Looking into the future the Pelican feeding its young from a self-induced wound in its own breast (as depicted, mysteriously, on the state flag of Louisiana) is accepted as an appropriate symbol of both self-sacrifice and rebirth. Through his selfless efforts, man is raised from the slavery of ignorance to the condition of freedom conferred by wisdom. Given the current state of affairs in Louisiana, one hopes that the understanding of the Pelican as a symbol shall point the way towards a new consciousness of ourselves as a whole, and lead us to face our futures with strength, grace, wisdom and faith, to learn from our mistakes and carry our successes and zest for living to future generations.

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Editorial: Letter to Orleans Levee Board

To: All members of Orleans Levee Board

On Thursday July 20, 2006 New Orleans Times Picayune announced "Levee Board eyes South Shore Deal--Hotel and gambling talks to start".

It's the same old development scheme in low lying areas, extremely susceptible to hurricane tidal surges at the expense of federally subsidized tax payer's flood insurance...at the expense of Lake Pontchartrain waterbottoms...at the expense of water quality. New Orleans will come back according to you by "shooting craps" over the lake.

Let's take a look at the Orleans Levee Board. Historically, the Orleans Levee Board has been nothing but a bunch of political crony-hacks dedicated to draining claiming Lake Pontchartrain waterbottoms for land developers.

Save Our Wetlands(SOWL) has always been a bitter opponent-critic of the Orleans Levee Board.

In the 1970's SOWL exposed then Orleans Levee Board director Guy LeMieux for promoting the developement 28,000 acres of wetlands in New Orleans East for the Texas oil baron owned Orlandia subdivision and stopped the completion of the New Orleans Lakefront Airport over Lake Pontchartrain waterbottoms.

If the Orleans Levee Board had its way, the habitat-water quality of Lake Pontchartrain would have been compromised and 60,000 more homes would have been developed in the recently flooded area of New Orleans East (Hurricane Katrina).

SOWL stopped the Orleans Levee Board and Guy LeMieux in the 1970's, and will stop you now.

Now post Katrina, what's your plan? To give away public owned Lake Pontchartrain waterbottoms to a Las Vegas gambling syndicate so people can gamble away their life savings...so those properties can eventually be flooded by the hurricanes coming.

You know what it comes down too? You want to give away...you want to privatize public owned waterbottoms to a privately owned corporation dedicated to scalping the general public.

Guess what guys. It ain't going to happen. The Louisiana Civil Code is quite clear that the waterbottoms of Lake Pontchartrain are unsusceptible to private ownership. Lake Pontchartrain ain't yours to give away. Enough of our public trust has been given away...enough of our children's future...enough of our natural resources.

You wan't to do something? Then tighten up our present levee system. Fight to close up MR-GO. Take a stand to force the Oil Companies to fill in their 10,000 miles of canals and navigational channels so greatly eroding our coast. Stop promoting development in low lying areas extremely susceptible to hurricane tidal surges. And stop promoting gambling as a solution to our problems. And by the way stop being the problem.

Sincerley,
SOWL