the inductions into the RRR Hall of Fame. The annual dinner cruise will leave the dock at 11:30 a.m. and return at 1 p.m. The Dredge Lewis will be open for attendees in the afternoon if you wish to continue to reminisce. The cost of the dinner cruise is $15.00. Annual membership is $10 and Life Membership is $50. Caps and t-shirts are also available. Reservations for the cruise and dinner are requested and may be made with Mary Beth Kerns at R#1 Box 230, Julian, NE 68378 (402-242-2761) or at the dredge Lewis (402-825-3341). Additional information can be obtained from Mary Beth Kerns or the dredge web site at http://www.meriwetherlewisfoundation.org.
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You can contact the editor dírectly at jacksimpson@littleriverbooks.com.
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From Our Readers
Re: Needs Help In Charlotte, N.C. Do any of you know anyone that has a “vacation” home in Charlotte, NC? Our Girl Scout troop is going down there Aug 6 - 11 for an Athena’s Path conference. We’ve been doing some searches for rentals, but have only found things in the beach areas. We have reservations at a hotel, but it would be MUCH better for us to have a house so that the whole group can be kept together and not isolated in rooms/cars etc. It’s important to me that we try our best to keep everyone together feeling like a family instead of being broken up here and there. With so many having family friends in the Carolina’s, it seems probable that we could find someone that can direct us in the right path. Thanks, Melanie (Note: Please respond to B&B and we will forward it to Melanie.)
Re: Missouri River Navigation The Corps of Engineers just released a statement that the navigation season on the Missouri River will be shortened by 44 days this year because of lack of water. We may be in the middle of navigation season, but there is presently no navigation on the Missouri River because there is not a navigable channel due to lack of water (they had enough water for a spring rise for fish but now not enough for navigation) and poor and improper dike maintenance. All of the boats have pulled off of the river. It is my understanding that the Corps of Engineers is supposed to provide a navigable channel during navigation season by providing enough water flow and by deepening the channel by dike maintenance. Neither of this is happening. They have been putting rock on some of the dikes to raise their elevation. The problem here is, that they are raising the dikes that are already showing six feet above the water and the dikes that water is flowing over are not getting any rock. Also they are not working in the usual problem areas that we have year after year. We have reported these areas every year and yet they do no dike maintenance in these areas. Why would this be so? It is becoming obvious that the Fish and Wildlife now controls the river. They do not want navigation on (their) river. They tell the Corps of Engineers where to put the rock, where it would least help navigation. As long as they are spending the money allocated to them by putting rock on the dikes, it looks good. But not to ones such as I who observe where they are putting the rock where it would not help navigation or channelization. It is bad enough when we do not get sufficient rainfall and when they do not give us enough flow from the dams, but we could still have a navigable channel with proper dike maintenance, and this they will not do. The notching of the dikes to let water flow through them doesn’t help either. The effects of this will be obvious after the next flood. I questioned a Corps official [about] why they would raise the already high elevation dikes and not the low ones, and why they didn’t do work in the problem areas. I was told that “they would continue their agenda and that I should talk to the people that I work for and other people with navigation interests”. In other words. I may be trying to navigate this river, but I don’t matter. And it is obvious what their agenda is — to get navigation off of the Missouri River. It seems that they have all but accomplished this. Jesse (Jake) Lybarger
Boat Photo Center
Need I say that we need photos? I do! Here are eight photos for this week’s Photo Center. They include the Bill Dyer and Karen Marie from Eric M. Johnson; the Amy C from Ron Richardson; and two shots of the Spirit of Dubuque and three of the J. B. Kleinpeter from David Chase. 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
 Let me suggest again that "Backing Hard Into River History" is a dandy for your library. See it on our web site. It provides a 100-year history of our Mississippi River and tributaries system. We sell this book for nearly 33 percent off the normal retail price.
List Price: $29.95 Our Price: $20.00 
You Save:
$9.95 (33.2%)
 Want to know how many rivermen and their families used to feel about the river industry nearly a quarter-century ago? See "If Ships Could Talk," which, in addition to river and sea poetry, contains a lot of history in it. It's a good buy at $4.50.
Get More Visitors To Your Web Site - Join The U.S. Inland Waterways Site Ring!
This is a web ring owned by Little River Books. It is dedicated to those who work, rest, or play on the inland waterways of the United States. Owners of river-related commercial or private sites can apply to join, bringing together as many waterways related sites as possible. Sign up (F-R-E-E), put the code on your page, and watch your hits skyrocket! Let’s see if we can make this one of the biggest and best river site rings on the web. Benefit from other river sites’ traffic and gain new visitors. If you sell a river-related product on your site, this is the ring for you! (You must copy and past the site ring graphic onto your web site as soon as your site is approved.) Chëck out the sites currently in the ring and their hit statistics as a dírect result of being in the site ring.
Tow Talkin'
July 17, 2006 By Kathy Flippo  The Mv. James W. Bukey provided the entertainment of the day last Monday. When we woke up she was nosed into the outside of the lower end of Beaver Island. So what? She was SIX long is what! Then she backed down into the Camanche Fleet and much later went up with a regular 15 barge tow, three wide and five long.
When the Bukey came off the ways at Dravo Corp. up at Neville Island, Pennsylvania, she was called the R. E. Doyle, Jr. and towed for Indiana Michigan Power Company of Lakin, West Virginia. ACBL bought her in 1987…to continue 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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