Is Nagin determined to kill every last citizen?

[fishbob]

Because we're going to do the cleanup next week at a cost of about ten thousand bucks; we're going to blow up all the levees. Lake Pontchatrain is going to be much bigger next week, and you probably don't want to be there when it happens.

Improved and expanded catfish and bass habitat. Cool.

 

[fishbob]

It's fine to compensate them based upon what they had to leave behind, but why should we give $400,000 to some bum, drug dealer or street thug? Compensation should be on a case-by-case basis, based on what was lost and what it will take to get them back into a comparable job.

Try figuring that out. This would build a big stinking fraud and abuse riddled bureaucracy faster than any gubmint program in US history.

 

[geni]

Fix the public infrastructure (roads, etc.).

Why? the city doesn't have to be rebuilt. The only bits that have a legit reason for being rebuilt are the oil terminal (and oil companies are used to dealing with employes who's homes are a long way from their workplace) and the port which is not going to require the rebuilding of the whole city.

 

[geni]

Improved and expanded catfish and bass habitat. Cool.

Not in the short term. All the toxins released could be a problem.

 

[Metullus]

Not in the short term. All the toxins released could be a problem.

Think of them as preservatives...

 

[Freakshow]

Now he's changed his mind, and put a halt to people returning.

It's like he's playing the world's largest "Red light/green light" game. Maybe somebody should call the Guinness book of world records...

 

[delphi_ote]

Why? the city doesn't have to be rebuilt. The only bits that have a legit reason for being rebuilt are the oil terminal (and oil companies are used to dealing with employes who's homes are a long way from their workplace) and the port which is not going to require the rebuilding of the whole city.

Right. Because nobody has to work at the port.

 

[geni]

Right. Because nobody has to work at the port.

Yeah people have to work there but not a cities worth.

 

[Freakshow]

Yeah people have to work there but not a cities worth.

And working there and living there are two different things. The closest I've ever lived to a place of work is about 5 miles, and I've lived as far as 45 miles from work. The ports may be right there, but that doesn't mean that's where people have to live.

A more practical question is: Is there anywhere else around there they can live? Where would you build a new city? Is there enough empty space relatively close to the NOLA "bowl" for doing so?

 

[Jocko]

Right. Because nobody has to work at the port.

You have absolutely no idea what percentage of the population of New Orleans worked the ports. Or worked at all, for that matter.

of the ~400,000 people in the greater N.O. area, how many were in any way working the docks? 60,000. 15%. Source

 

[BPSCG]

I'm liking this more and more.

As well you should; it's a great idea.

Here's more: Of the 500,000 people (or is it families?) who've been dislocated, I'll bet 90% of them are within 200 miles of N.O.

Now, imagine the effect on the local construction industry of hundreds of thousands of people, with cash, wanting new houses. Imagine the ripple effect through the economy. It wouldn't stop there. All these people with mortgage-free homes would want to furnish those homes, with furniture and applicances. Maytag would have to keep its factories going triple shifts to be churn out enough washers to meet the demand. The nation's unemployment rate would drop to a tiny fraction of one percent and Bush would be hailed as the nation's savior because he wouldn't sign the Kyoto Treaty and caused the global warming that brought Katrina. The Constitution would be amended to allow presidents to serve unlimited terms, and Bush would be re-elected in 2008, becoming the first presidential candidate to carry every single state, to Shemp's undying fury.

Win-win.

 

[RandFan]

As well you should; it's a great idea.

Here's more: Of the 500,000 people (or is it families?) who've been dislocated, I'll bet 90% of them are within 200 miles of N.O.

Now, imagine the effect on the local construction industry of hundreds of thousands of people, with cash, wanting new houses. Imagine the ripple effect through the economy. It wouldn't stop there. All these people with mortgage-free homes would want to furnish those homes, with furniture and applicances. Maytag would have to keep its factories going triple shifts to be churn out enough washers to meet the demand. The nation's unemployment rate would drop to a tiny fraction of one percent and Bush would be hailed as the nation's savior because he wouldn't sign the Kyoto Treaty and caused the global warming that brought Katrina. The Constitution would be amended to allow presidents to serve unlimited terms, and Bush would be re-elected in 2008, becoming the first presidential candidate to carry every single state, to Shemp's undying fury.

Win-win.

Ok, I'm sold. Where do I sign the petition?

 

[BPSCG]

Ok, I'm sold. Where do I sign the petition?

Ask Shemp and HGC; I hear they're writing one up at this very moment.

 

[a_unique_person]

Reminds of my idea to pay every Iraqi $1,000 cash to get rid of Saddam. He would have been gone in a week.

 

[geni]

Now, imagine the effect on the local construction industry of hundreds of thousands of people, with cash, wanting new houses.

In theory this should happen anyway. Persoanly I was assuming that many poeple would move to other states

 

[geni]

of the ~400,000 people in the greater N.O. area, how many were in any way working the docks? 60,000. 15%. Source

Hmm it should be posible to fit that number of people on the bit's above sea level.

 

[BPSCG]

In theory this should happen anyway.

No, it won't, because the money isn't being given to individuals who could best decide how to use it. Give $200,000 to one guy and he might combine it with his insurance reimbursement to build a newer, nicer house on higher ground. Give it to someone who's lived in public housing all his life and he might be intimidated by the idea of owning his own home, and just use it to pay non-subsidized rent for the rest of his life. People might decide to stay in Louisiana, or stay in Texas, or move to Nebraska where they have families, or whatever.

But the problem is, the money is not going to go to individuals, who generally know best what their needs are, but for public works cleanup and repair projects and not-so-temporary mobile-home housing and bureacratic oversight and such nonsense, because the government knows better.

Persoanly I was assuming that many poeple would move to other states

And a lot of people will do that, because N.O. will not be habitable again any time soon. too bad, because if you handed out $200,000 to every evacuee, they would all be out of the shelters and temporary housing in six months. Instead, a lot of them are going to be like war refugees, utterly dependent on the government for God knows how long.

 

[Jocko]

Reminds of my idea to pay every Iraqi $1,000 cash to get rid of Saddam. He would have been gone in a week.

And this reminds me of what a stupid idea it is to equate economic recovery with the disposal of a tyrant. You know, I'll bet we could get the Aborigines to push you white folk into the sea for lot less than $1000 a pop.

 

[Jocko]

Hmm it should be posible to fit that number of people on the bit's above sea level.

And it might do something about the unemployment and poverty that have been staples of New Orleans since the day it was founded.

I mean, add in another 15% for cooks, waitstaff and jazz performers, and that's all the New Orleans anyone really needs.

 

[patchbunny]

And this reminds me of what a stupid idea it is to equate economic recovery with the disposal of a tyrant. You know, I'll bet we could get the Aborigines to push you white folk into the sea for lot less than $1000 a pop.

Can we counter-bid?

"Here's $1100 if I can stay!"

--Patch