re: MSNBC stirs the pot.

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I live in New Orleans. If the people in the Morganza wanna talk about how is not fair they are getting flooded and I'm not - that's fine with me.

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1) It is a dumb debate. We made that decision 50 years ago.

2) VERY few people are actually getting flooded out of their principal homes, unless the seawall breaks in Morgan City.

3) Those who are getting flooded out of their principal homes a) would live there even if it flooded every year, or b) built beautiful homes in the middle of the swamp and knew the risks or c) retired and moved to the camp and have resources. This is not a human tragedy of vulnerable people.

4) The Atchafalaya Basin is a creature of man now, not God. We control EXACTLY how much water goes into it. It is not Eden-like. It is not an unspoiled, virgin area. It is beautiful, but if it was spoiled, it was done fifty or sixty years ago, not on May 14.

5) Krotz Springs is a refinery town with a speed trap. Come on. Melville is much cooler, but those folks have a real historical memory for the '27 Flood (passed down) and they drive over a ring levee every day to get in and out of town. They know the score.

6) Before the national media gets all weepy about it, they should drive Highway 105 between Krotz Springs and Melville, where they would observe more Confederate flags per capita than just about any place in the United States. You take your own views on that, but I think the national reporters would have far different ideas about that flag than the people who live there do.

7) Let's stop all the New Orleans vs. Baton Rouge vs. Swamp People mythology, shall we? New Orleans is a great city and a huge economic engine of the state, as is Baton Rouge. The Basin is beautiful and the people are interesting.

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1) It is a dumb debate. We made that decision 50 years ago.

2) VERY few people are actually getting flooded out of their principal homes, unless the seawall breaks in Morgan City.

3) Those who are getting flooded out of their principal homes a) would live there even if it flooded every year, or b) built beautiful homes in the middle of the swamp and knew the risks or c) retired and moved to the camp and have resources. This is not a human tragedy of vulnerable people.

4) The Atchafalaya Basin is a creature of man now, not God. We control EXACTLY how much water goes into it. It is not Eden-like. It is not an unspoiled, virgin area. It is beautiful, but if it was spoiled, it was done fifty or sixty years ago, not on May 14.

5) Krotz Springs is a refinery town with a speed trap. Come on. Melville is much cooler, but those folks have a real historical memory for the '27 Flood (passed down) and they drive over a ring levee every day to get in and out of town. They know the score.

6) Before the national media gets all weepy about it, they should drive Highway 105 between Krotz Springs and Melville, where they would observe more Confederate flags per capita than just about any place in the United States. You take your own views on that, but I think the national reporters would have far different ideas about that flag than the people who live there do.

7) Let's stop all the New Orleans vs. Baton Rouge vs. Swamp People mythology, shall we? New Orleans is a great city and a huge economic engine of the state, as is Baton Rouge. The Basin is beautiful and the people are interesting.

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I'm well aware of the density of Confederate Battle Jacks in that area - don't see how it makes them any less human though.


If the folks that live their wanna get pissed off at NOLA and BR because it makes them feel better then that's A-OK - I'm dry, they aren't, they are allowed to get pissed.

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What are these eaement payments everyone speaks of?? Is this the magical "check is in the Mail" things. If my house was flooded because of this they better sure as find it instead of one of these you live on a floodplan letters. Sure BR and NO maybe saved because of this but to say someone is worth more because they live in a city is wrong and these people should be compensated for their sacrifice if needbe. No not like these Welfare leechs but at least help them relocate because these people aren't like some of the city scum that live off the government. These are hard working people for the most part

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The original landowners were compensated when the Spillway was opened. When you buy land in the spillway you are compensated (If what I heard is true anyway). If you're a resident in the spillway, you are notified yearly of the risk of flooding and having to open the Morganza.

It's really not that difficult to understand. I feel bad for the people losing their homes. I have family in Melville and a few other Spillway areas. It's a shitty and unfortunate situation, but they knew very well the risk they were taking by living there. It should not be news to them that opening the Morganza was always the big risk of living there.

I was raised in morganza and my family still lives there. My mom was born in a house in what is now known as the morganza spillway. When the spillay was built the government offered them a deal (very fair) for the house. They took the $ and moved into the greater morganza metroploitan area. People were offered a buyout when the spillway was built, whoever stayed was by their own choice. Whoever purchased land in the spillway after the structure was built knew what it was for (and got cheap land because of it)