Engineer Memoirs
Q:
So it's a mistake, in a way, though, to compare Gianelli to Veysey. We should be
comparing Gianelli and Reagan and their skillful approach to reducing the program to
Carter's--
A:
Yes. I think the point is Veysey was a Ford appointee, but the Ford White House went
along with the civil works program because it felt this was an important program to the
members of Congress. The Ford administration wanted to limit the amount of money
spent. It didn't oppose the program in principle. It just didn't want to spend too much
money.
Veysey was sort of on his own out there trying to bring about these environmental
changes.
When you get into the Carter administration, you have this strong opposition, but this
wasn't a preoccupation of Alexander's. He had a totally different agenda for the
Department of Army in the equal opportunity area. Alexander tended to be supportive
of the things the Corps wanted to do.
When we would describe the practical political problems that were going to ensue from
this thing, Alexander could see that right away. We argued, not that the President was
wrong to stop these projects, although we may have made that point as well, but
basically, that he was going to do himself a lot of damage. Alexander could see that,
and so could Blumenfeld.
Q:
And Carter couldn't?
A:
And Carter couldn't, and he did himself a lot of damage.
Then, along comes the Reagan administration. It is highly organized, to turn this
program off. The Reaganites are a lot more skillful at how they have gone about it.
Through their operations they have thwarted any new authorizations. Therefore, the
program has wound down.
I don't know whether that will be turned around or not. I think perhaps some of these
most urgent projects like the new locks at Gallipolis will get the go-ahead in this
administration, because I think the commercial interests will keep working away at the
White House and OMB to get these things done.
I don't know, but I think flood control, federally financed flood control, is pretty much
a thing of the past. If the protection is needed, it is going to have to be done by local
interests.
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