New Orleans... Honest Question; Why rebuild? ?

Question

I want to make it clear that this is an HONEST question. I'm not trying to insult or hurt anyone.

Even before Katrina, many people KNEW New Orleans was basically a large "bowl".

Why did people build there in the first place?

And why, if we have officially CONFIRMED that it is in fact a "large bowl" do people continue to rebuild it?

Now, they're being evacuated AGAIN and yet another huge Hurricane is headed that way only to destroy what many people have spent time and money rebuilding for the past THREE years!

What's so important about N.O. that people just HAVE to live there?

Answer 1

if they dont build to the recomended standards which should be to  structuraly sound enough buildings that can withstand up to 160 t0  200 mph winds then there isnt much point, so they should go live further inland on higher ground and stop whining. you cant stop nature so at least make sure you can stand up to it! if they grow more cotton and corn and drill for oil maybe they can become more self sufficient and become a break away state and declare independence from usa if the usa goverment dont care about them enough to help save their homes jobs and lives. im sure they could get cuba and russia to recognise thier indipendence. hey katrina was caused mostly by the flood as the flod defence system faild for some dubious reason that only a few white house sorces know about. we have plenty of bricks and can make some mean concrete in england we could use the export if you can afford the import. all you need in southern america is more fortified structures

Answer 2

Maybe your question should be why not stop wasting billions in Iraq and rebuild the levee systems to preserve a great American city. People seem to forget that the feds dropped the ball when it came to protecting and maintaining the levees.Another Bush F.U.

Answer 3

I amazed at how many of these threads there are, and how little the questioners seem to understand what they're talking about.

Seriously, I'm just sick of this stupidity. What's the matter with you people? Are you just ignorant and apathetic about learning about this subject, or are you just so brain-damaged that all information goes in one ear and out the other?

New Orleans is the largest port in the world. IN THE WORLD. The cost of shipping the MILLIONS upon MILLIONS of TONS of imports into New Orleans another fifty miles upriver would add MILLIONS of MILLIONS of dollars to the cost of essentially EVERYTHING YOU BUY. The cost compared to simply rebuilding the levee system would be STAGGERING.

For God's sake, if you haven't the BRAINS to understand simple economic equations, then please stop asking d**n fool questions like this and let the markets do what they have always done. New Orleans is where it is because it makes unassailable, inescapable, stupidity-crushing SENSE for it to be there. It's not going ANYWHERE, EVER.

Now please crawl back into your hole of total mindblowing IGNORANCE and NEVER EVER UTTER ANOTHER OPINION AS LONG AS YOU LIVE. Thought is beyond you, so don't even venture it lest you have an aneurysm and drop stone dead.

I'm sorry to be rude and abusive and to single you out, but I've hit my limit. That your name is "Vote" scares the ever-living c**p out of me, because threads like these are free-standing arguments against popular self-government. Please o please o please tell me you're not a Republican.

Sweet Jesus....

Answer 4

New Orleans has been there since 1718. New Orleans is a very important US seaport and shipping area. If you haven't noticed, New Orleans is where the Mississippi river connects with the Gulf of Mexico and thus the world's oceans.

New Orleans is a huge cultural center and a vital part of the United States.

Should the people also be forced to leave California? (earth quakes, fires, mudslides) The midwest? (tornadoes, flooding) Florida? (hurricanes)

Answer 5

I agree.

either Raise the city or Raze the city

Answer 6

The "culture" will live on, just foolish to do it in New Orleans.

Answer 7

It was rebuilt the first time as a political issue.

And IF (big IF) Gustav nails New Orleans this time, unfortunately it will look good for the presidential candidates to vow to preserve it despite the sheer idiocy of doing so.

Answer 8

We can't help them this time.  Let it be every man for himself, survival of the fittest.

Answer 9

I can appreciate the fact that you are not trying to hurt or insult anyone but let's look at your question. WHY REBUILD? What you have to try and understand babygirl is that most of those people were born and raised there and they may not have the resources to relocate. New Orleans isn't the only region with problems like this either. The midwest floods every year and yet they rebuild and then you have tornado alley and yet they rebuild too so it's not about how "important" the city is. Just think about this o.k. ;if the local government of New Orleans as well as the federal government would have made sure the levees and the land was being properly prepared in the first place this would not be an issue.

Answer 10

Wow, I guess we're all thinking it.

I haven't listened to any news or talk shows tonight except for hearing the blurb that Gustav will strike the areas hardest hit by Katrina...

I should have checked the News and Events section before asking, because we're all wondering the same thing.

I've heard it mentioned by Libertarian talk show hosts before... how their peeved that taxpayers have to pay to support and rebuild peoples lifestyles who clearly lived in a hazard zone BEFORE Katrina occurred, but now... yeah, it's quite apparent. It's time to abandon ship.

Buh Bye New Orleans!

They can just move inland and build a NEW New Orleans!

(Is their a word for double new?) How about New Orleans 2.0, or Orleans 3.0

I dunno. :-)

Answer 11

i grew up in Louisiana and your question kind of baffles me... hurricanes can hit anywhere in the state of Louisiana, so should we just evacuate the whole state?  Earthquakes happen in California all the time, should we evacuate the area that had a really bad quake this year because it'll happen again?  

This is an ignorant question.  What if a tornado went into your town and wiped out your whole city and they said, "nope, we're not gonna rebuild it because we would be taking too many chances.  There's no point because it will happen again?"  New Orleans is to Louisiana as Atlanta is to Georgia or Louisville to Kentucky or New York City to New York... if you get my drift.  It has been and still will be the city that attracts all the tourists and will make that state money.  So what if they have to rebuild?  They pay their state taxes don't they?  Have you ever heard of disaster relief?  That's what disaster relief is there for.