Secretary Mabus, a former Mississippi Governor who is also Obama's Gulf Coast Restoration Chief met with U.S. Senators Landrieu, Vitter and U.S. Rep. Anh Cao who would like to see Mabus have Northrop Grumman change its plan to close Avondale by 2013. According to reports Vitter wanted the two final ships being built for the Navy to be done at Avondale and not Mississippi.
Secretary Mabus responded they don't have a Navy issue here but a Grumman issue and that Grumman wants to close Avondale and actually get out of the shipbuilding business. What those three elected officials should be doing is finding a Louisiana solution to a Louisiana problem.
The state's elected officials should immediately take the problem and run with it instead of trying to get Washington involved. Secretary Mabus put the problem where it belongs, in Louisiana's court. Now we will find out how our elected officials respond and if they will display courage and leadership in taking it upon themselves to do something positive instead of running to the Navy. I feel certain our elected officials knew what was coming long ago concerning Avondale and just sat on their hands.
