Houma Courier Article Does Not Tell the Whole Story

Houma Courier Article Does Not Tell the Whole Story

The Houma Courier newspaper unjustly, falsely and in bad faith permits SOWL to be labeled as a "radical environmental group", interfering with hurricane protection projects without permitting SOWL the opportunity to correct the absolutelly false, misleading statement made by State Sen. Reggie Dupre,D-Bourg. (See article: Lawmakers Ask State For Help With Morganza Lawsuit

OPEN LETTER to HOUMA COURIER from SOWL:

State Senator Reggie Dupre states in your newspaper:

"Our understanding and concern is that some of the individuals who instigated the suit in this case appear to have filed numerous suits trying to prevent the construction of hurricane-protection projects in Louisiana, dating as far back as construction of the barrier projects after Hurricane Betsy in the mid 1960s," the letter states.

These included blockage of a barrier project for Lake Pontchartrain, resulting in the corps’ implementing alternatives for hurricane protection for the New Orleans metro area that proved to be "grossly inadequate," the letter states.

Because the state has invested substantial money in the project, said state Sen. Reggie Dupre, D-Bourg, it has an interest in the lawsuit and should intervene on behalf of Morganza.

"I am not going to stand idly by while these radical environmental groups try to repeat history," Dupre said. "I will use every resource I have to protect the people in my district."

A Save Our Wetlands representative could not be reached for comment this morning."

Why do you say, "A Save Our Wetlands representative could not be reached for comment..."

when in fact SOWL was phone interviewed May 8th by your reporter Nikki Buskey, the same date of your published atricle?

Buskey's question to SOWL at that time was SOWL's reaction to politicians requesting the state to intervene in SOWL's suit against the Terrebonne Levee District for proceeding without Clean Water Permits. Ms. Buskey made no mention to SOWL that State Senator Reggie Dupre labeled SOWL as a "radical environmental group, who in past filed numerous lawsuits against hurricane protection projects", causing New Orleans to flood.

If SOWL had labeled State Senator Reggie Dupre as a typical crooked Louisiana politician - interested not in flood protection for Houma citizens, but in supporting Terrebonne-Lafourche Levee District's Windell Curole & Jerome Zeringue's Morganza illegal Pork Barrel-agenda destruction of over 166,000 wetland acres and promoting secondary urban development into low lying areas extremely susceptible to hurricane tidal surges to the eleven billion plus dollar-benefit for the Clifford Smith engineering empire and other corporate interests - and you phone interview Reggie Dupre the same day, wouldn't you ask Dupre's reaction to SOWL's description of him?

Well, you interviewed SOWL the same day Reggie Dupre made his sladerous and false statement that SOWL is a bunch of radical environmentalists, whose history is hell bent on suing to stop valid hurricane protection projects, and made no mention to SOWL of Reggie Dupre's comment.

Here now is SOWL's answer to Dupre's remarks...

State Sen. Reggie Dupre falsely accuses Save Our Wetlands of enjoining Corps Chef Menteur barriers in 1976 as playing a roll in the flooding of New Orleans. This is not true.

The reason why the USACE is has left the 17th St Canal 11 feet below sea level is because of the canal walls faulty design.

The September 28, 2005 post Katrina Government Accountability Office (GAO) report saids that if the Barriers had been constructed, the flooding in New Orleans would have been worse.

Katrina would have topped the Barriers, and flood waters would have been trapped both inside St. Tammany and Orleans Parish. In fact the St. Tammany Parish Police Jury was a co plaintiff with SOWL for exactly this reason.

SOWL, by enjoining Chef Menteur Rigolets Barriers, stopped the 28,000 Orlandia Subdivision from being constructed in New Orleans east.

If it was not for SOWL, not only would Lake Pontchartrain be a stagnant body of water, but 260,000 more people would have settled in New Orleans east only to be flooded and drowned by the storm surge of hurricane Katrina funneled in through the Corps's MR-GO, and Corps's engineering failures at the London St. Canal. Thanks to Sowl, New Orleans is now protected by 28,000 acres of Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge wetlands.

The flooding in New Orleans was caused by the engineering failures of the Corps of Engineers, and we need to "Hold the Corps Accountable." Placing blame on Save Our Wetlands is just false.

SOWL is not only about protecting wetlands, but stopping Corps,Terrebonne Lafourche Windell Curole & Jerome Zeringue Levee Districts Morganza commanders' madness, and land developers from building levees not only destroying wetlands, acting as buffers to hurricane tidal surges, but promoting developments in low lying areas extremely susceptible to hurricane tidal surges.

SOWL is also actively protesting failure of oil companies to fill in their 10,000 miles of canals and navigational channels dug thru Louisiana wetlands.

SOWL's opposition to Morganza Corps-State's plan to build a Wall of "Leaky Levees" around Louisiana is based on March 13, 2007 letter signed by 16 coastal scientists-engineers this "Leaky Levee" system is faulty, and will not only destroy wetlands, acting as buffers to hurricane tidal surges, but will promote development in low lying areas extremely susceptible to hurricane tidal surges. This letter is backed up by Dec. 13-14, 2006 Science Board of Louisiana Coastal Area(LCA) Restoration Program Report.

Getting back to Houma Courier Buskey's May 8th phone interview, SOWL's represenative was asked by Buskey their reaction to politicians asking Louisiana to intervene in SOWL's Morganza suit.

SOWL described Morganza as a pork barrel wetland urban development disastrous "Leaky Levee scheme opposed by 16 leading coastal scientists and engineers as a plan not protecting the citizens of Houma, but in reality destroying over 166,000 hurricane wetland tidal surge barriers, and at same time promoting development in low lying areas, extremely susceptible to hurricane tidal surges and will make lots and lots of $$$$$$$$ for dredgers, Levee District managers and engineers who do not represent hurricane protection, but their corporate backers.

Morganza is same old history as Texas oil baron scheme to destroy - develop over 28,000 wetland acres in New Orleans East during the 1970's. If it was not for SOWL, 60,000 new homes would have been constructed in New Orleans East only to be destroyed on August 29, 2005 by the Corps' disastrous Mississippi River Gulf Coast Outlet (MR-GO).

SOWL saved thousands upon thousands of lives and misery and financial fortunes for many many people.

Why doesn't Reggie Dupre address the issue that the Morganza-to-the-Gulf of Mexico's "Leaky Levee" hurricane protection plan is opposed by 16 leading coastal scientists-engineers?

Why doesn't Reggie Dupre address the issue that oil companies have devasted Louisiana's coast by their construction of over 10,000 miles of canals, and navigational channels, and should be forced to pay restore their eroding wetland gobbling monsters.

Why doesn't Reggie Dupre demand Shell Oil Company Americas' Wetlands, because of conflict of interest, be forced to relinquish their partnership over Louisiana Coastal Protection Restoration Authority(CPRA).

And finally why doesn't Reggie Dupre demand, because of conflict of interest, Jerome Zeringue and Windell Curole be forced to resign from CPRA.

Terrebonne Levee District and Lafourche Levee District thru Jerome Zeringue and Windell Curole have promised many things:

They promise by Morganza to destroy over 166,000 acres of hurricane barrier wetlands and promote development in these destroyed wetlands plus make several billion dollars for their corporate-political Americas' Wetland Shell oil allies.

Rest assure they promise to take the land and they intend to take the land to their bitter end.

One promise they cannot keep?

The promise that "Leaky Levee" Morganza will protect the people of Houma from hurricane tidal surges.

Morganza under the leadership of Louisiana's Coastal Protection Restoration Authority(CPRA) spearheaded by Shell Oil Company Americas' Wetlands, and now ex Terrebonne Levee District commander Jerome Zeringue with ally Lafourche District chief Windell Curole will end up destroying our coastal zone and drowning the people of Houma.

And so it goes.

Want to know why?

Because Louisiana politicians are afraid to stand up against the Morganza oil gas corporate Americas' Wetlands seizure-destruction of over 166,000 acres of hurricane tidal surge barrier wetlands.

Morganza will not save Houma!

Morganza will destroy Houma!

SOWL is Louisiana's TRUE VOICE of the WETLANDS, REAL VOICE of the WETLANDS, and so it goes.

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Houma Courier Article Does Not Tell the Whole Story