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Monday, September 12, 2005
Bob brings up a great question and it’s one I’m not hearing much being brought up. Is it worth rebuilding New Orleans? As he points out, first the cost to just clean up the city will be great, and second, the cost to insure this doesn’t happen again will be an added extreme cost. Is that kind of cost worth it to us? My answer is no.
Why invest all that money into a city that well definitely see the same, if not worse, type of destruction again in the future? It just doesn’t make any sense. It’s like driving a car at full speed toward a wall with a lap built on. You know you’re going to be suffering some massive injury if you do that. So put on the shoulder-lap belt (building a “better” safety net) and yet you’ll still suffer injury. How ’bout just not driving the car into the wall?
I understand families have lived their for generations and others just call it home, but fact is New Orleans is only a few hundred years old and prior to it’s population settlement, no one was there…they were somewhere else. Point is, you can move, it’s not the end of the world. Some are already making this wise decision and looking for homes in parts of Texas.
The final argument Bob makes is a great one: what’s this going to do to our home insurance rates? Certainly they’re going to go up and if people move back to Flood Orleans, they’ll go up even higher. Why should I be penalized for trying to find the best place for my home for someone’s poor judgment in New Orleans? I shouldn’t and I think and hope some of the insurances agencies do what they have done here in parts of California (earthquake and ocean cliff areas) and jack their price so high in New Orleans that it will force them to move.
I guess time will tell in what will happen, but I’ve never been fan of New Orleans to begin with. If it’s wiped from our map, I think that’ll be a good thing. If not, then let’s remember this hurricane and not moan the next time this happens.
September 12th, 2005 at 12:11
I actually like New Orleans. We were actually taking about going there in a year or so (of course this was before Katrina, about 3-4 days before.) I would love to see it come back. Though, it would not have the same feel and luster. The tourist parts of the Big Easy are still in decent shape. It was basically the residental areas that were whipped out (if I understand correctly)
We keep letting the rich move back to Malibu and there is usually a mud slide or fire there ever year. We should let NOLA rebuild.
You are correct the city is over 200 years old. Technology is much better, pumps are much better and heck if a hurricane only wipes it out ever 200+ years it is worth it.
Remember prior to the population settlement on NO there were ALOT less people in the US. California sits on faultlines they still rebuild building and freeways after 1906 and 1989. That does not even include the quakes in LA (Northridge?)
Lets just hope the people that moved from LA to TX do not live in twister alley.