From the Editor: How well has Morgan City solved problems of the past?

What do you think of when you hear the words “Morgan City”?
Bridges? Oil? Shrimp? White beans and rice?
Home?
A 1982 story published in this newspaper sounded alarm bells about what Morgan City was coming to mean to people in and out of the city.
“It can be stated with little fear of contradiction,” the story began, “that East St. Mary Parish, and particularly Morgan City, has a reputation for not being a particularly nice place to live.”
The writer, Larry Wall, was quoting from a survey called “East St. Mary Parish Economic Growth and Stabilization Strategies.” It was compiled for the East St. Mary Parish Economic Development Commission, which Wall said was essentially the East St. Mary Chamber of Commerce. The report contained the sort of candor we don’t usually associate with chambers of commerce.
“Although part of the reputation is based on inaccurate information,” the report said, “part of it can be substantiated with reliable data.”
The story, which appears on Page 5, also quoted a survey by the St. Mary Industrial Group.
The question is whether the problems identified in the story are with us today or have been solved, and to what extent. We’d like to start a conversation on the topic in the weeks ahead through interviews and social media.
Trouble in the boom times
The context is important.
The birth of the offshore energy industry after World War II turned Morgan City into a boom town. The population here was not quite 7,000 in 1940, according to the Census Bureau. By 1970, Morgan City was home to more than 16,500. And that was before the Arab oil embargo of 1974 and the fall of the shah of Iran in 1979 sent energy prices soaring.
Even in the boom times, signs of trouble emerged. The chamber said 45 percent of east St. Mary’s workforce making $15,000 to $35,000 – $36,000 to $86,000 in 2015 dollars — commuted at least 50 miles to work. That meant that Morgan City was losing out on a big portion of that group’s $51 million ($125 million in 2015 money) in combined salaries.
So why were people working here but not living here?
The surveys said the biggest problem was crime, specifically “the transient criminal element.” The report found that the violent crime rate here was two to three times the rate for U.S. cities of similar size. The blame went to “members of the area’s large transient working class population,” who committed crimes against “other members of the same population.” The victims usually weren’t established residents, the report said, but “the unsavory reputation remains.”
Next on the problem list were a lack of housing and the threat of flooding.
“Both quantity and quality of available housing has and probably will continue to act as a deterrent to migration into the study area,” the report said.
Not only was residential demand for land in competition with industrial demand at the time, but flood-related building restrictions put an even tighter squeeze on housing construction.
Aesthetic appeal was identified as a problem, largely because of industrial development, a lack of planning and the deterioration of historic and interesting buildings downtown. And there was a lack of recreational opportunities.
What the report couldn’t anticipate was that oil prices were about to crash, dealing the economies of Louisiana and St. Mary a severe blow. After more than two decades of decline, the population of Morgan City is estimated to be just less than 12,000 as of 2014.
Where we’re at
Here’s a mix of data and personal observations about where the city is at.
Once again, the city is looking at a potentially long-term slump in oil prices. But it’s not completely bleak.
A major upgrade of the levy system surrounding Morgan City should help the housing situation and flood control. How much remains to be seen.
Morgan City’s violent crime rate (homicide, rape, aggravated assault, robbery) , according to Uniform Crime Report statistics from the FBI, was 358 per 100,000 residents in 2014. That’s a little lower than the U.S. rate of 365 per 100,000. Our property crime rate (burglary, larceny, theft, arson) was 3,386 per 100,000, about a third higher than the national rate of 2,596.
The Morgan City Main Street effort is doing some good for downtown, which is becoming a more frequent entertainment venue. The Cajun Coast Visitors and Convention Bureau and the chamber have helped market the area.
Our industrial base may not be what it was, but it’s large for a town this size and it has a lot of technical expertise. If garden clubs were military units, the Tri-City area could beat ISIS singlehanded. Organizations like the Artists Guild and the Community Concert Association expand the local cultural horizon.
St. Mary schools rank high among Louisiana public schools.
So what do you think? Has Morgan City put those 1982 problems completely behind us, or do we have work to do? And if we do, how do we do it?
We hope you’ll offer your thoughts through story comments on this column at StMaryNow.com or on our Facebook page.
Bill Decker is managing editor of The Daily Review.

The original Larry Wall story:

Editor’s Note: This story was written for The Daily Review by Larry Wall in 1982. It reported on a survey prepared for the East St. Mary Area Chamber of Commerce acting as the East St. Mary Parish Economic Development Commission of 1980, and another by the St. Mary Industrial Group.
The original editor’s note on this first in a series of stories said, “We found some of the findings startling, if not annoying. Yet, the series is based on factual information generated by the two surveys and we respectfully request readers read on with that in mind.”

By Larry Wall
First in a series
“It can be stated with little fear of contradiction that East St. Mary Parish, and particularly Morgan City, has a reputation for not being a particularly nice place in which to live.”
That is just one of several critical statements scattered throughout the “East St. Mary Parish Economic Growth and Stabilization Strategies” report prepared for the East St. Mary Parish Economic Development Commission which is in fact the East St. Mary Area Chamber of Commerce. The chamber was given that designation by the St. Mary Parish Police Jury so it could secure a Coastal Energy Impact Grant to fund the study.
Preparation of the report was sought by the chamber, according to former president Kenneth L. Theriot, to “identify certain problems and possible solutions affecting the economic well being of the citizens of the East St. Mary area.”
In discussing the quality of life in east St. Mary, the report contends the area has a bad reputation but adds, “Although part of the reputation is based on inaccurate information, part of it can be substantiated with reliable data.”
Problems listed in the report include housing, flood dangers, crime rates, traffic, aesthetics, recreation and community.
Many of the problem areas listed in the report correspond with the results of a survey of area industrial concerns conducted by the St. Mary Industrial Group late last year.
These problems, along with the available jobs in the area, are combining in such a manner that the east St. Mary area is losing its population and, accordingly, a considerable amount of revenue is leaving the area.
The report notes, “The population projections indicate that … growth in East St. Mary Parish, so rapid for the past several decades, has slowed to the point that it is actually decreasing in some parts of the parish.”
However, “At the same time population growth is declining, there has been no corresponding decline in employment.”
According to the report, “There appears to be currently available well-paying jobs … that are going unfilled.”
According to the report, “This scenario goes against general demographic migration principles which assume that people will be ‘pulled’ into areas of high employment. What has happened is that a large percentage of the work force in East St. Mary Parish is comprised of individuals who commute into the area to work. The obvious problems with this ‘solution’ to the area labor needs is that these commuting individuals return home to spend their money, initiating a money flow out of East St. Mary Parish.”
For example, the report said 45 percent of the work force in the $15,000 to $35,000 income bracket commute more than 50 miles to work in east St. Mary.
The report notes that an estimated $51 million is earned by this group per year in the parish “but most of which is probably not spent there.”
The report adds that if all income groups are clustered together to include the lower and higher levels, the conclusion is drawn that $62.25 million is earned annually in east St. Mary by individuals who live more than 50 miles from their job. The report also notes than 95 percent of those persons earning $10,000 or less live within a 25-mile radius of east St. Mary.
The report concludes that the people commuting to work are no different than the people living in east St. Mary but simply choose not to or feel unable to live in the east St. Mary area.
The report states one of the prime factors influencing the decision to move into east St. Mary is “the lack of adequate housing.”
“Both quantity and quality of available housing has and will probably continue to act as a deterrent to migration into the study area. Where living space is available, it is more expensive than in surrounding areas not only because of demand, but also because of building restrictions due to potential flooding.”
The report adds that the housing problem is aggravated by the competition with industry for available land along with state and federal restrictions.
According to the SMIG survey, on a one to 10 scale of disadvantages (10 being the lowest rating possible) to the area, housing and the flood threat were both rated at nine.
Regarding the crime problem, the report noted that the violent crime rate in Morgan City has ranges from twice to three times the rate for cities of comparable size in the United States. Violent crimes include rape, murder and aggravated assault.
“Although there is no way to empirically demonstrate this, many of these violent crimes are committed by members of the area’s large transient working class population and are committed on other members of the same population. This is particularly true of assault, which comprises the bulk of violent crimes.”
Although the report contends the violent crimes are not directed against established residents, it notes the unsavory reputation remains.
The SMIG survey rated the transient criminal element at 10 on the scale among the disadvantages to the area.
The report also cites a more “intangible problem” dealing with the general “aesthetic appeal of the area.”
“While East St. Mary Parish contains some of the most beautiful swamp and marsh in the United States, the imposition of industrial development, fabrication yards, scrap yards and loading facilities generally associated with offshore petroleum upon this flat environment is generally considered aesthetically displeasing.”
In addition, the report says “the emergence of rapid, unplanned growth of buildings and other establishments along major arteries of transportation, coupled with the dilapidation of, in many cases architecturally interesting downtown business districts, adds to this general impression.”
According to an excerpt from one letter submitted along with the SMIG questionnaire, one of the responding parties stated, “Several business people here have told me that when they bring prospective employees in from the east, they always come down by the way of Belle River to make a more favorable impression on these people. If they come in on Highway 90, they feel like they are entering ‘tin city’ or ‘bar alley.’ Let’s face it, it’s not a very impressive site entering our area from the east on Highway 90.”
Recreation, or the lack of it, is another factor influencing the trend to work in St. Mary and live elsewhere. The report states, “While the area abounds with outdoor recreational potential (fishing, hunting, etc.) other than dining out, there is a paucity of establishments which cater to middle class night-life activities.
“Additionally, with the exception of outdoor activities there is little in the way of family recreational opportunities.”
In the SMIG survey of disadvantages to the area, recreation rated a six while quality entertainment rated a nine.
Finally, the report lists as the “lease tangible” problem regarding living in east St. Mary is that the area “is not a recognized political or cultural unit.”
“The area,” according to the report, “is composed of five relative major areas of population concentration and several smaller ones.
What loyalty the residents may have is generally directed toward one of the incorporated towns. Often, the goals and aims of the political bodies in these towns are in conflict.
In short, although unable to empirically demonstrate this, none of the investigators found evidence of a sense of community or of a community pride, at least not at the East St. Mary Parish level.”
A random sampling of responses to the SMIG survey supports the report’s contention that problems exist with the quality of life in the area.
Among the responses to the SMIG survey were:
—no activities for young people.
—need for better zoning enforcement and laws.
—no plays, museums and good restaurants.
—need for improved recreational, entertainment and cultural facilities.
—lack of major shopping centers, quality medical care and housing.
Listed as true by those responding to the SMIG survey was the statement that “The area is a good place to make your money and then leave to enjoy it.”
The second major factor affecting the migration out of and away from east St. Mary is the type of jobs and the people needed to fill those jobs.