From the Capital Journal this evening:The cost of the two 1 ½ mile-long levees on either side of the Missouri will cost the federal government millions of dollars but the levees are expected to help Pierre and Fort Pierre battle flooding.
The completion of the levees is set for 11 p.m. on June 2, shortly before the Oahe Dam’s next scheduled water release increase is. Morris Inc. will be working 24 hours a day on the levees.
The levees in Pierre will cost $1,750,480 and the levees in Fort Pierre will cost $2,465,000 in federal money.
Gee, thanks, Washington.
So, the question looms to our deficit hawks Rep Noem and Sen. Thune:
Really, do wealthy South Dakotans who just chose to build new McMansions on the floodway despite the risks really deserve a Federal bailout?
This question is brought forward as Gov. Rounds, Daugaard, and our Republicans in Washington are questioning our commitment to honor Social Security, Medicare, and unemployment insurance -- BTW earned benefits that we pay into our entire working lives... and the value of our Federal employees that have dedicated their lives to public service ... these questions are worth asking.
Seriously, though, Governor Rounds and everyone else affected by the expected flooding along the Missouri are in our thoughts; and we will get through this together.
These are our neighbors, after all.
NOTE: Pierre residents and everyone else can track the Missouri water levels in Pierre up to the minute, thanks to the U.S. Geological Survey's realtime gage:
* Realtime graph
* Signup for Cell phone alerts
UPDATE: The Corps is warning releases will be even higher than the 110,000 cfs they were predicting because of recent rains. (Capital Journal)
UPDATE 2: If you can help, there are lots of ways to do so, up to and including filling sandbags in Yankton and Pierre.
Thanks for saying what needs to be said about governmental largesse for the moneyed-class. I won't rant on and on, but many of our Republican friends and politicians are hypocrites. They all spout limited government, except when it comes to government giving them disaster benefits or supports that make their investments more profitable/less risky, or when they assume to fit their moral beliefs to the rest of society. They are a very deserving bunch of hypocrites in my book.
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