If hurricane Gustav hits New Orleans and does major damage, should the American tax payers rebuild it again ?

Question

Tax payers around America has paid and are paying billions to rebuild New Orleans after Katrina, if it happens again (which it will) should we have to rebuild it again ? The area around New Orleans is below sea level....its already sank so why try to save a sunk ship ? Move New Orleans to higher ground is what I think should happen ! What about you ?

Answer 1

First, we are jumping the gun a bit because no one knows how much damage Gustav will cause NO.

Secondly, I understand everyone saying that people don't want to lose their memories and culture and previous lives, but this questions jumps at the fact that 3 years post Katrina:

71000+ homes are still abandoned,

Employment is at 86% of pre-Katrina

school enrollment is at 76% or pre-Katrina

only half the number of child-care centers have re-opened

25% fewer hospitals

lower wages and higher rents than before.

Add to that that so many more people will not return if Gustav does major damage, and those numbers will only get worse.

While NO is a major oil, energy, port for US economy, families will not have not gone back and will not go back after Gustav. Who wants to put their children in harms way? Even if there are numerous memories there, everyone will remember the images of Katrina and Gustav and say they would never let put their kids in that position.

The city of NO will not survive or return to what it was without those families and other new families coming in and helping the city to grow. I'm not saying they won't return, but there is good chance they will not.

At that point you would then be attempting to rebuild a city that the people will not return to, and using Billions in taxpayers dollars to do so when, when numerous taxpayers won't go back to living in the city.

Again though we are jumping the gun. No one knows what effect Gustav will have.

Answer 2

But then what will happen to all the globes and maps in the world?? LOL

I think that they shouldn't rebuild it if it continues to happen, just make businesses move out, people will follow. But that could risk millions of lives, so it's a hard call

Answer 3

Sure why not? Just consider how many billions of dollars you wasted on a war based on false accusations by your government. Why not help rebuild and take care of your own?!

Answer 4

Rebuilding New Orleans is not optional. History, architecture, culture, and the fact the city is home to many people are usually mentioned when the topic of rebuilding is discussed.  However, those factors (while significant) are NOT why NOLA is important to the rest of the United States.

First, New Orleans is a metro area of almost 1.4 million people – not some small town that could be easily relocated somewhere else.

More than 35% of America's energy is either produced in Southeast Louisiana or imported through here, and the infrastructure is focused on New Orleans. What may be the largest oil field on earth was discovered offshore of Louisiana in 2006, and it will be exploited via New Orleans.

The Port of New Orleans is the largest or second largest port in North America each year (tons of cargo) and one of the top ports in the world each year. The Port of New Orleans is not replaceable.

More than 25% of America's petroleum refining capacity is in the New Orleans area. That percentage will increase due to a new refinery already under construction and the planned expansion of existing refineries.

A large percentage of America's non-petroleum chemical industry is here.

New Orleans is one of only three principal east-west transportation points for the USA, and the resulting convergence of water, rail, pipeline, electricity, and highway links is not replaceable.

A large percentage of America's ship building & repair industry is in New Orleans.

NASA builds essential parts for the space shuttle in New Orleans, and will build components for the next generation of spacecraft here. Other manufacturers (ex. Bell-Textron) have factories in New Orleans.

A large percentage of America's seafood comes from SE Louisiana, and the distribution network is focused on New Orleans.

And so on….

It is theoretically possible to move the industry and the population, but only at horrific cost. The Mississippi river, Gulf of Mexico, and the oil fields cannot be moved. To even attempt to replace New Orleans would cost Trillions of Dollars and the attempt would fail.

In contrast, New Orleans can be protected from future hurricanes with the expenditure of about $15 Billion (that should have been spent before Katrina) spread out over a period of a decade.

Note that New Orleans is NOT "prone" to hurricanes or being flooded. The last one to hit before Katrina was in 1965 and before that was in 1947. Neither of those flooded the city proper like Katrina, which was the strongest storm ever recorded to strike North America.  

There is a widespread myth that New Orleans is "built below sea level”, but that is not true.

Realize that nowhere is without risk. NYC and Miami are at more risk from hurricanes than New Orleans. Los Angeles and San Francisco are at risk from earthquakes and fires. Seattle is threatened by volcanoes and Tsunamis. The Midwest is hit by tornadoes every year. However, I don’t hear anyone claiming New York, Florida, California, Kansas, or Washington (state) be abandoned, or even not rebuilt after the next disaster.

However, people routinely claim New Orleans should be abandoned, or that we somehow don’t deserve help after Katrina.

Why is that?

Answer 5

No.  

Answer 6

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Answer 7

I think so

Answer 8

Sure why not?  I'd gladly pay for someone to get their home back if they lost it. We've rebuilt and helped in many other situations, we should be willing to help New Orleans too! It's not their fault that a hurricane came through and destroyed their homes.  Besides we are Americans and we are supposed to stand by each other during the good times and the bad.  Those levees were weak and are currently weak.  It's not the people of New Orleans who should be blamed but the government who isn't taken responsibility for the protection of American citizens. There are weak levees all over the U.S. that have the capability of failing at any time, blame the people who won't take the time to build them right in the first place and then keep them working properly.

I think asking people to move their history, memories, homes, and lives to higher ground is strange.  That's asking a lot and it's not the way that this issue should be solved.  I really wish more people would sit down and look at the bigger picture here.  The problem is in the levees and the ability to hold back the water plus pump it out properly during category 4 and 5 hurricanes. I think that we should build a system of levees, one, two, three, and four. Then they should not just be 12 feet high but high enough to keep the water from coming in.  If one was to break three more would be behind it as back ups with pumps on them.  The problem shouldn't have to be rebuilding and evacuating but building a system that will withstand those storms so more lives won't be lost.

New Orleans has a history but it's also a home to many people.  Would you give up your home and your memories?