Why Does America Hate New Orleans?

Question

Why is it that people complain about New Orleans getting rebuilt, because its below sea level, when other places are even in more danger, but people don't seem to mind rebuilding there. What makes us less important then the rest of the country?

Answer 1

Nobody hate New Oeleans....

What is disliked is the idea of building ANYTHING below sea level....what is the reasoning here???

Answer 2

"RACIST" it is a black city and it has a black Mayor

and most of house were,,< owned> by black people.

as mater of fact "no orlens" had more black home owners than in most other cities in"good old USA".

kick em in the guts again

Answer 3

It might have something to do with all that looting and pillaging that looked like something from Angola during Katrina.  But what do I know?

Answer 4

First of all America is America, by looking out foe New Orleans were looking out for our own good. That was a tragic event new orleans is so rich in culture, just like NYC, why rebuild that area, because we care.

Answer 5

Do remember that many of the people on Answers are kids - they don't do any research themselves and they just repeat things they have heard, with the vehemence + self-certainty you often get from a teenager.  Don't take it too seriously.

I don't think there is one, single answer why people seem to hate New Orleans.

Partly it’s because the news media views New Orleans as a "bad news" story for the Bush administration.  The media is campaigning for a Democrat to be the next President so nothing positive is ever reported about the federal efforts here. Watch for the change if a Democrat is elected in November (especially if it's Hillary Clinton).  The incoming Democrat will be given credit for "saving" New Orleans even before they take office in January.

Partly it's because New Orleans has always been tolerant of alternate lifestyles, and that resulted in many hate sermons from "pastors" and "reverends" who said NOLA was destroyed for our sins.  After all, the bars don't have to close,  stores sell alcohol on Sundays, and there are even strip clubs - obviously New Orleans DESERVED to be visited by the Wrath of God.  Right?  

Partly it's because of out-and-out racism.  The video of looters helped cement any stereotypes people elsewhere might already have.

Partly it's because people think New Orleans is only about Jazz, Mardi Gras, and Bourbon Street.  They don't realize NOLA is an essential element of the USA's critical national infrastructure and it CAN'T be moved.  They also seem to think New Orleans is only the French Quarter (10 blocks by 13 blocks) and don't realize it is a metro area with a population well over a million.

Partly it's because of the awful performances by ex-Governor Blanco and Mayor Nagin.  No one likes a loser.  In this case, twin losers.    

In response to other answers:

New Orleans is not below sea level.  Most of the city and metro area are above sea level and the parts below are usually only a little below SL.

New Orleans is NOT prone to being hit by hurricanes and - despite at least one answer - has NOT been repeatedly flooded.  The last hurricane to strike the city before Katrina was Betsy in 1965, which did not flood the city-proper.  Before that was a storm in 1947 (hurricanes weren't named until the 1950s), which also did not flood the city-proper.

New Orleans had a very high rate of flood insurance coverage at the time Katrina hit - one of the highest in the nation.  I don't know where this idea that "no one in New Orleans had insurance" comes from, but I see it all the time.  

Katrina was the most powerful storm ever recorded to strike North America.  It would have flooded any coastal city, but it happened to hit New Orleans.  

Nowhere is without risk. New York, Baltimore, & Miami are much greater risk from hurricanes than New Orleans. Los Angeles and San Francisco have been rebuilt after multiple earthquakes.  The Midwest is hit by tornadoes every year.  Seattle has to worry about volcanoes and even Tsunamis. Florida is hit by hurricanes almost every year. And so on - but somehow ONLY New Orleans is "unworthy" of being rebuilt.

Go figure.

Answer 6

I don't hate New Orleans.  I just hate the people who insist on living in a soup bowl, then whine, cry, and point blame when their house gets flooded.  I just want to smack them in the forehead, like in the V-8 commercials, for wasting our money.

Answer 7

I hate taxpayer money rebuilding anywhere that natural disasters hit with frequency and have caused damage time and time again.  It is insane.  I own an investment property which sits on a bench in the middle of a city and am forced to pay flood insurance and the area has not flooded since 1724, and the water path has been changed since then.  So, if I have to cover this home, why are they not required to carry adequate flood insurance?

If flood insurance was mandatory in NO and privatized, it would cost so much that nobody would build below sea level.  THAT WOULD BE SMART!

I also think that our tax dollars paying the victims of 9/11 millions of dollars is wrong.  Why is it our government's responsiblity to pay for a terrorist action?  I would say make the Taliban pay them, freeze assets of Al Qaeda and give that to the victims, but not out tax dollars.

And do not go calling me greedy.  I donated 50% of one year's salary to NO, and did the same after 9/11, and that is a large donation by anyone's standards.  I just do not think it is the place of the government to spend confiscated money paying for rebuilding from natural disasters and terrorist attacks.

frank...that is absurd.  Common sense says that you do not build below sea level.  The fact that they have been damaged time and time again, you would think that they would stop building there.  It has NOTHING to do with race.  You want to know who is the racist in all of this it is the MAYOR.  His whole "chocolate city" c**p should have had him recalled, not re-elected.

Answer 8

So you are saying that New Orleans should be rebuilt below sea level because other places are also dangerous?  What a dumb argument.  Two wrongs don't make a right.

Answer 9

‚America’ isn’t ‚America’.

We cannot answer this question because your term ‚America’ isn’t clear.

Which continent do you mean? North or South America? And which country in one of theese 2 continents called 'America'?

'America' for 'USA' is politically and geographically not correct.

Answer 10

It's not a matter of like or dislike, or importance. It's a matter of practicality. LA has a smog problem. They could set up millions of air scrubbers around the city but it would be a lost cause.

Answer 11

I don't answer questions when your ID is just one day old. Thanks for the 2 points though.

Answer 12

Look who's running the city. There's your answer-duh

Answer 13

You elected a fine Governor and he will be able to get more help for your State, If you Replace Nagin you will better off.

Answer 14

We dont hate New Orleans at all

But rebuilding below sea level is just plain stupid

It isnt a matter of if it happens again its a matter of when it happens.

Answer 15

It is not of matter of hate because some people rationally doubt the sanity of building a city below sea level, it is a legitimate question.

I do hate the fact that we have spent billions of dollars on a lot of ungrateful people who do not appreciate it.

Answer 16

I don't hate it- and I'm American. I don't think they should rebuild HOMES there, but maybe those renewable energy wind-turbine thingyies to supply electricity to the regions surrounding it.