Intracoastal Waterway Funds to Be Shut Off

[WHOOSH]

For just about anyone who''s hoping to use the East Coast ICW - and perhaps the Gulf Coast Waterway, over time - you might want to visit the following URL for an update on President Bush''s 2005 budget (taking effect in a few months; Oct 2004):

www.floridastation.org/Intracoastal%20Waterway%20Funds%20to%20Be%20Shut%2 0Off.htm

Essentially, the news is that there has been $0 allocated for maintenance of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. Moreover, at least one spot along the ICW is already down to a reported MLW depth of 3''...and with the Corps of Engineers unfunded to address the issue. Repair and/or replacement of missing/damanged nav aids is also unfunded, apparently.

This is of course a commercial waterway, not just a back-channel recreational facility for boaters. I''m sure this makes sense to someone, at some level...perhaps as a forced budget reduction process, forced down onto program administrators from budgetmeisters on high.

If you care...you might want to speak up on this issue with the folks in your community, local paper or elected representative.

Jack

[Sailormon6]

Jack, I agree that it would be a bad thing for that to happen, but I just read the article you referenced, and was astonished to see the author make this statement: "That''s right, *at least as I understand it,* a big, fat goose-egg for any dredging and/or maintenance of aids to navigation along the entire track of the Atlantic ICW." When I see someone say "at least as I understand it," that tells me the person is, himself, unsure of his facts. As I read further, I found that the guy is already urging masses of people to write their congressmen and others to urge them to allocate money to maintain the ICW, even though he is not sure that it is not already being funded.

I could believe it if he said the funding was reduced for dredging and the like, but the assertion that no dredging or maintenance will be done anywhere along the eastern seaboard stretches credulity.

He may be correct, but, personally, I think anyone who whips the masses into a frenzy when he doesn''t have his facts together is irresponsible. If you are really concerned about this, contact your congressman or the White House and verify that it is true. If it is, let me know, and I''ll join you in asking for funding.

[WHOOSH]

S:

...or you could do what I did. Pass a question to your local Congressman, one paragraph or less is preferred I''m told, include the link, and ask a question: Is this true? Some staffer who will be tasked to answer the question just may know enough about the budget breakdown that they can find out, which is surely tougher for me than them.

Personally, I don''t put a lot of stock in what Claiborne says because - IMO - he tends to rely on hyperbole as I rely on oxygen. But the lady that runs the Welcome Center is a different story, and I''m troubled to read what she believes to be true.

Jack