[StBernard] Jr and MRGO

[Westley Annis]

Jill,

In no way is what I'm about to say to be taken as defense for Junior, but
clarification should be made here.  I cannot believe for one moment that
Junior does not want to see MRGO closed, but let's put this in proper
context.

Prior to Hurricane Katrina, Junior absolutely wanted MRGO closed, but other
factions, like the Port of New Orleans, fought against it at every turn and
had influence in Congress.  I went with Junior to Washington twice within a
year's time to meet with members of Congress to close MRGO, only to have our
pleas fall on deaf ears.

In 2004, I took Junior's position on going along with a proposed water
control structure at Bayou Laloutra as "we can't beat'em right now, so let's
get 'something' out of this that will at least give us a chance to cut down
the tidal surge from a hurricane."  In other words, we were beaten, so
getting  something was better than nothing...and that's the God awful truth.


If Junior would have said "to hell with you guys in Washington, we don't
want a water control structure, we want total and complete closure of MRGO,"
then Washington's response would have been "no problem, if you don't want
the water control structure, we won't build it...but we're keeping MRGO open
anyway." THAT was their position and attitude.

Some people saw this as if Junior was "selling out" or something.  But not
me.  I knew what was going on and Junior took what he could get.  Every
experienced politician knows when he's licked - and Junior knew we were.
Plain and simple, he made the best deal that could be made with those idiots
from Washington.  I would have done the same.

Junior told me shortly after that it was "going to take a storm drowning our
assess for those mother .....ers in Washington to see we know what we're
talking about down here."  Well, prophecy has come to pass, and sure enough,
it appears Congress and the Corp is beginning to see the light and finally
bring total closure to MRGO.

- John Scurich



-----Original Message-----
Westly, here's another reply that might have been missed also. jill

Jill Dolese <cajunempress at yahoo.com> wrote: 

	Subject:  Jr and MRGO
	 
	Jer
	"Going into the
	election a
	few years back, many voters saw JR as a beacon of light, especially
	with his
	MRGO position."
	 
	Closing the MRGO - Junior's take on this issue has been like someone
plucking a daisy.
	Do I promote to close, do I promote to keep the shipping industry
happy etc. 
	Ah,,,,, Today it's I promote to close.
	How soon we forget.
	In Sept. of 2004, after numerous meetings and a commitment by Junior
that he was a proponent backing the closure of the MRGO he proposed a
resolution to the parish council to use LCA funds for a 200 foot deep draft
gate structure at Bayou Laloutra which would allow the shipping industry to
continue to use the channel and cause further destruction from dredging. 
	Following this resolution which was passed by the council, not
explained very well so that those casting a vote fully understood what they
were actually voting on, the St. Bernard Parish Sportsmen's League
unanimously voted to send letters to the council and Senators expressing
that they did not support this resolution. 
	And yes here we are, after sooo many years of preaching to close the
MRGO with noted descriptions of the devastation that it would cause, which
we have now experienced with Katrina first hand, the MRGO is STILL OPEN.
	Jill dolese
	Recording Secretary
	St. Bernard Sportsmen's League