[Rhodes22-list] Why Rebuild New Orleans?

Fri Sep 16 18:18:23 EDT 2005

Yea Herb
I'm with you. It's a slippery slope fer sure...a never ending slick version of the entitlement game.

I just got back from Corpus and a full day of  with the USFWS, US Army Corps of Engineers and NMFS....

Great bunch of folks, some I call friends, and certainly close associates, but even they are the first to admit to a plethora of paperwork and petty bureaucracy which boggles the mind and precludes substantive progress. 

I challange anyone to meet with the gum'ment and tell me that the feds can take care of things better than we can as citizens. Even (and especially) common sense issues get cloudy with those folks....

On a related note we are in the throes of localized red tide...yesterday I gave an interview to the Matomoros (Mexico) newspaper, El Bravo about this somewhat common event....their main concern was: Did Hurricane Katrina play andy part in this bloom?....I imagine that there will be lots of politicizing the environmental impact(s) incurred as a result of this tragic situation, both nationally and internationally. More blame game.

I spent my final 7 months in the Coast Guard at the 8th district office (the Hale Boggs Federal Building), and lived in the Vieux Carre. It was an area, and people that touched me to the soul. I hope that the Gulf Coast region rebuilds itself and prospers again for the sake of us all. It is a wonderful part of our culture, and in my mind without question, one worth rebuilding.

Thanks for your work in NO.
jw

Herb Parsons <hparsons at parsonsys.com> wrote:
Actually, that was where I was headed.

After we cat-5 proofed all the coastal cities, we'd need to tornado-proof all of the "tornado alley" cities, then earthquake proof the west coast, I believe a few cities get avalanches from time to time, and don't forget the heat wave in the north a few years ago... I think you see where I'm going.

Herb Parsons

S/V O'Jure
1976 O'Day 25
Lake Grapevine, N TX

S/V Reve de Papa
1971 Coronado 35
Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana Coast

>>> lemenagerie22 at yahoo.com 9/15/2005 4:49:52 PM >>>
Herb:
Most of us down here in South Texas would rather the government not provide cat 5 proofing. We're already sick of high taxes and besides, it would ruin the view.

A lot of us who live here on the coast understand the risks. Hey, you rool the dice, you take your chances....
jw

Herb Parsons wrote:
Question for all:

How many category 5 hurricanes have struck New Orleans in recorded history?

Another question,

What if "bulletproofing" the city against a cat 5 costs more than the repair bill for NO?

Yet another,

Why stop with New Orleans? Why not cat-5 proof every coastal city from South Texas to the northern part of North Carolina? I mean, I know that would be trillions of dollars, but if it's good for one city, isn't it good for all?

Herb Parsons

S/V O'Jure
1976 O'Day 25
Lake Grapevine, N TX

S/V Reve de Papa
1971 Coronado 35
Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana Coast

>>> pthorn at nc.rr.com 9/15/2005 2:49:11 PM >>>
Saroj,

I completely agree with you and Rummy about that. I makes no sense to
rebuild "as was". At the least, they should first upfit the levees to
withstand a Category 5, or plan on converting to a "new world Venice".
Proper planning could have avoided the whole catastrophe. If it's too
expensive to do it properly, then perhaps it shouldn't be done.

PT

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Saroj Gilbert" 
To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" 
Sent: Thursday, September 15, 2005 3:27 PM
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Why Rebuild New Orleans?

> Its an incredible dilemma given the ecology of the area... however New
> Orleans is truly a national treasure rich with historical significance...
> maybe they'll have to pull a Chicago where the city was built up on stilts
> essentially... used to be down a story... often when they excavate for new
> buildings they find store fronts and evidence of streets at what is now
the
> basement area... You can walk from one end of the downtown area to the
> other underground still...
>
> Saroj
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: 
> To: 
> Sent: Thursday, September 15, 2005 12:56 PM
> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Why Rebuild New Orleans?
>
>
> > The state of Wisconsin has had some experience with moving towns that
were
> > located in flood prone zones. The southwestern part of the state is very
> > hilly
> > and is prone to flash floods, some of epic proportions. After rebuilding
> > several cities time after time, they finally figured out that the three
> > cities
> > couldn't stay were they were. It took a lot of time and persuasion, but
> > the
> > cities relocated and are thriving today due to both state and federal
> > aid. The
> > point is that they are no longer flooding. Cities can be moved and
> > people's
> > attitude's changed. How many more people need die simply to keep a city
> > where it
> > shouldn't be.
> > Perhaps we should look to correct a problem that was created a long time
> > ago
> > by.......of course, the French. My vote goes with relocating the city.
> >
> > Rummy said that.
> > __________________________________________________
> > Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list 
>
> __________________________________________________
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Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list 

Jim White
Le Menagerie
www.lemenagerie.blogspot.com 

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__________________________________________________
Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
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Jim White
Le Menagerie
www.lemenagerie.blogspot.com

---------------------------------
Yahoo! for Good
 Click here to donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. 