Baker’s relief bill deserves try

Baton Rouge Morning Advocate ^ | 1-29-06 | John LaPlante

[Boanarges]

I assume you couldn't come up with any Natural Resource your State produces to the benefit of the rest of the Nation. Nice diversionary tactic then to call my statements "snotty." You are quite a skilled debator!

[sgtyork]

agreed absolutely.

We bought a home on the N shore of Lake Ponchartrain in 1997. I have a very clear memory of the flood maps presented to us and the level of protection (C) that I would have to have due to my 6 foot elevation above sea level.

This isn't rocket science.

[Dog Gone]

Most of the problem is with the New Orleans area, although most of the damage was there as well. Southwestern Louisiana got a vicious hit from Rita, but you're not hearing these same complaints to this extent coming from Lake Charles.

There's long been a pervasive attitude in Louisiana that government exists to line people's pockets. It utterly corrupted the state government decades ago and nothing ever changed.

In many respects, it's not even a question of wanting to get out there with a chainsaw to clean things up. It's about expecting a government grant where they can get a kickback for awarding the job to someone else who may or may not ever show up.

I don't think anyone can truly understand Louisiana until they've lived there and has seen what really goes on.

[Howlin]

I assume you couldn't come up with any Natural Resource your State produces to the benefit of the rest of the Nation.

So telling that you ignored the rest of my post.

And for future reference, I don't answer strawmen questions.

I also am completely turned off by gratuitous capitalization.

[Howlin]

For some reason, I don't think Louisianans are going to send money to me when the wildfires whip through with 40 MPH winds driving them.....

IMO, the good people of Louisiana and the media have now moved into what we can call the "Woodward & Berstein Defense of Watergate" mode.

You know, no matter what the scandal, Woodward and Bernstein rush to the nearest microphone to declare 'No, this isn't as bad as Watergate,' because, of course, they OWN that and can't have any other scandal (i.e., disaster) co-opt that title.

We're fast approaching that with New Orleans.

[Boanarges]

"I also am completely turned off by gratuitous capitalization."

Oooookaaaaaaaaaay, Whatever that is..........it's duly noted!

[Howlin]

I live in North Carolina, miles from any large river or creek; my homeowners policy comes every single year with a pull-out disclaimer telling me that it doesn't cover flooding and telling me who to call to get some.

[sgtyork]

Well, we could start by not shipping 80% of all the grain in the Midwest via the Port of New Orleans. Frankly, without the Port, is there even a reason for New Orleans to exist?

[Howlin]

North Carolina has a really nice port in Wilmington. :-)

[Boanarges]

"Frankly, without the Port, is there even a reason for New Orleans to exist?"

Good Point. I failed to mention the importance of our Port, the fifth largest in the World! Thank you for bringing another N.O.'s asset to the fore.

[sgtyork]

I had a friend who was in management at the Port of NO. At the time it mainly moved metal. Your port is not even in the top 10 in world rankings.

http://geography.about.com/cs/transportation/a/aa061603.htm

[ScreamingFist]

Good Point. I failed to mention the importance of our Port, the fifth largest in the World! Thank you for bringing another N.O.'s asset to the fore.

FRiend, no one is questioning the value of Louisiana nor your contributions to the USA.....we question billions of dollars going to political hacks and how it will be spent.

[Boanarges]

You might want to check out your own links before posting, sometimes they can belie your own statement: "Your port is not even in the top 10 in world rankings."

New Orleans, according to the link you posted, is #3 in the World in volume. If you want to use some other link to support your statement please try again. I'll be waiting.

[Howlin]

Precisely.

[Boanarges]

"we question billions of dollars going to political hacks and how it will be spent."

We agree! Whatever system used for the billions sent to Louisiana should be transparent and accountable to the American taxpayer, EVERY DIME OF IT!!!

[Uncle Sham]

"Well, we could start by not shipping 80% of all the grain in the Midwest via the Port of New Orleans."

This might be what you'll want to consider when we start taxing it at the port of New Orleans. Only one problem. Where you gonna ship it? BTW, We're here to help.

[ScreamingFist]

Frankly, if every dollar in federal aid was received by you (by that I mean, those that need it) this thread wouldn't even be necessary. This is a hard thread, and all of us are cynical. When my neighbors are in need, I help. I ,however, do not like the idea of blanco and nagin enriched by my hard earned tax dollar.......tuff subject and I'll leave it to those more articulate than I.......

[CajunConservative]

If I divide 30 Billion by 200,000 homes, thats $150,000.00 per home. I wonder what the median price of these homes were before the hurricane.

Mississippi is paying their homeowners $150,000. I guess it's okay because Hailey Barbour is a big pubbie. Where's the outrage over the feds bailing out the homeowners in MS who were flooded out without flood insurance? It is the same issue. It just happens to be that a major US city was destroyed instead of the smaller communities that usually get wiped out during hurricane season.

[NautiNurse]

Were federal funds targeted to shore up the levee system spent on casinos? Why is Nagin begging people in Atlanta to move back to NOLA?

[CajunConservative]

But your governor did ask for federal assistance. It happened to be denied because the feds thought the state could handle that amount of damage on their own. If that's all Louisiana had we could handle it on our own too.

Had the state not been hit just as hard by Hurricane Rita three weeks later in the second highest income producing section of the state we would not need help. However, everybody always forgets about Hurricane Rita and the widespread devastation over a greater area of the state.

I say tax the hell out of the gasoline and heating fuel and use our natural resources to pay for the rebuilding. Maybe then some of those other states will start drilling off of their coasts.