Natchez officials are seeking a fairly modest request from the state Legislature this year &8212; $15 million in incentives to help Rentech start work on a fuel manufacturing facility.

But however modest, that request could face an uphill battle.

After Hurricane Katrina devastated the state&8217;s coast, money is tight.

And legislators who were criticized two years ago over incentives for a beef processing plant gone bad may be a little gunshy about latching on to any new ventures.

But Rentech has $10 million of its own to match the state&8217;s funding, and it has investors interested in helping make this project a reality.

Federal officials are also interested in the coal gasification process the company would use &8212; a clean-burning technology that would help put Natchez on the cutting edge of fuel use.

We know money is tight this year, and we know the coast needs so much rebuilding in order to get back on its feet.

But legislators cannot ignore other areas of the state, and after years of losing jobs and industry, Natchez needs a chance to turn things around.

We hope lawmakers will take a look at the proposal from Rentech and local officials and grant us the money we need, too.