Water project could revitalize the nation

To the editor:

While I understand the crux of Ron Klain's Wednesday commentary, "Getting us back to work," he omits several factors worthy of consideration.

While it is true that the Hoover Dam project was relatively insignificant in terms of added employment during the Great Depression, the psychological impact on the country was enormous -- it was the jump-start the economy needed. Optimism reigned supreme during this period, and many other infrastructure projects and private industry expansion were spawned as a result of the faith in our country's future, demonstrated by the progressive approach the administration took.

The same can exist today. There are many beneficial projects bandied about -- high-speed rail, dams, roads, bridges, alternative energy, etc. However, there is one I have not heard mentioned as a project worth studying.

Each year we suffer significant loss of life, food supplies, property, soil erosion and morale in the central part of this country due to massive flooding.

Meanwhile, the West Coast withers away from lack of water. I believe a study should be initiated on how to reroute the floodwaters via pumps, existing rivers and lakes, natural geological elements, tunnels, aqueducts, dams, holding ponds and pipelines from the Midwest to the once-fertile valleys in California (which have now gone fallow) and to cities in Nevada, Arizona and Texas that are desperate for enough water to sustain everyday life.

I don't envision this project to be on a scale of the Panama Canal, but a lifeline to the arid areas of our country.

I haven't a clue how this would be funded, but if we found a way to fund the New Deal projects during the Great Depression, some smart economists should be able to find a way in today's economy.

The countrywide benefits would be enormous -- far greater than the "stimulus" package that bailed out a few cherry-picked industries. California would again be in a position to provide the produce we desire at reasonable prices, and we wouldn't be dependent on foreign imports to sustain our food supply. U.S. jobs would return to the sun belt as well as the areas impacted by the new construction, real estate values would normalize and the optimism in our country's future would return.

The central states would enjoy the elimination of the flooding devastation we read about daily.

Americans are fed up with massive public spending off our shores with nothing to show for it. If we force our future generations to pay for our current policies, let's at least make them logical, environmentally friendly, long-term sustainable projects that will restore this country to its rightful place as the world's only superpower.

Joe Licari

Las Vegas