Congeries of cross connected concepts
Right Wing News reports that many of neighborhoods in New Orleans with the worst flooding during hurrican Katrina are being rebuilt to their previous state. Requirements that the houses be flooding / hurricane resistant are simply ignored. Best of all, it’s being done with huge piles of federal money. Some of the good quotes —
Mike Centineo, the city’s building chief, […] acknowledged that most returning homeowners are not raising their houses to meet the new flood guidelines. “[…] No one wants it to happen again. But they’re just rebuilding as best they can.”
Obviously not, if they’re violating the new flood guidelines. Or, the guidelines are bogus because they are unimplementable. But “best they can” is right out.
“It’s terrifying: We’re doing the same things we have in the past but expecting different results,” said Robert G. Bea, a professor of civil engineering at the University of California at Berkeley and a former New Orleans resident
Not at all. The residents are clearly expecting the same results — the federal government will buy them all new houses after the next hurricane induced flooding. I think we can reasonably conclude that the ones who stayed and are rebuilding are the ones who find a new house a good trade off for enduring the flood. They’re not the ones being stupid here.
[Manifestly incompetent Mayor of New Orleans] Nagin, who was hearing complaints that shrinking the city’s footprint was unfair, particularly to African Americans, rejected the idea
OK, now we have a candidate for a stupidity source. But you all knew that already.
I have to admit, I am a bit biased, because the plan rejected by “Chocolate City” Nagin was similar to what I have proposed on this subject, that the government not reimburse but purchase the flooded out homes. The purchased properties are then reverted to wetlands / parks both to avoid additional losses and reduce flooding in nearby areas. But we see here yet another failure of the GOP leadership in Washington, that Nagin was able to reject the plan. It’s not his money, how did he get veto power over it? The Republican Congress could have written the funding legislation to require this for disbursement, but didn’t. Stuck on stupid once again.
| Michael Herdegen Thursday, 04 January 2007 at 16:53 |  |
test
The white listing works! You tripped two different filters — the all lower case with no puncutation and the only one word — but the comment was still published.
And how do you like the new style for administrative comments on comments?
| Michael Herdegen Thursday, 04 January 2007 at 16:56 | |
If N.O. avoids getting hit again for another few decades, then this will just be another example of annoying but relatively harmless foolishness. If they do get hit hard again within a decade, then I think that the national public will be much less sympathetic, and much more inclined to get tough with Louisiana idiots.
| Annoying Old Guy Thursday, 04 January 2007 at 18:07 | |
One could hope that it would encourage getting tough with all of the idiots. New Orleans may lead the pack, but it’s not the only place in the race. It might be that another disaster of that sort with the same follow up will make a difference in attitude no matter where it happens.
| Michael Herdegen Thursday, 04 January 2007 at 20:19 | |
LOL
Yeah, nice administrative comment style. Or at least, I like the starbursts. Or are those panel lights, surrounded by bezels ?
| Annoying Old Guy Thursday, 04 January 2007 at 21:20 | |
Panels lights with bezels.
