Save Our Wetlands Responds to Hate Emails; RE: Save Our Wetlands Enjoining U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from Building Hurricane Barrier at Rigolets & Chef Menteur Pass

SOWL Responds to Hate Emails

October 20, 2005

RE: Save Our Wetlands Enjoining U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from Building Hurricane Barrier at Rigolets & Chef Menteur Pass

Thank you so much for your emails and concern. After Hurricane Katrina ravaged and flooded the city of New Orleans and surrounding parishes, there was a barrage of emails sent to Save Our Wetlands filled with anger and hate. These emails sent to SOWL seem to be reactions from two misguided and inaccurate articles.

The first being “A Barrier That Could Have Been” printed in the Los Angeles Times. SOWL responded to the Joseph Towers/L.A. Times article in this editorial.

The second one titled “A Green Genocide” was printed in FrontPageMagazine.com. SOWL also responds to this article in their press release, SOWL Falsely Accused of "Green Genocide" After Hurricane Katrina by Enjoining Corps Barrier Plan in 1977.

Furthermore, the GAO report of October 28, 2005, clearly states that "if the barriers had been constructed the flooding in New Orleans "would have been worse".

The GAO report explains that Katrina’s storm surge would have topped the barriers, and the levee system proposed under this Corps barrier plan would have been lower. Also, under this barrier plan, 28,000 acres of wetlands in New Orleans East would have been developed, and over 60,000 more homes would have flooded. God only knows how many lives SOWL saved in New Orleans East by stopping the Corps' pork barrel "Hurricane Barrier" Project.

You indicate SOWL is more interested in saving wetlands over human lives. This is simply not true. SOWL has fought bitterly against the corrupt U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Louisiana politicians. These two entities work together to promote housing and commercial developments in low-lying areas, which are extremely susceptible to hurricane tidal surges.

Ask any of the people whose lives and homes were destroyed in Eden Isles or the Oak Harbor subdivisions on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain .

At the time of the litigation concerning the Corps‘ Barrier Project, SOWL was joined by the St. Tammany Parish Police Jury. One of their major concerns was that the barriers would have been topped, and the floodwaters would have been trapped in Slidell, LA.

Katrina wiped out St. Bernard Parish, Chalmette, and portions of New Orleans East because the Corps refused SOWL’s and many others’ requests to fill in the disastrous Mississippi River Gulf Outlet(MR-GO). Also see: St. Bernard Blames MR-GO for Flood.

The New Orleans lakefront, Gentilly and portions of New Orleans East flooded because of a faulty levee system built by a corrupt U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Since 1974, SOWL has been fighting and opposing the government for promoting developments in hurricane tidal areas. Our conclusion? Our government, whether it be the Clinton or a Bush administration, is controlled and manipulated by corporate interests for rich elitists to the detriment of our valuable economic resources.

Emails sent by concerned, albeit misinformed citizens:

Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2005 11:28:27 -0400
From: bob_smith@otelco.net
To: webmaster@saveourwetlands.org
Subject: a comment

You all are a bunch of eco-terrorists who would rather see people die than shrimp... While I am an ex-New Orleanian, and I have great sadness for the tragedy there, I have much less for the suffering of your lot..

-bob

From: "Fgoepfert"
To: info@saveourwetlands.org
Subject: Pork Barrel
Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2005 18:17:30 -0400

S.O.W.L has certainly made sure that there are not any US Army Corp of Engineers “Pork Barrels”. Your organization has managed to have them replaced by “body barrels” for many hundreds of poor people. But that doesn’t matter to your people, does it?

As long as you can do some bird watching when the weather is good, and be somewhere safe and dry when the weather is bad, you elitists are happy.

When don’t you raise money to help the poor people live someplace safer?

Fred Goepfert
Charlotte, NC

Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2005 12:38:29 -0400
From: krharris@adelphia.net
To: info@saveourwetlands.org
Subject: Compromise

Your rush to do what you felt was best in stopping the flood gates from being built did more harm to the environment as we watch the sludge being pumped out of New Orleans, now that is contamination that will kill many surrounding animals and wetlands.

The Army Corps of Engineers and government didn't win anything everybody lost due to such strict guidlines of everything environmental. I believe in restrictions but I believe all you special interest groups need to be reeled in a bit and learn to compromise. I will never donate or purchase anything i.e. magazines or anything from a sponsor who supports your causes.

Date: Fri, 16 Sep 2005 13:32:51 -0700 (PDT)
From: "David Towers"
Subject: ?
To: webmaster@saveourwetlands.org

Who writes this garbage on your website? Not only is it horribly biased and inaccurate, but it doesn't even make sense.

Face the fact that you and your horrible organization have ruined hundreds of thousands of lives by the self-serving and callous actions of your predecessors in 1977.

No wonder your "contact us" page doesn't work, hopefully overflowed with emails like this one.

Subject: Thank for the $300 billion
Date: Fri, 16 Sep 2005 09:46:52 -0700
From: "GARY BURGER"
To: webmaster@saveourwetlands.org

Thank you for establishing a very good example of the costs of environmental nonsense. You will be the poster child for reform of the EPA.

Very Truly Yours,
Gary H. Burger

Jones, Skelton & Hochuli, PLC
2901 North Central Avenue, Suite 800
Phoenix, Arizona 85012
www.jshfirm.com
602-263-1768

From: "Leah Stagno"
To: info@saveourwetlands.org
Subject: Need Information!
Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2005 19:49:42 -0400

Now that I have your attention I would like to remind you that YOU are responsible for the dead in New Orleans and all of the loss of life is your fault. You are truly scumbags. Because of your stupid, selfish lawsuit to deny the army corp of engineers to make that levee secure after LBJ approved it....you have killed over 500 people. I hope you can live with yourself and just to let you know, the liberal media cannot help you now, we have emarked on a campaign to expose you for what you are- killers!

Everyone will soon know the truth! We will make you pay for what you have done!

Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2005 15:16:38 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Jeff Stiegler"
Subject: You Bastards!
To: info@saveourwetlands.org

You murdered 20,000 blacks in Now Orleans. You belong in Hell.

The Floodgate project you prevented from being being built would have saved the lives of 20,000 blacks. Your group blocked the project to kill Blacks! Shame on you.

You people are bigger racists thant the KKK.

(Source: FoxNews)

From: "Charles Higgs"
To: info@saveourwetlands.org
Subject: life and death
Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2005 16:58:51 -0500
To: Save our wet lands

It has been learned today that the law suite you brought in the 70's, which prevented flood controls near New Orleans is responsible for the flooding in that area. This law suite had cost the lives of several hundred people. However, after listening to many environmentalist over the years, I assume the price is worth it.

From: "Brian"
To: info@saveourwetlands.org
Subject: Katrina
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 18:03:02 -0500

Don't you feel some responsibility for the destruction of New Orleans because of your frivolous lawsuits that you continue to file time and time again? Had those levees been rebuilt back in the 1970's, there is a good chance that a lot of lives would have been saved. Now we have a city destroyed and we'll never know how many people dead and the thing is that levee will now be built anyway despite you and your pack of lawyers. The American people will not tolerate groups like you anymore.

BDE

From: "Bill Tate"
To: info@saveourwetlands.org
Subject: Are you ready to accept responsibility for the catastrophe your actions have caused?
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 11:40:00 -0600

Dear Sirs-

Your own web-site touts the court decision preventing barriers being built which would have prevented the destruction and tragic loss of life caused by Hurricane Katrina.

Given your organization's role in the lawsuit, are you willing now to:

accept responsibility for the financial losses caused by the lawsuit?
take care of the people displaced by the flooding?
raise the much larger amount of money needed to build the barriers 30 years after they should have been built?
admit that the lawsuit should not have been filed?

A prompt response to these questions would be appreciated. They are being submitted for research on an article to be published on this web-site: www.whatsinthenews.com.

Bill Tate
www.whatsinthenews.com

Subject: Corps of Engineers Hurricane Barrier Project
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 12:22:07 -0400
From: "Doolittle, Jim"
To: info@saveourwetlands.org

Good thing you sued and stopped it before it could be built. Who knows, it might have saved some conservative lives over the past weeks.

Regards,

From: SlednFool@aol.com
Date: Sat, 10 Sep 2005 20:47:41 EDT
Subject: New Orleans
To: info@saveourwetlands.org

Hopefully the world will soon know that it is you folks that are responsible for the flooding of New Orleans. Hope you are happy that you saved the wetlands.

From: Katesuied@aol.com
Date: Sat, 10 Sep 2005 15:33:45 EDT
Subject: Question regarding the New Orleans catastrophe
To: info@saveourwetlands.org

Greetings:

I am sure you all are as upset and dismayed as we are about the flooding of New Orleans and the human suffering and loss of life.

My husband believes that if your organization cared as much for the safety of people as you do for the safety of the wetlands that there would have been a structure in place that would have saved New Orleans from this tragic flooding. He thinks that the injunction you won in 1977 to stop the building of needed safety levees, in hindsight, was a tragic mistake.

Please - can you respond to this email question?

Sincerely,

Kate Suied

Date: Sat, 10 Sep 2005 11:59:58 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Robert Petry"
Subject: You are responsible
To: info@saveourwetlands.org

You are responsible for all of the deaths in New Orleans.

You like to sue, huh?

Scumbags. You are about to get more press than you ever wanted.

Date: Sat, 10 Sep 2005 10:08:06 -0700
To: info@saveourwetlands.org
From: "MM"
Subject: New Orleans

Care to owe up to your responsibility in the flooding of N.O. by blocking attempts to construct and re enforce the Levi's thru your law suit's? The below is circulating to inform people of the root cause for the flooding.

"In the wake of Hurricane Betsy 40 years ago, Congress approved a massive hurricane barrier to protect New Orleans from storm surges that could inundate the city.

But the project, signed into law by President Johnson, was derailed in 1977 by an environmental lawsuit. Now the question is: Could that barrier have protected New Orleans from the damage wrought by Hurricane Katrina? "If we had built the barriers, New Orleans would not be flooded," said Joseph Towers, the retired chief counsel for the Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans district.

The group in question is called Save Our Wetlands

From: "David Lawlor"
To: info@saveourwetlands.org
Subject: You really got what you wanted...
Date: Sat, 10 Sep 2005 08:48:50 -0500

All of New Orleans is wetlands now... I can only hope that you lost your home and everything you have because of your idiotic views. Its only a shame that others suffered because your short sightedness.

From: "Parker Shannon"
To: info@saveourwetlands.org
Subject: Nice . . .
Date: Sat, 10 Sep 2005 07:51:34 -0400

work you tree hugging hippies.

You lawsuits just flooded New Orleans.

What a bunch of assholes.

P. Shannon
Boston

Date: Fri, 09 Sep 2005 10:37:15 -0700
From: "David Engbers"
Subject: SOWL vs. Lake Ponchartrain
To: info@saveourwetlands.org

SOWL:

Thanks to your lawsuit New Orleans is flooded and tens of thousands of Humans have died - well done?

I look forward to when you post a mea cupla on your website, as well as written apologies the the tens of thousands of next of kin who ""benefited" from your lawsuit!

SOWL SAVED LAKE PONCHARTRAIN - In 1977, SOWL obtained an injunction from U.S. District Judge Charles Schwartz enjoining the Corps of Engineers from building a billion dollar dam at the Chef Mentaur Rigolets Fort Pike Area, where the Gulf of Mexico enters into Lake Ponchartrain. Had SOWL not obtained this injunction, Lake Ponchartrain would be a stagnant body of water and over 28,000 acres of wetlands in New Orleans East would have been developed into the Orlanda Subdivision.

Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2005 09:14:02 -0700 (PDT)
From: "K. Vanderploeg"
Subject: Killing New Orleans
To: info@saveourwetlands.org

Well, you saved the wetlands (by stopping the Lake Pontchartrain Barrier project), but you killed a city. Aren't you proud of yourselves?

K. Vanderploeg

Date: Thu, 8 Sep 2005 22:38:52 -0700 (PDT)
From: "george vanecken"
Subject: Hurricane Devastation and flooding of New Orleans
To: info@saveourwetlands.org

On 30 Dec 1977, a judge of a US District Court injoined the US Army Corps of Engineers from proceeding with a project to erect flood protection barriers and devices in the Chef Menteur and Rigolets Passes. This project was designed to mitigate potential flooding in New Orleans and vicinity due to storm surge during a hurricane.

Your organisation brought about a suit that resulted in this injunction. I'm assuming that this project was never completed.

Had the project been completed , it would be safe to assume that flooding of New Orleans' might not have occurred, or at least, would not have been as severe.

However , assuming that the project was not completed, it is logical to conclude that New Orleans suffered a great deal more property damage and loss of life than it would have if the project had been completed as planned.'

Since you take great pride in your various "environmental triumphs", are you equally up to assuming some responsibility for your role in stopping a project that could have spared New Orleans from much of it's flooding and loss of life? I eagerly await your answer, as do many other folks.

From: "Frank Morris"
To: info@saveourwetlands.org
Subject: DOG SQUEEZE!
Date: Fri, 09 Sep 2005 01:03:56 +0000

You clowns are TOAST!

From: "Felix Irwin"
To: info@saveourwetlands.org
Subject:
Date: Thu, 8 Sep 2005 11:54:30 -0400

Thanks for destroying New Orleans you sh*theads!

Date: Thu, 8 Sep 2005 08:38:05 -0700 (PDT)
From: "PATRICK STEWART"
Subject: floodgates
To: info@saveourwetlands.org

Congratulations on the great work your organization had done in contributing to the destruction of New Orleans and creating a new Atlantis. Particularly your lawsuits to stop floodgates as noted on David Horowitz's www.frontpagemag.com which highlighted you running battles with the Army Corp of Engineers. Hopefully some displaced citizens and businesses will follow your practice of suing, but the defendant will be your organization.

BTW, I recall all the Greens touting wetlands as necessary for runoff to prevent (drum roll) - Floods!

From: "Terry O'Neill"
To: info@saveourwetlands.org
Subject: Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity Hurricane Barrier Project
Date: Thu, 8 Sep 2005 09:02:20 -0400

Hey nice going on your successful lawsuit to stop the Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity Hurricane Barrier Project.

Looks like you will only end up killing a couple thousand people.

You need to change your motto. How about: Wetlands forever, people (who needs'em) never.

From: "Brett Carnaby"
To: info@saveourwetlands.org
Subject:
Date: Thu, 8 Sep 2005 08:50:31 -0500

FACT: SOWL SAVED LAKE PONCHARTRAIN - In 1977, SOWL obtained an injunction from U.S. District Judge Charles Schwartz enjoining the Corps of Engineers from building a billion dollar dam at the Chef Mentaur Rigolets Fort Pike Area, where the Gulf of Mexico enters into Lake Ponchartrain. Had SOWL not obtained this injunction, Lake Ponchartrain would be a stagnant body of water and over 28,000 acres of wetlands in New Orleans East would have been developed into the Orlanda Subdivision.

Great job guys... and in the process killed 10,000 people in Katerina. Good job.

Brett Carnaby
CFM Technologies
141 North Range Line Rd.
Carmel, IN 46032
Tel: 317 581 1049
Fax: 317 581 9797
Cell: 317 250 2979
bcarnaby@cfmtec.com
http://www.cfmtec.com

From: Nataliaytomas@aol.com
Date: Sat, 3 Sep 2005 10:10:40 EDT
Subject: Are you people pleased?
To: info@saveourwetlands.org

Are you people proud of the fact that the hurricane barrier project that YOU stopped could have saved thousands of lives? You do realize that none of the wetlands within Lake Pontchartrain could have prevented the disaster.

How can you sleep at night?

And, by the way, your symbol (the Pelican feeding its young with its own flesh) is a Catholic, Christian symbol. You might want to get rid of that.

Bob Evans

Date: Tue, 23 Feb 1904 22:18:16 -0600
From: "Noel Jemas"
To: SaveOurWetlandsNews@saveourwetlands.org
Subject: [Saveourwetlandsnews] Nice Work

The lawsuit¹s consequences have destroyed NO. Nice work.

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