Gustav revives question: Is New Orleans worth it?

AP ^ | 02 Sep 2008 | Laura Jakes Jordan

[BGHater]

Those who love New Orleans say Hurricane Gustav is proof that the billions of dollars spent to protect the city and bring it back to life after the devastating 2005 storm season was worth it.

But what if Gustav had been stronger, a category 4 instead of a 2, and hit the city directly instead of 70 miles to the west? Would it be worth the cost to rebuild New Orleans again if the storm caused widespread destruction as Katrina did?

"That's a question that was there before and after (Hurricane) Katrina, and I think is going to come to the forefront again," said Don Powell, who oversaw the Bush administration's effort to rebuild the Gulf Coast in 2005.

"There's a lot of reasons to continue," Powell said Monday, his voice trailing off. "That's a debate we will continue to have."

Despite fizzling out shortly after it made landfall Monday, Gustav spurred the government into action, probably costing millions of dollars, and put a nation angered by the bungled response to Katrina three years ago back on alert.

Since Katrina ripped through New Orleans three years ago, the federal government has devoted at least $133 billion in emergency funds and tax credits for Gulf Coast disaster relief. Much of it went to rebuilding and better protecting New Orleans from future storms. How much more will be needed after Gustav — or Hurricane Hanna, as that storm creeps up Florida's eastern coast — is unclear.

[boogerbear]

Is it still the 5th most used port (by tonnage) in the country? Then yes, it’s worth it.

People seem to forget that cities don’t actually exist for the tourist traps and fun stuff. Cities exist for one of a handful of reasons, coastal cities almost always exist because of trade or defense, they’re either port towns or base towns. And New Orleans, with all it’s faults, is a port town. Regardless of what hurricane season does to it there WILL be a city there. Maybe not as big as it used to be, maybe not as entertaining, but it’s just too necessary a port for the area to be abandoned.

[LexBaird]

The Port of New Orleans is absolutely vital to this nation an needs to be protected and, if necessary, rebuilt.

A port on the mouth of the Mississippi is vital. Having it in a city that is destined to be under sea level is not. You could have built a hell of a modern port on secure ground for $133 billion.

[econjack]

He was to turn over documents to the prosecutor relative to the Travelgate case. It was believed that his documents would show that Hillary and Vince Foster were romantically involved. It was feared that Starr's investigation of both Whitewater and Travelgate would bring Foster into the investigation along with his documents and that would, in turn, reveal the affair that prevailed even before she got into the White House. Evidently, Hubble's testimony would support Foster's testimony.

[Osage Orange]

The next day?

Wow....I just don't remember that.

Although I do think he was murdered....and the Clintons know it.

[Round 9]

You do realize that New Orleans is not an island and there are productive communities around there that are above sea level but still recieve severe damage from hurricanes. The feds can stop spending money on N.O. and it’s surrounding communities as soon as it gives people like me who live around here(20 ft above sea level)and pay tens of thousands in federal income taxes each year a discount on our tax rates. In that case I’ll handle it myself. OR it also begins to refuse to pay for: floods in the Midwest, tornado damage in the dozens of states that make up Tornado Alley, hurricanes in other states such as FL,MS,AL,GA,SC,NC,VA,and TX, and earthquakes in CA.

[econjack]

I guess I don't understand your whining. I pay tens of thousands in taxes, too, but no one is coming here to clean up my house. The amount spent on tornadoes pales compared to what was spend in NO. All I'm saying is that you people need to throw out your elected officials who want their Chocolate City and who stuff over $90,000 of our money into their freezers and yet you still continue to reelect them. You choose to live there and you choose to insure or not insure your homes. If you didn't, why is that my problem? You saved yourself some money, but when that proves to be a bad gamble, you come begging to me to pay for your greed. I think $126 billion for two hurricanes, not even counting the private donations, is enough. If you had effective leadership, it would be more than enough. If I were you, I'd either move or get off the couch and start working to get some honest, hard-workingn public officials down there.

[Round 9]

As I said, there are areas around N.O. that are above sea-level. We do not vote for the leadership in N.O. We are “red” parishes that do pay for flood insurance though the max does not cover the damage. We also elect people like Jindal. Few of us have hands out and I’ve never recieved anything as far as Katrina aid. My insurance covered it or I did it on my own. My point is that in order to be consistent, you must then agree to not provide federal funds for anywhere there is a risk of repeated, destructive events.

[econjack]

My point is that in order to be consistent, you must then agree to not provide federal funds for anywhere there is a risk of repeated, destructive events.

I agree with you 100%.

[Dick Vomer]

Gustav revives question: Is New Orleans worth it?...

uh, I'll take that for $10,000,000,000.00 Alex....

What is "f##k, no.

Go buy 200,000,000.00 worth of some crack, blunts and Colt 45...leave a trail all the way to Detroit and call it a day. That way you come out at least 9 3/4 Billion dollars ahead.