DICTATORSHIPS ARE ALIVE AND WELL IN LOUISIANA...a third world country!

["Susan K. Snow" <sksnow@1stnet.com>]

  Remember Shintech --the huge dioxin (PVC plastic) plant proposed in the
  southeastern Louisiana parish of St. John-the-Baptist. St. John is also
  part of a tri-parish solid waste commission which also includes St.
  James, and St. Charles. 
  
  Parish Council members in St. Charles are looking at another dangerous,
  dioxin and radioactive proposal which will feed-the-greed at the expense
  of life, liberty and the persuit of happiness of the area neighbors,
  those down wind and down stream.  NORM contains radioactive material in
  higher proportion than is produced from nuclear power plants.  But
  because it a byproduct of the oil and gas industry, it had been
  loopholed out of most federal laws.  NORM also includes salt water and
  hydrocarbons, such as benzene, in massive proportions. Environmental
  laws were put in place because the brine collected in oilfield pipes and
  ultimately ended up in nearby homes and workplaces or was dumped into
  estuaries in the Gulf of Mexico.  However, if burned, the pollution
  would be massive--everywhere! 
  
  The incinerator peddlers keep adding wastes to their statement before
  the council, repeating their offers.  Apparently, at the same time, they
  want to keep the general public and the press out of the meetings until
  the contracts are signed. St. Charles citizens are refused not only the
  right to speak, but now the right to attend their parish council
  meeting.  Of course, this is against the law.  But, these people are
  poor and do not have the money for attorneys, so their elected officials
  have dictated when they can and cannot do.
  
  Yes, dictatorships are alive and well in Loujisiana.  Read what the
  Baton Rouge Advocate published on July 27, 1997: 
  
  Louisiana [dictator] governor **Mike Foster is interfering with academic
  freedom by threatening retaliation against Tulane University because its
  law clinic is supporting environmental interests in a battle with
  industry...Foster threatened to go after Tulane's tax breaks and ask
  supporters to reconsider their financial contributions because of the
  clinic's activities.**
  
  **The Tulane Environmental Law Clinic has been active in representing
  some St. James area residents concerned about the location of a Shintech
  chemical plant there.
  
  "Our first thrust will be to try to educate the governor how these
  clinics operate. I don't think he understands the whole academic freedom
  issue as it operates inside a university," said William Arceneaux, who 
  represents eight private colleges, including Tulane and Loyola
  universities, which operate law clinics.
  
  There, **senior law students get a chance to work on real cases under a
  lawyer's oversight.  Arceneaux said the environmental law clinic sees
  its mission as defender of the environment and of these poor people ..."
  who live near potentially hazardous sites.**
  
  For more information, see: _Governor's threats on aid criticized_ 
  http://www.theadvocate.com/news/0722tul.htm
  
  Susan Snow