Do you not agree that the Port of New Orleans, indeed the Gulf Coast is not intrinsic to keeping the American economy moving? Not really, but I have no problem with low interest federal loans to help rebuild the port. This is not what the vast majority of the $200 billion is going to though so the argument is a red herring.
Great Britain is very small - in terms of the size of the USA, indeed it is. However, 90,000 square miles does not seem small to me in terms of one lethal storm.
Great Britian is very small in any terms.
Moreover, I don't think whether a city is small medium or large should be the determining factor in rebuilding, so I perhaps miss your point. For that I apologize.
The size of the area isn't important - it's the amount of real damage that is important. A storm damaging 500 square miles in the middle of Wyoming isn't going to be as big of a deal as one that damaged 50 square miles in the middle of New York City.
Regardless, the number of people affected is not relevant. The feds can assist in emergency procedures but not in wealth redistribution.
I think in many ways we are all saying the same things.
Perspective is what divides us: some see all of this as wealth redistribution. Some see what is being proposed as necessary rebuilding. I think if we all agree that low interest loans, stringent controls over the purse strings, upgraded construction on both private homes, infrastructure and businesses are adhered to then this rebuilding will succeed.
Of course people are worried about money flowing into LA, it has been a corrupt cesspool for decades. Lawsuits by SOWL stopped upgrades since 1977, and the politicos still begged for federal bucks to upgrade the levees politicos knew were not going to be upgraded because of those very lawsuits.
How many people outside of LA knew any of that? How many people outside of LA paid any attention? Well the eyes of the country are paying attention and are going to demand that everything be above board.
Perhaps it is optimistic, naive and I'm too touched by it personally (my family has lost much in this hurricane) but I cannot help but think positively and trust on the best in Americans to do what is right.