P-D editorial brings response from Scott County

To the editor:

The commissioners of Scott County want to express our disappointment at the attitude shown by the editors of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Nov. 21 when they, in effect, said the people of the Bootheel were not worth saving. Their editorial praised the roadblocks that have been put in front of the St. John's Basin-New Madrid Floodway Project, ostensibly to protect the ecosystem. We find that position less than praiseworthy and even rude, because they refuse to acknowledge that lives are at stake.

Scott County has numerous significant flooding hazards extending along the St. John's Ditch and through the Sikeston area into New Madrid County. Residents of Sikeston, Miner and the adjacent eastern areas of the county are at risk when this causeway floods. The St. John's Ditch on our end can't be efficient until the problems on its New Madrid County end are addressed.

We are working with the Natural Resource Conservation Service and Sikeston to clean out the St. John's Ditch to provide some relief before the next big flooding situation. The larger project must be addressed by our state and federal governments.

Our members of Congress, the Corps of Engineers and our state legislators have worked for decades to develop the right solution to this problem. We do not agree with those agencies that oppose the project on tenuous grounds. And, we'd like to invite the editors of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch to visit us during the next flood. Bring your boats, boots and lifejackets.

MARTIN PRIGGEL

Presiding Commissioner

WALTER BIZZELL

1st District Commissioner

JAMIE BURGER

2nd District Commissioner

Scott County Commission

Benton, Mo.