Editorial: Delay In Fixing Rivers Would Be Bad For U.S.

The proposal to modernize the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers by installing seven new 1,200-foot locks has become more complicated. John Paul Woodley Jr., assistant secretary of the Army-civil works, has modified the recommendations of the chief of Engineers regarding project approval and implementation and prefers that the proposal be “held in abeyance.” Woodley questions the economic justification. We think those recommendations are near-sighted.

The most important argument of opponents of the project is declining traffic figures (mostly relatively recent.) However, many critics have also fought every previous river project proposed.

Why is traffic now down? What about the interruption by Hurricane Katrina of the Gulf’s ability to handle southbound traffic? (Situation rapidly improving.) High rates for moving cargo in ships from tidewater has driven Midwest agricultural interests to move more product to the West Coast by rail. (This will change as ship rates normalize.) The low price of corn last year convinced farmers to store it. (Prices will change.) Much corn is being sold to ethanol plants. Drought-induced low water on the Upper Miss makes towing difficult at times. (The drought will end.) For a variety of reasons within the industry and new Coast Guard licensing renewal rules, there is a serious shortage of marine personnel. Customers are reluctant to ship by barge if the system is not reliable. For all of these reasons, transportation on the Upper has been down in recent years. Transportation demands will also increase as efforts are made to feed the world’s burgeoning population. Also to be considered are the potential benefits from a well-developed container-on-barge service if, indeed, it does eventually develop well.

We know that President Bush faced serious financial decisions in compiling his budget. War requires a lot of money. But the war on terror is not likely to go away soon. So does this mean that modernization of the Upper Miss and Illinois rivers should continue on hold? The project only requires about $3.5 billion, half of that to go for environmental improvements. Why don’t we borrow from the $8 billion earmarked for restoration of a Florida swamp?

Common-sense budgeting demands a close look at how the government is spending money. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has wasted billions in the Katrina recovery effort. Almost every day new reports indicate almost unbelievable waste and mismanagement.

President Bush plans to end 150 plus ineffective federal programs. He wants money for war. He wants to make good on promises to reduce the budget deficit.

But our slipshod method of maintaining our river system should not be a victim of the president’s money-saving measures. Secretary Woodley’s recommendation is a bad one. The last time a Water Resources Development Act was passed was in 2000. Since then, the maintenance and construction backlog has grown to immense proportions. If we don’t pass a new bill, it will just get worse. One news release redistributed by the Corps says that the Corps civil works program in 2007 would get $5.8 billion, down 34 percent from this year’s $7.4 billion. The 2006 total includes $2.9 billion in supplemental spending to rebuild levees and carry out other work on the Gulf Coast.

Last year, the U.S. House passed WRDA 2005 by a whopping margin. Recently four-fifths of the Senate’s 100 members signed a letter to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist urging a floor vote on the WRDA legislation that includes the Upper Miss/Illinois river project. Are those representatives who passed the $10 billion measure totally wrong? Are the 80 or so senators who signed the letter to Frist wrong?

Fortunes of war rise and fall. Nevertheless, a viable, national transportation infrastructure should be protected, maintained and modernized regularly year after year.

After all, 13–15 percent of our gross domestic product moves by barge for about 2 percent of transportation cost.

Woodley has asked Joshua Bolten, director of the Office of Management and Budget, if his recommendations are consistent with administration policy. Woodley also sent his letter and attachments to House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Vice President Richard Cheney.

Members of the House and signers of the letter to Frist should hold their ground and not let our transportation infrastructure take a back seat once more.

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