Ignoring the facts

By Lynn N. Bock

Alan Journet's column, "Floodway raises concerns," is nothing short of fantastic. I was amazed to learn so much about my home and this project from Journet, who certainly has decided not to let the facts get in the way of his opinion.

The entire piece is loaded with deliberately misleading statements -- either that, or Journet has failed to adequately do his homework. I will address a few of the more important ones.

Despite Journet's attempt at a history lesson about the levee closure, the fact is that the original closure of the 1,500-foot gap in the levee was set forth in the local levee district's engineering plan in 1914 and was given congressional authorization in 1954. His assertion that the gap has a "critical flood-control purpose" is without any foundation. There is no significant flooding relief for Illinois or Kentucky that results from this gap, and it has nothing to do with the operation of the floodway.

To the contrary, the gap allows backwater flooding within the floodway, causing millions of dollars of damage to roads, bridges and other infrastructure improvements. Some of the improvements include levees built by the Missouri Department of Conservation to try to create a consistent wetlands in the area for waterfowl overwintering. The conservation department alone has spent well over a million of our tax dollars in the last 10 years repairing flood damage to its property.

More significant, though, is Journet's insidious assertions that the project is designed to benefit "wealthy landowners." The Sierra Club and its spokespersons, including Journet, have consistently ignored or attempted to downplay the human aspect of the project by claiming that the sole beneficiary is someone wealthy. What they are really up to amounts to environmental snobbery.

Journet's proposal to raise the road "a few inches" to alleviate flooding problems in Pinhook is designed to make that community's problems to be just a simple fix. In fact, the flooding threatens that community's very existence. The African American enclave is surrounded by water during every flood event, and children are transported back and forth to the school bus in a cotton trailer through floodwater several feet deep. I rather doubt if Journet would tolerate such conditions for his family, while it seems to be OK for the folks in Pinhook in order for the fish to have their "nursery."

Likewise, the children of East Prairie have had to suffer through schools smelling of sewer gas. Journet has the audacity to lead readers into thinking that the 10-year floodplain improvement will do little to benefit East Prairie. He knows the storm-sewer problems in East Prairie cannot be fixed until the headwater flooding is fixed, but he keeps this from readers in order to advance his philosophy rather than lay out the facts.

And what a philosophy it is. The mental gymnastics that are involved in his explanation of the impact of improved crop production by local producers as being a detriment to national economic development is beyond ludicrous. Hundreds of farmers in Southeast Missouri have gone broke in the last decade, and many are barely holding on now. For Journet to suggest that their ability to make a decent living and support their families will somehow hurt the national economy is elitist.

Additionally, and in typical fashion, when the Sierra Club needs a sound bite, they take a shot at the Corps of Engineers, which seems to be an easy target these days. However, it missed its mark this time. Journet asserts, "Although wetland forest creation is promised, the historic record of corps failure in this regard leaves opponents unconvinced." A reader who is not totally familiar with the project or the corps would take such a statement at face value. What Journet does not tell the reader is that the corps is going to purchase and reforest nearly 9,000 acres of land to mitigate for the project. What a great thing for wildlife and recreation. Additionally, he fails to mention that the corps has agreed that all of the land will be purchased during construction. Opponents are unconvinced? More like unreasonable.

Frankly, the only people and organization against the projects do not live, work, go to school or frequent the area, including Journet. He has further reinforced the notion that the environmentalist agenda is to ignore facts and mislead the public in order to preserve its place on the front page, which is unfortunate indeed for us and the environment.

Lynn N. Bock of New Madrid, Mo., is the attorney for the St. John Levee and Drainage District.