Free Republic

Blanco: Netherlands trip could help with future flood protection U. S. Congressman, William Jefferson, D-La., right, pauses during a press event at Kurhaus in Scheveningen, the Netherlands, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2006. At left are, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco and U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., center. (AP Photo/Bas Czerwinski) BATON ROUGE, La. Governor Kathleen Blanco says a trip to the Netherlands to study the flood control systems for the below sea-level nation showed Louisiana officials engineering marvels that could be used in future flood protection for the New Orleans area. Blanco returned a day earlier from her visit to the country...

Gov. Kathleen Blanco left for Holland on Monday to learn how the Dutch created the huge flood-control system that protects a land much farther below sea level than Louisiana. The trip means the Democratic governor will miss President Bush's visit to New Orleans, scheduled for Thursday... The governor was among more than 40 government, business and education leaders - including Sens. David Vitter and Mary Landrieu ... Landrieu said the ambassador told her about that country's flood of 1953, when 1,800 people died. "He said, `Why don't you all come over and see what we've done since then?'" Landrieu recounted....