How Government Makes Disasters More Disastrous

By Thomas A. Bowden

In a speech from New Orleans last week, Republican presidential candidate
John McCain lashed out at the Bush administration for its response to
Hurricane Katrina. McCain's remarks, which appeared calculated to make
disaster relief a key campaign issue, revived harsh memories of the savage
storm that inundated the Mississippi Delta in late August 2005, leaving more
than 1,800 people dead and causing widespread property damage.

Although the floodwaters long ago receded, government officials are still
counting the disaster's costs. Earlier this year, the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers disclosed that 489,000 claimants are seeking damages caused by
poorly designed levees. Of those claimants, 247 want more than $1 billion
each, including one whopper for $3 quadrillion (a stack of a quadrillion
dollar coins would reach beyond Saturn).

The tax dollars spent resolving those claims will augment the tens of
billions already paid to restore and repopulate New Orleans, a
below-sea-level bowl situated precariously amidst a lake, a major river, and
a gulf, in a known path for hurricanes.

Well, if its a bad idea to subsidize floodplain homeownership, is it
also a bad idea for the government to pick up the tab on the levee works
that protect the transnat oil company refineries along the river? or the
agribusiness land in the delta?

What should be done with the Atchafalaya spillway?

"Day Brown" hughes.net> wrote in message
news:H0bSj.59129$QC.16575@newsfe20.lga...

Well, in principle it IS a bad idea. Those companies should have known
better where do build their refineries. However, what's done is done, and
those cannot be moved. Folks from the floodplane can and should move. Do you
want your tax money support their bad settling decision? Agrobusiness should
move elsewhere, too. This country is plagued by irresponsibility. Too many
folks puts too much faith into the government as their savior and government
IS the enabler of that irresponsibility. The result: I don't live there and
in no way connected to that place, yet I have to pay to bail them out of
their irresponsibility.

On Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:20:34 -0500, Chronos wrote:

Anything any candidate says has no meaning outside of political cosmetic.

Chronos wrote:

well agreed. Likewise the people who built on floodplains. Seems like
the refineries should have to PAY for the levee work which made their
business there profitable, just as you expect homeowners to pay.