Corps River Plan

From Star Tribune:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Three years ago, an economist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stirred up a tempest by accusing the agency of rigging a study to justify $1 billion in lock upgrades on the upper Mississippi River.

Now the White House is asking the Corps to scrap its plan, saying the latest economic model — which critics say is even worse than the approach challenged by economist Donald Sweeney — is flawed. The White House also proposed increasing environmental spending on the upper Mississippi to $33 million.

The decision by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) was a setback for Twin Cities-based Cargill Inc., which operates barges on the river and is part of an industry group that says the upgrades are needed to relieve traffic congestion.

Farmers in Minnesota, Iowa and other states who ship grain on the river have also supported the proposal to expand five to seven locks on the Mississippi and the Illinois waterway north of St. Louis.

I read the article in the paper this morning and my reaction was that I was pleased the lock upgrades appear to be stalled. I believe that we need a strong economy and
the need to move the shear volume of materials that barging accomplishes. However I also believe that this has been at a huge environmental cost, which is why I was also pleased to read that they were recommending 33 million dollars towards environmental improvements for the Upper Mississippi.
This administartion has had a bitch of a time since taking office. One of our spy planes makes an emergency landing in China, 9/11, War in Afganistan, North Korea, Iraq, now the shuttle Columbia all in conjunction with an economy that has been failing since before the election.
Hats off to those that got this ludicrous expenditure with a major undertone of subsidy to corporate giants off the table!

Corporate giants is no joke – someone once told me that Cargill pourchases & hadnles more than 90% of the world’s grain.

Not sure where or how to verify the truth of it, though.

I’m glad to hear that they put the brakes on the issue also. But with 97,000 employees in 59 coutries,Cargill could get it started up again. (corporate america) We will see……..Tight lines and Good Health to all…….Tony