Another griper. How do you propose to rebuild the Gulf Coast without federal dollars? Private industry will not fund the infrastructure (ports, roads, seawalls, etc.). And private industry will do nothing to incent those at the edges to home ownership or to open small businesses.
If investing in your fellow Americans so that some who were not productive will now become productive is not important, then what is?
Through insurance claims to start. Any commercial building would have had proper insurance. Any property, residential or commercial, with a mortgage would have been required by the lender to carry proper insurance. The insurance companies have over $400 billion in reserve.
Secondly, if the area is truly economically vital and viable, there will be no problem obtaining bonds or to secure private financing.
The feds can help rebuild THEIR properties and others that they ordinary help with such as roads.
Also, I am tired of this being called the "Gulf Coast" - it is only a portion of it. The Gulf Coast runs all the way from southern florida to south eastern Texas. As far as population is concerned, the effected area is very sparsely populated in comparison to the rest of the Gulf Coast.
Having a port on the Mississippi River is indeed important, but again, if it really is THAT important then there will no problem floating bonds or securing financing.
Spend your own money if you want - give privately. Do what these people have done: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1487391/posts
Please, back up your statement. Let us all know how 50 years of welfare and government dependency have helped these people, whereas a job at Walmart isn't a better solution until they get their own job training.
Your statement that private industry will not fund ports is absolutely ludicrous. Who do you think runs docks and ports across this country now ??????? Primarily private industry, altho there are a few ports, like Long Beach CA, where the docks and workers on the docks are controlled by the municipality. Still, private industry runs the businesses paying rent on the docks. Do you think that private industry will wait for the government to act ?
Hello - we don't "invest" in unproductive fellow Americans ? Hello, ever hear of welfare, food stamps, job training, unemployment insurance, etc etc ad nauseum ? No, we've invested so much in KEEPING these fellow Americans in poverty so they can vote politicians into office who will give them more and more welfare. You think we should spend more tax dollars on them ? Why should they carry insurance when they can count on taxpayers picking up the pieces ?
What all of these people need is for government to STAY OUT OF THE WAY - cut taxes, regulations, work rules etc etc - and let private individuals rebuild their lives and businesses as they see fit.
If there's sufficient money to be made, you'll have to beat them off with a stick. If there's not enough money to be made, then it's not a good idea to do it in the first place.
And private industry will do nothing to incent those at the edges to home ownership or to open small businesses.
If government incentives are needed for these, maybe they aren't smart ideas (under the current tax regime.)
If they need more government incentives to do this in the Gulf Coast than in the rest of America, maybe they should move away.