Our View: Vital levee measures on weekend ballot

As a newsroom, we typically avoid political endorsements within our pages.

Instead of picking a dog in the fight, historically we’ve tried to give as much information about each dog on the ballot in an effort to allow you, the voter, to make as informed a decision as possible during the given election cycle.

But with Saturday’s election looming, we’re going to stray from our long-standing policy and urge Tri-parish voters to make the decision to make our area better protected now and into the future.

On Terrebonne’s ballot this weekend will be a measure regarding the Morganza to the Gulf levee protection system.

If passed, a half-cent sales tax would be laid onto the people of the parish with the money going to fund the massive levee structure, which will protect most of our area from flooding in the wake of a hurricane – an ever-present danger in our area that we’ve grown too accustomed to in years past.

In Lafourche, voters are also being asked to take on the burden of a one-cent tax, which, if passed, will allow the North Lafourche Conservation, Levee and Drainage District to have more funding for its projects.

Sure, the idea of taxation makes a lot of people nervous – rightfully so.

But to secure our future, it is a necessary evil.

Our area has proven vulnerable in the past, but far from invincible during storm season.

If the right storm hit, Lafourche, Terrebonne and St. Mary parishes are all in danger of receiving flooding that could jeopardize our people, businesses and overall standard of living.

Sure, the ideal situation would be if Uncle Sam came to the rescue and helped foot the bill for our struggles.

But Uncle Sam is currently in trillions of dollars in debt and seems uninterested and unwilling to aid us in this fight.

The burden falls on us to take control of our fate.

If we ever expect to receive help from anyone else, we must prove willing to help ourselves, first.