LEGISLATORS CAUTIOUS ABOUT CORPS FINDINGS

Washington's reaction to a surprising Pentagon report that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers doctored a construction-needs study was anything but surprise.

Some Washington officials said such manipulations are to be expected, considering many legislators have rivers running through their districts and depend on the Corps of Engineers for the big-money projects constituents want.

But consider revelations in the report:

An investigation by the Army inspector general concluded that three top Corps of Engineers officials manipulated an analysis of a $1 billion proposed lock expansion on the Illinois and Mississippi rivers in order to manufacture a case for the construction.

In addition, the report said, the public works agency may be incapable of making unbiased decisions on whether project costs are justified by the benefits and thus deserving of federal funds.

And, it said, there's an apparent Corps of Engineers bias toward construction, probably because the barge industry -- which depends on locks and dams -- is viewed as a customer.

Environmental groups who don't like messing with Mother Nature through Mississippi River diversions have worked against the Corps of Engineers for decades.

And legislation has been proposed in past years to rein in the Corps of Engineers by requiring independent review of controversial proposals.

So far, the legislation has gone nowhere, but perhaps it will in light of the report, which has some legislators from both major political parties sitting up and taking notice.

A National Academy of Sciences review of a Corps of Engineers study of the lock project is due out in February, which is sure to bring more attention to the issue.

U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Cape Girardeau, has a good relationship with the Corps of Engineers, said her chief of staff, Lloyd Smith. He said Emerson has taken notice of the report, but political maneuverings and environmental lobbying must be taken into consideration.

"We are paying attention to it, but we aren't buying everything in it," he said.

"There are those who wish the corps would go away altogether, but we're not going to throw the baby out with the bath water."

In any case, any factual report that brings abuses of taxpayer dollars to light is beneficial and should be given serious consideration by our elected representatives in case changes need to be made.