Rockefellar Landing Update 10/6/12

[Jrchip1]

"it will open in two weeks". That's what I've been hearing for the last 5 months.

I drove by there yesterday and the Joesph Harbor Landing is done, minus the limestone on the driving surfaces. No construction equipment or crew were there. I checked in the Headquarters hoping to to find the manager, Mr. Tom Hess, but he was gone for the day. I wanted to get the real story as to what was going on and why the launch opening was dragging on forever.

What I was able to find out is that there is in fact, as previously stated, a lawsuit going on between the Contractor and the State. And we all know if there's lawyers involved, then it mean's money. I was also able to find out that there is still about 1/4 million dollars ($250,000) worth of limestone gravel yet to be applied to the parking areas(+/- 7000 ton's worth). I found this very disturbing by the very fact that most lawsuits can drag on for years.

Rockefellar has abundant mineral revenues coming in, and could easily fix the parking lot while the lawyers do what they do, i.e. charge by the hour, i.e. multiple motions etc. I would think that Rockefellar could easily finish the work by hiring some local limestone supplier, then let the lawyers attempt to get whoever to pay-up.

It seems to me that the receiptionists in Baton Rouge's Fish and Wildlife and Rockefellar Refuge, are taking all the heat via phone calls from folks like me complaining, so upper management can concentrate on more important things, like lunch and planning their next vacation or retirement. Upper management may claim to care, but in government, is there any real incentive to take a principled stand on anything?

So give the poor receptionists a break and take it up the food chain. Maybe a petition or something to the Dept. Heads may at least make their existance a little more miserable, and get them to acknowledge the insanity of their inefficiency and wastefulness.