Death of an American City

Kiloran, yeah I have to agree about the location of the city.

start rant --
Why are we fighting nature so hard on this one? It's like trying to growing rice in death valley and cactus in Milford sound, NZ (they get over 7 meters of precip each year!). Rebuilding a major city that was destroyed by an indirect hit from a CAT 3 is madness. The city's in a huge bowl that gets deeper every year as the soil compacts. The only parts that should be rebuild are those parts that don't rely on leves and have historical value. We should move on. The Atlantic basin is getting WARMER and the gulf stream MAY be slowing significantly. All of this means that the Atlantic basin is going to get hotter. This last hurricane seaon could be typical of what's to come. It's hard to know how Atlantic system is going to respond to the changes. Sinking a ton of money into what's going to be an even higher risk situation would be imprudent. I'm not a Bush Cheerleader but this wasn't his fault. The city of NO and the State of LA managers should be extradited to Singapore and caned... repeated. This is their fault. No planning whatsoever. This has been a sadly predictable scenario for YEARS! Wth! How could their repsonse been SO pathetic. Decapitated ocelots could have done a better job planning the city and state responses. FEMA was fubar but their actions should merely have been auxillary to the local efforts. PATHETIC!
-- end rant.

 

Yo! Paint shop wizards.
I think this calls for an image.

 

We reap what we sew. There have been countless opportunites in the last 30 years to upgrade the levies. It wasn't done. People knew this was going to happen for decades. We simply did not have the political strength to deal with it. No matter if it was during a republican or democratic administration or Congress, it was simply not a priority. Sad but true.

Now we have a real problem and no will to do what is required. Some may say I am over reacting but I am starting to believe our country is in the beginning stages of decline. We are seeing it in many areas. I just hope I am wrong. I am hoping there is still time to reverse the many trends working against us. When we see the rebuilding of Iraq prioritized higher than an American city I just shake my head.

Politics be damned. We either fix, move or tear down New Orleans. But a leader has to step up to the plate soon and make the call. It is the indecision which is killing New Orleans.

 

That's Photoshop. Sheesh.

 

Two NOVA programs predicted in detail the peril of New Orleans and living below mean sea level on the Gulf of Mexico (no different than Venice, Italy and Bangladesh). The problem is not just NO, but the constrained route of the Mississippi River, lack of sediment renewal, demise of wetlands and increased vulnerabilty, and the hypoxic "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico, regardless of levees. Essentially, rebuilding NO is pouring large amounts of capital into a black hole. Once again, we think and act short-term, not long-term.

 

It's a little bit ironic that after the horrible disaster, the officials finally recognize the achievements of the Dutch. And WE have sent people to the moon and we live with the premise of being on a forefront of a global scientific knowledge, but the realities are completly different. It looks like only a few can benefit from such advanced science. The priorities how to utilize science for the benefit of it's society are certainly debatable.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4607452.stm

 

Rather an opportunity staring them in the face, isn't it? Now that it's been leveled, why not move it somewhere on to higher ground? Moving back in to an area that is just going to be leveled again seems an exercise in futility. The survivors have the spirit of the city in their hearts. Does it really have to be put back in the exact location?

Maybe Bush should have maxed out the country's credit card by building really big, sturdy dam-like levees to ensure that the land would remain dry so that they could rebuild with their own money rather than by maxing it out by taking a really big cash advance and throwing it in the direction of Lousiana. <_<

 

A thought provoking article, that is, if you care to hear more than one side of a debate.

(It’s amazing how something written about Katrina on September 6th, 2005 can read like it was written yesterday)
http://www.americanthinker.com/articles.php?article_id=4797

Come to you own conclusions, don’t just regurgitate.

 

Quite pretentious, calling themselves the American Thinker, eh? The author certainly seems to have issues with Tim Russert, doesn't he? I mean specifically, he singled out Russert. It's always great to get actual statistics about events such as Katrina. But I believe that you have to make New Orleans safe from recurrence of Katrina before you can rebuild it. If you can't make it safe, rebuild elsewhere.

 

I will add my bit here. New Orleans is one of the most important cities to American Culture as any in the US. With out it America culture would not be what it is today. I would say that America can not afford to loose what New Orleans.

 

As long as you pay for it without my taxes, you can do whatever the heck you want. If the taxpayer so far removed from your misery has to foot the bill, then you're going to have to live with those opinions, just as I have to live with higher insurance costs and all the other costs that I get to foot the bill for to help you recover from your bad choices. Oh, and by the way, Louisiana isn't the only place in this country that has a lot of misery.

 

p1) Jack is not alone in his thinking that most of N.O. is not located in a viable location and that the rest of the country should not be expected to pay to restore N.O. to just the way it was.

p2) He's also not the only one who finds it rude when folks demand their money and then tell them to shut up both about giving it up and how it should be spent.

my 2p

 

First...you are correct...we who were not involved CANNOT know the impact. I am so sory for your trouble and would be willing to help in any way I can...just ask. I already gave money to various relief efforts and offered up my home to felow police officers.

That being said....

As long as HUGE amounts of tax dollars will be needed..it is...our right to have an opinion.

As far as the article....well #1, it was still written before the claims of rapes and murders in the superdome were refuted so ALL of his conclusions are suspect, regretfully.

Now, with tongue somewhat planted in cheek, it was way to long and involved therefore the average american will jst stop reading and turn back to the 30 second sond bites on the TV before "everybody loves Raymond" comes on. (or turns on Howard Stern on Sirius for all the upper crusty's out there.

 

There is NO need for that.....Shame...please edit it for future people. You are boycotted for 30 days by me!!!!!!!!

 

You're kidding...right??????? What "culture" would that be....Sodom and Gomorrha? Those little pastries in the French Quarter? ANYTHING goes culture??????????

It has culture and history...yes...but ONE OF HE MOST.......


Sighhhhhhhh!!!!

 

Hello all,
I live in the New Orleans area. Look up the city on Wikipedia. It has a long history.
It has existed longer than this great country - so yes, it has culture.

For those who complain about you tax money fixing New Orleans. Did you complain when tax dollars fixed Los Angeles (or was it San Fransisco) back in 1994 (or thereabouts)?
Did you mind bailing out Chysler (sp) with tax dollars? Did we complain about all the money spent of forest fires, tornados, mud slides, and flash floods?

Are you willing to foot the bill to move the city? Provide jobs for people?
I don't think that you are.

Also, please read up on the New Orleans east situation. The MRGO was dug by the US to allow big ships to get to the New Orleans port cheaper. It benefited the US - and it was opposed by people in St. Bernard. The MRGO was the one that flooded New Orleans East and St Bernard. All of the flooding is the result of the US Corp of Engineer's failure to build and maintain the levees that they were charged with by the US.

So, sit where ever you are and say what you will anout rebuilding New Orleans. But, remember this: How you treat us here, you can expect the same when and if some natural disaster strikes you. I task you to name one place on this planet that is perfect. I can't think of one. Can you?

 

The smog is a little bit darker in LA today.... It's Bush's fault!
The price of tea in China is soaring... It's Bush's fault!
We're losing the Moon by ONE INCH every year! It's Bush's fault!

:lol:

 

Well said...

I could only imagine someone telling me to go live somewhere else should my home in Florida get vaporized by natural disasters...