[StBernard] Jr and MRGO

[Westley Annis]

Ok John,

not that your are doing any defending, but can you now explain why Junior
AFTER THE STORM signed an agreement with the Port of New Orleans to keep the
MRGO open and how the agreement for a gated structure at Paris Rd. in that
agreement would be beneficial to St. Bernard?

Craig

-----Original Message-----
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