Is there anyone home?
At last night's Council meeting, a citizen stepped forward with the maps of the various Corps of Engineers proposed levee realignments. One of the maps, # 5, excludes most areas below the Intracoastal Waterway throughout South Louisiana, including South Lafourche and South Terrebonne. The citizen was simply asking that the Council adopt a resolution opposing this particular map.

Stories of these Corps proposals have appeared extensively in local media within the last month.

It appeared that Charlotte had never heard of the proposals nor ever before seen the maps. Attendants at the Council meeting witnessed what appeared to be Charlotte educating herself on the topic by asking the citizen questions. She appeared to be more fixated on the fact that the Lake Salvador area was excluded from protection than that South Lafourche was excluded. (Alas, Thibodaux would be threatened if Lake Salvador is excluded.)

I know the Corps meeting in Thibodaux was on the same night as a Council meeting, but couldn't she have had someone, for instance Chris Boudreaux, her emergency preparedness guy, at the meeting when this subject was discussed who could have reported back to her on what had transpired?

If Charlotte was, as it appeared, totally oblivious on this subject, what other subjects is she totally oblivious on?

For instance, why is it that Lafourche Parish was not automatically provided extensions for filing IRS tax returns this year like seven other Parishes impacted by Katrina/Rita? Did Charlotte fail to act in order to get us included in that category? What else is out there regarding Katrina that we are missing out on because Charlotte has failed to act?

You know Charlotte, honey, it's a little more than ribbon cuttings and handing out awards to people whose names you can't be troubled with remembering.

Is there anybody in there? Just nod if you can hear me. Is there anyone home?
- Pink Floyd, Comfortably Numb