Replies

She's wrong. Hastert was right to say it at this early stage to get it planted in people's minds.

He's protecting the nation. We don't need to help rebuild a city that's below sea level. That's the best thing for the people of NO as well. They certainly don't need another catastrophe like this.

In any benefit cost analysis - failure is often caused by not explicitly measuring the do-nothing, or "base case" option. In the case of a flooded NO - the base case might be to pump out the water (running the existing pump system), bulldoze much of the residential sectors to eliminate health and environmental issues, then protect a smaller area (downtown, historic district) with additional flood protection.

If the cost of repairs and enhancing the levees to withstand a category 5 were, say 300 trillion dollars, I think we all know what the answer would be. What the real cost of real alternatives is - has to be developed objectively and presented to the taxpayers who are going to foot the bill. It must be of such a magnitude that the state of Louisiana cannot handle it - or one presumes they might have... Never mind.

Hastert is correct - and Blanco should stick to doing what she is supposed to do and has failed to do heretofore - protect the citizens of her state.

Exactamundo.

I have been thinking about this. Right now it seems to not be a partisan issue and people are either sure that it should be rebuilt or that it should not. One of these two groups are going to have their minds changed over the next couple of months.

IMO. Have the insurers go in settle with all. If not a CTL (constructive total loss) send in the adjusters and have the Feds pay the difference. Give each of the uninsured an estimated value of their assets and let the place rot over the next few decades.

NOLA will never be safe from Al Queda attacks after this. Three or four well placed little explosive devices and the grid goes down. A couple more and the levy is opened in a few spots and you know what happens from here. Unacceptable risk to rebuild. The area is simply not able to be protected. As a matter of fact, we don't even need AQ, we now have our own little ratterroists living in NOLA. When they run out of money, drugs and loot they can just punch a couple of holes and stock up again. Welcome to the new thriller - Mad Max Escapes from Atlantis, AKA New Mogadishu's Water World

We don't need to help rebuild a city that's below sea level.

Since the RATS firmly believe that Sea Levels can only rise due to global warming I would think that they would understand this concept. They better get to saving New York.