New Orleans demands $77 billion in compensation

[iversonyin]

LMFAO. How many Mardi Gras you have to throw to make that type of money back? Chocolate city...LMFAO

Who voted for this guy?

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: DrPizza

Originally posted by: Eeezee

Originally posted by: compuwiz1
The founding fathers, who were idiotic enough to build a city in such an area, should be to blame.

Yeah, it's so stupid to build a prosperous port city at the end of America's largest river. What were they thinking?

And FYI, the founding fathers didn't have anything to do with New Orleans. We bought it from the French. Ever hear of the Louisiana Purchase? High school education FTW?

Did the French disclose that the city could flood under a Cat 3 hurricane? Sue the French for non-disclosure!

For what it's worth, why can't they use some common sense? I can find dozens, if not hundreds of places where there are some existing homes, but no more homes can be built because since the original structures were built, someone intelligent came along and said, "hey, this is a flood plain." Then, building codes said, "no building in flood plains." Problem was solved.

I propose the following building codes:
You cannot build a home on the side of a cliff in areas prone to earthquakes and landslides.

You cannot build a home where...
(fill in with common sense.)

...or leave it up to the free market.

That is, if people who want to build there should understand that they're taking a calculated risk, and the real estate market and insurance prices will adjust accordingly.

You're forgetting one thing: these things *are* left up to the free market, then the gov't has to come in and bail everyone out, using *my* taxes.

That second part is the problem that should be fixed. The government should find a way to tell everyone in no unclear terms that there will be no (monetary) bail-outs if a Katrina ever happens again.

 

[CorCentral]

Maybe Nagin should contact Willy Wonka to help him out
Here's an idea!........ Chocolate Levees

 

[AndrewR]

If the federal government sent $77 billion to New Orleans, the amount of corruption there would make the corruption in the Iraq reconstruction effort look like someone stealing a nickel from a candy machine. Corruption led to the poor building and lack of maintenance of the levees, and the same people are still around.

I guess if you yell loud enough and point the finger at enough people other than yourself, you can escape blame for your own failings. Well done, Nagin! :roll:

 

[d3n]

Originally posted by: Strk
$77 billion so they can neglect the basic infrastructure of the city again? No thanks

No, they need some more money to keep the well oiled machine of corruption going. How else are they going to keep the lid on the thin veil of civilization that the city government tries to keep over the city?

 

[alphatarget1]

fvck NO. They knew the levees were bad. They were supposed to pass some bonds themselves and fix it instead of relying on the feds.

 

[Brutuskend]

Show us your TITS, and we'll give you 77 BILLION dollars. Or these beads....

 

[RU482]

here's an idea, move your friggen city out of the flood plain like everyone else did in 93

 

[tw1164]

Originally posted by: Conky
Who are they suing... God?

He doesn't have that kind of money!

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: Chaotic42
This is where I take an unpopular view around here (I live dead-center in the Katrina impact zone). New Orleans and Louisiana have mishandled this from the start. People in Mississippi have taken the initiative and have really begun rebuilding. Churches can't give money away, because everyone turns it down. They want it to go to more needy people. MS is rebuilding slowly, but surely.

However, I can't read the New Orleans paper without seeing how everyone there has been wronged and how the government needs to dump truckloads of money into the city.

Now, I don't claim to know everything storm related that happened, but there's a big difference in the attitudes between New Orleans and the rest of the damaged area.

Wow, that's great to hear.

Wish the news would feature more about the other affected areas on, especially since it sounds like you're not doing too bad.

Biloxi, my hometown, got hit hard, but it's coming along. It used to be the second largest gambling town in America. They want to rebuild, but with even more casinos. Should be cool, but the city is on a long peninsula, so it's going to be insanely crowded.

Waveland was obliterated. It will be 15 years before it's rebuilt.

Picayune, the city that I live in now, was hit hard, but is back up to 100%, except for shops being open. They can't find enough people to work to keep things open.

 

[bersl2]

Ignore that idiot.

1) If the city decides to litigate and by some fluke wins in district court, the Fifth Circuit will throw it out.

2) Even if it survives all appeals, Congress has to appropriate the award; and if they say no, that's the end of the story.

My father (who has tried enough cases in this area to have a pretty good idea how these judges rule) thinks that the only people with a chance in hell are the people of Chalmette, who were flooded from the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MR-GO). And even then, he doesn't think it will survive appeal.

As today's paper so correctly points out, the (sometimes---but not always---corrupt) politicians and the unwashed masses who support them can't see beyond their own personal needs and wants and ignore the big picture (though I can understand why: it's just human nature).

So let's all cut the unnecessary histrionics out. Yes, we know, Nagin and Blanco are dumbasses; ignore them. But you squirrels in the peanut gallery need to shut it. You ain't here; don't even think that you get anything more than a sketch---no, a caricature---of what's going on from the national media.

 

[Queasy]

I'm sure they can fit all $77 billion in William Jefferson's freezer too!

 

[d3n]

Is that guy still roaming loose?

 

[TheDro]

If they want people to live in their city even though stuff like most of the city could end up flooding then create stricter development ordinances that require builders to build houses that are at least 3 stories tall with the first floor either being used as a garage or storage, and the top floors used as living space. Or mixed use type buildings typical in European cities where you have storefronts on the first floor and apartments/flats on the top floors, instead of letting some builder build a sea of shotgun houses that eventually become ghettos.

Also if they're ever going to recover, then they seriously need to demolish their freeway infrastructure and start all over.

 

[StageLeft]

If only it had taken out EVERYONE, maybe we'd stop having to hear about it.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: d3n
Is that guy still roaming loose?

Hey, Jefferson is doing more than roaming loose! Pelosi appointed him to the Homeland Security Committee in Congress. Woooo!

 

[thegimp03]

Maybe next time they shouldn't build a city next to the Mississippi River. :roll:

 

[CorCentral]

:music: Chocolate city here I come, Right back where I started from :music:

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: thegimp03
Maybe next time they shouldn't build a city next to the Mississippi River. :roll:

You live here and you're rolling your eyes at New Orleans for being built in a stupid place?