New Orleans will never recover

[wutangnomo]

The city is a port city.. This means that supplies , gas , coal and what not are carried by ship to to places like St Louis. it MUST be rebuild just on that fact. All port towns face this risk not to mention the port town at the mouth of the third largest drainage system in the World , NO

They hadn't been hit with a serious hurricane in 100 years and now all of a sudden there's all this talk... Should the town be rebuilt. Yes and so should everyones homes.

Agreed. But lets face it, many middle class people will relocate for good once able. The history and charisma of NO cannot be recaptured. All lower class people will remain because, well, they simply can't afford to relocate. NO will go further into the dumps as a result.

Of course the city will be rebuilt to some degree, but I agree with previously mentioned assertions that it will be largely industrial. Industrial and LOTS more ghettos.

Every year during hurricane season nobody will want to have to go through this again (very much so a possibility every year). Being below sea level many people won't take that chance.

 

[Subzeero]

i don't know what people see and understand but i strongly believe that for a country like the US of A, somewhere someone has terribly fucked up in dealing with this catastrophe.

Let a pathetic thug shoot at an armoured vehicle with his pathetic pistol and watch how he/she is blown into shreds. I don't understand why the army isn't strongly involved! Claims that the army needs food are simply ridiculous.

National gaurd should have been much better prepared for this situation. What are they doing jerking off! what is the point of having a national gaurd?

It is honestly annoying and evident of incompetent American leadership at this time.

 

[redguru]

i don't know what people see and understand but i strongly believe that for a country like the US of A, somewhere someone has terribly fucked up in dealing with this catastrophe.

Let a pathetic thug shoot at an armoured vehicle with his pathetic pistol and watch how he/she is blown into shreds. I don't understand why the army isn't strongly involved! Claims that the army needs food are simply ridiculous.

National gaurd should have been much better prepared for this situation. What are they doing jerking off! what is the point of having a national gaurd?

It is honestly annoying and evident of incompetent American leadership at this time.

You cannot use regular army in this situation without a formal request from the Governor of Louisiana and declaration of Martial Law, Posse Commitatus frowns on US Troops acting in such a manner. Guardsmen can, because they are under the Governor's control. Logistics takes time, you have to move in the assets and supplies to support them. You can't do it before hand because of the sheer size of the storm. Baton Rouge is the closest available airport, that's where all the C5A's are landing, seeing how the AFB in Biloxi is no longer there or the Naval Air Station in NO for that matter. The LHD and the Hospital ship coming from Norfolk can only travel 20kts. thats only about 500 miles a day. And a ship can't drive down I-95.

 

[Razorguns]

Is there really a difference between National Guard and Army? They both have tanks, helicopters and machine guns? Seems like semantics to me. Both can easily shoot and kill americans.

 

[redguru]

Is there really a difference between National Guard and Army? They both have tanks, helicopters and machine guns? Seems like semantics to me. Both can easily shoot and kill americans.

The governors of the several states control the National Guard. The US Army is under federal control.

 

[Breeze]

Serioulsy guys, why dont they bring in the f'n army to put order back and to help out?

I saw a report on Fox news about some Navy SEAL teams being sent to NO to do rescue operations. Naturally, they will also be armed, maybe some of the looters will make the mistake of challenging them. That is probably the real reason they are going, to get rid of some of the rats that infest the city. As far as deploying the military and guard units, are there any left that haven't been sent to the Middle East? The Marines that cleaned up Fallujah would take control of things pretty quick, but the military should be used only as an absolute last resort. As much as the looters need to have their asses handed to them, there is a reason why we don't turn the military loose on our own people (including looters), that is a sign of a dictatorship. The National Guard, if they are in the US, should go in. Maybe those fucktards will kill each other in the next few days so everyone else can have less to worry about.

 

[HiDnGoD]

PSU is helping too? Gonna be a lot of strange accents in University Park this semester. Its a damn good thing that everyone is pitching in. I hope similar things are happening with primary and secondary education as well.

That would probably be more difficult as these students still live at home & whole families are affected.

 

[MattTheSkywalker]

That is a massive undertaking...Not only does the problem of the levees need to be addressed, but also would the idea of raising the entire area and incorporating some sort of underground, almost "support" system.

I think the better bet is to address comprehensively the levee issue. It is easier to deal with preventing floods and draining water than to raise an entire city, right? (I am guessing here but it seems to make sense...)

But due to the levee failures, do you think that if people rebuild, they will ever get insurance? And do you think that probable investors may shy away from this potential risk?

There is a federal flood insurance program that provides insurance for high risk flood areas (much of FL, etc). This program covers the first $250,000 in flood damage. By retaining that risk, the government makes it possible for private insurance to provide coverage at workable rates above and beyond that $250K. (Think of it as having a really high deductible to lower your payments, only you don't have to pay the deductible).

From an investing standpoint, what usually happens post-crisis is wealthy individuals and private equity corporations unveil insurance products to serve the new higher rate market. (This happened post 9/11; several bermuda based insurers came into existence). Since existing insurance companies have no choice but to raise rates, these new entities enter the market at lower (but still high) rates, and the new entities have no exisitng liabilities.

So, yes, there will be insurance, and as long as there is insurance, there will be potential investors. But I don't think people will have the desire to live in NO, so the demand will never meet the supply....which is why I say the city may never recover.

 

[Vicious cycle]

New Orleans will never recover

Agreed.

 

[manny78]

No martial law ? Seriously ? What does it take ? Nuclear bomb ? Gangs of green goblins invading earth ? I'm sorry but it's pathetic.