New at Reason

David Weigel | August 14, 2006

Jonathan Rauch files a warts-and-all report from Louisiana, nearly a year since Hurricane Katrina.

Comments

|8.14.06 @ 1:16PM|#

Wow, you almost think that these folks would have rebuilt much more if the feds weren't involved at all. Some sort of concerted private redevelopment effort would seem like a good opportunity if there is really a sufficient local economy.

|8.14.06 @ 2:39PM|#

seriously...
why are we spending billions upon billions of dollars in the middle of the desert and not helping our own country reconstruct and recover?

it makes absolutely no sense to me.

|8.14.06 @ 4:15PM|#

Why are we spending millions (billions) of dollars on rebuilding a below sea level city in the middle of a toxic swamp? Protecting a city that already existed may have made some sense but come on. It's gone. Rebuilding these areas makes no sense. If you just gave the money to the homeowners and said go buy a new house everyone would come out ahead.

|8.14.06 @ 4:16PM|#

Some sort of concerted private redevelopment effort would seem like a good opportunity if there is really a sufficient local economy.

Therein lies the rub.

|8.14.06 @ 4:20PM|#

Sounds like FEMA is acting like any other insurance company, only worse. They see the size of the bill so they drag their ass on paying it and try to find any excuse not to pay.

Jadagul|8.14.06 @ 4:43PM|#

BladeDoc, if you gave money to the homeowners and told them to go buy a new house, they'd use it to rebuild in St Bernard. When they talk about ties to the land and the community, they're pretty serious. New Orleans and the surrounding areas have a completely different culture from most of the rest of the country; people are attached to it.

Now, I think we should stop subsidizing flood insurance. But even if we did, a lot of these people would either pay it or take the risk because they value this community that highly.

Shannon Love|8.14.06 @ 5:45PM|#

I think the mass evacuations may have hurt Louisiana more than they would have other parts of the country.

Most of the state is insular with little in or out migration. Personal relationships count for much more in both business and politics than in other regions. You can't get much done in the state unless you know the right people. With some many people scattered the traditional means of getting things done (which didn't work so well in the first place) seem to have broken down.

Combine that with the fact that the local economy was already on the skids and you don't have a very pretty picture.

Shannon Love|8.14.06 @ 5:49PM|#

They explain that the parish submitted a demolition plan in December, but state and federal environmental regulators took months to agree on an asbestos-removal protocol [PDF]. That held up work until early spring

Of course, we could just stop treating asbestos like plutonium and instead regard it as a threat similar to any other material that can produce fine, insoluble particles like sand, concrete and sheet rock. I bet more people die of heat stroke because they have to work in hazmat suits than would ever die due to asbestos exposure from demolition.

|8.15.06 @ 2:24PM|#

"We're from the government. We're here to help you."

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