The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a report this week that gives our levee system along the Susquehanna River a minimally acceptable inspection rating. This rating was the same score that our levee received before the massive flooding back in September. The Army Corps sited poor vegetation removal, bad encroachments and the need to inspect conduits with in-line inspection means. The damage caused by the record high river level of 42.66 feet also contributed to the low rating according to an Army Corps representative. In general, the Army Corps said the levee is in "good shape" and "well maintained". The county must correct all of the deficiencies to avoid a future unacceptable rating which would lead to losing federal funds.
Now call me cynical here, but doesn't a minimally acceptable rating mean the levee is not in good shape? Common sense would lead you to believe that and not that the levee is in "good shape". I walked the levee system along the Forty Fort area after the flood in September and found it to be visually damaged. There are cracks in the walls and holes in the dirt parts of the levee itself. Now whether those cracks are deep or superficial I cannot say. I am certainly not an expert in this area. There was also tons of debris scattered all along the levee and in the trees along the river. It appears that Luzerne County has not done much clean up or repair the levee damage for the past 7 months.
This now brings up a question as to what the county is doing with our Levee Tax money. Obviously NOTHING! In 7 months, the rating from last year has not changed which leads me to believe that we are getting duped! There is no excuse for our levee system to receive anything lower than an acceptable rating from the Army Corps of Engineers. As usual, the nit wits over at the court house are pissing away our hard earned tax dollars on other things such as the Hotel Sterling albatross. Speaking of the Sterling, lets get this thing ripped down already! In previous GRIPES I figured that the county should have millions of dollars stockpiled away for levee maintenance. It appears they don't because they can't even cut the damn grass and clear out the debris. ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME! What the hell are they doing with our money? It's now time for The Insane Clown Posse to step up to the plate and get these levee problems fixed and fast. If they don't, they will lose all of the federal funding which means they will slam us in the can with another tax. Frankly, my can is full and I cannot fit anything else up there.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a report this week that gives our levee system along the Susquehanna River a minimally acceptable inspection rating. This rating was the same score that our levee received before the massive flooding back in September. The Army Corps sited poor vegetation removal, bad encroachments and the need to inspect conduits with in-line inspection means. The damage caused by the record high river level of 42.66 feet also contributed to the low rating according to an Army Corps representative. In general, the Army Corps said the levee is in "good shape" and "well maintained". The county must correct all of the deficiencies to avoid a future unacceptable rating which would lead to losing federal funds. 
Now call me cynical here, but doesn't a minimally acceptable rating mean the levee is not in good shape? Common sense would lead you to believe that and not that the levee is in "good shape". I walked the levee system along the Forty Fort area after the flood in September and found it to be visually damaged. There are cracks in the walls and holes in the dirt parts of the levee itself. Now whether those cracks are deep or superficial I cannot say. I am certainly not an expert in this area. There was also tons of debris scattered all along the levee and in the trees along the river. It appears that Luzerne County has not done much clean up or repair the levee damage for the past 7 months. 
This now brings up a question as to what the county is doing with our Levee Tax money. Obviously NOTHING! In 7 months, the rating from last year has not changed which leads me to believe that we are getting duped! There is no excuse for our levee system to receive anything lower than an acceptable rating from the Army Corps of Engineers. As usual, the nit wits over at the court house are pissing away our hard earned tax dollars on other things such as the Hotel Sterling albatross. Speaking of the Sterling, lets get this thing ripped down already! In previous GRIPES I figured that the county should have millions of dollars stockpiled away for levee maintenance. It appears they don't because they can't even cut the damn grass and clear out the debris. ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME! What the hell are they doing with our money? It's now time for The Insane Clown Posse to step up to the plate and get these levee problems fixed and fast. If they don't, they will lose all of the federal funding which means they will slam us in the can with another tax. Frankly, my can is full and I cannot fit anything else up there.
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