by INFORUM
Talks with diversion critics proposed
August 18, 2010 at 7:00 pm in INFORUM
Facing the possibility of a 45-day delay in the study of the proposed $1.5 billion flood diversion, proponents said Wednesday they will step up efforts to engage critics of the project.
Continue Reading
Commissioner Mahoney is so positive, Mayor Walaker is so negative. The mayor says that “THEY” don’t understand the importance of Fargo. Well, Walaker does not understand just how important of all of these downstream communities are to Fargo’s growth and tax base…
Sure do wish Mahoney would have ran against Walaker for mayor this year, maybe next time.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
36 
14
Of course King Denny doesn’t want anything to look negatively on him and his bullying (remember the first year he was elected he tried to bully the ND legislature). And then he said he was not concerned about any permanent protection because it was cheaper for Fargo to spend $1-2 million per year to put up temporary dikes and he was wrong there as well and the idiots of Fargo elected this clown again after he lied about only seeking one term. I agree with Brucealmighty he is so negative, too bad the area is stuck listening to his voice and his demands for the next 4 years. Thanks Fargo, first you tax outsiders to shop in your area and now you want the county to help pay for the diversion while you treat those outside of Fargo like crap!!! Pathetic
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
40 
17
Liberty, you are very amusing in your statement that Walaker is so negative while surrounding this statement with nothing but negativity. You made my day, whether by accident or on purpose. Keep up the good work.
Hot debate. What do you think?
17 
22
But I’m not a politician or in the public eye so that is the difference.
Like or Dislike:
8 
15
Liberty, you are absolutely correct in everything you stated. The only one minor detail I’d like to add is that Walaker was reelected because we have such a large uninformed public. Too many people do not research their candidates and base their decisions solely on some headline they read in a newspaper. Sadly most people in the region do not know Denny and even think he was the driving force in the Fargo flood efforts when it was more the Army Corp. Denny’s job was primarily to be the Figurehead for Fargo, help convey to the general public what actions were being led by the Corp, and in the end to take credit for Fargo’s involvement in the project. He did a decent job but received 100 times more credit than due.
Like or Dislike:
7 
1
It’s sad that only after the possibility of a delay that they now want to talk with the downstream communities. But are they really going to talk with the downstream interests and work on providing mitigation or just try to bully them into compliance?
Also from the article “Walaker said if there is a delay, the Metro Flood Study Work Group could urge supporters to write letters to balance out the dissenting comments.” That does nothing to address the concerns of people downstream. That would merely be another ploy to drown out the voices they don’t want to hear. And wasn’t Fargo firmly against extending the comment period anyways?
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
35 
7
Arrogance on the part of King Denny. He will try to bully them that seems to be the only tactic he knows how to use from my observations. King Denny is like Obama and the Dems they only want to hear what they say and to heck with others and their comments and ideas.
Hot debate. What do you think?
18 
15
Fargo successfully survived two recent high water years, and the experience showed us that it is possible to protect our city without a costly diversion project. Grand Forks came through in good shape, but might not in the future if a diversion project speeds drainage of our portion of the Red River Valley. Minot and Grand Forks are good examples of how changes to the river channel can work to alleviate flooding.
We would not need the diversion if we raised existing dikes, made permanent the temporary dikes we scramble to build many years, widened the channel in bottlenecks, removed or channeled some oxbows, and used gated culverts on roads in some rural areas to hold back waters that would normally drain quickly into the Red and its tributaries. Some of this has already been done, including building a Cheyenne diversion. We have to concider how what we do will affect our neighbors to the north.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
43 
8
What was it that failed in New Orleans? Oh yes, it was dikes. Dikes and levees along many rivers fail and people die because of it. I’m sure the channel could be dredged and big levees put up but all that is going to do is speed up the amount of water headed north and make things mighty miserable for those north of us. water going north that fast will back up into the tributaries and they’ll ruin more than the diversion might. I grew up fairly close to the Ohio river and that was a common occurence.
The diversion is a good plan but the plans needs to include damming these tributaries to control the flow of water into the Red.
Hot debate. What do you think?
17 
13
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
13 
43
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
8 
29
I don’t think he has a diabolical plot to wipe out those cities downstream I just don’t think he cares if it happens. As long as he gets credit for saving Fargo that is all that is important to him.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
31 
12
I really can not understand what Denny says, as he mumbles so bad. Also, if he would just spit out his gum when he address the press, maybe people would be able to understand him and know what he is talking about.
I watched the flood meetings this spring from city hall, and Denny just sat laid back in his chair chewing his gum and mumbling about something. I could hear and understand the rest of the committee members who spoke.
I can just hear his teachers at his schools, Denny, sit up straight, quit mumbling and for goodness sake, spit out you gum, or your going to detention.
Any bets he flunked speech 101?
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
31 
9
Mayor Walaker is just doing his job. His job is to look after the interests of Fargo and not those of other communities. Other places have their own elected officials who have that responsibility. It seems that the rural communities and interests outside of Fargo and Moorhead have been and will be given plenty of opportunity to voice their opinions, but in the end the interests of Fargo and Moorhead must prevail because of their size and relative importance in this matter. Unfortunately there is no other realistic option.
Like or Dislike:
7 
15
Why can’t Mayor Walaker’s job involve taking a hard look at what can be done in the city of Fargo? Removing vulnerable neighborhoods, building protective levees, etc.? Why does the protoection of Fargo have to come with such a great cost to downstream communities?
Downstream interests have not been given an ample opportunity to have their voices heard. The comment period was closed just a week after the latest report showing even greater impacts further downstream was released.
There are other options. Fargo is just not interested in purueing those because it would mean that they would have to sacrifice some things in order to enjoy the benefit of flood protection.
Like or Dislike:
10 
5